So, you’ve just bought new drum heads or you’re just tired of the same ole’ tone you’ve been getting out of your kit. Either way, it’s definitely time to tune your drums! At times drum tuning can seem like a daunting task, but with a few easy steps you can take a flabby sounding drum to tight and toned in no time! There are a few reasons why you’ll want to stay on top of tuning your drum set:
- Helps remove unwanted overtones,
- Helps adjust sound for the genre,
- Helps adjust sound for personal taste.
The first thing you’ll want to do is be prepared! Gather all the tools you’ll need so you don’t find yourself stopping in the middle to find something you need.
Tools you’ll need:
- Drum key/s- (Grab 2 drums keys if you have em, it’ll save some time on the de-tuning step).
- Cloth or rag- (You’ll need this to wipe the bearing edge of the drum shell and the hoops when you de-tune your drum and reset your head, you’ll also use it to sweep around the edge of your drum head and press down in the center when resetting your drum head)
- Drum stick to tap around the freshly tuned head approx. 1” away from the tension rods (a drum key or your finger will work as well)
- Muffling supplies *OPTIONAL* (This is a taste call, think about the style of music you want to play and the context that you’re playing drums in – if it calls for a muffled sound, then gather your drum rings, moon gels, cloth, gaff tape, or an old t-shirt. Even an old wallet will do!)
Step 1: Tuning the Snare
Task 1: Take your drum keys and place them on the tension directly across from each other on the drum head. De-tune the tension rods to the point where you could loosen them with your fingers. Do the same thing to the next set of tension rods across from each other until all the tension rods are able to be loosened by your finger.
Task 2: Take the hoops and drum head off and wipe the edge of the drum shell with your rag as well as the underside of the hoop. Make sure you get all the dust and debris off of the edge of your shell, your hoop, and the edge of your drum head. Take the existing head — or a new one if you have it! — and place it back on the shell, follow with the hoop and the tension rods. Line the rods up with their holes and give them each one turn to lock them in slightly. Take your rag and wipe the outside of the drum head while gently pressing down. This is helping to seat the head properly. Again, with your rag, gently press down in the center of the head this time to finish seating the head. Start to tighten all the tension rods to the point of finger tight and press down with your rag one more time in the center of the head.
Task 3: You can now start tuning up your drum head! Take one key and pick your first lug. You’ll be moving in a criss-cross pattern (reference above) and skipping every other lug until you make your way around the drum. Start with a whole turn of the key on each lug, then a half turn, and then check your sound, depending on the sound you are going for and where you are at, you can decide how much further you’d like to tune. I usually go around once more with a quarter or half turn of the key and then start checking the tuning with a drum stick (or a drum key, or my finger) You’ll want to tap about 1” away from each lug and use your ear to listen to the pitch of the drum. Each tap should sound as close to the previous tap as possible in terms of pitch. Once they all sound like the same pitch, or as close as you can get them, you’ve got a solid foundation. You can keep that if you like the sound or you can tighten further to get a tighter sound with more pop and thwack in it! There’s also the option of muffling or keeping the head open for a wetter and open tone.
You’re probably wondering “What about the bottom (or resonant) head?” For the snare, you’ll use the same method but you’ll need to be aware of the snare wires themselves. Those will need to be removed to tune the bottom head properly. If the head is in good condition with no warping and no tears then you may be able to get away with only tuning the top for now until you get new heads. Start with the top (or batter head) and see if you can get the sounds you’re going for with just a batter head tune – if so then you’re good to go!
Step 2: Tuning the Toms
We’ll use the same method for the toms as we do the snare, but since there will be nothing obstructing the resonant (bottom) head, we will go ahead and tune those too! Keep in mind when tuning your drums, there is an amount of personal preference that goes into it. You are looking for the tone that *YOU* like, but it’s good to have some jumping off points to get that sound and a couple rules of thumb to go off of. With that being said, I try to tune my toms in intervals of each other with the high tom being the highest pitch and the floor tom being the lowest. Some drummers will tune their toms to a note or will pick a pitch they like and tune the other toms in thirds, fourths, or even fifth intervals of that pitch. If the toms sound like how you’re hearing them in your head, that’s a good sign! If you are having trouble getting the sound you want, try experimenting with the tightness of the resonant (bottom) head. If the reso head is tighter than the batter head you’ll have a slight upward bend in tone, if it’s looser than the batter you’ll have a slight downward bend in tone, and if it’s tightened the same as the batter head you’ll have an even tone.
Step 3: Tuning the Kick Drum
Turn the kick drum on its side for easier access to the tension rods. Using the same method, bring the tension of the drum head up. Make sure there are no wrinkles around the edges of the head once it has been tightened. There’s less tone to get out of the kick drum so we are just looking for even tension around the rods and no wrinkles on the head and a sound we think fits with the sound of our kit. We can also use some muffling supplies like a beach towel or and old pillow to get the kick where we want it. Try experimenting with different amounts of muffling and different supplies. Next tune the resonant head as even and close as you can get it to the batter head.
Now your drum set is tuned up and ready to rock! Or jazz or soul or whatever style you tuned it for!
Remember, the sound of your drums is up to you and your taste. Don’t shy away from experimenting either, sometimes we have to try new things to get the sound we’ve been looking for!
