How do YOU tune????

[Pdplayer]

I was just very curious on how you all tune your drums, do you start with the low tom and work your way up or vise versa? And why? Do you keep the Resonant head Tighter or looser than the Batter? And why? Are your heads tuned tight or loose? And why?

Just trying to get some feedback, thanks.

[coke_can]

start high and work to low, it helps me get a feel for making the next one deeper and what i want it to sound like, i keep reso tighter, if i loosen it alot it makes this awful sound like im hitting the reso and not the batter, they are pretty tightly tuned, i like my 12 inch tom to have a higher pitched sound, and my 16x16 sound better tuned high

[holycow77]

I have the reso a bit tighter on the bottom and start with the smallest tom. I try to avoid tuning if I can.

...and I'm not very good with music and notes and things so when comparing one drum to the next, I make sure that you can play 'Tequila' on it or "Here come's the bride" (the word "here" is high and the rest are the same lower note) and that's about right.

[32ndHeartBeat]

I have the reso's on my toms almost completely tightened and the batters about three turns past a wrinkle to give a short, focused attack and round tone.
My snare batter is tuned as tight as possible and the reso about six short turns past the wrinkle for a really quick, sizzly decay, sensitivity, and volume... It also tends to give a cool ringy overtone when you hit the edge of the head.

[pastor_bob]

Kevin, I like to start with the low tom, like you do. I like to get it in the right balance with the bass. I don't try to go thirds there, just something that sounds good, and gives me the growl at the bottom of the toms. Then I work up through the toms and tune each in thirds to the one below it (the 1st two notes of "Here Comes The Bride"). I like to tune the reso heads the same as the batter to preserve the tone. The snare is tuned tight with the reso head about a third looser. Gives it a nice pop with a slightly low tone.

[2slow]

i start with the reso heads about medium tight and go from high to low on the batter then twick with reso heads

[coke_can]

we should make a website called youtune.com and have videos of people tuning their drums with different techniques and approaches for different sizes and woods of drums

[Pdplayer]

Thanks everyone,

And coke can I totally agree with you.

[livewire80]

My snare batter is tuned as tight as possible and the reso about six short turns past the wrinkle for a really quick, sizzly decay, sensitivity, and volume... It also tends to give a cool ringy overtone when you hit the edge of the head.

What is your buzz like with the snare reso tuned not so tight?

[Roger]

I crank the reso heads somewhat tight on all drums in no order. Then I just find the sweet spot where everything has a nice ringy yet not overtone ringy sound to it.

I used to do the same with the reso head but tune the batter head as loose as possible without it crinkling but I gave that up after I decided that a good sound was better than a dead sound.

My drums have always kinda been in tune since I learnt to tune so I just kinda adjust them every now and then in no order because the 12" may not need to be tuned while the 10" will.

[Andy_TAMA]

I start on my floor tom. I make sure my snare is turned off and then I tune the drums to play the tune of 'The Races.' If you have four toms you don't have to turn your snare off.
Then I tune the drums by touching the center to almost completley deden the noise. I hit about 2" infront of a lug and then hit about 2" infront of the opposite lug. I make sure they sound the same, when the do I move clock wise to the next lug. I do this on every drum.
I dont really tune the bottom skin because I like them as loose as possible.
My bass drum I put as loose as possible with out there being any wrinkles. I like it to be really squishy. =]

[32ndHeartBeat]

What is your buzz like with the snare reso tuned not so tight?

If you mean a buzz roll, it bit of contact sounds pretty defined with some warmth behind it, at least in the center. The outer edge like I said gives a really ringy, but nice sounding overtone with the same definition and shorter sustain.

If you mean the buzz as in like the sizzle of the wires, the attack of the tone is kind of depleted since the batter is so tight and the reso so loose, and the hit sounds more damp then open with not much sizzle afterwards. Keep in mind, I also tigtened my snare wires all the way against the snare side so that they just barely missed the head while disengaged. When it's alot tighter against the head, the sustain is shorter.

