TOM TUNING

Hi everyone, Tuning my toms have boiled my p*** for the last 2months or so... I have a 8" 10" 12" and 14" yamaha stage custom kit... I have got remo Pins on them... they sound 'milky and thick' if that makes sense... Now I got these because they sounded great with my old kit so i thought the same applied... but that was a 7pc rock kit 10" 12" 13" 14" 16". I could tune that to what I liked. Now is it the tom intervals? or shall I try another type of skin... I play rock mainly but a bit of everything.

Thanks for the help
 
Re: Cool tom tuning techniques!!

cdrums21 said:
Howdy,
For all you guys who are struggling with tuning toms, I have a few tips that I've learned over my 30+ year career, along with some things shared to me by several well known artists. I’ll assume that you know the basics of tuning, putting a head on the drum and making sure the lug points on the head are all tuned to the same pitch, that stuff. Ok, here goes. First of all, I see a lot of posts about drummers using hydraulic oil filled heads, or heads that have duct tape or foam insulation taped on them, etc. Heads such as these are rarely, if at all used by professionals in live or recording settings. As a start, try to find what heads your favorite artist uses and see if they work for you. Experiment until you find what you like. Most of the time, well known drummers play their drums wide open with no muffling (with the exception of the bass drum). With that being said, here are tips that I have found to be used by most professionals I have come in contact with.
.
Some drummers like to tune by ear, while others tune to specific notes. Both ways are acceptable, as long as the kit sounds good as a whole and you don't have any weird frequencies causing excessive snare buzz or fighting each other when you strike two drums at the same time. As far as head tension goes, most drummers either tune their top and bottom heads to the same pitch, or bottom head tighter. Bottom head looser is rarely used. Both heads tuned to the same pitch produces a pure, full tone. Bottom head tighter shortens the sustain a bit and gives a firmer surface for the sound to reflect off of and “throws the sound back up at you” so to speak. Different drums and materials sound different, you just have to experiment. Both heads tuned the same might sound good on a tom from one kit, but it might have too much resonance if it’s the same size tom from a kit made from a different material.

If you want to tune by notes and have your toms be tuned to specific intervals (thirds, fourths, fifths) buy a pitch pipe. It helps a lot and you’ll know that your heads will be in tune every time. If not, just go with whatever sounds good to your ear. Famous drummers who do tune by their ear still end up having their drums be a specific pitch, whatever that may be, they just don’t consciously tune to that same pitch every time.. Put the heads on your toms, tune them up way tighter than you would play them, making sure the lug points are all the same pitch, and let them sit overnight. This allows the heads to stretch and properly seat themselves on the bearing edge. Next, start with the top head and go around the drum loosening the lugs, pressing on the center of the head until you reach the desired pitch. Too tight and the head feels like a table top, too loose and the head feels to floppy. Once you find the desired pitch, do the same to the bottom head.

Now here’s the cool stuff. Once the toms are tuned to the pitch you like with both heads the same, see how the whole kit sounds together. If you are getting a lot of weird overtones and snare buzz and you’ve tweaked the tuning of the drums a bit and still have a problem, here’s my suggestion.
With a pitch pipe, find what note your floor tom is tuned to on the top head. Most floor toms that I have heard seem to sound good at a “B” or “C”. If both heads are tuned to say a B, the drum will sustain a lot and feel a tad mushy. If you tune the bottom head up three notes higher (a minor third) the sustain will be a bit less, and the drum will feel about right. My point is, try tuning the bottom heads of your toms a minor third higher on the bottom. It helps to control the amount of sustain, has a pitch relationship with the top head so you don’t have dissonance between the two heads, and gives the drum some life. Now, to reduce more unwanted overtones, you should get the drums in tune with themselves. If you have 2 inch differences between your toms (i.e. 10,12,14,16) your drums will probably lend themselves to be tuned a major third (four notes) or a fourth (five notes) apart. If your toms are not 2 inches apart and configured differently, go with an interval that’s appropriate. For instance if you have 12” and 13” toms, you may want to tune them a minor third apart. If your drums are say 10”,13” and 16” like mine, try tuning in fifths.

For the record, here are the tom sizes on my kit, the heads I use and how I tune them. If nothing else, it can be a point of reference, but every drummer that has played my kit, even some famous players, have loved the way they felt and sounded.
Yamaha Maple Custom Absolute Nouveau
10x7.5 tom
13x9 tom
16x14 tom
Heads are usually coated or clear ambassadors, sometimes coated or clear emperors.
NO MUFFLING!!!
The 10” tom has the top head tuned to a “B” and the bottom head a minor third higher to a “D”. The 13” tom has the top head tuned to an “F” and the bottom head a minor third higher to a “G#”. The 16” floor tom has the top head tuned to a “B” and the bottom head a minor third higher to a “D”. They sound and feel great, no overtones or snare buzz. Please post some comments if you try this technique, or if you just want to say stuff about it. Good luck and happy tuning!!
Click to expand...

