Dying for help!

Ryan_Coke

Member
Hi all. So it's been about a year since I bought my acoustic drums. I STILL can not tune them worth s--t! I just can't get it. But then again I just don't get how it works either. What I mean is lets say you test the sounds on two lugs beside each other. Say the left on is perfect and right one is low. So you bring the right one up a bit. Well this inherently will raise the left one too by being in close proximity to it. So then you lower the left one back to the right note but then that inherently lowers the right one. Usually what happens in the end is I end up with a tom that is 4 notes higher than I want it. This is just turning me right off of these drums. It's too bad too cause I paid about 5K for them. So I find myself going back to my TD20's where it always sounds just right.
I have tried all the tutuorials that I can find out there. Bob's at Evans included. Generally they are all about the same and nothing is working. I have checked the rims, replaced the heads, and everything seems good. I am frustrated!
 
Try tuning the reso head first, with the batter head off. Get it to the pitch you want the drum.
Then, put the batter head on and bring it up slowly and evenly. Once you get it near the pitch of the reso head, start fine tuning. Make small turns.
5k drums gotta have a sweet spot. It's just a matter of finding it.
 
What type of sound are you looking for out of your drums? And are you including the snare, toms and bass when you say "drums"?
 
Try tuning the reso head first, with the batter head off. Get it to the pitch you want the drum.
Then, put the batter head on and bring it up slowly and evenly. Once you get it near the pitch of the reso head, start fine tuning. Make small turns.
5k drums gotta have a sweet spot. It's just a matter of finding it.

Hey Mike. Thats what I have been trying! Do those DTS tuning things work? I don't think they work on Tama Star Classics though
 
You say that once you get all the lugs at the same (or very similar) pitch, the overall pitch is higher than you'd like? If that's the case, just slowly lower each one so you can get them all down to whatever pitch you want.

I'm wondering what heads you have; maybe it's time for some new ones after a year, and you can try something new.
 
Sorry, didn't mean for that question to insult! Tuning a snare, from previous experience can be one of the most frustrating things, taking into account you have to worry about the snare on the bottom, as well as tuning. As far as tuning your drums, which you seem to already have a good understanding of how to do, I'd recommend bringing them into a local music store maybe? Or someone in your area, or even on youtube that has a sound you like, and talk to them. Also a quick tip, my toms always sounded kinda, Bleh, if you will until I put some dampener rings on them. It got rid of over tones and made the drums somehow(IMO) sound better. Hope I help in anyway! Goodluck!
 
I reckon you need a "hands on" tutorial. Take the snare into your local drum store and ask them to tune it for you. Whilst he's tuning, let him know you'd like to gain some tuning experience and hit him up with questions. What's he doing? Why is he doing it? What's he listening for? How small an increment is he turning the key? etc etc. Follow his process and ask as many questions and make as many mental notes as you can.

So much relies on "touch" and "feel"....it's quite a difficult process to grasp via the written word and as even the best videos offer no active feedback, I reckon it's time you had a more involved lesson.
 
I am just asking: did you see the video of Will Kennedy on the Evans site? His quick method relies on sight just as much as sound. It will help with the toms and the bass drum, but it will not be much help with the snare. I am pretty good at tuning, but I often use Will Kennedy's method because it works, and it is quick.

You are right about tuning one lug often changes another, or sometimes all of the others. Drumming great Bill Bruford once said, "There are two rules for tuning drums. Rule one is that sometimes, no matter what you do, one drum cannot be tuned. Rule two is that it not always the same drum."

Drum tuning is more of an art than a science. It can be quite frustrating! If the Will Kennedy method does not work, start over by totally loosening all of the lugs on your smallest tom. Put the tom on something soft that will totally muffle the other head (a bed works well for this). Screw in each lug until it just barely starts to push the rim down. Then go around the drum and tighten each lug as much as you can with your fingers. You may have to go around it three or four times to do this. Once you have done this, they should be quite close to being the same tension. Next tighten each lug one whole rotation of the drum key. Do one lug; then, move to the lug opposite. Then do one near the first one; then go across to the opposite lug. Do this until you have done them all. Repeat the whole thing again, maybe going one half a turn. At this point the drum should be tuned quite high. Do the same thing on the other side. You have now seated the heads. Leave it like that for an hour or two. Then you can slowly detune it down to where you want it, or you can slowly totally detune it all the way and start over. This time, after finger tightening, bring each lug up one half a turn, and then maybe a quarter of a turn. Just make sure that you seat the heads and turn them all the same. Much of it is visual.

Once you have done all of that, tap a stick about an inch in front of each lug. Find the one that is most off and slowly tune it to be like the others. Then do the other head. Go to the next biggest tom and do the same thing, etc.

