Another New Whistler?

Sara · Post by **Sara** » Tue Dec 11, 2001 7:34 pm

I don't get it... what are bodhrans? And what is the beat? Someone fill me in on the joke please!

Sara

"All we are saying, is give peace a chance."

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Tue Dec 11, 2001 9:29 pm

Sara...
Follow these links:
http://www.ifccsa.org/bodhran.html
http://www.ceolas.org/instruments/bodhran/
http://www.celticmusic.com/alfonso_bodhrans/

Grannymouse · Post by **Grannymouse** » Tue Dec 11, 2001 10:43 pm

Welcome to this wacky world, Squeezer. If you haven't figured out that we're all nuts here....you soon will. Sorry about the whistle. Aren't there any shops somewhere near Ukiah that you could purchase a whistle on the spot?
And Bloomfield....you'd better start running and ducking.....I play my bodhran in church on occasion...GM

Squeezer · Post by **Squeezer** » Wed Dec 12, 2001 12:11 am

Grannymouse: The GOOD news is that the shipper (who shall remain unnamed) acknowledged the error in judgement, and is shipping another whistle at no cost to me. And no, we don't have an immediate source of whistles here, although Lark in The Morning is not toooo far away (and there's always San Francisco.
Great session tonight! And we didn't need the beat after all :>)

Firefly · Post by **Firefly** » Wed Dec 12, 2001 4:13 am

They never look like they are doing anything, (at least the one at the session I attend). He just holds it under the table and sits there rocking back and forth and smiling.

I always wonder what people in the pub think when they come in and see this guy surrounded by instruments smiling and rocking back and forth with his hands under the table. 

Actually, what he's doing is putting the concertina on the ground and then holding the MiniDisc player with the prerecorded concertina bits, queing up each tune as it becomes necessary.

The smile is because he gets the free beer just like the other musicians who are actually working...

~Firefly

Tyghress · Post by **Tyghress** » Wed Dec 12, 2001 7:34 am

Sara, by now you may have hit that link and found out what bodhrans are. . .those lovely Celtic drums played with a wooden beater (or whatever its called).

The issue is that often people who come to sessions and love the music and want to join in the merriment DON'T want to learn a melodic instrument. For some peculiar reason they think that rhythmic instruments are easier and relatively inexpensive.

So you tend to get MANY bodhran players, only a few who can honestly keep a beat, at sessions. The good players understand that their instrument can be overbearing en masse, and 'take turns' playing sets, or play quietly, and don't let the rhythm get away from them. The common players join in on every set, thump away with only the barest hint of the correct rhythm, and tend to speed up as the set progresses. Compounding this, if they're sitting anywhere but close up to the strong melodic lines, there is a tiny lag between when the music is played and when they hear it, and another tiny lag from when they thump (assuming they are actually thumping on the beat) and when the core melodic group hear it.

At our session we often have 20-25 people: 16 'regulars' and the rest new people joining in. Of the 16, 5 are bodhran players! Of the other 5-9, there may be a whistler or two, or an occasional fiddler. But typically they're bodhrans. If you do the math, you figure out why I would GLADLY play in a session with few or no drummers.

Sara · Post by **Sara** » Thu Dec 13, 2001 1:03 pm

Tony:
Thanks for the links!

tyghress:
I learned from the links Tony gave me that the "wooden beater" in called the cipin. Rhythmic instruments are not easy. The way I see it, you should only play at sessions if you have a true dedication and are willing to take the time and learn the instrument. Like, I would love to play at a session with my whistle, but I don't think I'm quite ready yet. I wouldn't think of going into one and messing up the rhythm and melody and everyone else's playing just to play in a session. That's pretty rude - I can see why wouldn't want any drummers in your session.

Peace,
Sara

_________________
"I'm sick and tired of hearing things
from uptight, short-sighted, narrow-minded hypocrites.
All I want is the truth
Just gimme some truth" - John Lennon

[ This Message was edited by: Sara on 2001-12-18 10:17 ]

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Thu Dec 13, 2001 2:16 pm

Um, Sara, there are some REALLY GOOD bodhran players, and a good bodhran player can add quite a nice feeling to a session. It's not just about keeping a beat, but also sensitively following a tune and giving support to other skilled musicians. Regardless of the proper terminology, bodhran players call the wooden beater a "beater" or a "tipper".

(I don't like the period-quote punctuation rule.)

Jessie

cj · Post by cj » Thu Dec 13, 2001 2:36 pm

(I don't like the period-quote punctuation rule.)

Jessie

I don't either!

MarkB · Post by **MarkB** » Thu Dec 13, 2001 3:39 pm

Welome Squeezer to a fabulous board. When do you hold your sessions and where? I just got - well recently anyways, and new 25" bodhran -- no hiding in the closet with that one.

And I agree very much with Tyghress - 5 bodhran players at a session is far to many. Even two can be to much. When I teach the bodhran I really try to emphasize session etiquette and even when all want to play please take turns or learn or play another instrument or you won't be invited back.

_________________
"Everything flows and nothing abides; everything gives way and nothing stays fixed." Heraclitus.

[ This Message was edited by: MarkB on 2001-12-13 16:44 ]

Sara · Post by **Sara** » Thu Dec 13, 2001 7:31 pm

Jessie,
Oh, I didn't mean that no Bodhran players are good or contribute anything to sessions. I'm sure many of them do - I was just expounding on what tyghress said. I'm sorry if I may have offended any Bodhran players! I also read that they are called the tipper I just thought I'd say that they are called a cipin. What's the period-quote punctuation rule? Did I do it? If so, sorry.
Sara

_________________
"All we are saying, is give peace a chance."

[ This Message was edited by: Sara on 2001-12-13 20:34 ]

Whistlepeg · Post by **Whistlepeg** » Thu Dec 13, 2001 8:45 pm

How do you know a Bodhran player is at the door? The knocking gets faster & faster &...
Groan,Sorry - couldn't resist.
Anyway - welcome Squeezer to a fellow concertina player. How long have you been playing concertina, and what make do you have? I have one of the Morse Ceili (Button Box made) and it is great. I switched from English to Anglo when I gave up trying to sound Irish with an "English" accent!

Squeezer · Post by **Squeezer** » Thu Dec 13, 2001 8:51 pm

Heelo, MarkB & Whistlepeg - I've been playing the concertina now a little over 5 years (still learning). We have a local session here in Ukiah weekly (Tues. eves) that I try to never miss! But the REAL pressure comes when I'm over in Ireland (still have family in Co. Galway)! Those lads sure keep me hopping to keep up with them, but it's all good fun. I also have (and learning) a 2-row button box in B/C, and now the WHISTLE! That should be enuff to keep me out of trouble :>)

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Fri Dec 14, 2001 3:27 am

On 2001-12-13 21:45, Whistlepeg wrote:

Groan,Sorry - couldn't resist.

Neither could I, an ancient story and some of you will know it:

Some one asked Seamus Ennis what would be the proper way to play the Bodhran. 'With razorblades' Seamus replied

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Fri Dec 14, 2001 9:56 am

Since no one else is showing self restraint:

A man walks into a Belfast bar with a large bag under his arm. The bartender frowns and says, "what's in that bag?"

"Four kilograms of Semtex," replies the man.

"Thank God," says the bartender, "for a moment I thought it was a bohran."

(I like the punctuation-quotation rule.)