[livewire80]

If you mean the buzz as in like the sizzle of the wires, the attack of the tone is kind of depleted since the batter is so tight and the reso so loose, and the hit sounds more damp then open with not much sizzle afterwards. Keep in mind, I also tigtened my snare wires all the way against the snare side so that they just barely missed the head while disengaged. When it's alot tighter against the head, the sustain is shorter.

Yep thats what I mean. Ok thanks for the info. I might give that a go while experimenting with different snare sounds.

[drummerbox55]

we should make a website called youtune.com and have videos of people tuning their drums with different techniques and approaches for different sizes and woods of drums

k if anyone here works as a website designer and has the time and capabilitys to do that lets do it! and not even just for drums i mean like it could be for tuning anything

[drummer]

I was just very curious on how you all tune your drums,...?

Tune? We're supposed to tune?

[drummerdavie]

get the tech to do it.
jk i wish i had a tech to do it, i tune them useing an evens tenshion key the reso up two to three psi above the batter gives me a nice solid tone with medium sustain and no overtones.

[Kjbakke2]

i tune all of my toms and snare in a very similar way
i dont use the finger to mute it
it never made sense to me
i figure that if the heads are tuned so that they work together your going to get a better tone when they are actually played


i start with the batter side off
and i tune the reso at about the lowest clean tone it can generate (clean meaning there is no fuzz or harshness)
i then take it about a 1/4 turn on each lug past that
i then put the batter side on and with the drum wither on its stand or suspended between my legs i tune the batter (for toms) i tune them pretty loose
for snare i go pretty tight and then i use half a moongel on the snare (cut the long way)
i use either a coated emperor or coated ambassador on my snare
and i use clear pinstripes on my toms

i think thats a good overview =]

oh yah edit:
i use dw true tone wires and they are just shy of very loose

[Pdplayer]

Thanks everyone, I think this thread has proven to be very useful, thank you all.

[koopa]

and here are some classic methods for snare drum tuning some of which can be applied to toms.


Snare Drum, Tuning - Method 1 (Fat and Wet)



The following suggests any choice of head from the single ply medium weight muffled category such as the Evan’s Genera Batter, REMO PowerStroke or Aquarian Studio X, all Texture Coated coupled with the Genera Hazy 200 Snare or REMO Diplomat Clear resonant side. Objective, a controlled ring, focused sound, very good resonance with excellent articulation and stick response. For more “open”, resonant big band type sound, go with either a REMO Ambassador coated, EVANS G1 coated or Aquarian Satin Texture Coated.



Note: We are working for the drum sound without the snare wires installed.



1. Start by placing the bottom or resonant head on the drum, we want to tune the bottom without the top to the lowest clear tone exactly the same as described above under “Learning How, Resonant Side Tuning - The beginning” in the section “Tuning and Seating the Heads, All Drums”.

2. Once you have achieved the lowest pitch for this drum on the resonant head, now the procedure changes just a bit. On the resonant head, bring each lug up one half of one turn to one full turn on each lug and even out again. This is a good starting point.

3. On the batter head, continue to follow the tuning directions under “Batter Side Tuning” under the tom section, including installing and tuning the batter side as described under “Batter Side Tuning”.

4. Once you have achieved the lowest pitch for this drum on the batter head, now listen for the pitch and feel of the drum. I suggest you tune this head fairly high or 3 to 5 notes higher than your highest tom.

5. This gives excellent stick and brush response and even though the batter is now much higher in pitch than the resonant, it will still have that complex resonance produced by the resonant head being low. This overall feel or resonance of the pitch can be controlled by snare tension (discussed below).

6. If it’s too low in resonance after tuning the batter and applying the snares, you then crank the snare side up 1/4 to ½ turn per lug. Again, I suggest you do this after applying the snares. Once you get the desired resonance, stick response, etc. without the snare wires installed, its time to replace the snare bed.






