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Thread: Tuning Toms

  1. #1

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    Question Tuning Toms

    How exactly is the best way to tune my toms, people say, tune them a 3rd higher than each other and there is lots of stuff like that, infact someone once said tune them to the tune of 'the races' which made me laugh. I haven't managed that just yet ...

  2. #2

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    I just tune them by ear 98% of the time. there sre sometimes where I want my 10" to be so high it's like a timbale, and there are time where I want my 12" and 14" to sound like cannons.

    Unlike other instruments drums don't have an exact way to tune them, if you play metal and want a low sound, tune them low as you can before the skins wrinkle.

    For Jazz you'll want them a little tight around the mid area of tuning etc.

  3. #3

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    Differant drums will tune differantly naturally. By that I mean the sweet spot where the drum sounds the best. That is what I tune for and my drums seam to sound good at those tunnings. If I try to tune to a third on each tom, ( I have attempted it) one drum sounds great and another will not accept that tuning so well and just sound lifeless or chocked, so it doesn't always work. I just tune them by ear.

  4. #4

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    i tune them by ear and a lot of prayer
    play till the day i die. it makes more sense that way.

    "You should set up your drums around the toilet. You know you must use it everyday and lets be realistic, nothing better is going on when your sitting on there. Why not take care of business and play the drums." silver dragon sound

  5. #5

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    Cool

    I Actually Hear "3 Blind Mice " In My Head When I Do Rack Toms To Floor Toms.....works For Me.....i Believe My Phriend Dom Famularo Once Mentioned Tuning To "here Comes The Bride"...jeff Pocarro Said Tune It Till It Sounds Good...(then Remember He Had The Fantastic
    Paul Jamison Take Care Of His "light Work")
    "FEEL DA GROOVE & PLAY IT FORWARD..."

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    ENJOY IT ALL,,, MY BROTHERS & SISTERS"

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    & FORCE BEHIND DA
    "PHX AZ LEGEND OF DA ZYDECO GROOVE VEST"
    (AND OTHER TOYZ) INCLUDING PIZZABOX SNARE DRUM

    IT'S ALL ABOUT DA SHOW !!!!!

  6. #6

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    Depending on drum size and heads, you can actually tune your drums using a strobe tuner and a mic with normal notes. Maybe someone else can confirm this technique cuz i havent seen it posted elsewhere...

  7. #7

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    I tune my toms to a major chord ( A major third, between the floor tom, and next biggest rack tom, then a minor third from that tom to the smaller one (the race track herald trumpet opening thing). I just prefer the sound of the major chord. It's all about personal preference, find a tuning that works for you, and that you like.
    Last edited by Church Drummer; 01-08-2008 at 02:46 PM.
    Gretsch Catalina Birch 6 piece fusion set (10,12,14,16in. Toms, 22 Bass). Sabian 20" HH Classic Ride, 16" Istanbul Agop Dark Crash, & Zildian K 13" Hi-hats.

  8. #8

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    i tune them by ear to the sweet spot of each drum --- point that produces most resonance. i start by tuning the bottom head first with the drum on a towel upside down. the towel keeps the other side from resonating. after tuning the bottom I flip the drum over and tune the top. from this point its all by ear but what i find myself doing most of the time is tuning the reso sides a slight bit tighter than the batter sides.
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  9. #9

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    Koopa, I too tune exactly the way you have described starting with the bottom head of each drum.

  10. #10

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    Please keep in mind that the only drum that is actually "tunable" is the tympani, or kettle drum. We don't "tune" our drums, we just make them sound good. And really, it all depends on your application. Make them sound good to you, and thats all you need. But you're not likely to see a drummer with a tuner trying to make that pesky high tom a C sharp or anything. Jut make it sound pretty.... and be mindful of unwanted acoustics, like ringing, or a thumpy lack of resonance. General rule of thumb... make the batter head the "tone" you want, and tighten the reso head a bit more than the batter, to eliminate ring. The rest is up to you.
    Thats the way, uh huh, uh huh, I like it.

  11. #11

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    On my maple kit I tune the batter and resonate head to the exact same pitch. On some kits I would agree that the reso head needs to be tuned a bit higher to calm the overring.

  12. #12

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    Ah im glad you said that because i need to retune my kit and i never know what to do with the resonant heads. I find it changes the pitch of the batter head sometimes having it tuned too high over. But again too over ringy.
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  13. #13

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    I tune the toms to same note (pitch) for both heads. Only bass drum and snare with the reson head with lower tone (pitch). Has worked on every drumset ive played...

  14. #14

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    i don't know how to tune them but my friend told me to tune it all in the tune of "here comes the bride"
    BIANCA!!
    -----------
    My kit
    ------------

    Set up like Ringo Starr's kit...
    22" bass drum
    Brand: DXP
    Cymbals: Zildjian ZBT Ride, DXP hi-hats and Crash.
    Snare: 14 x 6
    Tom Tom: 12 x 11
    Floor Tom: 16 x 16
    Hi-hats: 14" , Crash: 16", Ride: 18"



    "Life Is What Happens When You're Busy Making Other Plans" - John lennon

  15. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by DrumsGirl21 View Post
    i don't know how to tune them but my friend told me to tune it all in the tune of "here comes the bride"
    That's good advice DG. I use that tuning interval too, and I always get compliments on the way the drums are tuned. I know there are other tunings, and I'll learn them in time, but for now the first 2 notes of "Here Comes the Bride" (tuning in thirds) works real well.
    Quoting gonefishin: Just have some bacon with ya when you go pick her up..........youre an instant chick magnet.





