I read on some maker's site (don't remember who's) some time ago that you should always loosen the head of a bodhran between uses. The reasoning was that relieving the tension increased the longevity of the skin. I have been doing this for a while and frankly find it annoying to have to completely re-tune the drum each time I play it. Does anyone else do this? What are your feelings about this idea? (I can hear the snide remarks coming already; however, I really would like some serious responses.)
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
Before 'plastic heads' became the thing on drums, the heads were always loosened following playing. If the tension was continually left on, the skin would eventually get so loose that all the tightening in the world wouldn't give you any bounce on the sticks, and you would have to re-lap the hoop. A lost art nowadays, but something that all drummers had to learn to do. As the bodhran head is skin and not plastic, I'm sure the same principle applies..
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
But don't you see, if you loosen the heads when not playing it will only prevent the head from stretching and splitting, or even damaging the rim and tuning assembly.
This could lead to serious consequences, including a longer life to the drum, more mileage to the head, and in general more drumming in the world
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
Actually, it does make a lot of sense to to loosen the drum head between uses. Curiously I had only run into one case where it was mentioned as something to do to extend the life of the drum. None of the other web sites that addressed care of the drum mentioned it. So I was wondering if anyone actually did this (as I do) or it was simply over kill.
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
I have five drums, only one of which I purchased. The rest are gifts from friends who thought they were easier to play than they are. None of the four are tunable, all are real skin, and none have lost their tension after many years. I live in California, if you're curious about climate.
My purchased drum is of suede and is tunable (custom made for me). The suede responds less to heat and humidity than goatskin does, and has a much mellower sound. Lousy for outdoor play, but great indoors. I don't loosen the head, and again, the tension is fine.
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
It is standard advice to detune after playing, however once you get to know your skin it is not always necessary. Worst case is playing in wet weather with the skin cranked right up , putting the drum away in this condition and then it dries out and banjaxes.
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
Oddly enough, I've been told by several of the local bodhran players that they have to TIGHTEN the skin when they put the drum away. They say they do it to maintain the skin.
Having worked for a drummer (think Gene Krupa or Buddy Rich-style) in a past job, I learned that skins should be loosened when not in use.
As far as tuning bodhrans goes, my old boss also told me of a seminar led by Buddy Rich. During the Q/A period someone asked Buddy "How do you go about tuning your drums?" Buddy's answer, and my thoughts regarding most bodhran players in my neck of the woods, "You don't tune drums! You play them!"
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
If a drum is made right e.g. charlie byrne theres no need for a tuning system a bit of water every now and then when its tight will work ..........I have a brendan white and I very seldom have to adjust it..................this word tuning a bodhran is crap its just another way to add a few quid on to the price...............you can loosen the skin to give it more of a bass sound or tighten it to give it less of a bass sound simple as that .those who think they can tune a bodhran to suit a certain tune well ye are mad.....................simple instrument all these extras are to add to the price.......................its a bit like the hurler blaming the hurley.
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
That's true saint, no need to tune anything really as they will all make a noise regardless of tuning.
However the better bodhran players tune a drum by ear to get a pleasant tone in the ambient weather conditions just like fiddle players etc.
Nothing to it really. If Charlie Byrne can make a bodhran that sounds the same in wet weather as it does on a stinking hot dry windy day I'll display my bare bum in woolworths window for a fortnight. So there.
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
adjust the carburettor, set the plugs = tuning
throw a bit more corn in the chook food = fine tuning
adjusting a bodhran head so it sounds good = tuning
get a dictionary,
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
the best way to tune a bodhran is quite simple, before attending a session i suggest you get a small quantity of lighter fuel and rub it into the skin, it has been shown to improve the tone by a lot of the really good ITM musos. Then when you get there sit as close to the fire place as possible, or if there isn't one ask a smoker to rest their cigarettes on your bodhran. The heat really does make the skin tight and if you are really lucky it will be so good that your playing will be on fire. You will be thanked by any melody player for years to come....so please try it!
On the note of detuning at the end of a session, placing your bodhran on the top of your car as you drive home will most definitely be cold enough to make the skin loose again, don't bother tying it down, bodhrans and their owners have the unbelievable knack of returning time after time to sessions, and i am sure that your instrument wouldn't be that kind to jump off in front of a truck as most other players wish it would.
