Finding the pitch of the shell of the drum?

[pocketdrummer]

i need some tips on how to do this, now im sure some of you are pros at tuning, please help me out

[drummer]

Simply take off all the heads and hardware, hold it up by your thumb and index finger and strike it. Listen to it's fundamental pitch and match it on the keyboard.

I've never known drummers to actively pursue knowing what the pitch of each drum is though I respect anyone's curiosity. There are so many inexact variables that affect each drums overall sound. I'm aware that drum companies are pitch-matching shells now but I don't think we should take this science "too" literally when it comes to general tuning of our drums. It isn't like guitars and pianos where you dial it in to be exact. Drums are affected by air, wood, metal, size, room, strength of stroke, drumhead type, etc. Knowing the "sweet spot" of every drum will eventually come natural to you (even without knowing the shell's fundamental pitch). The more you tune each drum, the more you will know that certain pitch range where it sounds especially good for that specific drum. I'm sure this does coincide somehow with the drum shell's individual pitch, but to approach tuning from the drum's pitch forward seems counter-productive and/or backwards to me. I'd be interested in hearing other opinions on this.

[Dave H.]

Thats all BULL, don't worry aboutit

[pocketdrummer]

Thats all BULL, don't worry aboutit

you do need to know this stuff, it'll help you tune better, plus itll up ur knowledge of your instrument. so it's VERY important.

[Jobby]

I'm sure this does coincide somehow with the drum shell's individual pitch, but to approach tuning from the drum's pitch forward seems counter-productive and/or backwards to me. I'd be interested in hearing other opinions on this.

I'm with you. The more you tune, the more you learn how each drum reacts to different pitches and tones. Starting with an inflexible 'perfect shell pitch' in mind seems pretty counterproductive. You have to keep in mind that there are some pitches that you have to avoid - you can't have a rack tom close to your snare tuned to the same pitch, as that will create sympathetic snare rattle, for example, and there are some pitches that may clash with what the bass player is doing (I had to retune my floor tom quite a bit because of this).

And the variables are almost infinite ... hell, I notice my primary kit having a lower tone when the weather is hot (it's been 38 degrees celcius plus during the days lately, add to that a stuffy room filled with sweaty men and it gets even worse.

[Roaddebris]

I'm far from an expert here, but I have found that when a drum is tuned properly, you can feel it resonate in your hands in a way that it won't when it's choked up.

[BigTallG]

OK, I could go off again about DWs and timbre-matching right here, but for once, I'll practice a little self-restraint.

[PokerDrummer]

OK, I could go off again about DWs and timbre-matching right here, but for once, I'll practice a little self-restraint.

Dont restrain yourself. Tell them like it is!!!!

[Roaddebris]

Hehe! Hey BTG, you look like Rodger Rabbit when he was holding back while that guy tapped out "shave & a haircut".

[METAL DRUMMER]

Hehe! Hey BTG, you look like Rodger Rabbit when he was holding back while that guy tapped out "shave & a haircut".

hahahahahahaha....

[BigTallG]

Hehe! Hey BTG, you look like Rodger Rabbit when he was holding back while that guy tapped out "shave & a haircut".

Dude, that's HILARIOUS!!!!!

[pastor_bob]

I don't know Pocketdrummer personally, but maybe this is just someone who is naturally curious. I think it might be interesting to find the pitch of each shell, then with the help of a keyboard, to tune the heads to get as close to the shell pitch as possible. Might be interesting to see what happens to the overall sound. Might be a total waste of time, it might not.

The next time I have a vacation and lots of spare time, I might try it just to see. On the other hand, I just don't see that kind of time in my near future! Whatever!

[Ethel_The_Frog]

If you want it to help you with tuning, why? Surely you could tune your drums to a sound that you like. My old toms were awful but I loved the sound they made because I tuned them way too high.

[drums-rock]

i agree with ethel!

[backtodrum]

I love DW drums. I do! But I think that is brilliant marketing on their part and the biggest bunch of HuHa I have ever heard. Really I know many DW players, and none of them buy into it.

[ratmycue]

if you are totally new to tuning I recommend it, The very least you will have is a starting point. if you are an old pro then tuning is second nature and you have no reason to, but you still have to recall those early days when you did tune and pulled your hair out,come on be honest.
Also if its your first time tuning pick a good location basement or bedroom for example not much chance for ringing and bad acoustics, unless its your parents bedroom with the mirror on the ceiling.

[ratmycue]

if you are totally new to tuning I recommend it, The very least you will have is a starting point. if you are an old pro then tuning is second nature and you have no reason to, but you still have to recall those early days when you did tune and pulled your hair out,come on be honest.
Also if its your first time tuning pick a good location basement or bedroom for example not much chance for ringing and bad acoustics, unless its your parents bedroom with the mirror on the ceiling.

ewww, I just had a mental picture of my parents.

[fiacovaz]

Always remember that when you hit the batter head, the air moving through the shell needs to resonate back to produce the tone you are searching for. One good method is to tighten the bottom head...single ply, then tune your batter head, double ply preferably, lower in pitch that the bottom head. You can then experiment with the tightness of the bottom head and the tone you get from the batter head. It does take time but you will learn so much. I make the point of the plys. The double ply batter will give you more sound control and broaden the tuning range. The single ply will resonate more freely in respose. No matter how many drums you have, you do want to listen for a melodic tone as you go from drum to drum to drum. Also, try striking two tom of different size at the same time and listen for the chord sound. No matter the music you play, drums are a musical instrument and should be thought of as such.

[EchoesMyEternity]

Does each shell have a fundamental pitch? Probably. However, I'm not sure that it matters that much in the grand scheme of tuning.

Too many drummers (myself included) want quick and easy shortcuts to tuning their drums. We want what guitar players have - we want a little box that can tell us, with a series of lights, whether or not our drum is in tune when we strike it.

There's a little secret that most drummers know when tuning a drum, and I'll let you in on it: do it more often and you'll train yourself to get better at it. That's it. How do you get better at it? The more you do it, the better you will be. It sucks, and it takes a lot of time, but everyone has to start somewhere. And just think, you might be playing on another kit at some point in your life and you won't have time to strip all of the hardware off of it to find the fundamental pitch of the shell and you'll be sorry you didn't train yourself how to tune drums universally.

-Jon