Tuning Your Drums

If you do not yet own a drum set, just keep practicing the way you have been. You will appreciate this lesson a little more when you finally get your drums. This lesson is for those students who wish to improve their drumset tones.

I contend that even the cheapest drums may be tuned to your personal satisfaction. The secret is in knowing how to pull the sounds that you've imagined, from each of your drums.

When tuning a drumset, you must initially imagine the tones you are wanting to hear, then you must discover how to tweak those exact tones from each drum.

I have assembled the following pointers to help you do just that.

TENSION SCREWS AND LUGS:

Look closely at your snare drum and try to decide exactly what factors most effect the tonal quality. Notice the 'square headed screws' around the top and bottom rims of the Drum. We call these ?tension rods' or 'tension screws'. They screw into the lugs, that are usually mounted permanently on the sides of the 'shell' of the drum. We may tighten or loosen these screws with a tool called a 'drum key. A drum key can be purchased at any music store for a dollar or two. Adjustments to the tension screws with a drum key will effect the tension on the Drumhead, which will raise or lower the pitch (tone) of the drum.

A tight Drumhead will produce more bounce for the Drumsticks and a higher pitch, whereas less tension on the head will produce the opposite. A little experimentation will help you decide which you personally prefer.

Your PERSONAL PREFERENCES are paramount, here, since you'll be the person actually playing the drum(s). No one should ever try to dictate to you, the tones YOU are preferring to hear. It's a discovery you'll need to make for yourself. The CORRECT tuning of your drums will only be correct, if YOU agree, and it is never correct until YOU approve of the tones coming from the drum(s).

It's virtually impossible to PURCHASE the tones you are wanting to hear. You'll need to learn to 'tweak' your preferred tones from even the most expensive drums. Price has very little to do with that.

Be cautious when adjusting the lug screws around any drumhead so as not to warp either the drumhead or the rim. Do not over-tighten one screw while leaving another very loose. It is best to tighten the lug screws in a diagonal crisscross pattern around the head. Cautiously turn each tension screw an equal number of turns until you have achieved the desired tension.

THE SNARES:

Now turn your snare drum over and look at the strands of wire underneath. We call these wires, ?snares'. The ?snares' produce the ?snap' sound and give the ?snare' drum its name. Without these ?snares' your drum will sound like a tom tom.

THE STRAINER:

The snare wires are usually connected on one side of the drum with a screw apparatus and a flip lever. The flip lever on most drums is usually designed to release the snares quickly, so that a 'tom effect' can be a tonal option.

The screw apparatus, called the ?STRAINER', may be tightened or loosened to place the desired amount of tension on the snares. The degree of tension on the snares will increase and decrease the amount of 'snap' or 'rattle' coming from the snare drum. Again, . . . You must decide just the right amount of 'snap' or 'rattle' you want to hear. This will require some experimentation before you will discover the exact tone you personally prefer.

MUFFLING AND MUFFLERS:

After tuning both heads and adjusting the Strainer you may find that your Snare Drum (or any drum) may still emit an undesirable 'ring' or 'overtone' when struck a glancing blow. Too much vibration in the heads can often cause this overtone. Some type of muffling device may be necessary, and this is often where most students experience problems with their tone. If your drum(s) seem to 'RING' too much, you'll probably need to muffle the drum heads . . . which can be done a number of ways.

There are MANY ways to muffle the heads of a drum. Some drummers use a strip of duct tape, and others may place a thin strip of felt or linen under the head(s), between the shell edge, and the head itself.

Those tips, (above) are the economical ways. The tips below may cost a few pennies.

In recent years a number of spinoff-companies have emerged to address this 'ringing' and 'muffling' dilemma. One of the best solutions to drum-muffling is a 'thin mylar oval', that lays flat and directly over the head of any drum. They are known by names such as, O-Rings or Sound Ovals.

If your drum(s) seem to emit too much 'ringing' and too many overtones, it might be wise to visit your local music store and ask a knowledgeable salesman to demonstrate the effectiveness of such a muffling device.

To 'hear' the dramatic differences in tone . . . may be enough to make you want to try them on your own drums. O-Rings are offered in a number of sizes, and varieties. Some are adhesive backed and will stick to your drumhead, while others simply lay on the drum. Still others, may be made of a felt-like material as well. Experiment with the many varieties until you find the type that works best for you, personally. You'll probably want to use them all the way around your drumset.

Muffling perfection is the KEY ingredient to achieving the exactness of tone your ear is wanting to hear.

Big bucks aren't the answer to tuning problems. Perfect tone is a matter of simple common-sense. The most expensive drum set in the World will sound terrible, as they come out of the box. They too will need to be 'tweaked' to your satisfaction, or you'll hate them!

