I want to learn how to play the bodhrn. Is there a cheap way to start?
You can find out if you have the aptitude without spending any more than the cost of a good stick. The ‘drum’ need be no more than a cardboard box, I’m not winding you up, since it has approximately the same resistance as a bodhrn head. If you feel you want a drum to begin with, the cheapest are those made in Pakistan, okay but very Pakistani in appearance and with a thin skin. Next up in price are those mass produced by the likes of Kearns and Walton’s, made in Ireland but with no other advantage over the Pakistani drums – in fact, you are just as likely to get a Pakistani skin; ask the maker where the skin has come from. If you make progress with your box or Pakistani drum then go straight to a quality tunable.
