Has anybody played a remo/Howard bodhran, and if so, what did you think?
Online they are available for $160, which is about exactly what my price range will allow.
Positives:
So what are the downsides? Do these thing sound like crap or are they decent? Any feedback appreciated. (even the stupid anti-bodhran kind. It’s a guilty pleasure.)
I have no idea, but if they’re any good, I might get one. Not, of course, that I would
like the sound of the universally-despised instrument that should come with a free
penknife or anything, but as a vegetarian type, I have noticed that the bodhran is among
those instruments that made of animal parts (along with a certain frightening - and frighteningly
expensive instrument - that is seen in the laps of some sessioneers…)
But it might be nice to know if such a thing was actually decently playable (as rated by
those with the mental illness that makes them capable of thinking the bodhran -can- be
decent, as of course, the right-thinking would never do.) Not that I would ever purchase
the epitome of evil in drum shape or anything, sheerly idle curiosity, of course. 
But someone
should answer anyway.
Hi Wormdiet
At $160 the Howard/Remo bodhran seems to be a good buy (if they were that price over here I’d buy one).
Saying that, I have played a couple of them, and they are surprisingly good for an artificial skin. The artificial skin does not have the responsiveness of a good goatskin but you will probably be happy enough with it.
Welcome to the dark side 
David
I have played one and they are pretty good. No worries with the weather etc. Not quite as mellow as a well played goat skin, but loads nicer than the older synthetic heads.
Perhaps I could quietly sneak these questions in here without drawing a whole lot of attention, but enough to get an answer:
The Bodhran? I think it is jealously. Yes really, the bodhran is a simple, humble instrument, but when played well connects to the heart and soul of the listener. It makes ‘proper’ musicians feel incensed. as surely eveyone should be marvelling at THEM.
Well, I could in no way call myself a “proper” musician so perhaps that is why they do not upset me. Although I suspect that “played well” is the critical factor here (as with all instruments)!
People joke about those instruments, because it’s common that people who think they can play them in a session can’t.
In the case of a bodhrán (and bones), many people, as soon as they are able to execute the tricky triplet technique, feel they’ve “arrived” and can play in public. But they know nothing about the tunes, feel, lilt, etc., and they haven’t developed a steady, confident rhythm and volume control. People rarely do that on melody instruments, because it’s obvious if you can’t play the tunes up to tempo.
For the recorder, people who play them in a “classical” style sometimes will get ahold of tunes on sheet music and go down to the local session with little or no other preparation. After all, if you’re a competent player, and they’re simple tunes, why not? But they have no idea about the feel and flow of Irish music, and “toot-toot-toodly-toot” go along cluelessly not fitting in at all. Plus the sound of a recorder has a hollowish hooty sound that brings up a baroque “classical” feel much more than a whistle.
Thank you. I have been wondering. It is jokes because of the people playing the instruments inappropriately, not jokes against the instruments themselves. I just couldn’t figure out what was so darn bad about a recorder.
The Howard is, as has been said earlier, not up to par with any natural skin drums, though it serves well enough for a good learning tool, and simple session situations. If you’re serious about the instrument however, you may want to look into a good quality traditional material drum. One of our local pipers makes some pretty darn nice ones (been playing mine for over a year now and I know he’s sold several to other members here on C&F)
http://www.uilleann.org/Lilting-Banshee.html
The other thing to look for is a good tuning system, other than a squirt bottle or damp rag. Well worth the extra cost. Just some thoughts from one who’s played many bodhráns in the past…
All the best!
Bri~
I’ve met a couple of mandolin players and a number of guitar players who can’t get what I’ll call a “Celtic rhythm strum” style to save their lives. They are fair to brilliant players in other genres, but Celtic trad - whether Irish, Scots or other - just seems to escape them. On an ongoing basis.
Agreed, on wannabe bodhranai, not the auld deafener, itself. Some folks who thump the goat wouldn’t know a nuance, subtle or otherwise, if it peed on them. Full tilt, and loud as she’ll go!!! No small wonder there are jokes, and sometimes real bodhra’ns with real penknives (affixed for “tuning” purposes) tacked to walls of public houses.
