Learn How To Tune Drums
Now who wouldn’t love to get his act together like John Bonham playing Moby Dick or Ian Paice playing The Mule? But hey, you have to get started with the basics first, right? Or even before that, you have to know how to tune your drums. Lets face it, you don’t want your drums sounding like a thunderstorm, unless of course if you want to scare the hell out of somebody. Knowing how to tune your drum set doesn’t only apply to the amateurs because there have been so many cases where even the pros who have been playing all their life simply decide to get another drum set just because the present one doesn’t sound right. In this case, all the drum set may need is a bit of tuning and once tuned, the drums are good enough to go.
One thing that you have to remember is that tuning drums isn’t as difficult as tuning a piano or a guitar. One rule that applies to both, beginners as well as professional drummers is that more than practicing for hours together, it is important that drummers tune their drum sets and play steady. Your ear should be your guide when you are tuning the drums.
Now, let us get started on how to tune drums. First, simply loosen up the tuning rods at one end and again tighten them firmly. Try to tighten the rods in a crisscross position and repeat this until you see the wrinkles on the drumhead fading away. After you are done with the tightening process, simply tap the drum with your drumsticks and listen carefully to how it sounds. Simply repeat this process until you hear the desired sound.
Now lets move on to the snare drum. The snare drum is perhaps the only equipment that truly defines the sound of a drum groove. Your lesson on how to tune drums basically begins here. First, turn off the snares in such a way that they come out of the snare head. One thing that you have to remember is that a brass snare is never going to produce the same sound as the maple snare drum, so don’t even think about the change over. Then simply make the lugs from the top and the bottom drumheads loose and place the rim on the drumhead. Although this part may seem to be a bit difficult, it is not. All you have to do is apply a little pressure on the rim; a little pressure along the sides should do the trick. Don’t be alarmed if you hear some clicking and creaking sounds because that’s okay. Once you are done with the rims, simply follow the crisscross pattern as mentioned earlier and that’s it, you are done with the tuning process. Never tighten the rods to an extent that they would break as soon as you start playing the drum. Another tip that you have to remember is that the lugs should have an equal pitch. If you notice that the pitch is slightly different, it simply means that you have not tuned the drums properly.
Now lets move on to the kick drum, which is the next after the snare drum. Just like tuning the other drums, tuning the kick drum largely depends the genre of music you are playing. Tuning it is the same as tuning the snare drum. Simply place the drum on the floor or even a table with the batter head facing the ceiling. The next step is pretty simple, as you have to tighten the lug using the similar crisscross pattern as stated above. Then you have to apply some pressure around the drum. You will hear some creaking sounds known as seating the drumhead. Turn your hands to 90 degrees and repeat. You have to repeat this process until the creaking sound stops. And again, simply repeat the tightening of the lugs in the crisscross sequence. Now, when it comes to the kick drum, you will often hear a ringing sound, which is something that you have to avoid. Therefore, in order to flatten out this sound, use some foam and tape it to the bottom shell.
There is no such thing as drum-tuning science because all that a proper tuning requires is a bit of experimenting and some experience. Try experimenting with the tuning and see which tuning supports your style of music.