When we (my wife and I) first moved to Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 2004, I had never heard of, nevermind seen, a drum called the lambeg. It was to be an interesting introduction as I realised that this drum divided communities and caused political tension. Now that’s a pretty powerful drum!
Some say the lambeg can lay claim to being the loudest drum, measuring louder than a super 120 decibels, it is easily heard for miles away. It is a voice that is not readily relegated to the background. You could say this drum carries with it a sense of auditory power and commands attention! Continue reading »
I was going to research and write up the coolest article on the bodhran drum. But after looking online, I realised there is no point in re-inventing the wheel! So, instead I will point you to some pages that I found extremely useful and will post some video clips of my own. I have played the bodhran on numerous occasions and find it a very rhythmical drum that requires a definite amount of skill to truly sound like you actually know what you’re doing! Needless to say, I have not yet attained that level, but I have mastered the art of looking like I know what I’m doing! The bodhran has a beautiful sound and no two bodhrans sound alike due to tensioning differences, moisture in the air and what material or skin is used to envelope the frame.
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