This section contains helpful hints and topics for bodhran players who feel they have moved on from being a beginner.
You will now feel comfortable within the session environment, have started to learn a number of tunes, and feel your playing is coming on nicely.
Be aware that no two sessions will be identical, even at the same location. Different players turning up, or regular members missing, different tunes and sitting in a different seat where the acoustics are less then helpful.
You will need to possess the knowledge and musical ability and ‘tools’ to adapt to whatever the session throws at you….so you will effectively be learning on the job at every session.
So, now that you’re getting up to speed and ready for the next stage of your musical journey, what better subject to start with than…
- Speeding-up. This is a contentious issue and often frowned upon by musicians, but it does happen! The question is, how should a bodhran player handle it? When it comes to speeding up, we take the view that the ‘lead player’ – whoever starts the tune – is in charge of the timing and It may be rude to haul them back, just in case they DO in fact want to speed up gradually to create some excitement. There is a recognised musical term for intentional speeding up, which is accelerando, although it’s more likely to be adrenaline playing its part, rather then an intentional ploy!
- Double-time. Please note that to clarify the previous bullet, we are NOT talking about the technique of playing a piece slowly to start with and then doubling the speed in the later stages. Bodhran players should be aware of this technique in advance, as you will need to know when to change speed.
- Silence can be golden. Do work out when to leave notes out and stop playing, rather than ploughing on like a drum-machine! For instance, the moment when every player in a session emphasises the end of a phrase by NOT playing a beat, is musically very powerful. This can often coincide with the changeover between a set of two tunes. Do experiment and work out what you think musically sounds best. In other words, you will benefit from learning the tune in question; and the more you play, the more you will learn…and the more you will be able to contribute to the session.
- 8-bars. There is a convention that the ‘lead player’ will normally play the first 8-bars of their chosen tune on their own, before all the other players join in. This rule is adopted more often in a formal performance setting rather than a session, but make sure you know what the ‘house rules’ are before you play.
- Intros and false starts. Dependent on the level of expertise, sometimes the ‘lead player’ may be experiencing some difficulty in getting a tune started, in which case it may be wholely appropriate for other players to come in during the initial 8-bars to offer some guidance. Even a bodhran beat can help, but only if you are absolutely certain that your contribution will be appreciated. The ‘lead player’ may even be apologetic and wish to bale-out in favour of another tune. Joining in too soon may make that option more difficult for the lead player, and put them in an awkward position.
- Outros. At the other end of the tune, getting the ending right can make for a powerful conclusion to any song. Make sure you can observe the ‘lead player’ when you think the tune is about to end, and make sure you finish at the same time. Otherwise, through experience you may know how they are going to end the tune – maybe with a bit of drawn-out embellishment – and you can of course try to complement it
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