Drum tuning can be very subjective and is personal from drummer to drummer depending on the sound required. Once you have selected the right head combinations for your desired sound you can now start looking at fitting and tuning.
Basic maintenance of drums is always worthwhile doing when replacing drumheads as you need to dismantle the main components of a drum to fit new drumheads.
When removing old heads detune each tension rod a little at a time (half a drum key turn) working from one tension rod to the opposite tension rod in a cross manner as to not put any unnecessary stress on one side of the drum shell. Repeat this process until the tension rods are not gripping against the hoop. Once loose the tensions rods may be loosened by finger until they release from each lug nut thread. Remove each tension rod being careful not to lose any washers and place onto a lint free cloth placed in a Tupperware box. Remove the counter hoop and old head from the drum shell.
Clean around the bearing edge of the drum shell with a microfiber cloth to remove all debris. Remember the bearing edge is the contact point between the head and the shell so it is extremely important to ensure nothing interferes with the marriage of those two elements. Regardless of how good your drum shell and drum heads are, without a positive contact between the two, you will never be able to get a good sound. The smallest splinter of stick can often be of huge detriment to a drums sound.
At this point it is worth inspecting the bearing edge of the drum to ensure there are no dents or dips in the profile of the shell. For very small nicks in the bearing edge, try using set beeswax or a household candle to rub sparingly around the point of the bearing edge, as this will fill any very small inconsistencies and will improve shell to head contact and reduce friction. For damage that is more severe, it is worth taking the drum to a repair specialist who can fill, refinish and in the worst case scenario recut the edges. A drum with a damaged bearing edge will almost certainly never tune properly.
Clean the counter hoop on both the inner and outer surfaces with a soft cloth to further ensure all components are debris free before reassembly of the drum.
With all components cleaned and checked for damage we are now ready to reassemble the drum, mount the new heads and tune.
Tuning
All drum tuning starts with the technique below and then follows the additional section related to the drum element you are tuning.
- Mount the new head on the drum bearing edge ensuring the drumhead logo is in line with the badge on the side of the drum shell.
- Replace the counter hoop ensuring the head is centered within.
- Replace tension rods into the counter hoop and lug boxes and finger tighten until all make full contact with the counter hoop to create an equal starting tension.
When tuning from scratch, use the cross lug tuning sequence below to ensure the drum head has a balanced tension all the way around.
Evans drumheads require little to no breaking in due to our Level 360 profile which provides a positively seated head against the bearing edge of the drum shell and roll over flesh hoop which ensures stability and tuning accuracy straight out of the box. For this reason we don’t recommend ‘breaking in’, seating or stretching the head prior to tuning. Rather than over-tensioning the head to force it to break in which can reduce the lifespan of a drumhead even before it has been played, the best tuning method is to bring the drumhead up to your desired pitch and play. Always remember to fine-tune it from time to time to maintain a consistent drum sound.
Tuning techniques for each drum kit element
Toms
- Start with the tension-rods barely touching the rim (barely finger-tight).
- While tapping the center of the head lightly with a drumstick, start applying tension to each rod (1/4 turn at a time) until the head begins to resonate. Remember to use the cross lug tuning sequence.
- Continue tapping the head directly in front of each tension rod (1” from the bearing edge), listening closely to the pitch. Continue moving around the drumhead striving for equal pitches at each tension rod.
- If the pitch is too high in one area, quickly decrease tension at the nearest rod and bring it back up to the pitch you are aiming for. Try to sing the pitch you are targeting (even if it is just in your head).
Note: Top head and bottom head tension and pitch should be relatively equal.
Snare
The snare drum is central to the feel of the kit and getting a good sound starts with the heads and the snare wires.
- Mount both heads using our sequential tuning pattern. Tension them until they begin to resonate using the cross-lug tuning sequence.
- Set the pitch on a tuner or smartphone tuner app to A-440 and tune the bottom head up to that note using the “cross-lug tuning sequence”. If a tuner is not available to you, tension can be achieved without. The ideal tension can be described as tabletop tight, medium high to high tension balanced all the way around the drum. Don’t be scared to take the head up to tension but be mindful not to overtighten as the snare side head is 1/3 of the thickness of a standard batter head.
- Flip the drum over and tune the batter head slightly higher in pitch (also using the “cross-lug tuning sequence”). Adjust the batter head using quarter turns either up or down ensuring this is repeated on each lug of the drum. This will cover a huge spectrum of snare sounds. The key is to experiment!
Snare Wires
- Thread your snare cord or a nylon strap through the holes or slots on one end of the snare wire unit and then thread it through the fixed clamp attached to the side of the drum (“butt-end” of the snare strainer).
- Position the snare unit dead center on the bottom head. Using your thumb, hold down the opposite end of the snare unit against the head and pull the snare cord (or strap) through the butt-end clamp until it is taught.
- Making sure the unit is still centered on the bottom head; lock the butt-end clamp down.
- Turn the throw-off tension knob counter-clockwise until the clamp is about halfway between its tightest and loosest positions.
- With the throw-off in the OFF position, thread the snare chord or strap through the holes on the end of the snare unit and then through the clamp on the adjustable snare strainer.
- Gently pull the strap downwards and secure it into the clamp.
- Throw the strainer “ON” and play the drum. The snares will likely be too loose, so turn off the strainer and tighten the knob. Repeat this process until you’ve achieved your desired sound.
Note: It is worth experimenting with wire tensions dependent on how the snare drum batter is tuned. High tension tuning lends itself to more snare buzz and therefore may require more tension on the wire.
Be mindful not to over tighten the wire as this will choke the drum and also stretch out the coiled snare wires.
Bass Drum
The bass drum is the heartbeat of the kit, so you want it to sound big and feel great. For most musical styles, the goal is to get the lowest pitch from both heads.
- Start by tightening the batter head using the “cross-lug tuning sequence” until the head begins to resonate.
- To achieve the lowest possible pitch for your bass drum, stand over the drum and place your palm in the center of the head. While applying pressure, de-tune each tension rod until you begin to see wrinkles, then tighten each tension rod one turn back up. The drum should be at the lowest pitch while still resonating.
- Flip the drum over with the batter head against the floor and mount the front head in the same fashion.
- Position the drum into the playing position and attach the pedal ensuring the bass drum is parallel to the floor for maximum low end. Try not to tilt your bass drum towards you as this distorts the wood hoop, both raising the pitch of the drum and chocking the shell.
Note: Experiment with different damping such as the Evans EQPAD bass drum pillow. Dependent on the room you’re in different damping will be required, but try not to overly dampen the drum straight off. This is often a quick fix for a badly tuned drum and will reduce volume, projection and low end.
The above tuning tips are a general guide for achieving a good all round drum sound that will cover the main musical genres. The more you practice and experiment, the more confident you will become in the basic techniques. From there you can start to explore different drum head combinations and tuning parameters to realise your perfect drum sound.
Remember there is no right or wrong drum sound – it is your personal preference and a major part of what defines your sound as a player.
Ben Alldred
Percussion Specialist with Evans (D’Addario UK)
