Drum Tuning
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Phlemingo
New member
You shouldn't need to pay for someone to tune :O
Do you have a drumkey? If no, get one. Use that to fit on the screw things around the drum rim. You can turn clockwise to tighten (higher note) anti to loosen (lower note)
When you tune a drum, make sure to tighten all the screws equally with the drumkey.
Use the across pattern; when you turn one, make sure you turn the opposite one equally. Then after you're done with that pair, tune the pair perpendicular to it. Just tune all like that.
Throughout tuning, hit the drum all over lightly with your stick to see if the sound is even.
For toms it's simple enough, but for the snare drum you'll have to make sure that you get the sound you like. It is much more intricate.
Do you have a drumkey? If no, get one. Use that to fit on the screw things around the drum rim. You can turn clockwise to tighten (higher note) anti to loosen (lower note)
When you tune a drum, make sure to tighten all the screws equally with the drumkey.
Use the across pattern; when you turn one, make sure you turn the opposite one equally. Then after you're done with that pair, tune the pair perpendicular to it. Just tune all like that.
Throughout tuning, hit the drum all over lightly with your stick to see if the sound is even.
For toms it's simple enough, but for the snare drum you'll have to make sure that you get the sound you like. It is much more intricate.
beboptang
New member
Tuning is a real trial-and-error thing. And it can be quite subjective. But you'll definitely need to sweat a bit and keep doing and undoing.
Some people tune the top head tighter than the bottom, some the other way around. Either of them give a different sound resonance, delay and attack feel. Some tune both heads the same, but that's tricky, cuz when one lug (screw) goes marginally out of tune, it's like way obvious.
Personally, I tend to tune my snare till it sounds like timbales with the snares off. And I like my toms to sound almost orchestral when I roll them with timpani mallets. But like I said, tuning is very subjective.
Once you've got it sounding decent. You might want to use Moon Gels (I think only available at Nigel's Drum Resources Music Place, Excelsior basement), to dampen the harmonics. Another option for that is O-rings you can buy from Swee Lee, Yamaha, or almost any drum shop. Most popular brand is Remo -- they're called Remo Rings.
Hope that helps.
Some people tune the top head tighter than the bottom, some the other way around. Either of them give a different sound resonance, delay and attack feel. Some tune both heads the same, but that's tricky, cuz when one lug (screw) goes marginally out of tune, it's like way obvious.
Personally, I tend to tune my snare till it sounds like timbales with the snares off. And I like my toms to sound almost orchestral when I roll them with timpani mallets. But like I said, tuning is very subjective.
Once you've got it sounding decent. You might want to use Moon Gels (I think only available at Nigel's Drum Resources Music Place, Excelsior basement), to dampen the harmonics. Another option for that is O-rings you can buy from Swee Lee, Yamaha, or almost any drum shop. Most popular brand is Remo -- they're called Remo Rings.
Hope that helps.
beboptang
New member
The timbale tuning is just a generic rule of thumb for me. It's a bit difficult with deep snares, eg 6-7" deep x 14" diam.
For the generic 5.5" x 14" wood snares, I tune the bottom head pretty tight -- ie nearly all the way tight -- then I tune the top head till I get it to sound like a timbale. But I'm careful to not tune it until the tone becomes choked. If it's a jazz gig, I'd play the snare with a Moon Gel; and if it's a funk, rock or pop gig, I'd use the Moon Gel.
It really depends on the snare and the environment though. For eg, if you have a brass snare, or some heavy metal snare and you're in a small and/or reverberant place, having it tuned that tight is probably not a great idea. Cuz that tuning will really cut through, unless you have a very light touch.
Also poorly made snares with uneven bearing edges are almost impossible to tune to a "timbale" tuning, or any other way...
The "timbale" tuning works nice when you have to switch up and play latin.
