Tuning
It is essential for your drums to be in tune. so that they will produce a good sound for either live or studio work. Each drum can be tuned to a specific note, but it is more important for each individual drum to be in tune with itself, and then in tune with the rest of the kit.
The main problem with tuning for most beginners is that the ear is not able to determine slight differences in pitch. For this reason you should seek the aid of a teacher or an experienced drummer.
The important thing to remember in tuning is that each drum is evenly in tune with itself. This means that if you strike the drum about 1" (2.5 cm.) from each tension rod (See Photo.) the note should sound the same. Use a TEN LUG snare drum as an example. Assuming the tension rods are all loose, start tightening from no. 1 tension rod through to no. 10 tension rod in that order (see Diagram)until finger tight. Then turn to no. 1 tension rod one turn (using a drum key), now strike the drum about 1"(2.5 cm.) from the tension rod listening very carefully to the note. Now tune tension rod no. 2 to exactly the same note as tension rod no. 1. Now repeat the procedure through to tension rod no. 10 using tension rod no. 1 as a reference point. Continue this process until you reach the required note, making sure that the note is the same at every tension rod. The top (or batter head). This will give the snare a crisp an defined note cutting through the other deeper pitches of the drum kit. The pitch of the snare drum should be higher than the toms. It may be easier to tune the snare by releasing the snare wires.
The bass drum should have a deep, well defined flat sound if you are playing rock, with the skin being slightly looser. If you are playing in a jazz or big band the skins should be tuned higher to give a boomier, open sound. A piece of felt 2"-3" (5 cm.-7.5 cm.) wide running vertically down the striking side of the bass drum will help to muffle or flatten the sound.
When tuning the toms start with the floor tom and tune it to a deep, rich sound. If you have two toms on the bass drum tune the larger one slightly higher in pitch than the floor tom, and the smaller tom slightly higher in pitch than the larger tom.
If you want to dampen the toms (to make them sound flatter), you should dampen them from the outside, not the inside. Inside dampeners only choke the drum, restricting natural movement of the head.
You will get the best out of your drums if you practice tuning as much as possible. Experiment with different notes on each drum. If you can tune your drums successfully you will save the recording studio, or live sound engineer, a lot of headaches.