Snare Drum, Tuning - Method 2 (Suitable for Pop top 40 drumming, Not Choked, Preferred by many studio Drummers):


Note: Proceed without snares installed



1. Replace the heads exactly as described in Method 1.

2. Rather than tuning the batter/top head higher in pitch, tune it identically in pitch to the resonant/snare side head.

3. Now move just the bottom snare side head up in pitch about 3 notes higher than the batter head.






Snare Drum, Tuning - Method 3 (Highly Resonant, brings the most out of the shell)



Note: Proceed without snares installed



1. Replace the heads exactly as described in Method 1 and use single ply medium weight unmuffled texture coated heads on the batter and either Diplomat Clear or Evans Hazy 200 snare side. For warmer but more focused and a bit softer while resonant, use the Ambassador, Aquarian Classic, or Evan’s Hazy 300.

2. Rather than tuning the batter/top head higher in pitch, tune it identically in pitch to the resonant/snare side head.

3. Now move just the bottom snare side head up in pitch just ever so slightly and listen carefully to the tone of the zone you are in. Move tiny amounts and listen for that point of most resonance.






Snare Drum, Extra Tuning Guidelines



1. Work your way up through the tuning zones as you would a tom but rather than tuning the top head up in pitch, your tuning the bottom head up in pitch.

2. Work in a typical “X” fashion as best you can or better yet, use 2 keys 180 degrees apart. The thin snare side heads are easy to knock out of whack if you pull one side tighter than the other, so move up in small ¼ turn increments for best results.

3. Once you get the differential relationship be it for a “fat” or “pop” tuning, then you can move the entire drum up in pitch for a higher overall pitch. By this I mean that both heads must maintain the 2-3-note differential in tuning at all times. Minute changes in this relationship cause phase cancellations (or should) and as a result, usually by moving one head or the other minuscule amounts, you can cause the drum to kill allot of the overtones or accentuate them making the need for muffled heads less desirable.

4. If you want a fat wet sound, keep the resonant head low pitched regardless of the pitch of the batter.

5. If you want a more articulated, cutting sound, tune the bottom head up in pitch and keep the batter head lower in pitch than the resonant head.

6. The tension of the snare bed also controls that punch you can feel in your stomach. If the head is too tight, the snare can't seat itself as well into the snare beds.

[Kryshah]

I start with the bass... I keep a relatively loose reso head on my bass... just a turn or two past wrinkled, and the batter a bit tighter. Then I move to the highest tom and work my way down... tuning each drum completely individually. I put both the batter and reso on and then start tuning. I tune the batter first... keeping the tension on all lugs as even as possible until I get a tone I'm happy with... just kindof wing it at this point. Then I tighten the reso a LOT, I want to get rid of as much overtone as possible, then i move to the next tom, and tune it to sound decent with the first... then in steps from there down on each tom.... then the snare. I like the batter head on the snare to be really tight. I like a nice pop, then I tighten the reso on the snare to be a few turns tighter than the batter... again to get rid of excess ring. Then I work with the strainer until I get kindof a fat tone, with pop. Then I spend a LOT of time tweaking, until everything works well together.

[13drummer]

I start with toms. Particularly the low tom. Then go counter clockwise to the snare. I tune my toms to achieve a deeper sound and my snare to get the metalish "pop". My bass drum sounds like a beast, I can't even describe it. Quite deep, but doesn't resonate a whole lot. Then my cymbals...oh wait...can't do that...jk.

[acq1]

Actually You Tube has a few good vids about tuning. One video has John Bonham's tech showing how bonham tunis his Ludwig Green Sparkle kit. Sounds awesome! Poke around on there and you'll be bound to find something about everything.. First post by the way!!! Hello everone!