Tried this last night and I'm very pleased with the results - my set up at present has 10" / 12" and 16" floor and I've gone for Bb / F / Bb to start with.

I can't annoy the neighbours on the weekend by hitting the toms properly, so I'll have to wait until Monday to give them a proper try, but my initial feeling is good. I've got a 13" tom upstairs which I'll try adding to the setup, tuned to D, but might have to splash out on a 14" if it struggles.

I have used the drum dial previously but this seems a more "musical" way of tuning, I'll let you know what I think once I've had a better play ..
 
Oh, and for those that care about such things, I'm currently using EC2s on top of EC resos, which replaced the stock heads on a Mapex M Birch kit, so far I'm very impressed with them, the resos make the EC2s sound much deeper and fuller than the stock resos could manage.
 
Hi everyone
I have a 2004 rockstar with mahogany and innerply basswood shells. 12-13-14-16.
I just replaced the batters with coated ambassadors and last year replaced the reso with clear ambassadors.
I have read that these drums have a small tuning range, and can be difficult to tune.
My questions are;

1. do you think these shells would be best tuned the same on both heads or the reso higher with amb/amb heads?

2. the 12 inch tom sounds good at a G and it is seems choked at B flat. Should I never tighten the reso past a "A note" if I have the reso a minor 3rd higher than the batter side?

I have been reading a lot of info here, my tuning is getting better!
thanks.
 
I just had to post this bit from the MusiciansFriend web site on what one guy did with his new Pulse drum set. Pretty funny.



I got this set like 3 days before the holidays. Its ok but I put a sheet and pillow in the bass and it sounds great. I put shirts in both toms and the floor tom got a sweater and a shirt and it sounds cool. I got some SABIAN cymbals and they rock. I definately plan on replacing the tom heads ASAP. But other than a few customizations its great!!!!
 
GRUNTERSDAD said:
I just had to post this bit from the MusiciansFriend web site on what one guy did with his new Pulse drum set. Pretty funny.



I got this set like 3 days before the holidays. Its ok but I put a sheet and pillow in the bass and it sounds great. I put shirts in both toms and the floor tom got a sweater and a shirt and it sounds cool. I got some SABIAN cymbals and they rock. I definately plan on replacing the tom heads ASAP. But other than a few customizations its great!!!!
Click to expand...
...well..his drums will never be cold, I suppose. =)


Elvis
 
It seems a number of drummers have recently posted about a preference for tuning to a note, and that's fine.
In lieu of a pitch pipe, I'm re-submitting part of a post from the last page, that may interest those wanting to tune their drums to a specific note...
Elvis said:
The best tuner to use, if tuning your drums to a specific note, is a CHROMATIC tuner.
This type will show all 12 notes within the range of a single octave.
Back when I worked at the local music store, I sold a couple of drummer friends a Korg CA20 and they were very grateful, having finally found nirvana in the sound of their drums.
The Korg unit is fairly inexpensive and works very well. It's also fairly easy to use.
The CA20 has since been superceded by the CA30.
I'm not sure if that model is still in production, but last time I checked, that's what they were making.
Click to expand...

Hope anyone wanting to tune their drums to a note, finds that helpful.



Elvis
 
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I have a Gretsch Catalina Maple. I have had it for 2-3 weeks now. Currently I have the heads that came with it. I tone to the resonance, that is I tone one head until I could hear the head resonate, then the same with the lower head. In the near future I would like to by the Evans hydraulics or EC2's. I have used hydraulics in the past for school and I liked them.


I also heard that is important to tone both heads the same. It gives the lower head a longer life, I think due to less stress, don't have the exact physics why.
 
lol, I just retuned my Tama Starclassic Performer Burch/Bubinga toms like this:

1) untighten every bolt until it is about to seperate the bolt washers
2) put your fist (or for smaller toms just some fingers) in the center of the drumhead and give a little pressure so you can see the wrinkles in the drumhead
3) get rid of the wrinkles by slightly turning the bolts where the wrinkles are
4) make sure every bolt has the same tension/sound (by hitting with a drumstick the head near that bolt)

With these four steps (costed me like 10 minutes per tom) they now sound amazing! I can't stop laughing (while playing them)

hehe
 
Elvis said:
Casp3rdrummer,
A single note is made up of 12 octaves.
a CHROMATIC tuner.
This type will show all 12 octaves within the range of a single note.
Elvis
Click to expand...

just to clarify for those that may have been confused by this (i think you just mistyped, Elvis):

there are 12 pitches in the range of one octave (in western music). if you want to go further, you can say that all individual pitches generally are comprised of subharmonics and hyperharmonics that include all multiples of the particular frequency at diminishing degrees as they leave the tonic in both directions.

i hope my correction is not misconstrued as being a smartass, i just wanted to clarify and provide a bit more info.
 
