I might have already posted about this, but for the past few months I’ve been considering getting my dad a bodhran for xmas. The problem is, I have really no idea what to look for. I don’t want to get something too expensive, but I want it to sound ok when played. I’ve seen it recomended that, when giving a bodhran as a gift, you give the recipient an assortment of beaters so they can experement. What kind(s) should I get? Also, are there any good instructional books for bodhrans?
The trouble you will run into is that (repeat after me) a bodhrán isn’t just for Christmas. There will still be care and feeding of the bodhrán after Christmas, and who is going to be responsible for that? You would be far better off getting yer ol’ da a tin whistle so he can actually make some music for himself. 
djm
He WANTS to learn to play the bodhran–he’s always liked percussion instruments–so finding someone to play with is his problem. Anyway, he plays guitar so when he gets bored with never having melody, he can always play that for a while.
You are very funny. I like you. 
As for the bodhran, I have no clue. I’ve heard some awesome expensive bodhrans but then I’ve heard awesome players who work wonders on (and seem to have fun with) the ones you get at the Guinness store. If you think he’s going to play it some, maybe spend a little more; if you think he’s going to hang it on the wall, get one with some nice painting on it? I think there are some OK drums in varying price ranges at Custy’s, Whistle and Drum and maybe Lark in the Morning as well.
Oh God, don’t encourage him! 
PA, I was going to recommend Meloef, but I see they havestopped taking orders until next year. You may already have a source in mind. Talk to them and ask what styles/sizes of beaters they have available. There are lots of bodhrán makers on the web, as well, so shop around. If your Dad likes it and gets good, he can always buy/make better equipment as he progresses (just like any other instrument). Some places charge a lot for beaters, so you don’t want to spend too much money until your Dad can get a feel for what he wants.
djm
Guitar is better, makes more sense
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuXOjVBrv_Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXbPya2kypI
Enjoy,
Slan,
D. 
One of the best tutors I’ve come across was the Tommy Hayes video. I think it is now available on DVD as well. I think that video instruction (or, ideally personal instruction if available) is best for learning bodhran to get the technique right. Watching someone else play (assuming of course they are a good player) helps a lot more than trying to explain it in a book. The toughest thing for most people starting the bodhran is getting the wrist movement down. It is not as easy as it looks. Many people pick up the drum and start sweeping their arm up and down the drum as opposed to rotating their wrist. That will get very tiring very quickly and will be ineffective for most of the rhythms. The other good thing about the video tutor (and live instruction) is that you learn the proper basic rhythms for Irish tunes instead of just whacking away and making noise. Seems that the toughest rhythm for most to get down is the jig rhythm. I’ve heard too many that play the beats too evenly and it just doesn’t sound right. The world doesn’t need another poor bodhran player.
As for the instrument itself, there are indeed a lot of terrible ones on the market… some of them even appear to be nice but aren’t. An inexpensive easy one to start off with is the 18" Walton’s bodhran. Last I saw, they retailed for around $50-$65 bucks. They redesigned them recently and all of the changes were improvements from what I could tell. I still have one from years ago and the new ones compared to that have more of a beveled edge, thicker shells and sturdier construction all around. They also changed the design of the crossbars from two perpendicular thin bars to one thicker crossbar, making it easier to move your hand under if should you choose to leave it in. I’ve seen most of the kids at the local academy starting with those and they serve a beginner well. Once your Pop has decided to stick with it then he can get himself a more expensive drum if he wants too. No sense in spending $300+ on an instrument he may not take to. I have seen some decent tunable drums in local music shops over the years that were around $90 or so but if you know nothing about the bodhran you may not be able to weed out the bad ones. A tunable one would be best (especially here in my dry hot climate) but it’s hard to find a nice one for a low price. The Waltons would be a decent starting instrument, just make sure he keeps with him a rag and a spray bottle when he plays to keep it from getting too tight… unless you live in a humid climate, you may need a blow dryer of some sort to keep the head from getting too loose..
I hope this information is helpful to you.
Albert Alfonso makes great bodhrans. He’s also a real hoot to be around if you get the chance.
And dow would know! O frijole mio!
LOL
The suggestion of the video sounded good to me.
I had a bodhran years ago. It was made out of some kind of plastic wood and had a tinny sounding mylar head
but the thing never turned into mush on cold damp full moons.
After playing it I always had to ice down my wrist for a while.
I eventually gave it to a kid I met at a Pagan camping event. She’d taken a bodhran class at the event where the teacher taught bodhran basics with everyone substituting a piece of cardboard for the drum and a pencil for the tipper.
This thread has reminded me of a discussion that went on while I was in Albert’s bodhran class at Augusta this summer. Someone asked about the choice of drums and whether or not they needed to buy one of Albert’s or someone else’s high end bodhran. Albert’s answer went something like, “Yes you need to buy one of my drums. Better yet, buy two or three or heck, buy them all.” Seriously, he advised getting something like a a Remo from a music store to learn on and then if you decided that you needed or wanted to get a better drum, you could make that decision with more experience under your belt. That way, you’re not out a big gob to get started, and if you decide you don’t like it, you haven’t lost much.
The synthetic head doesn’t give the same sound
or have the same feel
or the same romance
or the same maintenance.
Come to think of it, I don’t recall any maintenance.
Perfect for the aspiring goatwhacker to be.