Good luck with your goat skin bashing!
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
wondered how long it would take for the idiots to post to this one. Am really fed up with people making stupid remarks about bodhrans. The bodhran is a wonderful instrument and in the right hands welcome in sessions. Of course there are always a few people who abuse any instrument, never mind the bodhran and a bad fiddle player is as unwelcome as anyone in a session. So back off and let the bodhran players have a serious discussion about their instrument.
Most of the best sessions are organised by a bodhran player or a guitar player e.g. Frank McGann who now has a festival named after him in Roscommon so please cease the rubbish about bodhrans.
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
Where I live humidity can change from 80% to 10% in a few hours.
I have a non tunable bodhran. The only thing that happens when humidity drops is that the skin tightens too much, but after years of weather changes it haven't loosened, and the rim haven't suffered any damage.
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
bodhrans are certainly wonderful instruments in the hands of a select few, those that have learnt to play them in sessions only after many many years of learning at home. I hold firm to my convictions that most bodhrans are only useful as an ash tray or a drink tray oh to be serious about bodhrans... a bit of an oxymoran i think!!!
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
Well said Tombo. The above is exactly right. Wonderful instruments in the hands of the select few. Just like pipes, flutes, fiddles, whistles, harps, banjoes, and songs like "Waltzing Matilda".
You must have undergone years of personal, painstaking research to discover that fact. Well done again.
Oh, you were trying to be funny........of course, very amusing, and original.
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
I'm not convinced by the case for tuneable bohrans. I've owned several drums including two Howard's (one of which was tuneable). I've made two of my own, neither of which are tunable and I believe the secret of a good bodhran is in the skin. You can have the fanciest tuning mechanism in the world but if you've got a poor quality skin then you've got a porr bodhran.
Get a decent skin and you're there. It will react to the weather but a good skin is often suprisingly stable across a wide range of temperatures and if it's been fixed well to the rim will rarely be unplayable (although it might need a bit of coaxing with water or warm air).
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
I have a Brendan White bodhran, double-skin "tunable".
The leaflet that came with the drum advised >tightening< before storage!
So confused was I that I don't adjust it at all after playing. I do adjust if it's very loose or tight when I start to play, and then adjust again as the skin warms up.
Having said that - It's the skin that counts. And one is plenty - I can't see many benefits in the double-skin drum, apart from the smooth surface to the back of the head.
Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
I read on some maker's site (don't remember who's) some time ago that you should always loosen the head of a bodhran between uses. The reasoning was that relieving the tension increased the longevity of the skin. I have been doing this for a while and frankly find it annoying to have to completely re-tune the drum each time I play it. Does anyone else do this? What are your feelings about this idea? (I can hear the snide remarks coming already; however, I really would like some serious responses.)
# Posted on September 26th 2007 by rob zouk
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
Yeah, that sounds like standard practice when you have an animal skin. I see people tuning up all the time, it gets to be second nature I guess.
# Posted on September 26th 2007 by Backer
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
Before 'plastic heads' became the thing on drums, the heads were always loosened following playing. If the tension was continually left on, the skin would eventually get so loose that all the tightening in the world wouldn't give you any bounce on the sticks, and you would have to re-lap the hoop. A lost art nowadays, but something that all drummers had to learn to do. As the bodhran head is skin and not plastic, I'm sure the same principle applies..
# Posted on September 26th 2007 by Free Reed
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
But don't you see, if you loosen the heads when not playing it will only prevent the head from stretching and splitting, or even damaging the rim and tuning assembly.
This could lead to serious consequences, including a longer life to the drum, more mileage to the head, and in general more drumming in the world
Oh, I'm sorry. Was that what you had in mind?
curiously,
rook.
# Posted on September 26th 2007 by Rook
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
Actually, it does make a lot of sense to to loosen the drum head between uses. Curiously I had only run into one case where it was mentioned as something to do to extend the life of the drum. None of the other web sites that addressed care of the drum mentioned it. So I was wondering if anyone actually did this (as I do) or it was simply over kill.
