What is a Tunable Bodhran?
A tunable bodhran is an instrument designed to accommodate different atmospheric conditions by tightening or loosening, making it easier for drummers to play across various climates.
Drum maker Seamus O’Kane of Dungiven, County Londonderry first developed the tunable bodhran. Since then, numerous makers have adopted his system.
Frame
A bodhran’s frame is essential in making the most of this drum. It helps control sound of its head while also making tuning it easy; some frames feature screw tuners while others can be adjusted externally – though external tuners tend to lose shape faster over time.
Ideal for beginner bodhran players, this tunable bodhran features a plywood shell and natural goat skin drumhead crafted of plywood, making it easier for novice players to pick up. In addition, its bolt tuning mechanism is hidden within its frame for an unobtrusive experience.
The Bodhran is an instrumental Irish instrument widely utilized in Celtic traditions. Producing a low-pitched drum sound, the bodhran can be played either by hand or a wooden beater known as a Cipin or Tipper to produce its unique sound – this distinctive sound can often be heard at events including weddings!
Skin
Tunable bodhrans feature lugs that press against an inner hoop, and can be tightened or loosened to change skin tension. This makes tunable instruments far simpler to tune than non-tunable models which must be tuned with care using allen keys or tuning knobs of various kinds.
A bodhran’s skin is made of goat hide, making it very responsive to temperature and humidity changes. Extremely dry conditions may make the drum sound tight like wet paper bag while high humidity levels could cause it to sag with a low “boomy” tone.
In order to combat these effects, a bodhran can be loosen by gently rubbing it down with a soft, damp cloth, or warmed up by briefly placing it near an external heat source such as radiator or small hair dryer – either one will soften its skin and raise its tonal pitch; once cool down again it will return back down as usual and tighten back to its original pitch.
Head
An adjustable tone ring on a bodhran should not just serve to tune it to one specific note; rather, its purpose should be to achieve skin tension that allows for a range of tones that complement those played alongside it.
To adjust the skin tension on a tunable bodhran, place it for a brief period near a low source of heat (lamp, hairdryer or radiator). As it warms up the skin may loosen and cause pitch to drop; once removed from heat source however, tightening should regain control and pitch should rise significantly.
This tunable bodhran is ideal for beginners as it features no cross bars and a shallower shell than many of its alternatives on the market. Additionally, its Bahia Bass drumhead produces soft attacks with deep tones for effortless playing experience. Furthermore, its hardwood tipper comes complete with its own carry case for added convenience.
Tension
. A tunable bodhran allows users to tune its tone up or down by applying pressure inside of its skin, either directly to its cross beam or using leverage from their palm against its frame for leverage. Maintaining consistent pressure while playing will gradually alter its tone over time.
Bodhrans respond strongly to changes in humidity. Under humid conditions, the drum tends to tighten up and become damp-sounding while dry conditions will make it sound higher and tinnier. Achieving optimal performance may depend on achieving similar humidity conditions as when mounted and “tuned” by its maker.
As one method to control how their bodhran responds to changing humidity conditions, some players wet down their drum skins with water before playing. This may cause it to loosen up and tune lower pitches compared to oiling; however, this method is less predictable than oiling.
