Tuning your ECDC Bodhran

Lay your drum, frame side up, on your lap or any safe surface. Your drum is tuned with a 9/64" allen key in the lugs mounted through the frame. The process is much like changing a tire, you can start at any point you like, but you always proceed by tuning directly opposite the last point. It's important that you tune an even amount on each point, for example, a 1/4 turn. It takes surprisingly little to change the pitch, so start with a 1/4 turn on each point, and if that's not enough, try another 1/4 or 1/2 turn on each point. If you start with a full turn, you may be putting too much pressure on the frame by the time you get all the way around. 

Feel free to tune the drum to any pitch, but always remember to prepare it properly for storage after playing. In regular temperature/humidity, it should be stored with slight tension as the skin will try to take up any slack it is given. However, if it is very humid and you have it cranked way up, you need to back the tuning off to a regular rim position. If you keep it tuned way up and change environments, it could get tight enough to damage the drum irreversably when the temperature or humidity changes. De-tuning your drum means that for about a minute of effort, your drum will last years longer