Just 1 nightmare story... I once tuned a 6.5" metal snare the same way I'd tune a generic snare (drums were rented) for a gig at the Botanics, cuz I wanted that timbale sound. I must have tuned the bottom head too tight, cuz during the 2nd bar of the 1st song of the 1-hour show, I slammed on the snare and BAM! the bottom snare blew out! i was left to do the rest of the show with a snare-less, "toong-toong" sounding snare!! Had no spare head or snare drum also. Wah rance!!! So embarrassing! Was playing with Bobby Singh on that gig, wonder if he remembers... Needless to say, I'm pretty careful with the bottom head nowadays.
i tend to tune my top and bottom heads to each other. i just like tht extended resonance. my ears aren't sensitive enough to notice if one lug is out. for toms i mostly finger tighten and then do a full turn of the key or turn and a half for both heads. i use my ears and fingers to check if the lugs are in tune. works for me so far.
RudimentalDrummer
Moderator
My 1st Yamaha Kit was using Stock-Heads...No matter how I tune it - it wouldn't sound great (Maybe I dunno how to tune) so I got the Yamaha Guys to come down - paid S$80.00, still doesn't good and these guys use Masking Tape & Tissue -Paper to paste it on my Reso.....Hahahaha so funny.
One thing to note is that all Bearing Edge must be in perfect condition or else - no point.
Then now to continue - I changed my Yamaha Stock-Heads to Evans G1 - and I tune it myself (by observing and asking how the Yamaha people tune my kit).....The sound - What a world of difference and yes I change both Batter & Resonants for all the drums (better this way than just to change the Batter and not the Reso like many do).....The Tunning for this is Tighter for the Batter and loose for the Reso.
Then I bought Remo PinStripe for my Old Pearl MLX - I tried tuning it the same way I did as in my Yammies (Top Tighter, Bottom Loose) - It doesn't work...I gave up. Call Tony Zee to my Home and tune it while I watch him do it (It's his Kit anyway)....What he did was - The Batter Tighter than my Yamaha, and the Reso very loose....I guess because it's thicker for the PinStripe than the Evans G1.
From above experience, I believe there is no hard and fast rule in Tunning - much depends on the type of Skin one is using also....Hope it helps here too...Just to share!.
Beboptang: - Are you the girl who study in Berklee College (playing Drums and Jazzs with an All-Girl Band) that was in Tanglin CC last time?.....
One thing to note is that all Bearing Edge must be in perfect condition or else - no point.
Then now to continue - I changed my Yamaha Stock-Heads to Evans G1 - and I tune it myself (by observing and asking how the Yamaha people tune my kit).....The sound - What a world of difference and yes I change both Batter & Resonants for all the drums (better this way than just to change the Batter and not the Reso like many do).....The Tunning for this is Tighter for the Batter and loose for the Reso.
Then I bought Remo PinStripe for my Old Pearl MLX - I tried tuning it the same way I did as in my Yammies (Top Tighter, Bottom Loose) - It doesn't work...I gave up. Call Tony Zee to my Home and tune it while I watch him do it (It's his Kit anyway)....What he did was - The Batter Tighter than my Yamaha, and the Reso very loose....I guess because it's thicker for the PinStripe than the Evans G1.
From above experience, I believe there is no hard and fast rule in Tunning - much depends on the type of Skin one is using also....Hope it helps here too...Just to share!.
Beboptang: - Are you the girl who study in Berklee College (playing Drums and Jazzs with an All-Girl Band) that was in Tanglin CC last time?.....
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As someone here already said, drum tuning is very much trial and error. the tuning you adopt depends on the type of music being played, the room acoustics, and the personal preferences of the drummer. There is no one absolute correct or wrong way.
Choice of heads do affect the sound but only as far as playing in a largely acoustical situation. In a big venue where the drums are miked up and put thru the various EFX, the sound on the PA is very different from what the drummer hears behind the set.
Tuning really involves 3 main parameters viz
1. Batter tighter than bottom
2. Batten looser than bottom
3. Batter about same tension as bottom.
Playing around with these combinations, esp for toms...determine whether your drums dip or flat, ring or decay quickly. Tuning to a pitch is less important than having proper tonal separation on the toms. The use of damping O-rings is very effective in moderating the tone amd excessive ring of the drums, and avoid unsightly and tapes and gels.
It is also important to tighten all lugs evenly in a criss cross fashion - unevenly tightened lugs can cause no end of tuning problems.
