Bodhran: The Basics by Bill Woods

Bill Woods has used his decades of experience as a successful bodhran performer and teacher to create this integrated instruction book and CD for the beginning bodhran player. Using photographs, text, and audio examples, it takes you in easy steps from holding the bodhrán 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 CD 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 bodhran, the history of the bodhran 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.