The bodhrán is a frame drum covered in goatskin. It is played with a double-ended wooden stick called a 'tipper' or 'beater.' The player holds the drum vertically and uses one hand inside the drum against the skin. By moving this hand and applying different amounts of pressure, the player can change the tension of the skin, allowing them to shift the pitch and dampen the sound while playing. This makes the bodhrán a melodic percussion instrument, capable of following the rising and falling tones of a fiddle or flute melody.