OT: The proper use of a Bohdran!

Dammit, Jon, you’re making me want to actually buy one, now. :swear:

:laughing: okay the title had me worried…

Ohhh! I din’t think of that! :blush:

that’s so cute! my cat would totally do that if I had a bodhran. a flute case is a bit small and hard to curl up in I guess…

Ying Yang kitty!

Just like a recent tune that was mentioned here… “Cat in the Fiddle Case”

I though… yes… of course its in the case.

Mine will try and sit in my lap when Im sitting and playing… they may be deaf… hehe.


Ah… What are you feeding that thing Jon?

Its a little… um… plump. :smiley:


I got a 20 lbs British Shorthair and 22lbs American Standard.

I can’t say much… Im pretty sure they are just big boned.

:slight_smile:

This is actually a Irish cat, I don’t know what they eat over there…

One friend remarked when he saw my bodran that the instrument should be played with a penknife.

Your friend was quoting Seamus Ennis.

OK, that’s adorable. And that is a big kitty!

And it explains Jon’s new avatar photo – in its small form I thought it was a cowhide bodhran with the fur on!

Being as good as they come on the instrument, (not bragging) I fully concur;
in fact, allow me to expand this notion:

the proper use for any piece of furniture, musicial instrument, or musical instrument case is whatever kitty deems necessary.

I purchased a few cheapie whistles a while back (to remain nameless); I thought I’d mess around playing them or resurrect my “P.D.Q. Bach: ‘Sackenfloete’ idea” from about 15 years ago at a Scottish festival we played,
but how wrong I was. I quickly found out that their true purpose was to serve as sticks at which to swat.

Every cat in my house owns the mandolin case I have which is shaped and sized like a mini guitar; they don’t even need to be inside - draped over top wherever it is.

It’s a well known trick, using a dead cat glued to the inside of the skin to deaden the reverb. :smiling_imp: :smiling_imp:

Many years ago, a friend of mine used to perform with a bodhrán player who had to wet down the skin as needed, as it was an untuneable yoke. There he’d be in the men’s room at the sink, sloshing water around inside the frame. This drummer was a fine fellow, good as you could ask, but prone to gullibility, so my friend took him aside during an evil spell and said, “Y’know, the old traditional way of wetting the head is to p*ss in it”. The drummer’s reaction to that is not on record, but one evening on the stage my friend and one of the other musicians looked at each other: they thought they could smell urine.

I would probably have to halt the set then and there and find a place to get over my laughing jag.

Cats love the things

It’s the smell of the leather I think. I used to have a Native style flute that the dogs wouldn’t leave alone because of the leather cord holding the saddle in place.

I bought my roomate a bodhran several years back and his cat tore the skin with his claws…it must be the smell or something. He doesn’t urinate on his bodhran, so thats definatley not the smell I’m talking about :slight_smile:

But does his cat urinate on the bodhran? That’s about as scary (especially to a cat owner!).

You’re giving me an idea, here. I have to find out which bodhran players own cats… Now, where is that catnip again?

My cat loves instrument cases and such. Gets my pipe case all hairy. Not unusual for a cat.
Two days ago he did something that did surprise me though. He chomped one of my chanter reeds. Crunched it right up. Fortunately it was one in a jar of reeds that weren’t working out too well! I would have been very mad if he’d gotten one of the few that are good. I wonder why he did that though.

Because it was “there”! :smiley: