• Beginners

  for people who are picking up a bodhrán for the first time and for people who have owned a bodhrán for a long time but have never really played under instruction. We deal with the posture of the instrument, learn the playing technique from scratch and deal intensively with the rhythmic differences in Irish music (emphasis on reels and jigs).

  Student Characteristics

  Absolute beginners
  No drum experience whatsoever

• Basic

  for "experienced beginners" who already have basic knowledge and playing experience. We deepen the different playing techniques and focus on rhythmic security in the accompaniment of jigs, reels etc.. We also experiment with the sound variations of the bodhrán and bring the skin hand further into play.

  Student Characteristics

  • Beginner level drummers
  • Little experience on the drum

  Standards for This Level

  • Basic understanding of alternating strokes
  • Basic understanding of simple voicing patterns
  • Able to demonstrate an understanding of reel and jig patterns with difficulty
  • Unable to demonstrate proficiency in accompanying reels and jigs

• Competent

   for those who can at least accompany jigs and reels with confidence. We look at other, increasingly complex Irish rhythms and coordinate strumming and skin hand.

  Student Characteristics

  • intermediate level drummer
  • moderate session experience
  • Maybe some prior instructional experience (i.e., workshops and/or private lessons)
  • Good understanding of reels and jigs

  Standards for This Level

  • Able to demonstrate reels and jigs with decent feel and tempo
  • Demonstrates a sensitivity to the sections of a tune (i.e., variation between sections, “playing the tune,” sensitivity to the melody player’s changes in dynamics)
  • Adequate control over basic pitch changes of the drum
  • Uses a wider vocabulary of sounds when playing

• Advanced

  for people with a lot of experience and great skill on the bodhrán. We look at sound variations (melody, bass line), more complex grooves and may take a closer look at music from outside Ireland …

  Student Characteristics

  • Student is competent in a session setting
  • Student may perform with his or her own ensemble
  • May have had numerous lesson and workshop experiences

  Standards for This Level

  • Student must be able to demonstrate proficiency with:
    • Control of rhythm
    • Accents vs. unaccented noted in rhythms
    • Demonstrating a vocabulary of voicing beyond open, mute, and “pop”
    • Performing reels, jigs, polkas, and slipjigs with recorded music or a live musician
  • Student is adept with tipping and voicing skills
  • Student can tune his or her drum very quickly to an appropriate tuning
  • Student demonstrates proficiency with double ended triplets

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