Bodhrán oddities
My bodhrán is in a pisspoor mood. I'm a bit worried that she's been somehow traumatised. I noticed that something was a bit off on the 20th when I sat in with the THSP. Sometimes the climate at Trinity Hall is bizarre (and the drum played beautifully at Gilligan's the next Tuesday), so I believed that to be the culprit. Only she's Gone Wrong again, and in the same way.
Right, so what does 'Gone Wrong' mean? I usually down tune my bodhrán a bit - till the head is slightly loose. There's a particular low ring I go for when the drum is struck without my hand pushing at the other side of the skin. As the skin is natural, I do have to chase this tone round during the course of a seisiun. Nature of the beast sort of thing, and I'm not troubled by it. Sunday, when I did as I usually do with it, I couldn't find that one tone. Rather I got a THMOCK (my description for the sound a bodhrán will make when it's wet or the head is too loose) which was bright ('bright' meaning the sound a head will make when it's too dry or tuned too tightly). See, these are mutually exclusive in my experience. There is no 'bright THMOCK', 'cos how could it be too loose and too tight all at once?
It short, it sounded like shite - and that isn't me exaggerating at all. Three other people played my drum last night. One did say 'er, it's sounded better...' and the other two echoed my sentiments and scratched their heads as to how it could have gone that queer sort of wrong. I couldn't play it. The tones I was managing fought with the melody instruments. During my attempts at playing it, I'd think 'ah go on, I know you're in there somewhere'. Somewhere, in this instance, must have been Majorca. :| One of the other players suggested I 'condition' the head. I fed it some beer. That did nothing but likely make it sticky.
The maker suggests lanolin or 'Lexol', but used sparingly. So, I suppose I'll have a go. It's been out of my hands a few times recently, and I hope it hasn't somehow been...compromised? I should think that wouldn't be likely. Perhaps I should down tune it and leave it alone for a few days.
Right, so what does 'Gone Wrong' mean? I usually down tune my bodhrán a bit - till the head is slightly loose. There's a particular low ring I go for when the drum is struck without my hand pushing at the other side of the skin. As the skin is natural, I do have to chase this tone round during the course of a seisiun. Nature of the beast sort of thing, and I'm not troubled by it. Sunday, when I did as I usually do with it, I couldn't find that one tone. Rather I got a THMOCK (my description for the sound a bodhrán will make when it's wet or the head is too loose) which was bright ('bright' meaning the sound a head will make when it's too dry or tuned too tightly). See, these are mutually exclusive in my experience. There is no 'bright THMOCK', 'cos how could it be too loose and too tight all at once?
It short, it sounded like shite - and that isn't me exaggerating at all. Three other people played my drum last night. One did say 'er, it's sounded better...' and the other two echoed my sentiments and scratched their heads as to how it could have gone that queer sort of wrong. I couldn't play it. The tones I was managing fought with the melody instruments. During my attempts at playing it, I'd think 'ah go on, I know you're in there somewhere'. Somewhere, in this instance, must have been Majorca. :| One of the other players suggested I 'condition' the head. I fed it some beer. That did nothing but likely make it sticky.
The maker suggests lanolin or 'Lexol', but used sparingly. So, I suppose I'll have a go. It's been out of my hands a few times recently, and I hope it hasn't somehow been...compromised? I should think that wouldn't be likely. Perhaps I should down tune it and leave it alone for a few days.