Playing with the Skin

You just might have noticed that you can change the pitch of your strikes by putting your hand against or pressing the skin. You're right! Changing the pitch is an important for playing solos, or just making a slight change in the sound of the bodhran.

Home

What is a Bodhran?

Holding a Bodhran and Tipper

Hitting a strong shot on the drum head gives a deep, resounding sound. This is quite lovely, but it doesn't sound quite as when paired up with fast-paced playing. To "mute", or "quiet" the sound of the drum, try laying your palm against the back of the drum. It provides a good level of sound, without the full force of the echo. Now try moving your palm to different areas of the bodhran. Experiment!

You can also use different parts of your hand. Another nice-sounding, constant drone happens when you use the pinkie-side of your hand. You can also try it with fingertips, knuckles... Pretty much anything goes! Have fun with it!

Striking the Bodhran

Details and Extras

Playing with the Skin

Quick Skin Fixes

Influence

Drum Maintenance

- Products

- How to Treat Your Drum

- A Good Case

- Cooperman's Standards

Pitch Changes

Choosing Your Drum

Another fun thing to do! You may have noticed that during certain songs, plays "raise" the pitch of a note for intervals. This is done by pushing against the skin with your palm while playing. This is also a fun thing to do, but it requires a decently wet skin!

(c) Stephanie Roy  2006

contact me