WHY YOU LITTLE #%^$*&!!!! DON'T YOU EVER.....



(just kidding =) )


Shawn,

Nice catch and a good example of why I will never succeed as a professioinal proof-reader.
I did mix up the words "note" and "octave".
I've corrected that mistake in the post.


Elvis
 
Well, we're on page 11 and its been a while since I posted this, so, I'm reposting it, in case anyone has any questions concerning how to go about doing this.

As Joe Friday used to say, "just the basics"...



There's a few ways to "break in" a new head.
Over the years, I've tried various methods.
The way I'm about to describe has worked very well for me and is a much faster way of "breaking in" a head than most others:

1) Remove the old head.

2) Take a piece of cloth (old T-shirt works well) and give a quick wipe to the bearing edge, the underside of the collar and the glue ring of the new head and the underside of the hoop.

3) Place the new head on the drum and spin it on the shell.
Make sure it fits on and spins easily.
If not, return the head and get another.
If it does, continue...

4) Place the hoop on the head, insert the tension rods, tighten all rods finger tight (I like to use both hands, turning the 2 rods that are on the exact opposite sides of each other at the same time).

5) Take your tuning key and start applying tension to the head by turning the tension rods.
Use a STAR PATTERN to tension the head, so that it torques down evenly.
If you're drum is a 6 lug drum, look at the end of the drum you're working on and situate the lugs so that you have one lug looking right at you and the one opposite is looking straight away from you.
If you play "connect the dots" with the other 4 lugs, it should make a "box" shape.

6) Now imagine the face of a clock superimposed over the drum, with the number 12 being the lug looking away from you and the number 6 being the lug looking straight at you.
The rest of the numbers on the imaginary clock will be fairly close to the following lug positions;
The lug in the upper right hand side will be "2", the lug in the lower right hand side will be "4", the lug on the lower left hand side will be "8" and the lug on the upper left hand side will be "10".

7) Tighten the head down in 2 steps, or "patterns".
The first one will be:
12,6,2,8,4,10.
The second one will be:
6,12,4,10,2,8.
Repeat these patterns, in the order I just laid out, placing one complete 360 degree revolution on each rod (which I call "a turn") the first time around, then use 180 degree revolutions (which I call a "1/2 turn") there after, until you've put 3 turns on each of the tension rods.

8) At this point, the head is evenly tensioned and fairly taught.
You may have heard some cracking or "popping" at this point, and that's fine.
Place the drum on the floor with the head you're working on looking up.
Now, place the heel of one of your hands in the center of the head and give one very hard, sharp, quick push.
DON'T BE A WIMP HERE! PUT YOUR WEIGHT INTO IT!
You may have heard more cracking at this point or you may not hear more cracking at this point.
Either is fine.

9) Now pick the drum off the floor and place it on a soft surface with the end you're working on looking up.
That old T-shirt (folded) you used to wipe the drum off with in the beginning would work fine.
If your bed has a comforter on it, that would be perfect.
The soft surface will completely muffle the other head so that you only hear the head you are tuning, which brings us to...

10) Remove all of the tension from the head you're working on.
Use the star patterns I laid out in step #7, until you feel the tension on the rods get pretty slack.
By that time, you probably won't need to use the key anymore.
Keep loosening the tension until the rods are no longer tensioning the head (look for an obvious gap between the head of the rod and the hoop).

11) Start tightening down on the head again with the rods, using the star patterns I showed in step #7.
This time, you will tension the head to whatever setting gives you the sound you're looking for.
Once you start to feel a little tension on the head, start tapping it in the middle after completing each star pattern, to see if the head is tensioned where you want it.

12) Once you reach that point, stop tightening and tap on the head at each point that corressponds with a tension rod, about 1/4" in from the edge.
You can use a stick or your finger, it really doesn't matter.

13) Tap each point once and listen to the drum.

14) If you hear a nice, even sound that is the same pitch at all the points, you're finished tuning this head and you’ll need to flip the tom over and perform the same procedure on the other head.
The head is now tuned to where you want it to be and it should hold that tuning for as long as you want it to. At this point, with each head sounding good on its own, you can skip to step #21.

15) IF you hear a "wobbly" or "uneven" sound coming from some of those points, then the head is not tensioned evenly.
The sound you're hearing is known as distortion and is caused by the head creating several dissonant frequencies at once, due to the fact that it's seeing different tension in different spots of the head.
Dissonant frequencies are ones that do not harmonize with each other, thus resulting in the distorted sound you hear.

