djarrett Posted March 24, 2001 Share Posted March 24, 2001 Hey, guys! There has been a question on Craig's forum for a couple of weeks about drum tuning. I will copy my drum tuning method from that thread, but would like the drummers to start sharing their best loved drum tuning techniques. This should not only include the tuning method (to include any tools used like a drum watch, etc.), but also include what type of drum shells and drum heads you use. I think this is important, because all of these factors determine the end tuning results! Roll-Off! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djarrett Posted March 24, 2001 Author Share Posted March 24, 2001 Drum Tuning is not an exact science but rather a matter of preference as to what sounds and feels good to you as a player. Drum tuning trends also change as music trends change. I use a tried-and-true method that best suits the widest range of musical genres. Start with your drum on the floor and place your drumhead on the drum. Place the rim on the drum and finger-tighten the tuning rods as tight as you can. Place your palm, and apply downward pressure, on the rim over each rod and finger-tighten each rod even more, until the head is a tight as possible without the aid of your drumkey. Then place your hands in the center of the drumhead and press firmly down on the center of the head, similar to applying CPR to the head. This stretching will break-in and seat the head to the bearing edge. Popping and cracking of the head is normal. Next, take your drumkey and, using only half-turn ( or quarter turns -- even better) increments with each pass, tighten the tuning lugs. Start at the tuning rod in the 1 oclock position and then move across to the rod in the 7 oclock position. Follow this pattern in a clock-wise direction. Only tighten each rod to a total of one and a half turns. To fine-tune from this point, tap the head directly in front of each tuning rod and adjust each rod until you get a uniform tuning all around the circumference of the head. This process should result in a full-bodied, well-rounded wet sound that will work for almost any playing situation. I use a simple "old fashioned" drum key to execute my tuning. I have all maple shells with re-inforcement hoops and use 2.3mm power-hoops (diecast on the snare). I also use PowerStroke 3 heads on the top and clear ambassadors on the bottom with a coated PowerStroke on the snare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felix stein Posted March 24, 2001 Share Posted March 24, 2001 drum tuning sheesh, what a novel concept...I would have pros come in the store and ask me how I tuned sometimes, and they knew all the concepts...I still don't know, cause how one cat tunes another may hate it I think of it like this-oil painting... you have many different heads, shells, sticks, mics, gadgets, rooms and musical settings to deal with. Your primary colors are your drums...you might have big deep ones, you might have little shallow ones...you might play in a hard rock band, you might play jazz. They might be birch, maple, beech, brass, aluminum or plastic but these aural "primary colors" aren't going to change. So you sorta pic a drum set that looks cool and had some tonal characteristics you dig but ain't quite there...usually that is how it has worked for me, but you have the basics. You play the sucker for awhile in different settings with different heads and although it might not sound like you want it too, it might turn into something different- but better. If not dump the kit LOL... Now that you are happy with the "reds, blues, yellows" maybe you need some more sustain...you put R.I.M. mounts on the toms. Cool, you have more sustain...but you are using thin heads so your attack is not where you would like it...ok, get some pinstrips or emperors or whatever turns you on. Now what sounded good last night at the gig sounds shitty a week later in the studio. Geez, the engineer finally likes my tom sound and I have wrinkles in the heads! Go figure...these things really have some "growl" on the decay now...shit, I like that! But on your next gig your guitar player goes "jeez your drums sound crappy tonight"...and you are like thinking...well you know what you are thinking! It's like your band is at the art museum together and well, there is an Edward Hopper piece next to an Andy Warhol...hopefully they can all agree that the two both look great and since you made the effort to drive all the way to the art museum they appreciate you the more! felix's band Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uh Clem Posted March 25, 2001 Share Posted March 25, 2001 There is nothing finer than an instrument whose acoustical interaction complexities defy a simple description. You gotta love a good kit and its master. Steve Powell - Bull Moon Digital www.bullmoondigital.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rader Ranch Posted March 29, 2001 Share Posted March 29, 2001 ...for which song? http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif tonal variety in a single kit is a wonderful thing, particularly if one has a talent for creating it without a 50 piece contraption... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajcamletearthlink.net Posted March 29, 2001 Share Posted March 29, 2001 Hey all this is something i posted on another thread: A general dampening/tuning note: If you have heads that are complimentary to the wood (maple, birch, basswood, beech, etc...) of the kit, that are tuned properly to the sweetspot (you'll notice that every drum has a tuning range where it sounds best - the better the drum, the wider the range) you shouldn't need to dampen much, if at all. If the Kick is tuned properly (yes tuned, and that includes the front head) you might even be able to get away with nothing in side it - especially if you use a system like Aquarian's, or Evan's. General head/tuning tip: Crappy overtones and drums that are difficult to tune are *usually* a result of a head that wasn't seated properly when it was put on. When you put a new head on any drum, hand tighten the lugs down first. Take out a hair dryer or a heat gun and cook the head for a about 20 or 30 seconds especially around the rim (longer if you are using a hair dryer)- this seats the head on the bearing edge properly & evenly- let it cool - then press on it very hard (on REMO heads you'll hear the glue crack) Tighten the lugs in half turns or quarter turns. Going from opposite lug to opposite lug. Dont tignten in a consecutive clockwise or counter clockwise motion - you want the rim to evenly depress the head- Finally -- make sure the lugs are in tune with each other- tap an inch away from the rim in front of each lug and make adjustments until they all sound the same- thus making the head in tune with itself. its important to heat the head *before* you actually start to crank it down. It should have a little bit of tension on it, but not too much - its shouldn't produce any tone in my opinion, but of course, this is subjective. If you tighten it too much before you heat it, you could be defeating the purpose of preparing (via heat) the head to seat uniformly on the bearing edge. It should be seated on the bearing edge and held lightly by the rim - thus the hand/finger tighening tightening of the lugs. It should be pretty agressive finger tightening, I actually go around the rim as if i was using a key until i just can't do it any more. Some cats will then do a quarter turn with a key, but i find finger strength to be enough. This *really* makes a difference in getting a great drum sound - not just toms, right out of the box! You'll also find that the drums will hold thier tuning better and you wont have to retune every take (unless your dealing with a barbarian!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felix stein Posted March 30, 2001 Share Posted March 30, 2001 This *really* makes a difference in getting a great drum sound - not just toms, right out of the box! REMO PTS SERIES I think I'm just going to go for these...it would make my life alot simpler LOL felix's band Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cymbals Posted April 11, 2001 Share Posted April 11, 2001 ROFL!!! I had forgotten all about these! Originally posted by felix stein: This *really* makes a difference in getting a great drum sound - not just toms, right out of the box! REMO PTS SERIES I think I'm just going to go for these...it would make my life alot simpler LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KikkyMonk Posted August 7, 2001 Share Posted August 7, 2001 And what about the bottom head? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian1642605905 Posted August 7, 2001 Share Posted August 7, 2001 IMHO, for my purpose...I have better results tuning and muffling with micing in mind!It's not enough to just get a decent tone from your drums acoustically if you plan to mic individual sound sources.I have found resonance to be a killer of the drum mix.What I mean is too much resonance turns into to a rumbling wash when playing intricate tom work,when individual toms are miced!My drums are probably muffled more than most of you guys...but I am very happy with my results!I layed down some drum tracks today, as a matter of fact, that gave me chills even before final mix down! Another aspect of the tuning process in my book is to occassionally tighten any loose lug screws or anything that might be causing a buzz or rattle!These little gremlins can reak havoc in the mix as well! ian* ian* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ModernDrummer Posted August 7, 2001 Share Posted August 7, 2001 Hmmm, I just use a drum key and two ears. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif If you always do what you've always done, you'll always have what you've always had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sign Posted August 7, 2001 Share Posted August 7, 2001 Hi all First remove the old heads, listen to the 'tone' of the shell, find out on a piano or guitar what tone it has. Put on the new heads like djarrett does and find that tone. Do not use any heat it can destroy the head. Fine tune by putting one finger on the center of the bottom head and listen to the overtones of the top head near the rim, must be the same tone no matter where you hit it. Tune the bottom head a little higher or lower. I have a Premier Genista (birch) set with an Evans EQ on kick, Premier CS on snare and toms or sometimes Ambassadors. For bottom heads always use a resonator, I found out many drummers have batters for bottom head, might sound like crap. Peace. The alchemy of the masters moving molecules of air, we capture by moving particles of iron, so that the poetry of the ancients will echo into the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djarrett Posted August 7, 2001 Author Share Posted August 7, 2001 You guys may already know this trick, but then again ...perhaps not. Much like we roll sticks and tap test for pitch matching ... I pitch test the drum heads I get. You can pick up a head by the aluminum hoop and thump it with your finger. If the head sings a tone, then it is a good head. If it thuds or gives a bad vibration, ... then the head is a dud! Try this tip during your next head change. DJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian1642605905 Posted August 7, 2001 Share Posted August 7, 2001 dj, I know what you mean I've done that and some heads sound like a paper sack and others almost sound pretuned.That's one thing I like about Aquarian heads.They are very consistent in there quality and they dont require too much thought to sound great! ian* ian* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felix stein Posted August 8, 2001 Share Posted August 8, 2001 I'm not sure if I put alot of stock in the tap the head and hear a pitch technique of head picking. I mean the thing is going to take on an entirely different character when on a drum. I would really have to take a bunch of heads, tap them and note their tonal characteristics and then put each one on a drum/torque the tension rods the same on each lug and then I could make my judgement. Until someone does that, I think all that is hogwash. I just use the hairdryer method exclusively to get consistent tuning. LOL felix's band Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djarrett Posted August 8, 2001 Author Share Posted August 8, 2001 Hey, Felix: Got your hog wash hangin' Seriously, I think you missed the point. I am not talking about choosing a head by tapping and finding the right tones, etc. (although I do know guys that go to this extreme!) What I am talking about is making sure that the head is not a dud before you even attempt to mount a drum and tune. Drum heads are simply a round cut of plastic (mylar) that is crimped and glued into a collar . In that process, there can be inconsistency in the crimping and gluing. This problem can cause a head to not be of great quality. Ever got a drum head and when you followed the tuning procedures to a "t", you still had an area of the head that was raised at the bearing edge ... and when you played the head it "frapped"? This head was not properly crimped and glued. This frapping could have been avoided by simply taking the thump test. If you hit the head and it sings (regardless of the tone) ... then you have a good head. You wouldn't by a stick that is warped or cracked ... why buy a head that has similar problems? DJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian1642605905 Posted August 8, 2001 Share Posted August 8, 2001 What is the life expectancy of your heads after melting them w/a hair dryer? I'm not sure about Mylar but heat has damaging effect on most any material on a molecular level!It seems to me that heating up the head would stretch it prematurely thus shortening its tunable life! I honestly don't mean to discredit your method,especially if you have good results with it!I would just have to think long and hard before applying dry heat to my drum heads! ian* ian* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KikkyMonk Posted August 17, 2001 Share Posted August 17, 2001 Im having difficulty tuning my drums. Should the bottom and top head ring the same tone? Or can they be different as long as they are in tune with themselves? Also Im getting a nasty ringing overtone and I want to get rid of it... Any thoughts? Also how exact should each lug be in tune with the next (I have bad ears) What advice is there for the bass drum? Thanks for the help and Im sure im over thinking this dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlhubley Posted August 17, 2001 Share Posted August 17, 2001 Generally, i try to tune the two heads as close together as possible. This will give a great tone and wonderful resonance. You can tune the bottom head slightly higher or slightly lower, these will get different results. This is a very personal issue, so just experiment with the different styles of tuning. Also, experiment with different heads(i swear by Evans). Try to get the same pitch at each lug. This is quite difficult and will come with practice. Here's a tip Pick one drum a day(tom usually, the snare and bass are too easy to cheat on!) and detune it completely, so that heads are just kind of sitting there, and then tune that sucker. I bet if you do this once a day for a few months at the most, you'll be darn good drum-tuner! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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