HI Nicolle! I have a background in drumming, and have loved Irish/Scottish/Celtic folk music for many years. Naturally, the bodhran really speaks to me, especially with a Scotch/Irish background. So, at the ripe old age of 54, I've taken up playing it. As others have mentioned, your instructional videos are fantastic, and a great help to all of us who have chosen to attempt to play this wonderful instrument. Your enthusiasm is infectious, and you are a very kind and patient teacher. I've found some music in my own library that I am going to attempt to play along with, and I very much appreciate the material you have provided here. Any other suggestions on your part for music to play along to would be a great help. Thank you so much for the time and effort you've put forth to make playing the bodhran a reality for us who desire to play it. Slainte!
Hello Michael MacGowan. Thank you so much for your kind message! I really appreciate your support and encouragement. Keep up the playing! Wishing you all the best, Nicolle
I see what youre saying, like the first tune had a sort of Allman Bros. "In Memory of Elizibeth Reed" feel to it where you matched the pipes accents in the breakdown or in the second tune where you started to heavily accent the 'and' of the 1 and a lighter accent on the 3 other up beats before bringing it all down and steady during the breakdown before bringing it all up again for the last verse to set up the outro. Well done!!! ✌
Hi Nicolle! What a wonderful inspiration you have been for me learning the Bodhran! Thank you very very much for all your wisdom and lessons! I appreciate you embodying the love of playing this instrument, you help me smile when I get frustrated on my triplets! Hope to one day play as good as you! Sending love from Switzerland!
Hi Grant, I am so glad I can be of some help! Thank you for your support and your kind words. I know you will get your triplets for sure. Slow and steady wins the race! All the best, Nicolle Fig
The first basic lesson to learn is "Grow a Thick Skin" meaning when you show up for a session/jam be prepared for all the other musicians to roll their eyes with an "oh crap, a bodhran player!" looks on their faces. So, you better know your chops!
Hi, love your videos and playing style, thank you for the videos. I've been teaching myself for a while now but now I'm trying to get out of my box of just 2 or 3 grooves
Hey Nicole I'm a huge fan of your videos! Thanks you so much for taking the time to share your knowledge with us. A few questions: I noticed in a lot of the tunes you accompanied you skip beats in the basic groove or change the backhand pattern. How do you decide which beats to omit or which tones to change? Would be nice to have a video with basic variations on the grooves if that isn't to presumptuous of me to ask. Also do you mostly improvise or do you sit with the tune ahead of time and map out your rhythms? Could you explain more about that process? Again, thanks! You are wonderful. I love hearing you play and I hope you keep sharing your talent with us.
Hi Cameron! Thank you so much for your message and questions. I am very interested in doing a video with your question regarding the skipped beats and tonal changes. I believe I have done some variations on basic grooves. Have you watched the reel or slip jig video? I try to incorporate different tonal and rhythmic changes in the patterns! I would, however, love to do more videos on variations! Thank you for pointing it out! I definitely do mostly, if not all, improvisation. I would also love to make a video explaining my process! Thank you again for a wonderful message full of interesting questions! Keep on playing, Nicolle!
Hi Nicolle, I really enjoy your playing and videos, I'm a guitarist but I try to replicate what you are doing on the guitar body, I'm just getting into using a Looping pedal so I can set the rhythm before I begin to play, please, please, please could you do an arrangement and breakdown for 'I'll tell me Ma', preferably with a nice drum break in the middle, sorry if I'm asking too much but I'd love to see what you would come up with....Thanks
Wow, you really do have the same philosophy of playing the Bodhran as I do. That's a first for me. It's so nice to make your acquaintance through the Internet. Subscribed. Keep it up! It's great that you're getting a degree in Irish music in Limerick. You're so lucky! I'm a bit jealous, I must admit. ;) There once were two cats from Kilkenny, and each thought the other one too many, so they fought and they fit, and they scratched and they bit, 'till excepting their nails and the tips of their tails, instead of two cats, there weren't any!
Hello Hare deLune, Thanks for you comment. I was very fortunate to have amazing friends and mentors such as Jim Higgins and Derek Hickey. Among others, they are the ones who taught me Irish music and the honour and respect we should have when playing it!
do you ever practice to something like jazz or metal? I think it’s always a great idea to do something like that. For me, I’m going vice versa lol - Metal and Jazz to traditional Irish
Hello Wicken Ching, I have played to other styles of music - I love it! I haven't done it to metal but I have to jazz and bluegrass, among others. Keep up the playing!
Hi - loving your tutorials - I've just stated learning the bodhran and would love to learn to play along with the Corrs version of Toss The Feathers - any chance of posting a lesson to go through it slowly? Many thanks - keep up the good work!
Hi! I love your videos! I just got a lovely Bohdran and its bruising my elbow, Im so sad, I think it might be too big. Have you ran across this? Am I maybe holding it wrong? Please help. Thank you!
Hi Alice, Your drum might be to deep or you might be pressing in too hard. Have you tried other ways of holding it which would secure your drum but still allow you freedom to move your arm with less pain? Its hard for me to help as I cannot see you.
Could you tell me more about it, please? I would love to make more videos! Do you mean more grooves, specific tunes or how to put the grooves to the tunes?
All of the above ! I'm a new player and just finding a steady groove when I can make my wrist a proper pendulum .. Grooves for types of tunes reels jigs etc..abd maybe what to do with a metronome so as to be able to be up to speed so one could sit in on a session
Hi Ian, so the steady groove will come with practice, keep it up!! I will definitely do more grooves for tune types soon. Regarding the metronome... to be honest, I don't use one. I just feel the rhythm and the groove. I suggest you play with recordings so you can get the feel of the tunes. However, the metronome is a great idea for practicing your steady beat!
Thanks! I think I actually answered the question after exploring the webpage of the maker of your bodhrán :) It'd be great if you could address your use of the "baby grip" and why you use it in a future video though!