OTHER MUFFLER TYPES:
A INTERNAL DRUM MUFFLER, is simply a screw device that places a felt pad against the batter head inside the drum. The muffler is usually equipped with a flip lever or turn screw that allows for easy external adjustment. In previous years, most snare drums came from the factory with a muffler installed, but that practice has recently stopped for some unknown reason. Almost any music store will install one for twenty or thirty dollars (per drum). Again it is up to you to decide whether you like your drum(s) with, or without a muffler.

The INTERNAL MUFFLER was the STANDARD muffling device for many years, and as far as I'm concerned . . . it was, and still is, the best method of muffling. I don't know why the major drum manufacturers have stopped installing these devices at the factory, but I assume it has a LOT to do with profit-margins . . . and greed.

DRUM HEADS:

If you are still dissatisfied with your tone at this point, you should look at the batter head (or top head.) Batter heads are manufactured at varied thicknesses or weights ranging from thin to thick.

Thin heads are designed for very light, snappy, crisp tonal qualities, but they have a tendency to break under heavy use.

Thick drumheads will withstand a great deal of punishment, but some tonal quality will be sacrificed. Thicker heads tend to 'contain' much of the tone 'inside the drum' in a way that keeps those tones from being released and perceived by our ears. Extremely thick heads have a tendency to sound flat and dead, in my opinion.

Again, a trip to your local music store may be wise, here. Familiarize yourself with all the various types, styles and brands of drumheads and experiment with many of them. Determine your own preferences. That's really the only way to be sure of what you personally prefer. The many choices are yours to make. We are all different. That's WHY there are so many varied choices.

Personally, I prefer Remo heads. I prefer a Coated-Ambassador on the snare, and Pinstripes (see below) around the toms, for 'live' gigs.

I like Hydraulic heads around the toms, if I'm doing work in the studios. Hydraulic heads produce a great tone when micked, but they don't seem to project as well as pinstripes, when played acoustically in large night clubs. (That's just my opinion.)

Tuning the Toms
Now that you have your snare drum tuned to perfection, it's time to focus on the remainder of the set.

Begin with the smallest tom . . . it will often be situated directly next to, and a little above, (or even flush with) the Snare. This should be your highest pitched tom since it is the smallest. The larger toms should be graduated in both tone and size in clockwise fashion, around you.

When tuning your toms, try first to imagine ALL the tones you'll want to hear from the entire set, then seek to achieve or pull those tones from each drum.

Remember that tight heads produce higher tones and loose heads produce lower tones.

You may wish to experiment with varied combinations of tight top heads, loose bottoms for one effect, or vice versa for the opposite.

Some drummers choose to eliminate the bottom tom heads completely. Search for the sound that you like, personally.

Drum mufflers, (O-Rings, etc.) will help eliminate any undesirable ?ring' or 'overtones' in your toms. Many high tech solutions to tom tone have appeared on the market in recent years. Experiment with some of the following options:

TOM TOM HEADS:
* 1. Black Dot: This is a tom head designed with a double thickness of head material in the center of the drum. The double thickness tends to eliminate some 'overtones' and enhance the life of the head.
* 2. Pinstripe: Pinstripe heads have a double thickness of head material around the outer perimeter of the drum where most overtones occur. I prefer this type of head.
* 3. Hydraulic: Hydraulic heads involve the sandwiching of an oily substance between two thicknesses of head material. Many drummers swear by them. The overtones are greatly reduced and the heads are very durable. My opinion is that they do not project very well in a large room. The tone tends to fall flat a short distance from the drum. Microphones can help solve that problem though.

BASS DRUM
If you like your bass drum loud and ringing, that is easy! Simply tighten both heads to maximum, and do not try to muffle them. YUK!!!!!

We may get a solid "thud" effect in the following ways:

* 1. Place a 6" x 26" piece of cloth (felt is suggested) between the drumhead and shell of your bass all the way across the drum.

You may even choose to cover the entire circular area with thin cloth.

Remove the drum rim and head, place the cloth over the hole, then replace the head and rim and pull them to the desired tension. Finally, trim away the ragged edges of cloth.

* 2. Many drummers prefer to eliminate the front head and rim entirely and place different articles of padding inside the Drum (pillows, foam rubber, roadkill, etc.) until the desired muffle has been achieved. (I'm just kidding about the roadkill.)

* 3. Pro-drummers may often cut a small (10" to 12") hole in the center of the outside bass drum head, (facing the crowd.) This is good, because it allows the drummer to adjust the padding inside the drums as needed, during the gig. Not all rooms are created 'acoustically' equal.

* 4. It's common to see ALL of the above muffling techniques used in various combinations, along with O-rings and other muffling devices. Muffling is a major factor towards achieving, personally preferred tone. So, don't be afraid to experiment!

Thank you to Bill Powelson