subject: Drum Tuning Tips - Learn How To Tune A Drum Set [print this page] Drum Tuning Tips - Learn How To Tune A Drum Set
We're going to share some drum tuning tips on how to tune a drum set. Drum set tuning is the art of adjusting your drum's sound to make a pleasant tone. Drum tuning adjusts a drum's pitch as well as the tonal quality. When you tune guitar's you're just focusing on tuning the sound to a certain pitch. You can add dampeners to or use different type of drum heads to change your drums sound. What we're actually going to focus on is drum head tension adjustments. These are things you should do as a beginner when getting your new set.
The drum head is attached to the actual shell using lugs that press on the shell through hoops. This is what is present on common drum kits. Place the hoop and the head on the shell if you are starting to assemble your drum. Make sure to secure them by adding the hardware. After that, use the drum key to lightly turn the lugs until you feel that first sign of resistance. It's easier to find the first point of resistance if you use a drum key as opposed to your fingers. Do this for both heads if your drum has heads on both sides.
Start turning each lug the same amount to begin your drum tuning process. 360 degrees is a good start. Tune the top head first then the bottom head, if your drum has two heads. The lugs will stretch the head by pushing it down onto the shell. A higher pitch occurs when there is more tension on the head, just like a string instrument. The drums will give the clearest sound as long the head's tension is the same all around.
The drum should have the same tension on each diameter, since the lugs are the same all around. We are going to test the tension by listening to the pitch for this tuning tip. Start from this step if the drum is already assembled. Or you can start fresh and loosen the lugs all the way. Tap your drum head at a spot right in front of the lug to test the pitch. If you find that a certain spot has a lower pitch, tighten the lug. On the other hand, if it has a higher pitch, loosen the lug. Repeat this for all spots until they have the same pitch.
Overtones might cause you to have trouble hearing the pitch. If this occurs place your finger at the center of the drum while tapping. Take off the snare wires if you are tuning a snare drum
Tuning the top drum head is what affects a drum's pitch the most. A looser head will produce a lower pitch, while a tighter head will produce a higher pitch. Tuning the bottom head mostly affects the drums ringing and tone. If you tune the top head to the same pitch as the bottom hear, the heads will work together to make the sound and vibrate at the same frequency. The sound will last longer and ring out as a result. If you tune the drum heads differently, it will dampen the sound and the vibrations will work against the top drum head. It will create a fuller sound as well as produce a different pitch. Those are a few drum tuning tips on how to tune a drum set.
