What’s the best (or worst 😅) advice you’ve ever been given about Irish trad session etiquette?

Have you ever had an awkward session moment… or a total disaster? Drop your stories below — the funnier, the better! 🎶👇

Too many people think the bodhran is easy. Its portable and reasonably cheap. But finding a person that can actually play bodhran is like finding a tenner on the beach.

I’ve played with three at once but they were good , actually listened to each other and was a blast .

Excellent. Having joined a session some 10 years ago, I couldn't agree more with your helpful advice.
Beware though, some musicians are anti bodhran no matter how good you are. Best wishes.

Finding a bodhran is easy. Playing one well takes years of practice. 19 years later with many years of prior musical experience, practicing 13-18 hrs every week- I'm just this past year or two, finally feeling that I'm pretty decent.

That's about 14k hours.

I saw Steve Gadd play a tape box with brushes and he sounded great.

I'm starting to learn Harvest Home, and it's  difficult!. Thank you. Your session helps me so much!

One other thing that might help when you want to start finding a session to play in, if you are not just going to your local, is many pubs will list on their websites if there days/times when traditional music sessions happen, and if these are “open” or “closed” sessions.

you play very well, and clearly understand the dances that underlay the rhythms of Irish music. As you imply, many of your fellow players don't and an Irish recession can become chaotic with two, or even three rhythms being played at once. So 👏 to these videos!

A particular bugbear of mine is trying to play a French Bourrée in a mixed session. The 4-timers a so-called heartbeat rhythm |: lub dub … :| which can be totally wrecked by some @%&£€@ with a bodhran playing a random reel, hornpipe or even polka across it 🤕

You are doing wonderfully. I would invite or encourage you to discuss session etiquette when the group of players is mixed. Thanks

I took bodhran lessons at a Celtic Festival for a whole week. At the end of 6 days of skill development the instructor told us to not sit in at a session with the bodhran, he says that session players hate bodhran players. I think they sound great and there are always too many guitars and pipes so I sit in when I can. The one thing I did agree with him about is don’t play bodhran when there is another bodhran player playing. Unless you are a really good percussionist it isn’t going to sound good. If I’m playing bodhran and someone sits in with another bodhran I leave.

Hi Ruari, that bodhran is lovely, that’s the sound I was hoping my next bodhran would have!
Just a question about the dimensions. It looks about 16” and maybe 4” deep is that correct?
Thank you🙏

A piece of etiquette I live by is only one bodhrán at a time. People are there for the tunes. Too much accompaniment rhythm can obscure them. I bring my drum and take it out and try to listen first and then ask if I can have a set if there’s another drum player or I wait for them to grab a pint. It’s why I took up fiddle and whistle. Sometimes there’s a bodhrán player at the session who won’t share the space. I’m not going to be the one responsible for turning it into a drum off or drum jam.

I’ve solved my Irish session worries, by giving up Irish music using entirely.

Single most important thing that bodhran players need to know: you don't play the beat, you play the tune. That doesn't mean you try to play the notes of the tune - people do try to do that, it's super annoying, please don't - but it means that what you play has to support that particular tune, played by those particular players on that particular occasion. Don't worry about "keeping the beat" - the musicians can do that, and if they're having trouble with that then adding a drummer isn't going to help anything, it'll just make life much worse. Instead, worry about supporting the tune. And if you can't think of anything that supports what the musicians are playing, then stop playing and listen a bit.

Also, notice the drum that Ruairi is playing. It's the right sort of drum for this music. The newfangled deep drums with the small radius are broken in two ways. First, they don't have much surface area, so you can't get much variety of tone, which means your playing is literally monotonous, and they have a deep boomy bass that can muddy up the sound in the room terribly unless you have spent a lot of time and effort learning to control that tone, which ironically just means making that deep drum sound like a shallow one. Might as well just use a proper drum to begin with, I'd say.

Final thing: if you really want to be welcome as a bodhran player, bring a whistle or a flute or something and know how to play the tunes, or at least some tunes, on that. If you can play the music, you're a lot more likely to be welcomed as a drummer.

(Notes from an opinionated former bodhran player )

I have so many stories!!!!

Good points raised below - play to the melody not the beat - you're not a drum machine. Don't play in a session with competent musicians until you are competent and that means being able to play much more dynamically than simply beating out a jig or reel rhythm at the correct tempo. You can spend hours playing along to tracks on spotify or youtube until you feel ready. Restrain yourself from starting to play with the first notes - familiarise yourself with the melody before you break in and maybe just play the a or b part. If you're any good then your contribution will be much more appreciated if it's rationed. Just because you can do a roll doesn't mean that you have to play in triplets from start to finish. If you are visiting and there is already a "resident" bodhran player at the session then it might not be kind to attempt to muscle in. It may be their only chance to play in a session. After decades of playing, I think that I'm pretty fair but I look at back in embarrassment - I've done all  of these!

How many Bodhráns  would you suggest at an informal session?  What do you suggest if there are more than that?  I teach 2 playing, then share the tunes.

I've always been told only one bodhran playing at a time, so if there's 2 or 3 bodhran players, we take turns.

Ruairi,
In a session playing with other musicians, is the Bodhran merely a rhythm accompanying instrument? When you demonstrate you often throw in embellishments that make the Bodhran and the music so much more interesting. My favorite fiddle player just wants rhythm accompaniment. How about mirroring the melody?

I would accuse you of having stolen my bodhran if mine wasn't sitting right next to me