The Bodhrán (pronounced bow-rahn; plural bodhráin) is an Irish frame drum ranging in anywhere from 10" to 26" in diameter, with most drums measuring from 14" to 18". The sides of the drum are 3 1/2" to 8" deep. A goat skin head is tacked to one side (although nowadays synthetic heads, or new materials like kangaroo skin, are sometimes used instead). The other side is open ended for the left hand to be placed against the inside of the drum head to control the pitch. One or two crossbars inside the frame strengthen it. Some professional modern bodhráin integrate mechanical tuning systems similar to those used on drums found in drum kits.

The drum is usually played in a seated position, held vertically on the player's knee and supported by his upper body and arm (usually on the left side, for a right handed player), with the hand resting on the inside of the skin where it is able to control the tension (and therefore the pitch) by applying varying amounts of pressure, with the back of the hand against the crossbar. The drum is struck with the other arm (usually the right) and is played either with the bare hand or with a lathed piece of wood called a tipper or beater. There are numerous playing styles, mostly named after the region of Ireland in which they originated. The most common is Kerry style, which uses a two-headed tipper.

The bodhrán was first observed in Irish traditional music in the 1960s, during which it was popularised by bands such as The Chieftains and The Dubliners. However, Peter Kennedy observed the instrument in Dorset and Wiltshire in the 1950s, where it was known as the "riddle drum", and this is its likely origin.

References

Nicholas Driver "The Bodhran", English Dance and Song 40/1 1978 p15