Things You'll Need:
- Drum Sets
- Drum Tension Key
- Drumsticks
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Step 1
Turn the snares off. The snare drum cannot be tuned correctly with interference from the snare sounds.
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Step 2
Tune the top head first. Turn each lug clockwise to increase the tension of the head and make the drum's pitch higher.
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Step 3
Tune one lug, and then tune the lug on its opposite side (180 degrees away). The drum tunes better when you don't tune these lugs in a circular sequence.
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Step 4
Continue this pattern so that you never tune two lugs in a row that are less than a few inches from each other.
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Step 5
Repeat this sequence with the bottom head. Be careful not to tune it too high, because these heads tend to break easily.
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Step 6
Test the pitch of each lug when finished by lightly playing about 1 inch away from the lug with a drumstick.
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Step 7
Make sure all the lugs have equal pitch. At this point, your drum should be tuned.
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Step 1
Tune the front head first. You shouldn't spend too much time doing this, because this head doesn't have much impact on the sound of the drum.
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Step 2
Tune each lug of the back head (the head that your pedal plays against) in the sequence explained in the two sections above.
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Step 3
Make sure your drum is tuned neither too high nor too low. Bass drum sounds really depend on the style of music you're playing and how much impact the drum has with the group you play with.
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Step 1
Tune the bottom head of each tom-tom first.
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Step 2
Use the same tuning sequence as the snare technique, tuning each lug and then its opposite.
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Step 3
Tune the top head when the bottom head is finished. This head is where the pitch is generated, so it's very important to have an idea of what pitch you want to tune to.
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Step 4
Check each lug's pitch so that it matches the others by lightly playing 1 inch away from the lug with a drumstick.
Comments
prodrumreviews said
on 11/13/2009 I have a page full of videos that were created by Evans that gives pretty good tips on how to go about it...it's a starting point anyway. Hope it helps.
http://prodrumreviews.com/drum-tips-videos-drum-tuning-technique-practicing/
UnemploymentMan said
on 4/13/2009 When using a new head, I recommend that before putting the rim on and tightening, to stretch the head by putting the palms of your hands together and putting all of your wieght on the drum. You should hear a 'crackling' sound. Once done, then put the rim on and tighten the lugs (opposite of each other) until the head is stretched all of the way (you can't turn the lugs anymore). Leave it this way for 24 hours if you can, then loosen the lugs a quarter turn at a time until there is 'give' in the head. Then, putting a finger in the middle of the drum, use a drumstick an inch or so away from the lug until you get the desired tone consistant on each lug throughout the whole drum.
erniemink said
on 12/23/2008 Did you most that I have rarely seen this statement that is SO important: You tune your drums with the bass being the lowest sound all the way up to the snare being the tightest drum. This is so you get an octave that goes from the snare to the bassdrum, high to low. I dont understand why this is left out. HOw can you tune drums unless you do it from low to high so when you hit the drums the highest sound from the smallest tom is higher in pitch and then on to each bigger drum that is lower. this is so when you play drums from smallest to biggest they go one octave lower in pitch. you tune drums CROSSWAYS, not around in a circle to. the snare is the tightest of them all
Anonymous said
on 8/25/2006 Do not just use your tuner to tune it. Use a wrench holding the tuner, and over-tighten it (not over-tune). If you hate the sound, loosen some of them. This helped me a lot.
Anonymous said
on 8/8/2006 For a great rock sound on your toms, do what the great John Bonham did. Tune the bottom head (the side you don't hit) to a higher pitch than the top head. Then tune the top head to a low pitch and your toms will sound great.