[fiacovaz]

I'm going to be a bit of a departure from other respondents. I tune each of my drums to itself by tuning both heads to an approximate pitch. I will then fine tune each drum in relation to it's size with the other drums. From a 5 1/2 inch deep snare with a 14" drum head, I try get an approximate octave range from the snare through the 13" tom, the 16" floor tom and down to the 20" bass drum. The intervals will be close between the snare and 13" tom and the intervals will be closer between the 16" floor tom and 20" bass drum. The wider interval will be between the 13" tom and the 16" floor tom. With the size difference between the small and larger tom, the "Old" school of thought is that an interval of a Perfect 4th should separate both toms. The 4th is also the same interval between the opening words to "Here Comes, the bride..." This method takes a bit more time but I have found it to be very satisfying. Once each drum is in tune with itself, it's easy to refine that by tightening or loosening the batter head according to the way you like it.

[Dustin]

For me you have to start with your largest tom first. tune quite deep (I have a Mapex Saturn which has a natural deep tone) with both heads of equal pitch. Kick again deep with the reso just past wrinkle. snare batter a tighter than the reso though I am experimenting with a few things to improve the sound. No tape or such - O rings if needed dependant on the venue & a small towel to take the edge off the kick

[STICKSWIZZARDDRAGON]

Hola Como estas' All Artistic CREATIVE Artist Drummers **
As The Art of Tuning DRUMS , for every Artistic Artist as we All Know
is so Very Different ,..As their is So very many Factors to this Art form within A ANCIENT ART FORM it-self,THe different kinds of Wood ,the sizes of the drums,the Heads that each Drummer ARTIST use's,the cymbals,the sticks .
brushes mallets, even the hands,Fingers, & where your performing ,per-say
The ARTIST is a very /Busy Working Artist Drummer & I know this For A FACT because of My own Experience ,THAt the Size of Each Room ,Or Studio,
Night Club, A classy Place or just (BARS) Hiltons all casinos.,Large Concert
Venues ,as their is As Many different size ROOMS as their is DRUMMERS * so
the acoustics of each ROOM is Very different ,then Your own STUDIO ,Your
Room where ever you Perform Out Door Concerts all this is Very important,& also THe Style
of Music that the Drummer ARTIST Performs ,all contribute to each Creative
Unique Stylist ARTISTIC ARTIST DRUMMER ....Unique way The ARTIST DRUMMER TuNES his TRAPS,CANS,SKINS,KIT,(TAMBORES) What the Actual Sounds ,the Action,the Feel the sweet smoothness of the over all projection
of the Brightness ,Shine of The Whole Set which is Tuned too each Drum
as a combine Unit of Structure, Textured tones that all Blend with the WHOLE ensemble of the ARTIST SET up ,,I always Tune my TAMBORES
as I tune every Drum from My Bass drum sound & ACTION,Then Every thing now must
be As this works Very good for me As I perfer this tuning in conjunction with
My Different Sizes of Each CymBals ,as I feel the Actual Acoustics (SOUNDS) of the Room ,size Whatever size room it is,also how I am set up out doors with My Group (BAND)) But I always STATE what ever THE creative Artistic Artist Drummer
feels & wants is All great ,I just know that I have been doing this My whole Life & I gained alot of KnowLedge & Experience with Pure on the Road & Many MAny STUDIO
GIGS as I am A WorKing ARTIST DRUMMER **as This works For Me,,,ITS ALL
A great Journey within this ANCIENT SPiritual ANCIENT ART Form of DRUMMING & ALL DRUMS & PERCUSSION....GRACIAS**WHAT EVER WORKS
for the Creative artistic DRUMMER ARTIST IS ALL GREAT **AS we Are all
very UNIQUE CREATIVE ARTISTIC DRUMMER ARTIST *WITHIN OUR OWN UNIQUE JOURNEYS **GRACIAS
__________________
STICKS WIZZARD DRAGON the ENCHANTMENT OF SPIRITUAL ARTISTIC PASSION
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STICKS WIZZARD DRAGON the ENCHANTMENT OF SPIRITUAL ARTISTIC PASSION