Here's my old roommate, friend & maker of the only bodhrans I own & play

Mance Grady, bodhran solo

The bodhran's name & it's players do take a bad beating from many other musicians, but all I can say is "fuck off"! Would you let a beginner accordian or fiddle player sit in your sessions. NO! You'd take them kindly aside (hopefull), show them where they can find a slow session or ask them to practice at home or play on the far side
of the room but you wouldn't let them come in by the half dozen every night. So why do you let drummers get away with it? I've been playing near 30 yrs & did my practicing at home or at least in private. When there are other bodhran players at a session I sit out & wait for the other drummers to have there spin which is more than I can say for a lot of the lead instrument players. I accompany myself when singing & don't have many that walk out or ask me not to play or sing again.
It's not the bodhran it's the player that makes or breaks it, it's the same as any instrument

To Sugar Jack above who says;
"Because the tune is the key and everything the music is is in the tune, and in it's purest form anything else is superfluous. Guitars and bouzoukis follow the harmonic structure of the tune, reflect the pulse and rhythm of the tune and (if played well, a caveat with any instrument of course) can add a depth and colour to a tune."

"The bodhran can't do this, and although some accomplished players (like Eoin O'Neill) can sort of play a tune on it, it strikes me as being more tonal shades rather than colourful notes. The gurgling water brigade attempt to get some of the subtly in, but you can count on one hand those that really can do this. Get more than one bodhran player in a session and it becomes a monotone racket. Good in bands, but never more than one at a session unless played well and sensitively."

Well Jack, how's it feel to have been sitting on your ears all these years, is your ass tired of listening to that same shit?

Percussion has been a part of near every genere of music from the beginning & some of the better player wouldn't have it with out the beat.
I was pushed to play along & join in by some very respected players. Players that during the 40's & 50's lead the Irish Dance Halls days in the Dudley St section of Boston & they're still playing trad sessions today in Boston. They'd no more look down on a drummer than a fiddle. You bunch of musical snobs. If a dr=ummer's just starting don't allow them in the session, treat them as a beginning fiddle player.

Rant over

Barry
y place with sax player & drummers with full kits







http://revver.com/video/289429/trouz-bras-courtship-bourree/