# Posted on September 26th 2007 by rob zouk
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
I have five drums, only one of which I purchased. The rest are gifts from friends who thought they were easier to play than they are. None of the four are tunable, all are real skin, and none have lost their tension after many years. I live in California, if you're curious about climate.
My purchased drum is of suede and is tunable (custom made for me). The suede responds less to heat and humidity than goatskin does, and has a much mellower sound. Lousy for outdoor play, but great indoors. I don't loosen the head, and again, the tension is fine.
# Posted on September 26th 2007 by Ailin
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
I do not like the idea. All that loosening and tightening will wreck the skin. Imagine doing the same thing with a stringed instrument?
# Posted on September 26th 2007 by bodhran bliss
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
It is standard advice to detune after playing, however once you get to know your skin it is not always necessary. Worst case is playing in wet weather with the skin cranked right up , putting the drum away in this condition and then it dries out and banjaxes.
# Posted on September 26th 2007 by mcknowall
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
tee he ... "tuning a bodhran" ... classic oxymoron
# Posted on September 26th 2007 by llig leahcim
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
Banjaxes? Not familiar with that term, but it definitely communicates. Can one say that some idgit banjaxed the tune? Is that proper useage?
# Posted on September 27th 2007 by Ailin
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
Michael! Down boy! Sit!
# Posted on September 27th 2007 by Key Maniac Lad
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
Oddly enough, I've been told by several of the local bodhran players that they have to TIGHTEN the skin when they put the drum away. They say they do it to maintain the skin.
Having worked for a drummer (think Gene Krupa or Buddy Rich-style) in a past job, I learned that skins should be loosened when not in use.
As far as tuning bodhrans goes, my old boss also told me of a seminar led by Buddy Rich. During the Q/A period someone asked Buddy "How do you go about tuning your drums?" Buddy's answer, and my thoughts regarding most bodhran players in my neck of the woods, "You don't tune drums! You play them!"
# Posted on September 27th 2007 by juniper
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
tee he ... "tuning a bodhran" ... classic oxymoron
# Posted on September 26th 2007 by llig leahcim
The award winning Gorton Silver Band tuned the instruments to a bass drum. This type of drum has less scope than a bodhran.
I must agree with you, Mr Llig, but then I know absolutely nothing about musical theory.
Unlike the Gorton Silver Band.
# Posted on September 27th 2007 by bodhran bliss
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
Oops. The quote was "You don't tune drums, you TIGHTEN them."
# Posted on September 27th 2007 by juniper
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
If a drum is made right e.g. charlie byrne theres no need for a tuning system a bit of water every now and then when its tight will work ..........I have a brendan white and I very seldom have to adjust it..................this word tuning a bodhran is crap its just another way to add a few quid on to the price...............you can loosen the skin to give it more of a bass sound or tighten it to give it less of a bass sound simple as that .those who think they can tune a bodhran to suit a certain tune well ye are mad.....................simple instrument all these extras are to add to the price.......................its a bit like the hurler blaming the hurley.
# Posted on September 27th 2007 by Saint
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
That's true saint, no need to tune anything really as they will all make a noise regardless of tuning.
However the better bodhran players tune a drum by ear to get a pleasant tone in the ambient weather conditions just like fiddle players etc.
Nothing to it really. If Charlie Byrne can make a bodhran that sounds the same in wet weather as it does on a stinking hot dry windy day I'll display my bare bum in woolworths window for a fortnight. So there.
# Posted on September 27th 2007 by mcknowall
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
AND plays the same.....goes double ie one month at woolworths.
# Posted on September 27th 2007 by mcknowall
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
mc I think you misunderstood me they all hve to be adjusted due to weather. but are we going a bit far by saying TUNING..............
# Posted on September 27th 2007 by Saint
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
still that brendan white needs very little adjusting ................constant tightening and loosening fecks up the skin..........
