Tom Tuning Help

Hi guys, I currently use my fathers kit, an old Ludwig (I don't know the series, maybe Rocker?) maple kit from the early-mid 80s. I have the 24x18 bass drum and the 14x5.5 Supra tuned to my liking, but apparently I am horrible at tuning toms.

The first tom is a 9x13 tom, the second tom is a 10x14 tom, and the third tom is a 16x18 floor tom. I am looking for a nice distinct metal sound, as close to say The Rev's sound from City of Evil.

I may sound noobish because I am, it probably sounds stupid that I "want that metal sound," but metal is what I enjoy playing, and I care more about the fun of playing than about the technical aspect.

Any help is GREATLY appreciated.

anthem

definitley check out the 'tom tuning' sticky - lots of good idea's, all i can say is start with finger tight on both sides, then quarter turns on the reso until you get a nice tone, repeat for the batter, the real trick is this - don't leave the toms alone once you've got them sounding good, pull them apart and repeat the process every couple of days - practice will make perfect...

Ainulindale said:

the real trick is this - don't leave the toms alone once you've got them sounding good, pull them apart and repeat the process every couple of days - practice will make perfect...

Click to expand...

Agreed, I don't know if it's from years of playing guitar or the fact that I've got a cheap kit, but I can really hear the difference when a drum is in tune and when it starts slowly going out after a few days of playing. At a minimum of once a week go through the drums and do some fine tuning. It'll make all of the difference.

Here is what I would suggest:

1. Take each drum off the mounts and turn it upside down on carpet, this deadens the batter head.
2. Tune the reso head fairly high and make sure each lug is the same pitch 1-2" from the rim, or close to it. The reso should make a nice, pure and ringy tone when tapped with your finger. This is key, the reso needs to be fairly tight and ringy or your drum will have no sustain or volume.
3. Flip the drum back over so that the reso head is deadened and tune the batter head slightly looser, but not much. Again, make sure that all the lugs sound the same when tapped 1-2" from the rim.
4. Put the drum back on the mount and give it a whack. It will likely have more ring to it than you would want for the 'metal' sound. However, this is the natural sound of the drum. At this point, tap 1-2" from each batter lug to check for ones that could still be out of tune.
5. Dampen as needed. A word of caution, though: Drums were meant to be loud, and ringy, so don't choke them with tape and dampener rings. I would suggest coated Emperors from Remo, or Coated Super 2s from Aquarian for just the right amount of dampening with tons of tone and attack. And remember, ALL SOUNDS COMING OUT OF A STUDIO ARE ENHANCED SOMEHOW!

I hope this helps some.

funny, i've been drumming for over 20 years (on and off,) and i've always had trouble with tuning. a few nights ago, i sat down with a few beers and my kit. i actually had the EVENING to tune up!! (this means nothing to those of you who aren't married or don't have kids!)
well, i started with the drums i always had trouble with...toms. rack came first. i've done the same routine i've read a thousand times, but the true difference this time? i had silence and time (and beer.) i was amazed when i actually heard the sweet spot everyone is always talking about!! i had been a little lucky in the past, but this time, i could hear and feel what kind of tuning adjustments to make. almost zen-like. loose bottom, tighter top, BOOOooom. nice! same with the floor toms. they sounded great!!

i never had trouble with my snares or kick (thankfully.) but now i know the "secret," i feel i can do no wrong!

i guess my long-winded point is, take your time. detune and retune. you know the routine of drum tuning, we've all read it. there's no "magic" to it. it's like a math problem you work at, befuddled until all of the pieces fall into place, seemingly magically. it will click. hopefully, it won't take 20 years!