Of course, good bearing edges and well seated snares are essential.
Speaking of seating, many drummers often fail to seat new heads properly before proceeding with tightening the lugs. A head not seated properly is also the cause of many tuning problems.
To know more about the tuning process, I suggest you check out one of Weckl's videos...can't remember which one but he goes thru the process in good detail.
Being one of the old timers still active.. who has been playing drums since the 60s, I have watched with great interest how drum sounds changed like fashion over the decades. Tuning to play Beatles is very different from tuning for the soul and ballads of the 70s and 80s and one may remember the piccolo snare (biscuit tin) sound of the early 90s hip hop groups. In jazz the boing of the bass drum is desirable but unimaginable for contemporary rock and funk.
So take heart...there is no fixed and fast rule in drum tuning...only what sounds good for the music you are playing. And forget about trying to sound like your idols...better to try and achieve your own sound and character.
Choice of heads do affect the sound but only as far as playing in a largely acoustical situation. In a big venue where the drums are miked up and put thru the various EFX, the sound on the PA is very different from what the drummer hears behind the set.
Tuning really involves 3 main parameters viz
1. Batter tighter than bottom
2. Batten looser than bottom
3. Batter about same tension as bottom.
Playing around with these combinations, esp for toms...determine whether your drums dip or flat, ring or decay quickly. Tuning to a pitch is less important than having proper tonal separation on the toms. The use of damping O-rings is very effective in moderating the tone amd excessive ring of the drums, and avoid unsightly and tapes and gels.
It is also important to tighten all lugs evenly in a criss cross fashion - unevenly tightened lugs can cause no end of tuning problems.
Of course, good bearing edges and well seated snares are essential.
Speaking of seating, many drummers often fail to seat new heads properly before proceeding with tightening the lugs. A head not seated properly is also the cause of many tuning problems.
To know more about the tuning process, I suggest you check out one of Weckl's videos...can't remember which one but he goes thru the process in good detail.
Being one of the old timers still active.. who has been playing drums since the 60s, I have watched with great interest how drum sounds changed like fashion over the decades. Tuning to play Beatles is very different from tuning for the soul and ballads of the 70s and 80s and one may remember the piccolo snare (biscuit tin) sound of the early 90s hip hop groups. In jazz the boing of the bass drum is desirable but unimaginable for contemporary rock and funk.
So take heart...there is no fixed and fast rule in drum tuning...only what sounds good for the music you are playing. And forget about trying to sound like your idols...better to try and achieve your own sound and character.
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"In jazz the boing of the bass drum is desirable but unimaginable for contemporary rock and funk."
hey blofield, i've actually heard afew funk drummers in aussieland tune thier bass drums high like jazz, ala mike clark. however tht bass drum was more like an aux and they had a main one which was trad funk.
it was interesting, to hear. sort of like an additional tom
hey blofield, i've actually heard afew funk drummers in aussieland tune thier bass drums high like jazz, ala mike clark. however tht bass drum was more like an aux and they had a main one which was trad funk.
it was interesting, to hear. sort of like an additional tom
Many jazz drummers treat their kick drum like a low tom, I suppose...since the role of the kick in jazz is not so much to provide a 1 & 3 foundation to the 2& 4 back beat, but serve as a means to provide accents (bombs) and such.
Some jazz players actually like to hear a defined tone from their bass...not just a deep thhudd in the usual sense.
drum_hobbyist
New member
Daryl... sometime in the next 2 weeks in the evening time... many requests for drum tuning these days...
DullTheater
Member
eh DH, tune my drums too can?
drum_hobbyist
New member
Wow DT... you have drumkit already ah?
DullTheater
Member
air drums.....
hahahahahahahaha
sori dude.... joke joke ah....
no drumkit for mi ah.. space constraints!
hahahahahahahaha
sori dude.... joke joke ah....
no drumkit for mi ah.. space constraints!
whirlypopp
New member
hi ppeps, i just bbought peal forum few days back, and i've got some problem with my bass drum. sound pretty heavy but its just not deep enough.
help?
help?
