Resources
We make bones. These folks teach, gather and keep the tradition going. None of them are affiliated with us.
Community and organizations
- Rhythm Bones Society: the international society for bones players, founded in 1999 in Virginia. Join for $20 a year.
- Rhythm Bones Society Facebook group
- Rhythm Bones Society on YouTube
- Bones Fest: the annual gathering of bones players.
- Rhythm Bones Museum: player profiles, history and recordings.
- Bush Music Club bones series: bones in Australian bush music.
Start here: free beginner lessons
- How to Play Bones with Dom Flemons
- BRAND NEW: How To Play Bones (Dom Flemons)
- The Rhythm Garage: How to Hold the Bones, the Tap, Duplet, Triplet
- How to play the bones in 4 easy lessons (Graham Hargrove)
- Intro to rhythm bones: how to play a triplet (Kafari)
- Fred Edmunds: Holding, Tap, Triplet (hosted by the Rhythm Bones Society)
- Percy Danforth's instruction booklet (PDF)
Irish one-handed style
- Irish Rhythm Bones Lesson by James Yoshizawa
- How to Play the Irish Bones (Adam Riviere)
- Irish Bones Discussion, Bones Fest XXVIII
- Steve Brown: Irish Sessions workshop (video)
Going further
- BONES with Brad Dutz, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
- The Rhythm Garage: Quadruplet and Shuffle
- Fred Edmunds' Bones Unlimited course (free)
- More workshops and lessons from the Rhythm Bones Society
- Tuning Your Rhythm Bones (Michael Baxter)
Courses and DVDs
- How to Play the Bones with Percy Danforth (DVD)
- Aaron Plunkett, Bones From the Beginning (DVD)
- Hungry Monk Music Rhythm Bones online course
Playing with others
- When and where to play, with etiquette tips (Rhythm Bones Society)
- The Session: Bones players discussion
Watch the masters
- Mister Bones: Percy Danforth, Part 1
- Russ Myers playing rhythm bones
- Barry "Bones" Patton
- Steve Brown and Raymond Henry in Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo
- 2024 Rhythm Bones Society Ensemble
History
- Instrument Interview: The Bones (Birthplace of Country Music Museum): includes El Watson and the 1927 Bristol Sessions.
- Rhythm Bones history around the world (Rhythm Bones Society)
- The Mescher Bones Playing Tradition, PhD thesis by Mel Mercier
Competitions
New to bones? Start with our own How to Play page and the Beyond the Basics guide.