Playing the Bodhran and Harmonica

     

     The bodhran is an Irish frame drum ranging from 10–26 inches in diameter with most drums measuring 14–18 iches. The sides of the drum are 3.5–8 inches deep. A goatskin head is tacked to one side. The other side is open-ended for one hand to be placed against the inside of the drum head to control the pitch and timbre. 
     The drum is struck either with the bare hand or with a lathe-turned piece of wood called a bone, tipper, beater, or cipin. One or two crossbars, sometimes removable, may be inside the frame, but this is rare on modern instruments. 
     Some professional modern bodhrans have a mechanical tuning system similar to those used on drums that can be tightened or loosened depending on the atmospheric conditions.