Let me preface this by stating unequivocally that my main (and most loved) instrument is the Irish flute. However, I recently (a couple of weeks ago) became a little fascinated by the Irish bones (aka rhythm bones, etc). Anyway, I bought a wooden pair and liked them so much that I ordered a pair from this guy, too. In the meantime, I decided to try making some using the directions I found here. Well, after winnowing 9 full ribs down to 4 pairs of bones (instruments), I found out that they are quite good and highly playable! Each pair has its own unique tone, too.
Here’s my question: how well are bones accepted at the sessions in which you play? I hear a lot of bad-mouthing of bodhrans (I play that too, btw), but they really DO add quite a bit if played well. The bones seem to have the same stigma attached… They (both bones and bodhrans) are well-accepted at our session, but I’m wondering how they fare in the wider world.
So far i haven’t been frowned upon in any session, playing bones or bodhrán. I think the key here is subtlety, the ability to play along in a nice steady rhytm without sounding like a hail storm on a tin roof (are you listening, all ye young top end players out there ) and hold the bones in a way that won’t make an eye-watering loud noise, in othr words, pretty firmly and a bit down for indoor/smaller than huge sessions.
I have a batch lying athome right now, boiled drying and awaiting final shape. It’s a pretty fun pastime with minimal (in my case zero investment as i got a lot of cow ribs for free from nearby butcher/slaughter house.
They are a pretty tolerant bunch at my Folk Club and seem to like the bones, when I play them. It’s not a session. I’ve fallen out of the habit of playing them, and I don’t get much chance to practice. There have been harsh words from the distaff side when I’ve practised at home. If I played them for every Irish tune at the Folk Club, suggestions might be made. Along the lines of “we would rather you didn’t”. If not “get the hell out of this…” But once in a while, maybe once a night, would be okay.
First, a bit of an aside … I’m interested in this notion of “Irish bones”. Why “Irish”? A bit like the “Irish flute,” I suppose.
Anyway, that aside, purely rhythm instruments are fairly often frowned on in my experience of sessions at which Irish, and other, traditional music is played. I think there are a few reasons, but here’s three for starters:
The noise they make tends to be quite piercing and can be off-putting to people playing the tunes;
They impose a rhythm on the tunes which the melody players might not intend at any particular moment; and
They are often played badly, more often than with melody instruments. This is the most common gripe, in my experience.
Now, personally, I have been known to enjoy the occasional bit of bones accompaniment, and even spoons. But I think it’s best if it’s something done sparingly. Someone playing bones on every set all evening could be a bit irritating after quite a short while.
my 2c
I’m very unpatient so it took me ages to learn how to play the bones - now it’s my favourite thing
you have to be patient as the basic movement is quite complex - after you’ll figure it out it seems simple.
still, what the guy is showing on the website is just a one type of holding the bones.
and they are definitely not Irish, there are folk instruments like that all over the world - in China they use pieces of brass. I’ve even found something similar to bones in Poland - where trad music was pretty much dominted by a frame drum.
I don’t like bones made of ribs as they are very thick and not very confortable to hold
if you’ll be lucky you might find on american ebay ebinite bones - they were manufactured in US in 50-ties or something like that. they are very good.
BTW 28e for a pair of ribs is quite expencive - there’s a shop here in Dublin in which I’ve seen a sets like that for 18e - quite a difference.
and I must say that there are very few people that are playing bones here in Ireland. and every time I’m starting to play mine people are interested and sometimes even excited as it is something not very common.
best of luck with them. if you’ll need any help give me a shout.
I find them annoying when they are too loud, and they usually are. Same with spoons. They cover all other instruments’ sound and all you hear is a rhythm instead of a melody.
Our own Jeff Lefferts, whose username I can’t
seem to remember at the moment, has some
great info on his site about muting bones by
wrapping them in chord.
He also owes the world a long waited-for DVD
on bones technique… so hintiddy-hint-hint.
Jeff once described a technique where he holds
the free-moving bone higher up than the unmoving
bone. Experimenting with this, I have gotten many
different varieties of tone and volume out the same
set of bones.
Don’t post this question on thesession unless you have a thick hide. That said here are some bits of information:
Bones and similar “clacking” instruments actually make my hearing aides block and stop all sound. You might want to be sure you aren’t doing that to anyone. I play with folks who use them from time to time, but they know of the issue and are sensitive about it.
Rick Fogel of Whamadiddle dulcimers here in the US makes nice bones. You can get them through
Bones and Bodhrans should stay at home unless you REALLY play them. Too many folks think they can grab on or the other and bang or click along and can’t. In the hands of a real player bones can add a nice lift if they don’t play all the time.
I bought a pair of his cherry bones and sold them to someone at our last session. They are too loud and don’t have the range of expression I can get from my home-made “bone” bones. From my pair, I can get “hollow”, “clacky”, soft, and loud.
) and hold the bones in a way that won’t make an eye-watering loud noise, in othr words, pretty firmly and a bit down for indoor/smaller than huge sessions.