16) At this point, you'll need to "fine tune" the head.

17) Check around the head and see if that distorted sound isn't more prevelent at certain points more than others.
If so, try correcting those first.

18) Correct by tightening that tension rod, slightly.
Tap on the head once, at that tension rod, and tighten the rod as the sound decays.
You shouldn't have to turn the rod more than 1/4 of turn at a time.
If you do, then stop and tap the head at the rod that is on the exact opposite side of the drum and see if you don't hear the distorted sound coming from that one.
If so, do the same thing until the sound "evens out".

19) Tap around the head again and see if the distortion is still heard.

20) If so, do the same procedure at each of those rods as well.

21) Once you have everything sounding nice and "even" pick the drum up and hold it in your hand BY THE TOM BRACKET. NEVER HOLD IT BY THE RIM (you can also cradle it in your hand, if there’s bracket on the tom).
The combination of the weight of the drum, your grip and the thickness of the hoop may be enough to throw the head "out of tune" at this point, if the drum is held by its rim.

22) Hit the middle of the drum while holding it up.

23) If it sounds "good", you're done.
If you still get that distortion, set the drum back down on the soft surface it was on and tap around the head again to see if you didn't miss anything.

24) If it sounds good, flip the drum over and tap around the edge of the other head.
Chances are it may have been out of tune and you didn't realize it until now.

25) If the distortion is heard with either head, correct those problems and perform step #22 again.

26) If, when you hold up the drum, you STILL get that distorted sound, go back and perform steps 23-25 and check the heads again.
If everything sounds good on it's own, then your heads are "out of phase" with each other (i.e., each head is tuned to a frequency that is dissonant to the other).
At this point, you'll have to pick one of those heads and retune it to a different pitch that will put the heads back "into phase".
Remember, the batter head sets the tone of the drum, the resonant head sets the amount of resonance of the drum.
The change will most likely not have to be that drastic and the sound of your drum may not change all that much.

27) Make the correction, perform step # 22 and see how the drum sounds.


...If everything sounds good, NOW you're done!

Chances are very good that you will NOT have to perform all 27 steps.
I just wanted to cover some basic problems you might encounter while trying to tune up the drum.

One of the most important points in tuning a drum, that most drummers overlook, is the "cracking" procedure.
You MUST find a way to form that head to the bearing edge, and stress the glue that may be holding the head material to the glue ring, or else you will stand a very good chance of encountering (unneccessary) problems with getting the head tuned up.
You can crank up the tension and leave it sit for a week, or use a hair dryer on it, or simply push down on the center of the head (like I do!).
Any of these procedures will form the head to the bearing edge (leaving it sit for a week works the worst, trust me on this one!).

One thing you don't wanna do is to push in on the SNARE SIDE head (that's the clear one on the bottom of the snare drum). It's too thin and doing that will leave a large depression in the head (it won't sound good).
Those heads are so thin, that you can just slap them on and tension them to where ever you like.


Hope you found this helpful.


Elvis
 
I have a problem with my two floor toms. One is a 14x14 birch yamaha stage custom and the other is a 16x16 maple mapex. My brand new 14 tom it sounds like I am hitting a inflated ball every time I hit the drum. The first thing I thought was bad heads. So i switched them out but still this pinging noise still occurs. I tried tuning the heads super tight and down super low just past the wrinkle point. I found out that even if i lay the head on the drum without tightening it at all it still makes this terrible ping. Like I said it sounds like an inflated plastic ball is being hit. The heads I have on both toms are Evans Hydrualics as my batter and Evans EC2 coated as the resonant cause i like super damp and warm. The drums are tuned how i like them but this ping just ruins it. So I am wondering whether its because there is too much air inside the drums and if i should make another hole? Any suggestions???
 
wickydeviking said:
thanks Elvis! I guess we can close this topic now ;)
Click to expand...
Oh, I don't think we have to get that drastic.
Its just, when people start asking basic tuning questions, again, in this thread, that tells me that my tutorial is too far back for anyone to bother to look, so I repost it in an effort to help them.
Its been posted in this thread probably 4 times now.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

therak,

How close is that tom to a wall and/or corner?
Is there a cymbal that sits very close to the tom, partially covering it?



Elvis
 
Looking for some general guidance here: What pitches should I be going for with these shell sizes: 12x7 rack tom, 16x14 floor, 24x18 kick, and 14x6.5 snare. They're the shallow hyperdrive toms and I'm not sure what affect that has on their fundamental or natural pitches. I'm all ears so please give your suggestions - I play basic rock, blues, funk and like a lower end out of my drums. TIA
-AV
 
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