I’ve taken to using the Amazing Slower Downer to listen to ITM recordings and play along with the track, and when I play just by myself I’ve tried using a metronome on my smartphone to practice with. However, a metronome just provide a beat, not a specific beat, so it takes more effort to make sure I’m keeping the proper jig time, reel time, etc.
Per a google search I know this question has come up in past years (with accompanying jokes) but in all seriousness is there any good “bodhran drum machine” application, or failing that a drum machine program I could buy (ideally a phone app) that can be set for to play the right rhythmic patterns for Irish music?
It’s pretty mighty yet easy to use… and there are lots of community drumkits (sound sets). I’ve been looking for a bodhran drumkit, or ideally even ready rhythmic patterns (I don’t have a clue what those bodhranists are actually doing) - but in vain so far, unfortunately. There’s however a nice acoustic drumkit available, with some bongobongo and the like.
Do a search for Mark Stone Bodhran. It is an instructional CD but he plays a lot of basic beats and I find it fun to play along too. You could use your software to adjust the speed to your liking I suppose. It’s not hard to find. It’s on Amazon, Spotify, and iTunes.
There are some good bodhran metronome tracks on YouTube/YT Music. The playlists I have saved are from Santiago Molina. He has polka (70-140bpm), jig (50-120bpm), and reel (50-120bpm) playlists. I know this isn’t the same as an actual metronome with bodhran sounds, but it’s a good in-between from a metronome and a backing track.
…And I just noticed the date on this conversation and am wondering how I got here.
Do you have any interest in a mechanical druM machine? A company on Kickstarter just launched a drum machine. It’s $189 for the first 100 backers and they’re almost gone.
I backed it because I think it would be a fun acoustic metronome.
