How do tune drums

To start, multiply the frequency of the desired fundamental note by 1. Then, measure the fundamental pitch of the drum and adjust the pitch of top and bottom heads accordingly. Table 2.

Both Heads Equal. With the bottom head tuned higher, multiply the frequency of the desired fundamental note by 1. Then tune the top head lug-pitch to about 1. Then, measure the fundamental pitch of the drum and adjust the pitch of the top head until it equals the desired frequency. For high resonance with the bottom head tuned lower, simply switch the numbers in the two columns.

Table 3. Bottom Head Higher. Follow the instructions in the preceding paragraph using 2. Table 4. Follow the same instructions using 2. Table 5. A good pitch relationship for the drum heads is to tune the lug pitch of the bottom head a perfect fifth higher than the top head 1.

This combination works well for a couple of reasons: a higher-pitch resonant head helps minimize snare buzz and a lower-pitch batter head avoids choking the drum. When tuning to higher fundamental pitches, eg. In these cases simply reduce the size of the interval to perfect fourths or major thirds 1. Depending on the specific drum, and the thickness of the drum heads, the required frequencies may vary so try these as a starting point and adjust accordingly. One end of the tension rod is threaded; the other end has a square head.

As you might guess, the tension rods provide tension on the drum heads. The lugs are attached to the shell of the drum, and the threaded part of the tension rod is inserted into the lug. Most drums will have eight or 10 lugs. Some older vintage drums may have six lugs. The number of lugs can affect the tuning stability and the sound of the drum.

Bass drums have drum claws. The claws are metal pieces that fit over the hoops to secure the hoops to the shell. The tension rods are placed through the holes in the claws and then threaded into the lugs and tightened. The bottom head of the drum is called the resonant head. The resonant head will shape the overtones, or resonance, of the drum. Thinner resonant heads are more sensitive, while thicker resonant heads are darker sounding.

The top head is called the batter head. Batter heads may be single or double ply. Single-ply heads are louder and brighter but have less durability than the double-ply heads. Batter heads can also be coated or uncoated.

These little air holes are built into drums and allow air to escape the drum shell when the drums are hit. The vents also improve the stick feel of the drum. As you practice, you may notice the tone of the drums changing. The more you play, the more your drums will need to be tuned.

After extensive use, the drum heads will need to be replaced. There are many types of heads, so what type of head should you use?

Each type of head produces a different tone, and some are more durable than others. Drum heads are generally made of different types of plastic:. The snare drum is hit the most often, so it may need replacing more often. Kick drum heads generally last the longest. Be careful to keep track of all the tension rods and claws.

Once you remove the hoops and rods, take a cloth and wipe the edge of the drum shell to remove any dust. Then place the new head on the shell of the drum. You want to center the new head to make sure it sits evenly on the drum so it can be tuned to equal tension across the drum.

Place the hoop over the head and then insert the rods into the hole in the hoop and thread them into the lugs. Tighten them until they are just finger tight. Once the head is centered, place the hoop over the head and line it up with the lugs on the side of the shell. Thread the tension rods and tighten them until finger tight. When tuning your drums, be careful not to overtighten the heads. You want the drums to ring out clearly with an even tone.

Using a diagonal pattern, give each rod a half turn, gradually bringing the drum up to pitch. This keeps the tension on the drum head even. The pitch of each area should be the same if the tension is even.

Press firmly but not too hard. Any wrinkles in the drum head should disappear once you start to get your drum head up to proper tension. Now move on to the batter head and repeat the process you used for the bottom head. Drums produce a fundamental tone when struck in the center of the head. Mute the opposite head as you hit the drum a few times to hear the tone. Now play the drum without muting either head and see if the tone is clear and even.

Each drum has a range that contains the natural frequencies of that drum. Tuning below this range sounds muddy and dull, while tuning your drum above this range will make the sound thin and choked. There are three ways to tune a drum: resonant bottom head higher than the batter top head, resonant head lower than the batter head, and both heads tuned to the same pitch. Tuning the heads the same produces the most even tone, tuning the bottom head tighter than the top gives the notes a slight bend upward, and tuning the bottom head lower than the top gives the pitch a slight bend downward.

Experiment with drum tuning ranges and find the sound you like. This is also dependent on the number of toms; drum kits with several toms may need to be tuned to closer intervals to allow all the drums to sound their best and not be tuned beyond their comfortable frequency range. You don't have to practice the drums on your own. With the School of Rock Method app, you can get live feedback as you play to make practice smarter, not harder. A lot of it comes down to personal preference and the style of music that you play.

