r/bodhran • u/Daxtericide • Feb 19 '26

Tape a tuneable bodhran tuned or not?

Hi!! Just and easy question that I dont find anywhere on internet.

Should I tape the drum tense/tuned? Or untuned/loose?

Thank you!

3 Upvotes

81% Upvoted

6 comments sorted by

2

u/AnBurcach Feb 20 '26

Tape it if you want more bass

2

u/Modhran Feb 20 '26

I tend to tape it when it's tuned, though I imagine taping it when it's slightly loose wouldn't hurt.

2

u/MarderBiss Feb 24 '26 edited Feb 27 '26

The tape has to be flexibe enough to stick on to the skin even when it goes out of tune - either way. Natural skin heads react to temperature and humidity, so a lot of flexibility is needed. If have never come accross this question before, nor has anyone I talked to mentioned that there could be a problem. I have (so far) never had any problems with tape, except for old age of the tape on a drum I got second hand.

Christian Hedwitschak (who made my "main" bodhrán) recommends to store the drum with the head tensioned as for playing. So most of the time it will (should?) be in that state.

TL;DR: I would tape the drum in a normal tuned state, as you would use for playing.

EDIT: added missing word

1

u/Daxtericide Feb 26 '26

Thank you so much!

Maybe my problems came when I tensioned and loosed the skin repeately, because I heard it was better to leave it loose after playing. If i can store it tensioned shouldn't be a problem

Thanks!

1

u/WrongAccountFFS Mar 06 '26

Interesting! I just got one of his “classic” drums delivered yesterday and it was tuned very tight. Now I know why!