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  16. #16

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    nice info DG! i didnt know that one :0

    im still learning one, i guess the next step will be your friends method

  17. #17

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    Here is what I do, take it for what it's worth lol.

    I start with the low tom, I start with the resonant head(Bottom Head), I tune that head in a cross pattern until finger tight, then 1/4 turn at a time, tighten ea lug, still using the same cross pattern, until I get a good resonant tone that I like, then I repeat the same process on the batter head, I always keep the resonant head tighter than the batter, this provides better sustain and resonance.

    Hope this helps.

  18. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by Pdplayer View Post
    Here is what I do, take it for what it's worth lol.

    I start with the low tom, I start with the resonant head(Bottom Head), I tune that head in a cross pattern until finger tight, then 1/4 turn at a time, tighten ea lug, still using the same cross pattern, until I get a good resonant tone that I like, then I repeat the same process on the batter head, I always keep the resonant head tighter than the batter, this provides better sustain and resonance.

    Hope this helps.
    This how i tune my drums too,
    Tunning is point of experience
    Keep On Drumming

  19. #19

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    it's so hard to tune my drums... as soon as they're out of tune, i try to tune them and they end up sounding aweful...
    oh andi have a question... my floor tom is sounding very deep... how can i get it to sound good???
    BIANCA!!
    -----------
    My kit
    ------------

    Set up like Ringo Starr's kit...
    22" bass drum
    Brand: DXP
    Cymbals: Zildjian ZBT Ride, DXP hi-hats and Crash.
    Snare: 14 x 6
    Tom Tom: 12 x 11
    Floor Tom: 16 x 16
    Hi-hats: 14" , Crash: 16", Ride: 18"



    "Life Is What Happens When You're Busy Making Other Plans" - John lennon

  20. #20

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    I am mostly self taught, which is something I regret now, but when I first started I had a few lessons from an awesome teacher and he told me to do either the "day at the races" thing or tune them to the famous Chinese melody (don't actually know what its called but play 4 hits on high, two on mid, two on low, then one on mid).
    Last edited by Yom; 01-14-2008 at 10:38 AM.
    "Then when we do... The Afro Cuban... I'm going to go... To my Coooowwwwbell!" - Bernard Purdie

  21. #21

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    you mean da da da da dant dant, dant dant da!

  22. #22

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    I use the Neary drum Torque tune the bottom head first using a cross pattern and go 5 at a time on the torque until you get the sound you like and see what torque your on and do the same for the top head and so on for each drum and you have your torque setting for future tuning it really saves time when you tune

  23. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by backtodrum View Post
    you mean da da da da dant dant, dant dant da!
    That's exactly what I mean. Haha!
    "Then when we do... The Afro Cuban... I'm going to go... To my Coooowwwwbell!" - Bernard Purdie

  24. #24

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    tuning toms, yikes. I could go on for days!!!!!
    Every drum does have a sweet spot, if that sweet spot sounds like crap throw the drum away. hehehehe, but seriously.
    If you are new to tuning your toms this is what you may want to try.
    1. remove both skins, the one u whack with a stick and the one underneath.
    2. check and tighten all lugs and screws [u know the shiny bits]
    3. clean away all dust and crud from the where the skins rest on the drum [heck, clean the whole thing while you are at it].
    4. hold up drum by the mount and tap the drum with a stick and listen to that sweet resonant sound of [your] drum, that is its sweet spot.
    5. If you still have the drum and havent thrown it away by now.......lock that resonance in your head and sing its sweet sound over a few times till u get it locked in. got it... good.
    6. put on a preferably new bottom head first tune it to that sound.
    7. put on new whack side skin and crank this skins lugs [evenly cross pattern] till you like what u hear. hopefully it will be close to that sweet spot in between your ears.
    8. most importantly, it may sound great after this in the basement but take it to that bar with all that glass and wood flooring and oh my, time to buy a set of electronics...... hmmm let me see, beech snare sound, pitch +3, pan equal, decay +4, wow that was easy.........oh crap the hydro just went out.
    keep it real dudes.

  25. #25

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    I find the sizes you have to be very interesting...not much tonal separation between the drums. My sizes are 13" rack tom, 14" snare 16" and 18" floor toms and 20" bass drum. Again, not a lot of separation. By using a 2 ply head like Remo Pinstripes (coated), I can get just enough separation. I use a perfect 4th interal between the 13" and 16" toms and tune the 18" about 1/3 below that. I also use Aquarian Force 1 batter head on my bass drum with a Remo double ply as the resonant head. I can tune it a little lower for a deep punch and then higher for better blend when playing with my Big Band (17 pc group). However, the truth is that what sounds best to you is what you go with.

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