Drum Tuning Basics

Tuning is a very subjective topic and it can be done many different ways. Only the basics
will be covered here. These guidelines can be applied to any type of head (single ply,
double ply, clear or coated), any type of drum shells and any type of hardware.
Preliminary steps:
Inspect all bearing edges on a flat smooth surface (like a glass table top). It may
help to shine a flashlight into the top of the shell to illuminate any imperfections. This is
to make sure that all of the bearing edges are flat and undamaged. A professional can
repair any imperfections. Take care not to damage the bearing edges while both heads are
removed. The bearing edges are more important in the overall sound of your drums than
any head selection or tuning practices.
Optional (and recommended) step Determine the resonant pitch of each drum
shell. The snare and bass can benefit from this process but the toms will benefit the most.
With both heads removed, suspend each drum horizontally by the mounting hardware and
tap lightly on the side of the shell with a soft mallet or the palm of your hand. Determine
the pitch of each drum shell and record it for later use. A pitched instrument (piano,
keyboard, guitar, bass, pitch pipe etc) will be very helpful with this. This step takes a
great deal of patience but can be very rewarding in the end.

Toms
Step 1
Grab a drum and lay a head on it. Check that the drum is right side up if
you are installing the batter or upside-down if you are installing the resonant head. Make
sure the head is centered on the bearing edge then install the rim and tension screws.
Tighten the tension screws to the point where they just barely touch the rim. No tension is
applied at first. Then check that the rim is centered on the head. This can be done by
looking at the gap between the inside edge of the rim and the bearing edge. If this gap is
uneven you may need to replace the rim or slightly manipulate it so that it is back in the
round. An improperly seated head can cause damage to the bearing edge. Tighten each
lug turn in the order shown in the picture.

Use your palm to apply firm pressure to the center of the head (not recommended for
snare side heads, they will break). You might hear some cracking and popping noises.
That is normal. Tighten each lug turn and apply pressure again. Always tighten and
loosen lugs in the order illustrated above. If you hear no more cracking sounds then the
head is sufficiently seated and stretched.
Step 2
Tighten the head (evenly on each lug) until you get a tone that has some sustain.
Now you will even the tension on each lug until they are all producing the same pitch.*
This is achieved by muting the opposite head (if there is one installed yet). Sitting the
drum on a carpeted surface will mute the other head if need be. Place your index fingertip
lightly in the middle of the head. Do not apply enough pressure to move the head. That
will bend the pitch of the drum and cause you problems. The purpose of this is to isolate
the pitch of each lug. Tap lightly about 1 inside each lug. You can go around in a circle
or use the star method shown above. Some lugs may need many more turns of the tension
rod than others. You may not turn one tension rod at all and another may need 2 full turns
to be at the same pitch.
* - A shortcut I use is to start with a loose head and apply pressure with your palm
(just like when you were stretching the head). You will see wrinkles in the head on one
side. Tighten individual lugs until the wrinkles go away. You will now be semi-even from
lug to lug. All that is left is fine-tuning from lug to lug.
Step 3
Once the lugs are in tune with each other, tune the head to the resonant pitch of
the shell (if you determined the resonant pitch of the shell earlier). Remember to always
use the star method when tuning. If you opted not to determine the shells pitch then tune
the head to a pitch you like.
Step 4
Install the same side head on the other toms. That is to say if you started with a
resonant head on the first tom, put a resonant head on the rest of the toms. If you started
with a batter head, install the remaining batter heads. Repeat Steps 1-3 for each tom. If
you determined the resonant pitch of the shells, proceed to Step 6.
Step 5 (only if shell pitch was not determined)
With one head of the same type on each tom, test the intervals that they are tuned
to. The word interval refers to the distance from one pitch to the next (from tom to tom).
Some people like their toms to have pitches that are close together (small intervals),
others like bigger spreads (larger intervals). You may need to adjust the pitch of one or
more toms to get a scale that fits your playing style and personal taste. Some people tune
their toms to a scale thats common in their bands music. This puts your toms in tune
with the guitar and bass. If the band uses many different key signatures this method is not
feasible.
Step 6
Install the remaining heads by repeating steps 1-3.

Step 7
The pitch of the batter head versus the pitch of the resonant head is a matter of
personal preference. The biggest, liveliest and robust tone will be achieved by tuning the
batter and resonant heads to the same pitch (preferably the resonant pitch of the shell). A
more focused tone will result from tuning the resonant head to a higher pitch than the
batter. This approach is called a pitch bend and will cause a faster decay as the two heads
work against each other to control the frequency of the shell. Personally Ive never been
able to get a good tom sound from tuning the resonant head looser then the batter.
Experiment with a middle tom to see what sound you like best. Some drummers will tune
their higher toms one way and their lower toms a different way. There are no rules when
it comes to drumming!
Tuning the heads to the same pitch is time consuming and often frustrating. You
will over-correct many times along the way. The time spent is well worth it.

Snare Drum
The snare drum can be tuned many different ways. The basic principles are the
same as tuning toms. Make sure to have equal tension from lug to lug and when changing
the pitch of the head use the star pattern.
Things to note include;
Resonant snare heads are very, very thin and fragile.
The pitch of the batter head will affect both the overall sound and feel of the
drum.
A pitch of the resonant head will not affect the overall pitch of the drum as much
as the pitch of the batter head. The pitch of the resonant head affects the amount of snare
sound you get more so than the overall pitch of the drum.
A looser resonant head will give you more of the sound from the snares since the
head can move more freely.
If your snares overall pitch is very close to another drum (even if its an octave
away) the snares will buzz when the other drum is played. Sympathetic snare buzz cannot
be eliminated, only subdued. One method of quieting the buzz is to tune the snare to a
pitch that is away from the toms and bass drum. Some drummers detune the lugs nearest
the snares to further subdue the sympathetic snare buzz. That would be two lugs on each
side of each end of the snares (4 lugs total).
The tension of the snares themselves plays a large role in the overall sound as
well. Looser snares will be more audible and tighter snares will have less sustain.
Tightening the snares may or may not reduce sympathetic snare buzz.

Bass Drum
Many of the same principles still apply here. Make sure each lug is the same pitch
as the other lugs for that head. Use the star method when changing the pitch of the head.
The relationship between the pitch of each head is a little less important with the
bass drum than it is with the toms. Ive found that a loose bass drum resonant head
produces and high pitched slap that is usually undesirable. This can be subdued by
stretching a long piece of felt across the head as it is put on the drum (in between the
bearing edge and head). A more tightly tuned resonant head will result in a more focused
sound but will force the forfeiture of some low-end bass response. While a bass drum full
of bedding materials is undesirable, a small pillow is commonly used to regain some of
the lost low end from a higher resonant side tuning. Using too much internal muffling
makes a bass drum sound like a cardboard box. A little time spent tuning the drum
properly can alleviate the need for lots of internal muffling. The felt strip on the resonant
head can also alleviate the need for excessive internal muffling. A bass drum with some
sustain will be more easily heard at shows and rehearsals. As with all drums the tuning of
the drum affects the sound and feel. This is very noticeable with the bass drum. A tighter
batter will be more bouncy and higher pitched while a looser batter head will have a
mushier feel and have a lower pitch.
Some players leave the beater on the head in between notes. That kills any sustain
the drum might have. Letting the drum resonate is a pedal technique that may or may not
be desirable in your musical situation. To let the drum resonate one must hit the drum and
let the beater return to its resting position immediately as opposed to leaving the beater
on the head once it makes contact.