Beginner Advice Needed -

[Julia Delaney]

Hello Everybody,

I’m not exactly new to this site. But I am hoping that somebody with more experience than I have might be able to help me. I am interested in a beginner. I don’t quite know where to start. I know they come in all sizes and ages. But which is best, do you think?
I’d prefer a female, for many reasons. A male beginner could be fun but the interaction would be limited in certain areas. I know that a male beginner would be stronger right out of the box, as it were, but female beginners just smell better to me. They tend to feel slimmer in the hands, which I like. And especially for waltzes a female beginner can’t be beat.
Do I want a small beginner or a large one? A small one would be nice, for several reasons. There would generally be less volume, of course, but storage would be easier. If the beginner is small enough then perhaps a large suitcase would work, or perhaps it could be kept in a box under the bed. I also like the idea of a small beginner because the upkeep would be much less than a large one. Smaller hole sizes would make fingering that much easier.
Then we have the question of light or dark. I know that dark beginners have a great honk and good volume but in the right hands a light beginner could sound fine as well, even in a busy session. Light ones are often warped, which is fine with me. But I think I’d be just as happy with a dark one since they aren’t as prone to splitting and I’d like to keep it around a while.
I think a well-used beginner would suit my purposes better, since a brand new one wouldn’t be much good at all for several years. And by the time it was any good I would be too old to enjoy it.
Then there is the question of the initial cost. I know that if I get a really good beginner I could recoup my investment when the time came to move on, and even if I decided to keep it my enjoyment would be greater than if I got a cheap beginner. Cheap beginners can also be high maintenance, which would cut down on time spent playing with it. So if anybody knows of a top-class beginner out there that is available at a good price, please let me know.
(And please let me know quickly, before this gets taken down by a moderator and I get banned for life.)

[Denny]

a female beginner can’t be beat.

I would advise against beating your beginner.

Even if you can, I don't believe it is beneficial in the long run.

[Steve Bliven]

Do you have a bias against beginners with Pakistani decorative elements?

[tsackett]

If you're just getting started, it's best to start out with a plastic one. They feel slightly artificial, but are much lower-maintenance.

[MTGuru]

(And please let me know quickly, before this gets taken down by a moderator and I get banned for life.)

As if that hasn't already happened.

[crookedtune]

It's said that the German army issued them for a short time, to keep the troops from going into town.

[Nanohedron]

I think a well-used beginner would suit my purposes better...

I'm trying to come to terms with what looks like an oxymoron, above. But oxymoron or not, you do seem to have a rather robust lazy streak for a would-be Svengali. Not an entirely bad thing at all, in my estimation. Eminently practical, in fact; let others do the drudgery of the preparatory slog and you can fine-tune the result.

[Cubitt]

I suggest a beginner bodhran, instead. I beat mine gently all night long. It doesn't bother anyone else, and I get great satisfaction from it.

[jemtheflute]

I suggest a beginner bodhran, instead. I beat mine gently all night long. It doesn't bother anyone else, and I get great satisfaction from it.

Ah, but you surely need a discerning and suitably sized tipper for that!

Oh, and are you a one-end or two-end man?

[Rob Sharer]

Watch out for those dark beginners.....



“So we meet again, at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you I was but the learner; now I am the master.”

[Cubitt]

I suggest a beginner bodhran, instead. I beat mine gently all night long. It doesn't bother anyone else, and I get great satisfaction from it.

Ah, but you surely need a discerning and suitably sized tipper for that!

Oh, and are you a one-end or two-end man?

I call it a beater and I do triplets like nobody's business!

[jemtheflute]

I do triplets like nobody's business!

Do they mind? And are they beginners too?

[Denny]

he's such a braggart

[crookedtune]

he's such a braggart

Don't be impressed. He seldom lands a solid roll.

[Cubitt]

he's such a braggart

Don't be impressed. He seldom lands a solid roll.

Sez you. You should see me play off the rim.