- Warm up your hands before you play by stretching out your fingers and stretching your wrists up and down. Bodhran instructor Josh Mittleman says that he always "stretch[es] my hands, arms, and shoulders before I play for more than a few minutes." This helps get the muscles loose and pliable, making for easier playing and less chance of an injury.
- Record your practice sessions. When you listen back, you'll be able to hear if you have any holes in your technique or problems with certain rhythms. If you play in a band, ask your band-mates if you can record your sessions with them as well. Listening to the playback will help all of you to hear problem areas in your playing.
Bodhran professional Stuart Dunlop suggests two exercises in particular for the bodhran that can be recorded and played back to see how well you're doing. The first one is to start playing slow downbeats in 4/4 time, gradually speeding up to the point where you can't play any faster. When you listen back, listen to hear if the beater is brushing the drum head in between beats or if your downbeats are irregular or if the timbre of the drum is changing because your left hand is moving.
The second exercise is to play downbeats, again in 4/4 time, but this time allow the beater to hit the drum naturally on upbeats. Dunlop says, "Move the position of your right arm in towards the skin and away from it until you are getting the upbeat hits when you want them. Once you are getting the upbeats to hit regularly, try to speed up." If your upbeats are even and easy to hit, you will be able to play the downbeats a lot faster. Listen to the playback for smooth, regular beats in both directions. - Practice regularly. You won't get better if you only practice right before a band session or performance. Practice at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Consistency in your practice will make your performances more consistent as well. Begin with basic rhythmic patterns and work your way through rolls, doubles and more complex combinations. Since most Irish music is in 4/4 and 6/8 time, practice both, moving from a slow pattern to a faster one.
Experiment in your practice with the left hand's contact with the drum. Move your hand from place to place on the drum, paying attention to the different sounds this creates. Try to replicate each sound so you will know how to make it in a band session or performance. Practice playing different rhythms with the beater while your left hand is in different places and see what kinds of effects you achieve. Techniques to try with the left hand include sliding it over the skin as you play, cupping it against the skin, using your fingers only, using your whole hand to mute the sound, playing on the rim and opening your hand up so that you can use the beater in the space between your fingers. - Listen to other bands' bodhran players when you are at performances or jam sessions. Watch them play and analyze their use of the beater and left hand techniques, and try to replicate these on your own. Listen to Irish bands on recordings and play along to learn new songs and to hear how their bodhran players work with the ensemble. Some bands to listen to include Danu, Lunasa, and The Chieftans.
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