So frustrated trying to tune my drums.

[JohnDiFrancesco]

I don't know if I'm tone deaf or what, but I am having a hell of a time trying to tune my drums. I've printed off two different sets of directions (the "bible" and another "quick" method, both posted here), and tried both with no luck. I just can't seem to get from one lug to the next, let alone clear the entire head. I can't even imagine trying to tune both heads to the same pitch!

I have never studied music or played any other instruments, so I am sure my ear is not great, but I think I can tell when two pitches are different and which one is higher!

I'm doing the "press in the middle, tap back and forth between two lugs" method, and no matter how small of a turn I try to give a lug, I seem to go from "hi-lo" to "lo-hi" without ever getting both lugs to be at the same pitch. If I'm trying to clear lugs A and B, and B is lower in pitch, then as I tighten B it seems like the overall pitch increases but A stays a little higher than B.

Maybe I'm getting ear fatigue and lose the ability to distinguish tones, or maybe my 30 year old drums are warped and it's impossible to clear them.

All I know is that I'm really frustrated.

[DantheDrummer]

Hey,
Have you checked out the tuning method i posted..?
That method doesnt need you to tune by ear at all..
Just follow the directions..
Check my page and look on threads by me..
its called "quick, easy tuning method" or something like that.. inspired by the methods of europes leading tuning clinician, martin ranscombe.

[yohin]

Try 2 things:

1. Don't press down on the drum head. If you press even a TINY bit off center, it will mess up the pitches and you'll perceive one lug to be higher pitch even if they are the same.

2. Go to Youtube and search for Bob Gatzen's drum tuning videos. If they don't help you, I don't know what will. They sure help me.

[JohnDiFrancesco]

Well, after deciding that maybe I was just trying to be too precise matching pitches between lugs, I relaxed a bit and went for "close enough." I ended up with them sounding pretty good and being able to play a decent rendition of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" across the open snare and two toms, so that's something. (I was in the middle of trying to tune the floor tom to play it across the three toms as well when the lug stripped, which I posted in a different thread.)

I think maybe I was trying too hard. Now to figure out how to replace that lug....

[cole1paul]

One really quick tip that I learned from an old Chad Smith video was that proper tuning can be heard (if you have four toms) if you can go up and down and play the opening racetrack theme (that one that plays on the trumpets).

[kaosotis]

Not to start the ever present argument, but you could consider investing in a drum dial to help you. It can get you close to tuned, and then you can practice fine tuning by ear to get it "just right".

[CharlyG]

what he said. ^^^^^^

[xweasel]

^^^ What that guy above the other guy said

[wolvie56]

Hey,
Have you checked out the tuning method i posted..?
That method doesnt need you to tune by ear at all..
Just follow the directions..
Check my page and look on threads by me..
its called "quick, easy tuning method" or something like that.. inspired by the methods of europes leading tuning clinician, martin ranscombe.

Hey man, I was looking at your YouTube link. It's hard to tell, but are you wearing ear plugs? If you aren't, then you should. Hearing loss is cumulative meaning everything will be fine then one day you will hear a shrill whining noise that you can't turn down, or partial loss. I've heard that it's quite annoying. Again, if you are cool, If you aren't, then you have to start now.

[DantheDrummer]

Hey dude. just read your message bout my youtube links..
ive played for 5 years, and worn elacin ER-20s for 2 years. I started wearing them after i got a lot of feedback about hearing protection. Thanks for lookin out for my hearing tho mate

[Brady]

Also remember that the lugs opposite eachother have a lot of effect on each other. If one needs to be tuned up, it is likely the opposite needs to have the same. Hope it helps in some way...

[sqadan]

Honestly - kudos for being so concerned about proper tuning this early in your drumming career! It took me a couple of years to start really worrying about such things...

The best advice I can give you at this stage - is don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good... if the toms sound good to you - then don't worry to much about matching the pitches between the lugs and the heads... Some of this will take time and practice as well as allowing your ear to develop. Unlike guitar - the "pitches" that a drum makes are not as obvious to your ear and the many overtones produced can make tuning to pitch a very confusing process.

Relax and give your self some time to develop these skills... Rome was not built in a day!

