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Thread: Tuning Help

  1. #1

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    Well I do not have my kit yet but when I do I will I know that my snare and everything else is in tune. Do I just experiment around with it? I guess I am afraid to do that? Idk help?

  2. #2

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    Depending where you get it from, it almost certainly won't be in tune when you get it, and there are many ways to tune the same kit depending on what style you are playing and what sound you like. Also, new heads will stretch and lugs will vibrate, so it will require tuning soon enough anyway.

    Ideally, have lessons, and your teacher will be able to help with tuning. Failing that, do you have any friends who are drummers who could help you?

    Of course, there is always the good old internet. Bob Gratzen has some good stuff on Youtube about tuning. Never too old to learn, 2 days ago I played around with my snare, using his technique, with the tones from my Korg metronome as a reference, (You will be getting a metronome won't you, )and I'm really pleased with the results.

    At the end of the day, trail and error will get you there but check out some of the above, because there are some important ideas, like keeping the tension even for instance, that you really need to learn.

    Cheers

    Andy

  3. #3

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    I will be getting a teacher soon which I am excited for I figure it will help my drumming a lot. I never really thought about getting a metronome because i dont even have my drumset yet so that has really been the main focus this christmas. Where would you put a metronome on your top priority list?

  4. #4

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    a practise kit, 1
    a teacher, 2
    a metronome, 3
    great hair, 4





    a cowbell.......203723rd.

    great advice andy c not much I can add, so I won't.



    Official cowbell hater.

  5. #5

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    Great advice here. Also try searching a bit...there are some good threads in here with tuning advice.
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  6. #6

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    Spend about 50 bucks and buy a Drum Dial tuner. Works great and makes tuning a whole lot easier.

    SK
    "A man can NEVER have too many cymbals"

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  7. #7

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    KF, you can go to the back bar at the top of the page and click on "Drum Links." That will drop down a menu, and from that you can go the "Drum Lessons." When you get there you'll see a list of all the drum lesson links in alphabetical order. Click on "Tuning" and you'll get lots of tuning tips.
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  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by sonorkid View Post
    Spend about 50 bucks and buy a Drum Dial tuner. Works great and makes tuning a whole lot easier.

    SK

    +1,000,000


    I'm an engineering type and did tons of research and read tons of stuff about tuning drums. I even have a DVD that made me want to throw my TV through the window. I watched as the guy cranked the keys 'round and 'round and after tapping said, "right about there".

    The bottom line is that everything I've read, watched, heard is all based on a lot of experience which I don't (and presumably you don't) have. So I decided to give the drum dial a shot and it's awesome. No it won't make your drums sound better than the guy with 30 years of experience tuning by ear. But it will get a noob like me "in the ball park".

    My drums sounded MUCH better after tuning then with a drum dial. Interesting enough the drum dial showed me that I did a REALLY good job of getting each head in tune with itself. Although the drum dial did make the process even more accurate. But the over all tension of the heads and the tension relationships between the batter and resonant heads were all out of whack.

  9. #9

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    One quick tip. Be very consistent when tuning your drums no matter what method you use. Being consistent will get you in the ball park much quicker than doing things randomly. You'll soon start hearing that both your batter and reso heads will start to have basically the same pitch and from there, if you like their tones, is just getting the drum in tune with itself to prevent pitch bending which will give a very clean round fundamental tone from each drum. You will also start to hear minute differences in pitch from one tension rod to the next. This all comes in time and after a while you'll be tuning your drums much more acccurately and much faster without using the Drum Dial.

    Dennis

  10. #10

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    Well done, Audio Tech! Technoloy is a great aspect and there are a lot of neat products that make our jobs easier. However, nothing will ever, truly, replace a practiced "Ear." The drummer who can hear the "Pitch" is generally a much better musician. My discipline is that my Teacher instructed us on Timpani and Vibes as well as the drum set. He didn't set out to make any of us mallet players but he did insist that we learn the basics of Theory. Myself, I majored in Instrumental Music and did a lot of Ear Training and don't expect that many of you have had that benefit. I'm not against the idea of the Drum Dial and, if it works for you...all the better. I will say that anytime we can improve our own natural ability to tune and play our instrument the better we will be for it.
    There's a lot to be said for Time Honored tradition and value.

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  11. #11

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    I use a torque key, a bit different then a drum dial. I find by ensuring the heads are evenly torqued then my tuning goes much faster and seems to be more accurate. I believe a drum dial offers the same accuracy but focus is more on the tension of the drum head vice the torque.

  12. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by ratmycue View Post
    a practise kit, 1
    a teacher, 2
    a metronome, 3
    great hair, 4





    a cowbell.......203723rd.

    great advice andy c not much I can add, so I won't.
    Great hair can help with your 4 way independence!

  13. #13

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    BLD,

    Did I post something wrong?

  14. #14

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    the only real way is to learn from someone and then practices for 10 years...

    just like trying to get good hair it won't happen over night but it will happen

  15. #15

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    Itchie, interesting analogy

  16. #16

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    LOL, if all you have is your standard drum key, Kiss, the main thing, as already mentioned is even tension on all the lugs. Whatever tone you want, it still comes down to even tension, think of the analogy of tightening down a valve head cover on a car engine, the same idea.

    Sans the drum dial, it comes down to finger-feel, you "feel" how tight one lug is, then go across the pattern and "feel" the same tightness on that lug, etc.etc., working around the rim. Don't expect torque-wrench exactness, not needed, but you'll be very much ballparked.

    I don't know if you run double heads on your toms, I got rid of my reso's immediately, for my reasons, but that sure saved a lot of two-head symbiosis headaches. Got the added benefit of less stuff on the toms, meaning less overall weight, and a spare head if I had need of one for a quick fix.
    Last edited by Tam; 01-02-2009 at 09:37 PM.
    Currently electronics, with some "real" cymbals and a few accesories.

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