How to Change the Sound of Drums
The right drum sound is often difficult to achieve. With a range of options to choose from, it's essential to spend quality time familiarizing yourself with the variables at hand. There are no short cuts to gaining control over the drum's sound, but by understanding the fundamentals of what makes a drum work, your ability to hone in on the desired result will improve. Experimentation is the key to uncovering the potential of any drum, so remain diligent.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
The relationship between the batter head and the resonant head is what makes a drum work. The batter side responds to the stick attack, provides the initial pitch and produces overtones. The resonant head adds sustain to the note and controls much of the overtones, along with pitch, on the decaying side of the sound.
-
2
Different drum heads vary the sound of the drum. A thicker ply will produce a deeper tone and will be much louder than a single-ply head. Coated heads add a dry, warm feel and are often used on the snare drum batter side. Then there are clear coats that produce brighter sounds and are good for cutting through the music. Try all types, as different styles of music will call for different sounds.
-
-
3
With the resonant side up, place the drum on a soft surface. Carpet works just fine. If you haven't already done so, remove the metal hoop, take the old drum heads off and clean away any dust on the bearing edges. This is the edge of the drum shell where the head makes contact with the drum. Tap the shells to ensure there are no hardware components that need tightening or replacing. If there are any rattles at this stage, fix them before proceeding.
-
4
Place the new head on the shell and set the metal hoop on top. Use quarter turns of the drum key to tighten the lugs just enough to remove the wrinkles of the head. Do not move around the circumference of the drum radially from lug to lug. Instead, move back and forth from one side of the metal hoop to the other, working your way back to where you started. The third lug you turn should be next to the lug you started with, and the fourth lug next to the second, and so on. It may help you to have two drum keys on hand to keep track of your movement around the outside of the hoop.
-
5
Every drum has a fundamental note at which it naturally resonates and which should be recognized before further tuning is attempted. Use fine adjustments with the drum key to tighten the lugs to find the most open sound of the drum. At this point you're not worried about the note, you just want to locate where the drum naturally resonates.
-
6
Having established the fundamental note, move the drum to the stand or off the ground in order to find the pitch. Tap the head about an inch away from each lug until you find a pitch you like. Working around the whole drum, tighten and tap the head until all are sonically matched. If you turn too much and miss the note, loosen the lug and tune "up" to where you want to be. Tuning in this way will lessen the chances of the drum falling out of tune on its own.
-
7
If you encounter too much ring or overtone, don't worry. Dampening is always a last resort, but often it can do the trick. It can be achieved with dampening rings, cloth, tape, moon gel, or anything that will absorb excess vibration. Stay away from internal muffling pads, as they distort the tension on the drum head and often rattle. If you must use a muffle, try an external variety. You can dampen a bass drum with a pillow or blanket. Experiment with how much dampening you really need. Other than dampening, some players find that loosening one lug more than the others can reduce the overtone and ring. It won't always work, and isn't a permanent fix, but it will get the job done when you're in a bind.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Seating a drum head to the bearing edge is a controversial step, however many find that it helps the drum stay in tune longer. Before you locate the fundamental note, over-tighten the lugs a bit more than normal and press in on the center of the drum. Deflect the head about a half inch inward and hold for about 30 seconds. Now, detune the whole drum head, and begin with Step 5.
Do not overdo seating the head to the bearing edge; irreversible damage to the head can result if you're not being careful. That's why many choose to skip this step.