Or take your snare and smallest tom to a shop or a drummer who is willing to help you. Watch and ask for an explanation. Good luck.
 
Thanks for your responses guy. I GREATLY appreciate it. I will check out Will's video. thank for that. And Trevor, heck no, you didn't insult me. Not to worry. I appreciate your help. I read this site more than post and just gotta say it is one of the most informative, helpful forums I have EVER read........and I read a lot of different forums from aviation to dirt biking, etc. Thanks guys.
Jack
 
Just a thought and something I suffered from, are you expecting your acoustic kit to sound like your TD20's ???
When I took drums up again after a 20 yr break I used just an e-kit for 3 years which gives a processed sound like a drum kit that's been recorded, compressed, gated and the EQ all bent out of shape and absolutley nothing like an un-miked acoustic kit in the flesh.

When I got an acoustiuc kit I hated the sound of it to start with as it was so harsh in comparison but now I love it much more than my e-kit.
It's just a thought ..... if you can get someone else to play your kit and stand out front and listen to it, may not be out by nearly as much as you think it is from sitting behind it !!
 
Here is a simple method to try and I usually use this if a certain drum is frustrating me.
Put the reso head on by itself. Turn the lugs until there are no wrinkles. Turn each lug about 1 or 1.5 turns each. Now tap around and see if they all "generally" sound about even. Now tap the center of the head with your finger and listen for the tone. Tune a little up or down depending on what "tone" you want to achieve. Use small turns to do this.

Now put on the batter and get the head so there are no wrinkles. Start with about 1/2 turns on each lug, doing them oppsite from each other. Hit the drum with a stick. Way too low, then make small turns on each lug and repeat. Eventually you will start hearing the drum resonate and go for the pitch you like from there. Remember, always use small increments when turning the drum key. Good luck!!
 
Tuning drums can be so frustrating. In your case I would recommend a drumdial or similar product. I use one, and it enables me to enjoy playing drums and not be irritated tuning drums. Perhaps one day I'll learn to tune manually better, but I currently don't have patience for it.

***My anticipated response from other drummers will be that drumdials etc. tune well but not as accurate as he who tunes w/ a good ear. This is true. But the former works good enough for me because I am a hobbyist drummer who doesn't mind less-than-best sound. Cheers.
 
What I mean is lets say you test the sounds on two lugs beside each other. Say the left on is perfect and right one is low. So you bring the right one up a bit. Well this inherently will raise the left one too by being in close proximity to it.!

Lug rotation will change the sound at all other lugs...not just the local ones....unless there is a massive disparity between lug tensions.

You will find a general consensus to ....

1) Take the drum off its stand to work with it. Far easier. Start on resonant side(side you do not hit)

2) Tighten the lugs to finger tight(as tight as you can comfortably make em with your fingers alone)

3) GENTLY press the head to help seat it...do this then finger tighten again...you usually hear loads of cracking sounds as the head stretches and gets an initial seating.

4) Tighten lugs in a star type pattern(one lug, then the one on opposite side, then another and its opposite...trying to keep tension distributed evenly as you go) in fairly small number of turns if not fractions of turns...trying to get an even pitch and tone at each lug after each round of tightening as you progress.

5) Repeat on Batter Side(drum head you hit)


The real arguments tend to come in when selecting how they are to be tuned...and what relationship between the resonant and batter heads...or if you should even use a resonant head, depending on application.

I try to reach a tuning that allows the shell of the drum to 'sing' while not forcing the other drums to 'sing' to loudly. Test this with your snare - see how different tunings of a tom will cause your snare to buzz more or less.

I suggest absolutly NO dampening...try to get your tuning and playing to control the sustain and sympathetic vibrations.

From there..all kinds of subtlety are possible...from general interval relationships to specific pitch dominant tunings...

Remember...it takes appreciable time getting the hang of it.

Experiment...and have fun with it!...its a skill just like playing.

Let us know how it goes and what you learn!!
 
I was in a similar boat to you. The Tune-bot really helped me. It took me 4-5 hours to really figure out how to use it well, but now I can tune very accurately with it easily. I will never tune again without it.

http://www.tune-bot.com/

You can also just pay a local studio guy to come in and tune the drums. Around here they charge $75. But keep in mind your drums won't stay in tune forever
 
Yeah? People will pay $75 to have someone tune their drums for them? Man, that's a rort I wanna piece of........repeat business too!!

Well, I believe it is mostly done for studio work. I don't imagine that many regular folk hire "experts" for home tuning. I think it's a lot more common with Pianos. But if OP really wants someone to tune the drums properly for him, it's an option to consider. Sounds like he's pretty frustrated (I've been there).
 
Back
Top