Bodhran Basics: Care and Tuning

[@SaroLynchThomason]

Thank you for this! Very helpful!

[@selkie630]

I have been looking for a video on tuning for ages ... this is awesome .. thanks

[@mattdeblassmusic]

I forgot to mention that for non-tunable drums you can loosen them but slightly moistening the inside of the head, while you can tighten it with a hair dryer or by holding it near a heat source (but not too close! If it’s uncomfortable for your skin it’s probably not good for the goat skin). You can also use a bit of water on a tuneable drum that’s being a bit too stiff even as you loosen the tuners, especially when it’s brand new and not broken in yet. Experiment a bit! The hides used for Bodhran heads are remarkably flexible and will handle a wide range of tension

[@VAMORGAN99]

Yeah question? I was reading the directions on the Waltons Bodhran conditioning cream. It says to spread onto the inside surface of the Bodhran skin and rub in gently using a dry cloth. I’m just learning but I jumped when you applied it to the outside. I was sure I’d screwed up till I checked the bottle.

[@mattdeblassmusic]

I've always applied it mostly to the outside, and only when the drum is really dry and/or has a particularly thick goatskin applied it to the inner surface of the head. The logic to putting lotion only on the outer head was two-fold, as I was taught, first, because your tone hand is in contact with the inner head, you're already rubbing natural oil from your hand on the drum, and second, on a non-tunable drum, you'd be moistening the inside head to loosen it, and a lot of conditioning creams have beeswax which slows down the absorption of water. I've mostly used the McNeela bodhran conditioner in recent years, which is made with lanolin and beeswax, and Padraic McNeela specifically recommends applying to the outside of the head. I did look up the Waltons cream and the directions do say to put it on the inside head, but to make it more confusing, I watched the drum care video on Waltons official KZbin and they tell you to put it on BOTH sides of the head! I know that Waltons sells a lot of drums with painted images on the head, it's possible that they recommend conditioning the inside head to avoid damaging the artwork? I know this is a bit of a rambling answer, I've been doing it the way I have for decades, but am always willing to admit I might be missing something, so I've got a whole bunch of other tabs open and am trying to read up as I go. As far as I can tell most makers and players primarily recommend treating the outer surface of the head. Waltons apparently says one thing on the bottle but their how-to videos say another, so I'd feel free to treat both sides of the head if the outside also seems dry. I'm also going to email Walton's and check with them about it, and I'll give an update if I get a response, because now you've got me overthinking the whole thing.

[@mattdeblassmusic]

Update: I haven’t heard back from Walton’s yet, but one of the other manufacturers I emailed mentioned that the Walton’s conditioner may have some UV-sensitive ingredient, which would mean it’s better on the less-exposed side of the head

[@VAMORGAN99]

@@mattdeblassmusic I have a painted Bodhran from Waltons, so far I’ve only used the cream on the inside. McNeela is out of stock on the cream they sell. Thank you so much for your great answer and detail to my question!

[@gr8dane22]

Thanks Matt! I just received a McNeela Bodhran for Christmas so I can pick up lessons again after, ohh 20 years. 😀 Mine is taped like your McNeela is. Do I do anything different to condition it since a couple of inches are covered in the tape? Thanks for taking the time to make this video!

[@mattdeblassmusic]

The only real difference in using conditioner on a taped head is that you want to be extra careful to clean up any excess near the edges of the tape. Because the conditioner is basically a lotion, it can mess up the adhesive on the tape, so you don't want it to work its way under the edge. Usually, it's not too big a worry, electrical tape creates a pretty good seal. But if you ever have to re-tape the head because the tape comes loose or gets too old, Matt Bell has a great video on his channel on how to do it. I'm not sure how long the tape will last, but my drum's a bit more than a year old with no sign of a problem yet.

[@apagoogootwo7552]

i used a bodhran to make a banjo bass. but the tension on the bridge has stretched the skin. it was an experiment, so if i've ruined it, i suppose that's fine. but i'm wondering if there's anything i can do to tighten it up. it's a non-tunable one. i'd love to get it back in shape because it was a great acoustic instrument.

[@Eyes_In_Your_Darkness]

Thank you

[@casperkasparov302]

Matt, please Sir, you need to fix your volume,

[@waynehodgin1322]

Thanks for your videos. I have a Brendon White double skin and I was told to never loosen the skin because the two skins could separate. Is yours a double skin? And if so, have you had any issues with the head?

[@mattdeblassmusic]

My Brendan White is a single skin, but yes, I understand you need to be careful about separation in the double-skinned drums. I don't think you have to keep it cranked down too hard, but don't leave it floppy-loose for extended periods.

[@ashleygilbreath5103]

Can I use straight lanolin? I have some leftover from when I was breastfeeding.

[@mattdeblassmusic]

That should be fine. It's an ingredient in some of the bodhran care creams on the market, and generally anything that's safe for human skin is going to be safe for your drum head.

[@timpmani1]

Could you please suggest a good place to buy a brush tipper from?

[@mattdeblassmusic]

Sure! There are a lot of different options out there, and some very different price ranges! MacNeela Music in Dublin has a good variety for reasonable prices here mcneelamusic.com/bodhran-beaters-tippers/ The bundled rod tipper I use in a lot of my videos is from Hedwithschak. They're very well made but can get expensive for some of them www.bodhranmaker.de/seite/471807/hedrods.html and if you want the swishy "Jazz Brush" sound I recommend the Vic Firth Jazz Rake, which is made of plastic instead of metal, so is far less likely to damage a natural skin head vicfirth.zildjian.com/jazz-rake-red-plastic.html