How To Tune Drums Like The Pros - Drum Tuning Guide

by Jason
Easy Step-By-Step Drum Tuning
Tuning a drum set can be very, very easy if you know how to and understand the simple concepts in tuning drums. Drums come in all shapes, sizes and construction and really what is the point in spending $100s if not $1,000's of dollars on a drum set if you they don't sound good. This article will give you the insight on how to tune your drums quickly and easily.

STEP 1 - Buy All New Drum Heads
Depending on the condition of your drum heads, you will most likely have to replace the top and probably the bottom heads. There is a separate section on purchasing drums heads that will work best with the type of drum set you have. Different drum heads will produce a different sound and a selection of drum heads can be found here.

STEP 2 - Start with the Snare Drum
Remove both snare drum heads (assuming you are replacing both). Put the top snare drum head on first. I recommend "cracking" the head by pushing your fist into the middle of the head but not too hard. This will stretch the head out and make it harder to go out of tune with any potential temperature changes. Hand tighten each lug around the snare drum. Then with a drum tuner, tune one lug at a time by turning the key 2 full rotations. Next tune the lug on the opposite side (180 degrees away) of the drum doing the same. Repeat until you reach the original lug you 1st started with. I recommend for a tight sounding snare that you do this one more time either turning the lug 1 or 2 full rotations. Next, put on the bottom head and do the exact same. To get the final sound perfect you want to make sure the pitch of each lug is even. You do this by pushing your index finger into the drum head in the middle of the drum. Then go around each lug 1 inch from the rim and hit once with a stick. Listen to the tone and make sure all the lugs are the same.

STEP 3 - Tuning the Bass Drum
Again, remove both drum heads from the bass drum and place the new head onto the beater side. Lightly tighten all the sides so the head is on securely. Since you are going to want a low sound for this drum you want the lowest possible pitch. To do this, push your hand in the middle of the drum and look at your reflection in the drum head. Loosen each lug and you will notice your face getting distorted and the drum head wrinkles. Loosen and then tighten each lug to the point where your face is not distorted and the wrinkle does away. Do this all the way around the bass drum on each lug. When finished, go around the lugs one more time and do a quarter to a half turn on each. I do recommend some kind of dampening pad on the inside or outside of the head. Next you are going to want to put a pillow inside the drum which will absorb some of the sound and give it a deeper sound. So now onto the front head. Tuning the front is just like tuning the beater head side. Lightly tighten all the lugs to the point where there are no wrinkles. Then push your hand into the middle of the drum head, loosen each lug so you see wrinkles and then tighten to remove the wrinkles. That's the basics.

STEP - Tuning the Tom Toms
Tuning the toms can be a little tricky as they can be tuned to a particular pitch. The key is too not focus so much on getting your toms to a particular pitch but instead trying to find the true tone of the drum. You want the sound to be crisp and resonant. If the sound produces a thud sound the heads are too loose. If the toms lose their tone too quickly they might be too tight. You want both heads to be tuned to the same tone in order to get the most resonant sound. The same principles apply to tuning your toms as tuning your snare drum and bass drum. Replace both heads and then hand tighten each tension rod. Once that is complete go around one more time and make sure there are no wrinkles in the head. Once this is done, go around the tension rods once more time and tighten with a ½ turn. Do this on all the tension rods and listen to the sound it produces. Again if it's a thud sound they are too loose. If the sound dies off to quickly they are too tight. Once you find the perfect balance push your finger lightly into the middle of the drum and tap your stick right by each tension rod. The sound around the entire drum should be all the same. Make sure both the top and bottom heads are tuned to the same tone.
How To Tune Drums Like The Pros - Drum Tuning Guide