QUOTE: Agreed, on wannabe bodhranai, not the auld deafener, itself. Some folks who thump the goat wouldn’t know a nuance, subtle or otherwise, if it peed on them. Full tilt, and loud as she’ll go!!! No small wonder there are jokes, and sometimes real bodhra’ns with real penknives (affixed for “tuning” purposes) tacked to walls of public houses UNQUOTE.
I wish the damn thing was a joke, but I speak as a recent bodhran session victim. Y’all know the type of thing: non-rhythmic, non-musical super-loud thumping, so bad that more than once I had to stop playing as I couldn’t hear myself. Yes I play the harmonica and you’re thinking that my cessation of playing could only have been a good thing (see, I have complexes too). Naturally, the perpetrator was completely insensitive to my predicament. The bloody thing isn’t even traditional anyway so why do we put up with it. Here endeth the polemic. This is not, repeat not, funny. 
Uncheers.
Steve
Not as traditional as a harmonica at any rate.
I don’t blame the bodhran. It’s a bit like accident black spots on roads when people say “That’s a dangerous stretch of road…” No it isn’t. It’s the silly b*ggers who drive like loonies that are dangerous.
I don’t really care for the"what’s traditional, what isn’t" debate (said he backtracking). I shouldn’t have thrown that vituperous remark in. It tends to come down to which instruments have been used for the longest time, which is a tad pointless I suppose.
Steve
Congrats on the cool CD review Steve. Surpised you didn’t get that bodhran player from down the pub to apper as a guest. 
I couldn;t agree more.
I contemplated adding my own bodhran-playing on one or two tracks, but I thought better of it having listened to myself thrashing the goat on a pub recording. I wish some of the bodhran-“players” would do that. Could even be used as a punishment for session bad manners…
Steve
My 2 pence worth…
I’m attending a bodhran class. I did 9 weeks of basic last term, and am now about 5 weeks into intermediate. We had 8 in the basic class, but only 2 in intermediate.
The other guy who is attending intermediate class, asked this week:
“So tell me, how do I tell the difference between a jig and a reel, and how do I know when to come in?”
Now if someone who has been attending classes for 14 weeks, and presumably listening to CDs and practising daily in between, is still capable of asking this, is it any wonder that 90% of bodhran players are crap (statistic obtained from the MM database of impressive sounding numbers).
He also asked:
“What sort of accompaniment do I play to a slow air?”
to which I and the teacher answered in unison “You don’t.”
There are recordings of players in the 20s and 30s with Bodhran accompaniment. They were just a simple beat, nothing fancy. How long ago does something have to have entered the tradition to be “Traditional”? I’m thinking harmonica and bouzouki as two examples of recent additions to the ITM family, and piano accordion does well when played sympathetically.
That bodhran players and playing styles have developed since then is only natural, that’s what Folk Music does in order not to stagnate.
Regarding Remo bodhrans, the teacher in my class plays one and does a mean job on it, so they must be OK. I use a cheapie Waltons £40 tuneable job because I like the skin, and it’s not too much to carry around with a fiddle besides.
Martin a écrit: is it any wonder that 90% of bodhran players are crap
If it were only 90% I’d fall on my knees in thanksgiving. Heheh!
[quote “Steve Shaw”] The bloody thing isn’t even traditional anyway so why do we put up with it..
Martin again: There are recordings of players in the 20s and 30s with Bodhran accompaniment. They were just a simple beat, nothing fancy. How long ago does something have to have entered the tradition to be “Traditional”? I’m thinking harmonica and bouzouki as two examples of recent additions to the ITM family, and piano accordion does well when played sympathetically.<
I did backtrack on that intemperate remark of mine if you recall…people in glass houses and all that…
Cheers
Steve
Hehe, fair do’s.
I notice that Bodhran (or at least mine) doesn’t seem to come out well on my iRiver recordings. I know when I’m playing, but I can’t pick it out of the musical tapestry afterwards. Maybe I need a louder goat…