IRISH HEARTBEAT

A BODHRAN TUTORIAL

RAY GALLEN

Hand Drum Tuition DVD

Ray Gallen hails from Belfast and has been playing the Bodhrán for twenty years. He’s a familiar figure around the Fleadh Ceols and sessions throughout Ireland and has recorded with some of the country’s top traditional musicians. He has toured extensively in Europe and the US with various bands and is a regular performer on the television and radio.

On this DVD he is joined by Brendan O’Hare on Flute and Tin whistle. Brendan comes originally from Castlewellan, Co. Down but now lives in Belfast where he is a renowned Uilleann Pipe maker.

“If you’ve never played the Bodhrán before and want to learn, or have already mastered the basics and want to improve your playing then this is the video for you. I have deliberately tried to make the instructions as simple as possible to follow. In this video I will teach you how to play along with reels, jigs, hornpipes, polkas and slides”.

“Having taught the Bodhrán for many years at classes and workshops, I find that the two most common faults with new players are that they play too fast and too loud. One vital thing to remember when playing the Bodhrán is that it is an accompanying instrument and therefore should never be played louder than the music. Musicians dictate what speed tunes are played at, so even if you think it should be faster you must not speed up”.

“The Bodhrán is a great instrument, and played well, will make any session sound better. So enjoy your playing and remember the old but true saying: practice makes perfect” – Ray Gallen