Snare Drum Tuning

[Church Drummer]

about every other time I sit down at my set I have to retune my snare. The snare being a higher tension than the other drums I expect it to go out of tune sooner. Is it common to have to retune the snare every couple of days. I can go a week on my other drums before I have to do a little readjustment. Anyone use those things that go on the lugs to keep them tensioned? Do they work? I've also seen adds for lugs that have more grip? It isn't a big deal to crank down and retune the batter head of the snare, but it's time I would rather spend playing.

[drummer]

When heads are tuned tighter, they stretch more. Therefore, its a given that you will have to tighten them every few days. Using special lugs and/or lug locks will not keep the head from stretching.

Here's some more on Drum Tuning

[backtodrum]

I would think that you really have got to have that thing cranked to have to tune it so often. In my experience I hardly ever have to re-tune my heads aften months of playing it. Don't take this in the wrong way I am not being critical at all. I am just wondering what would cause all the de-tunning. Mylar doesn't streach that much once you stretch it from repeated tunning, it seems odd that it would keep streaching more and more. Natural calf heads will continue to streach, but not mylar so much. It is a curious problem, let us know how you solved it, if you do.

[Drummerbock]

thats really strange i almost never retune my snare. like never. and it still sounds amazing. and its not even a quality brand. i have a lugwig, but i dont feel like using it right now. but i almost never tune my snare. n same with my toms.
maybe you could try just tightening the snare and keeping the head a bit looser. i dont know though. srry dude

[Kjbakke2]

i have to retune during practice sometimes
but then again i am very anal about my tuning and i play alot of rimshots

it may be annoying but its kinda the way of life
what head are you using?

[coke_can]

i really never have to tune it, maybe once every 2 months

[Stevo42w]

:P ludwig is a quality brand lol

CD.... you dont need to tune a snare tight. I got the best sounds out of my drums out of tuning them low as i could. But if you do tune tight then drummer is right they stretch.... i also find *this could just be a personal problem* but the tuning bolts slip out and loosen.

I would recommend getting a torque key and just tighten it every jam. thats what im getting into and gonna have perfect tuning every time i play now :>

[Church Drummer]

Thanks for the suggestions Stevo, I like the snare a little bit on the tight side, this may just be causing the head to slip, or stretch. I haven't tried a new head yet, that's probably my first step, I may have to just live with a little retuning for a bit when I sit down to play. it doesn't take but a minute to put it back to where I want it.

[Stevo42w]

i dont know what people would recomend about this. but get it tuned... then put it on a solid floor and then push down on the tuning ring. work your weight around the lot and that should strech it into place. Just another idea. Watch you dont break your shell if its wood thought.

[backtodrum]

Remo heads need to have the glue ring "popped", this can be accomplished like Stevo suggested only you can usually do it on the stand with just pressure from the heal of your hand. You'll notice when you seat a Remo head it has a tendency to pop as you tension it. It is the popping of the glue around the ring that causes this and is perfectly normal. Other heads I am familiar with (Aquarians) are not manufactured the same way so I didn't find it necessary to go to the same extreme that I did with the Remo heads.

[pastor_bob]

Thanks BTD. Knew about putting pressure on the head to seat it when you first put it on, and get to finger tight tension on the lugs, but I didn't know about the glue ring on the Remos. That explains the sound when i did it. Thanks again!

[funkymcstain]

has it always done this or could it be the weather? i am having to tune mine up alot more often since winter hit. my drums are going from heated room to unheated truck for a couple hours and back to heated room and repeated for the trip home, usually a couple times a week. so the extreme climate changes are definatly having effect on my heads.

[Yom]

This raises another question I've been meaning to ask.

How so drums respond to extreme temperatures and changes? My drums are set up in my garage and it gets pretty damn cold in there. I don't keep my cymbals in there but I'm always worried the cold is going to damage the wood somehow.

Will it be damaging do you think?

[funkymcstain]

i think it would have more to do with the extreme climate "changes" than being just hot or cold. i dont think the cymbals would be too effected either way.

[backtodrum]

Heat is far worse for them than the cold. And extreme climate changes effect them also, but straight cold weather won't really hurt them too much unless it is extreme. I think your are right not to play cymbals in the cold they would be more prone to crack that way.

[saturn]

BTD is right.
It is good to cover your drums with a sheet when you dont play

[Stevo42w]

CD i tried tuning my snare really tight and i get the same problem but even worse than you. I have to re tune it between songs... because when i play i play oldschool rimshots every hit. I push the ring down and the vibrations loosen off the lugs..... it doesnt take long with my new torque key but maybe something simular is happening too you? I couldnt understand it until i played a rimshot slowly to watch what i was doing.

[backtodrum]

CD i tried tuning my snare really tight and i get the same problem but even worse than you. I have to re tune it between songs... because when i play i play oldschool rimshots every hit. I push the ring down and the vibrations loosen off the lugs..... it doesnt take long with my new torque key but maybe something simular is happening too you? I couldnt understand it until i played a rimshot slowly to watch what i was doing.

just purchase some lug locks, that should take care of the problem.

[Stevo42w]

hm i just posted a thread to find out about these and where i can get them because its gotten worse than since i posted this.

[pauldrums]

How hard to you play your back beat.. i use to smash it when i was starting out and always found my lugs loosening ... these days i play much more relaxed.. less john bonham style and found it stays alot longer

[Stevo42w]

actually i have been easing up a bit and the closest three lugs eased up only a little bit.