Bodhran: The Basics (Book/Online Audio)

Publisher : Mel Bay
A Beginner's Guide to Playing the Bodhran

Using photographs, text, and audio examples, Bill Woods  takes you in easy steps from holding the bodhran and stick through playing along with traditional Irish dance tunes. It shows you the basic accompaniment patterns for reels and jigs and demonstrates ways to make these patterns more interesting using rests, accents, and rolls.

In addition to the audio examples, the downloadable audio has traditional Irish dance tunes recorded at different tempos so you can start playing along almost immediately and increase your speed as your skill improves. Also covered are the correct pronunciation of bodhrán, the history of the bodhrán in traditional Irish music, suggestions on playing with other musicians, suggestions on what to look for when choosing a bodhran and stick, instructions on a simple and inexpensive way to make your own stick, and the basic structure of Irish dance tunes.
An integrated instruction book and downloadable online audio for the beginning player. Teaches the basic accompaniment patterns for reels and jig. Audio has traditional Irish tunes recorded at different tempos.

• What Is a Bodhrán?
• A Very Short History
• Playing with Others
• Choosing a Bodhrán
• The Head
• The Frame
• Tunable or Not Tunable
• Crossbars
• Choosing a Stick
• Making Your Own Stick
• Protecting Your Bodhrán and Stick
• A Little Music Theory
• Notes and Rests
• Staff Lines
• Measures
• Beats
• Tempo
• My System of Notation
• Holding the Bodhrán
• Holding the Stick
• Hitting the Bodhrán
• How to Use the CD
• Starting to Play
• Jigs
• Playing Different Rhythms
• Rests
• Accents
• Rolls
• Combining Rests, Accents, and Rolls
  
  
  
  

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