How to Stop Your Drums From Resonating

Tuning drums correctly will result in better a better-sounding kit.

Musical drums create sound by resonating when struck with a hand or a drumstick. But sometimes too much resonance results in undesirable sounding results. Fortunately, there are easy ways to reduce unwanted drum resonance with simple household items. By following a few easy-to-follow instructions, you can stop your drums from resonating with little or no extra expenditure on anything other than musical equipment.

Things You'll Need

• Tape
• Paper towel or washcloth
• Commercially available damper pads
• Moleskin pads
• Small pillow or blanket

Instructions

Toms and Snares

1. Get your tape and washcloth, paper towels, moleskin or drum damper pads out so they are handy.

2. Apply some double-sided tape to the bottom of the drum head, and attach the paper towel or washcloth to it. Alternatively, remove the adhesive cover off the back of the damper pad or a section of moleskin and stick it to the bottom drum head.

3. Make sure the towel is secure. You may want to use a little extra tape on the corners just to make sure it doesn't fall off. Moleskin or damper pads are not likely to fall off.

Bass drum

1. Remove the bass drum head.

2. Place the pillow or folded blanket inside the drum so it touches both heads.

3. Replace the drum head and re-tune the bass drum. Your bass drum will now be muffled and have reduced resonant response.

Tips & Warnings

• If you tune the bottom head of the drums tighter than the top when tuning, you can reduce extra resonance without applying anything to damper the resonance to the drum.

References

• DrumTips.com: Drum lessons, secrets and advice for drums and drumming