My son's drum heads continue to tear on his new kit?

[Thor02]

Hello,

I'm somewhat new to the world of drumming. My 14 year old got a Pearl Roadshow for christmas and has gone through three drum heads already. two snare heads (top and bottom) and he bass head. Is there a difference between the top and bottom heads for the snare? He does play a little hard. I'm starting to see dimples in his toms. Also, I think he had been under tuning his heads. He plays his kit in the garage and it can get pretty cold in there. Could weather play a factor? Thanks in advance!

[SpazApproved]

The snare head on the bottom should NEVER BE HIT! It's thinner than thin... it's paper thin. It's for resonating the snare wires ONLY not playing!!!

Are all the heads factory? Most stock heads on a cheaper kit are junk thin 1 ply heads.
Sounds like you need to invest in thicker 2ply heads and get junior a smaller pair of sticks.

Get a power dot snare head or something with a center dot for heavy hitters and get an EMAD bass drum head.
For the toms I'd suggest like a 2ply Evans G2 Clear

[drummer]

Welcome Thor! We'll help in any way we can.

Great advice from Spaz. Also, check the angles of the drums. If they're angled too far in (the toms), facing him, the tips of the sticks are more likely to dent the heads.

Cold weather does make heads a bit more brittle, esp. with low moisture. However, the culprit is more likely to do with 1.) the types of heads like Spaz said, 2.) the angle of the drums, and/or 3.) how he's hitting the drums (lessons help or learning through drum lessons on YouTube regarding the proper way to hit the drums).

Good luck!

[noreastbob]

I'd agree that wrong, as in too steep, stick angle is the most usual suspect. That and poor quality heads as stated. I suppose you could run your finger around the bearing edge, the rim of the drum that the head stretches over, when replacing the broken head(s) and check for burrs etc.

[Olimpass]

Being he is a beginner, I’d hold off on the expensive heads. As mentioned, yes the snare heads are different. There are less expensive options. You have to do some searching for drum head packs. Dual ply is the way to go for batter side heads.
I’ve seen drummers that after breaking a stick, keep playing. This will really put an end to the head quick. It’s a matter of technique and respect for the instrument that will help. It’s hard to predict what’s happening without actually seeing the kit...etc.

I’ve found this 12,13,14,16, 22” drum head pack for under $30 free shipping.

F92AFFE6-1CCE-4BBA-BF43-FEE64C81E217.jpg

[MDK]

If he is hitting that hard to cause even cheap heads to break at that rate you seriously should consider getting him a few lessons with a local guy before he does irreparable tendon/cartilage damage. I never heard of even cheap walmart heads breaking that fast. Less than a month??? WOW Seriously he needs instruction friend!

[Thor02]

If he is hitting that hard to cause even cheap heads to break at that rate you seriously should consider getting him a few lessons with a local guy before he does irreparable tendon/cartilage damage. I never heard of even cheap walmart heads breaking that fast. Less than a month??? WOW Seriously he needs instruction friend!

He actually had lessons for years. I think the aforementioned factors are more of the cause to the damage. Thanks for the feedback.

[Thor02]

Thank you for the advise. He is not hitting the bottom of the snare. I think the bottom was too loose for some reason.

[drummer]

He actually had lessons for years. I think the aforementioned factors are more of the cause to the damage. Thanks for the feedback.

You're welcome. I thought of one more thing: If your son is not playing out in bands right now, it is not necessarily essential that you replace heads when they get dents in them. Many pro drummers, myself included, frequently practice on older, worn out heads and sometimes they're dented. I usually don't replace the heads on my practice kit until it really starts to sound awful because it can get expensive. When I'm practicing, it's more for obtaining the independence on the kit than it is top notch drum sound. I'm less worried about superior sound quality at home. On the gig however, my drums will sing. They'll have the best sound, best tuning, etc.