Here are some methods and tips that will help you achieve your perfect drum sound:. There are little pieces of soft plastic called gels that can be stuck to drum heads, or sometimes small strips of gaff tape are used.

Vintage drums often employed mufflers that were inside the drum that, when engaged, pushed a felt disc onto the underside of the head.

This gives the drum a softer sound with less attack and sustain. Regular drum maintenance is essential to keeping your drums in tune. There are numerous external damping devices on the market, from manufacturers like Evans and Protection Racket, but I think it is preferable to minimise the need for such devices — because by damping the sound, you'll tend to reduce the quality of tone, and you may only be masking a problem rather than curing it.

After all, you wouldn't normally damp guitar strings except with the fingers or palm of the hand when needed , so why should a drum be any different? When fitting a head, don't be scared to stretch it a little to help keep a constant tuning. Maintain some pressure, and tune until the wrinkles have gone.

At the very least, a kit should really have seated heads, ready for final tuning, before a session — because undertaking the tuning process from scratch can take some time.

Do bear in mind, though, that if your heads are in a severely worn state, it's likely that they've been overstretched and will sound 'dead'. Personally, I'd recommend using fresh, but 'bedded in' heads. For example, if you're a drummer, fit and tune brand-new heads and use them for a rehearsal the day before your recording session — and if you're an engineer, encourage your drummer to do that!

This will help stabilise the heads, and will result in a more consistent sound. For the best sound, though, before you even reach this stage, your preparation should involve choosing the right drum heads.

This can seem a daunting task for the uninitiated, given the variety of heads now available — and you might even find that a different set of heads performs better in a live situation compared with a recording session. What I would say is that you should take time to think about the style of music, what sticks you use and how you play, before you consider the head types and other materials used in the drums.

It doesn't hurt to try to find out what other drummers are using in their setups, either. Obviously, some players already do this, in an attempt to emulate the sound of a particular drummer, but even if you don't want to mimic the sound exactly, it's a good way to learn.

Here's a brief guide:. Finally, it's worth noting that although head choice and all the other materials used in a drum will affect the tone you'll get from it, they won't affect the basic principles of tuning the drum — and, with this in mind, let's move on to that important skill.

Manufacturers go to great lengths to develop mounting hardware that allows the drum to ring and resonate naturally, so it seems a shame to kill that sound with damping devices, such as the one pictured above right. Pitch, tone and projection from a drum kit are very personal things, and, as with any instrument, it's important to work with the musician to get the right sound for recording — but the musician may not always be aware that there are artifacts that are not desirable for recording purposes, or that they can be controlled.

It pays for both the drummer and the engineer to understand the nature of these undesirable artifacts, and how to control them. Snare drums, bass drums and toms all have their own idiosyncrasies, which I'll look at in more detail later, but the basic principle of tuning a head is the same whatever type of drum you're tuning.

If you're not familiar with drum terminology, see the 'Jargon Buster' box on the next page before going further. The first job is to ensure the head is 'centred': check that the drum's bearing edges run true are flat and smooth , and that all hoops and 'circles' that create the cylindrical shape of the drum are well aligned. Much of the seating process is actually taken care of as the heads are tightened.

TraditionaIly, toms in particular would be tuned by alternately turning lugs on opposite sides, but because modern drums are better made, this approach is now not normally required.

Then, while applying a little pressure, tighten the lugs in a clockwise direction using small for example, quarter turns until the wrinkles have gone — and that's most of the work done. Indeed, for some drummers this would be enough to give an acceptable tone. If you want more punch, focus, or simply a higher pitch, tighten as required. It's important to ensure that the tuning around the drum is even. The usual process is to apply gentle pressure at the centre of the head with your hand or a suitable object and tap two to three inches from each lug, adjusting each one until they're at a common pitch.

Try not to be too fussy, and remember that each adjustment may affect surrounding lugs, so you need to go back and check each one more than once.

Snare drums are a little special when it comes to tuning, because they also have snare wires. With snare drums, it's common to have the bottom head slightly higher in tension than the top. If you're in any doubt, there's an easy way to ensure you've got it right: preferably before you fit the snare springs, check for a harmonious pitch by muting one head while tapping the other. It's common worry for a snare drum to have 'ring', especially near the edge, and it can be tempting to try to damp this.

But again, remember that the ringing is a natural part of the drum's sound: they're supposed to do that!