# Posted on September 27th 2007 by Saint
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
adjust the carburettor, set the plugs = tuning
throw a bit more corn in the chook food = fine tuning
adjusting a bodhran head so it sounds good = tuning
get a dictionary,
# Posted on September 27th 2007 by mcknowall
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
mc how about my rugby bets they seem to be in tune
# Posted on September 27th 2007 by Saint
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
the best way to tune a bodhran is quite simple, before attending a session i suggest you get a small quantity of lighter fuel and rub it into the skin, it has been shown to improve the tone by a lot of the really good ITM musos. Then when you get there sit as close to the fire place as possible, or if there isn't one ask a smoker to rest their cigarettes on your bodhran. The heat really does make the skin tight and if you are really lucky it will be so good that your playing will be on fire. You will be thanked by any melody player for years to come....so please try it!
On the note of detuning at the end of a session, placing your bodhran on the top of your car as you drive home will most definitely be cold enough to make the skin loose again, don't bother tying it down, bodhrans and their owners have the unbelievable knack of returning time after time to sessions, and i am sure that your instrument wouldn't be that kind to jump off in front of a truck as most other players wish it would.
Good luck with your goat skin bashing!
# Posted on September 27th 2007 by tombo
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
wondered how long it would take for the idiots to post to this one. Am really fed up with people making stupid remarks about bodhrans. The bodhran is a wonderful instrument and in the right hands welcome in sessions. Of course there are always a few people who abuse any instrument, never mind the bodhran and a bad fiddle player is as unwelcome as anyone in a session. So back off and let the bodhran players have a serious discussion about their instrument.
Most of the best sessions are organised by a bodhran player or a guitar player e.g. Frank McGann who now has a festival named after him in Roscommon so please cease the rubbish about bodhrans.
# Posted on September 27th 2007 by MollyB
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
Where I live humidity can change from 80% to 10% in a few hours.
I have a non tunable bodhran. The only thing that happens when humidity drops is that the skin tightens too much, but after years of weather changes it haven't loosened, and the rim haven't suffered any damage.
# Posted on September 27th 2007 by Ramiro
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
You will be thanked by any melody player for years to come....so please try it! posted by Tombo.
Not if they are serious, professional musicians, like the Chieftains or Altan or De Danaan.
# Posted on September 27th 2007 by bodhran bliss
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
ROFLMFAO @ tombo, go bait the humourless w@nker brigade upyaboya!
# Posted on September 27th 2007 by Dow
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
bodhrans are certainly wonderful instruments in the hands of a select few, those that have learnt to play them in sessions only after many many years of learning at home. I hold firm to my convictions that most bodhrans are only useful as an ash tray or a drink tray
oh to be serious about bodhrans... a bit of an oxymoran i think!!!
# Posted on September 27th 2007 by tombo
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
Well said Tombo. The above is exactly right. Wonderful instruments in the hands of the select few. Just like pipes, flutes, fiddles, whistles, harps, banjoes, and songs like "Waltzing Matilda".
You must have undergone years of personal, painstaking research to discover that fact. Well done again.
Oh, you were trying to be funny........of course, very amusing, and original.
# Posted on September 27th 2007 by bodhran bliss
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
I'm not convinced by the case for tuneable bohrans. I've owned several drums including two Howard's (one of which was tuneable). I've made two of my own, neither of which are tunable and I believe the secret of a good bodhran is in the skin. You can have the fanciest tuning mechanism in the world but if you've got a poor quality skin then you've got a porr bodhran.
Get a decent skin and you're there. It will react to the weather but a good skin is often suprisingly stable across a wide range of temperatures and if it's been fixed well to the rim will rarely be unplayable (although it might need a bit of coaxing with water or warm air).
# Posted on September 28th 2007 by Sugarfoot Jack
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
I have a Brendan White bodhran, double-skin "tunable".
The leaflet that came with the drum advised >tightening< before storage!
So confused was I that I don't adjust it at all after playing. I do adjust if it's very loose or tight when I start to play, and then adjust again as the skin warms up.
Having said that - It's the skin that counts. And one is plenty - I can't see many benefits in the double-skin drum, apart from the smooth surface to the back of the head.
# Posted on September 28th 2007 by RockyRoader
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran player when not abusing it?
Good idea!!
Tuneable bodhrans ..... whatever next? Tuneable banjos?
# Posted on September 28th 2007 by geoffwright
Re: Loosen the head of a bodhran when not using it?
I carry a small pair of wire cutters for this exact problem
# Posted on September 28th 2007 by mcknowall