Drum set tuning for great sounds

Drum set tuning is crucial to the sound that’s needed for your style
of music to be played. Whether your drum kit is brand new, heavily
used, replacing drum heads, or exposed to various harsh
temperatures, tuning the drum is a major step in producing great
tone quality. Though drummers have their own preference of tonal
settings, basic steps must be taken.

The first step before tuning

Make sure the drumhead (one that fits that particular shell size) is
stretched to the exact shape of the bearing edge of the drum. Using
a drum key, turn each tension screw one half turn. Make sure that
you tighten each screw that is directly opposite, in a criss-cross
pattern. Repeat this process until there are no ripples.

Next, in the middle of the drumhead, press down firmly with the
palm of your hand. There may be some slack when you remove
your hand. Repeat the tightening pattern until the slack is gone.

Tuning the drum

Using your drumstick, tap on the drum head close to the tension
screw. With your drum key, tighten or loosen the tension screw until
you hear the desired pitch. Do the same for the rest of the tension
screws. Make sure that each point that you tap produces the same
pitch. Remember to follow the tightening pattern whenever you turn
the tension screws. You’ll need to tune the opposite drumhead on a
double-headed drum also. Snare drum heads are a bit more fragile,
so care must be taken when tightening.

Tuning the set

Keep in mind that the bass drum has the lowest pitch and the snare
drum usually has the highest. As far as the toms, tune them in relation
to their size to one another. Start with the floor toms or tom and tune
them low but higher than the bass drum. Then tune each rack tom
in sequence to a higher pitch.

Again, drummers will have their preferred settings for tuning a drum.
Certain top name sets such as DW, Tama, Yamaha, Gretsch, Pearl,
and Ludwig will also have a variety of different shell thickness and
wood selections like maple and birch that can also affect a desired
pitch. Experiment by tuning the set at different pitches to obtain the
sound that you like. There are no hard and fast rules to tuning the
drum but following the basic drum tuning techniques will get you well
on the way to a great sounding drumkit.

About the author:

Thaddeus W Johnson is a writer, professional drummer,
and drum teacher who enjoys providing tips and valuable
information for online shoppers of drum related products
and topics. http://www.megadrumsets.com

Drum sets, drum accessories, drum parts:
Yamaha, Gretsch, Ludwig, Pearl, Tama, DW