How long did it take you to tune drums well?

[RhythmKilla]

Thanks for the replies guys. Yeah, my hoops are definitely warped. They wobble on flat surfaces. Some more than others, but so far I've heard that ANY wobble is bad. Man, I'm really pissed I didn't take better care of my set when I was younger.

Considering that I've tuned these heads up rather tight, and then tuned them down again over and over, I'm not sure if I will ever get a great sound out of them.

I took that tone deaf test and scored 75%. I think that's pretty good for a drummer with tinnitus, especially seeing as even good musicians rarely score of 80%. I also did this test while room mates were having a conversation right next to me, so I'm definitely not tone deaf.

The top bearing edge of my tom is a little messed up. It's a little bumpy, but the bumps are totally smooth. As if someone was trying to make super-miniature model hills on the bearing edge, and sanded it down, hahaha.

Well, looks like it's time to get those opti-mounts, some new hoops, and new heads. I can get these toms to a tuning where it sounds like they're in tune when you up ear protection on, but when you hit it with no ear protection you can hear it dip and the overtones are UGH!

FINAL QUESTIONS...

1.Can someone please answer my earlier question about listening when tuning? Do you listen to the initial impact, or the over tone? I try to listen to the initial impact, it's super hard though.

2. When tuning, I've heard a couple things about HOW people get the lugs pitch matched. One way is to find the lug with the highest tuning. You memorize the pitch it's at, and then go about bringing all the other lugs to the pitch you remember in your head. The problem I've found with this is that the pitches change when you tighten or loosen ANY lug! That pitch is gone, then you need to bring everything up again. The second way I've heard is for people to go around the head and just match the pitches, it doesn't matter how high up you end up tuning it. Then you tune it down, and it's easier for some reason or something. I've been trying that last one as well, and I find that even if you get a pretty close tuning, you're way too high up and once you detune you lose the relatively good tuning you had.

Any other tips? I know I just need to practice practice practice and listen well but any other tips would be greatly appreciated.

[slinglander]

I think the over all tone tells you everything. Resonance/ringing tells you if your lugs are unequally tightened, sustain tells you if your heads are unequally tensioned or need replacing-dead sounding drums need new heads! But I approach the lug tension first, it's easier. The whole process for me has to start with something consistent since there are so many variables in the number of lugs and the two heads.

[GoyaDrumr!]

1st off welcome back rythmkilla. The only thing i can tell you that probably wasnt already said is that they are your drums and they are tuned well when you are satisfied with what you hear. If u dont like it keep tuning and and untuning. A way to cure overtones would be by taking some blue painters tape about 2 n half inches o less and some toilet paper making a square with it and placing it in the middle of the tape so that there's more tape then TP and placing it on the top of the drumhead near the logo, that should cure some overtones. It may take a couple these squares to do it but it wouldnt hurt to try. They use to sell this stuff called drum gum for this but it got discontinued. If u need drum head rings and your going to the music store to get new ones dont forget to bring your rings with you so that u can match them up. good luck killa.

[drummer]

Any other tips? I know I just need to practice practice practice and listen well but any other tips would be greatly appreciated.

Here are some drum tuning tips from another one of Drum Bum's sites.

[MrClarkDrums]

I had similar problems tuning when I first started playing. I was having a lot of trouble finding "That" Tone that I was looking for. I found videos on youtube of 3 different guys' methods, each of them is pretty easy to follow and the videos aren't that long.

For the Kick Drum: Bob Gatzen
For the Tom Toms: Rob Brown
For the Snare Drum: Drum Center NH

After studying the videos by these guys for a small amount of time, I went to my kit as I had just bought new heads all the way around. Well I got that kit sounding very good when I was a very inexperienced at tuning. So I'd highly suggest checking out those guys' tuning methods for those specified drums.

Good Luck, Hope this helps, Take Care
-Mitch

[atomcorr2]

if your hoops are bent , your edges bumpy.... you have tuning problems .. you need new hoops and your edges redone or they will give you trouble forever. no way around it .