[JohnDiFrancesco]

Again, thanks for everyone's advice. I'm going to take a deep breath and do the best I can without getting worked up and ruining the fun.

[xweasel]

Hearing loss is cumulative meaning everything will be fine then one day you will hear a shrill whining noise that you can't turn down, or partial loss. I've heard that it's quite annoying.

It is! Although because I'm constantly surrounded with music luckily I don't pay attention to it. It's only really annoying once you start concentrating on it.

[brutal juice]

yes possibly you're over analyzing it a bit - also if your shells are a bit problematic - the Evans hydraulic heads seem to be a bit easier to tune (but they are pretty dark toned)

[DrummerD]

Two things that helped me when I first started to learn how to tune my drums.
1. Get yourself an inexpensive set of studio rings or tone control rings. Evans, Remo and Aquarian all make them. Use these on your drums when trying to adjust the pitch at each tension rod. Put these on and tap around the perimeter at each rod (about 1" from the edge). Make sure the opposite head is muted when doing this. The rings take out most of the overtones making the pitch much more defined and focused. Use this method on both batter and resonant sides. Once you have the pitches, move on to step two...

2. Go to youtube as yohin suggested previously and search for Bob Gatzen. Or, get his dvd if you want to get a more indepth lesson and understanding. Watch his videos on tuning toms and finding their different ranges along with the relationship between the top and bottom heads.

Practicing these two things will eventually get you to where you want to be. It worked for me. Just remember that it does take some time to develop this skill, but persistence will pay off. Good Luck!

[pastor_bob]

Welcome to Drum Chat DrummerD!

[DrummerD]

Thanks. This is a good site!

[pastor_bob]

Absolutely! We don't have a newbie introduction thread, so feel free to tell us a little about yourself on any thread that you chose. Most seem to do it on the "Show Us Your Drums" thread. In any case, we just treat each other equally, and we just get to know each other as we post. Have fun, and we're glad you're here!

[Ralph Knapp]

You don't say anything about shell sizes or what kind of music you play the heads your using. Sticks. My kit is maple, everything with 2 ply Evans heads, and I concentrate on hard rock. The toms are 12, 14, 16 , 22x16 kick. Everything is played open, no muffling if at all possible. That said I tune everything as low as I can get but with each individual drum having as much ring and sustain as I can get, and my hearing ain't all that good. This means the toms are tuned fairly loose, with the exception of the kick Which is a little tighter for better action. Most of the time I use plastic beaters. For the snares (I always keep two in the kit) I tune the batter for the action I like which means pretty tight and then tune the resonant, again I want ring so that the drums have cut. Then I focus on tuning the kit to itself, this for me is making sure that each drum has a distinct voice within the family and that the voice is heard. Tune up the do a roll around the kit to see that each drum has the sound you want and the good step down as you move from snare to your bass. Then tweak to your desire. Unless your 30 year old drums are out of round, cracked, or the bearing edges are uneven there is no reason the shells won't tune. The hoops need to be fairly close to even as well, a serious warped hoop wont tune. Your dating the drums in question as made in the seventies, check out your favorite drummers from that era that play the kind of music you like and find out how they tuned. I read also that some drummers tune to certain notes like A or C, but I've yet to bother with that. Good luck

Ralph

[chafey]

funny enough, i went through this an hour ago. i also found "directly separated" lugs to have more effect than "next door" lugs. and also far superior to the actual note of the drum was a ,guitar like, harmonic. i used it to get a clear waaaah sound . i could actually hear the off tune wah wah wah , for the first time in 17 years. and for the first time i didnt simply " tighten the batter and resonant heads just past loose and call it good" but i actually tuned the drums! directly opposing lugs, top and bottom heads, on the floor tom i even pulled the heads off and smacked the shell to hear the resonant frequency, then tried to get the heads to match that. first time ive ever had a tom sing to me. if it helps i set the drum on my stool to mute the opposing head. man do i ramble when im drinking

[ratmycue]

i even pulled the heads off and smacked the shell to hear the resonant frequency, then tried to get the heads to match that. first time ive ever had a tom sing to me. if it helps i set the drum on my stool to mute the opposing head. man do i ramble when im drinking

Top marks for distinguishing your natural resonance of that tom man. makes it so much easier to pinpoint a sweet spot.