hey Justin, is it possible for me to send you my tuning vid so you can see what i’m doing wrong? i followed everting you said in the video and i’m still having a trouble...
Holy shoot am I so thankful for this video. There's some good videos out there and all, but they didn't explain things as thoroughly as this one. Really appreciate it, dog.
Hi i have a question im getting this new marching snare drum its called the xymox hybrid snare drum how many times should i tune the head in a circle because i also have a pearl competitor marching snare drum and i previously had a remo white max and i tuned it in a star pattern and it went good but then i believe couple months later i wanted to tune it again way up and that didn't go well i over tuned it and the head riped so now i have an Evans hybrid white and i tuned it previously to a star pattern again and that went fine and then the sound started to go a little bit low and i finally decided to go in a circle like in your video and i felt comfortable doing that and i think i did it 10 times and nothing broke im not an expert on tuning but when i get the new snare drum how many times should I go in a circle im going to do a tiny bit of a star pattern just to get started then a circle so that im careful what's your suggestion on how many times should I go in a circle i don't want to mess anything up thank you
Hey. What do you think about the new Remo head? I think the suede max? I heard that it is super durable and it's designed to be cranked up really high and still have that soft comfy feel.
Gabriel {BYOS} I haven’t had a chance to tune one personally, but I have heard they are easy to work with and feel better than a black max. They also sound great- UW used them last season and the line had a super solid sound!
Hi! You mentioned it briefly, but you said once you have the head seated you dont have to use the star pattern, ive always heard differently. Could you explain why you can just go around in a circle? Also, sometimes when i play my drum ( especially around the outside of the head or tap my rim) theres a ringing sound. Ive tried loosening/ tightening some lugs but sometimes it can be an overwhelming ringing. Have you ever ran into this problem and do you have any suggestions? I am thankful for any replies!
Yo, sorry I'm slow getting back. For 1- I use a star pattern for my big turns. IE, if I do 720* of turn all around, I will use the star pattern to keep things balanced and all of that, and then check for a good even seat. Once I get up to maybe a 5th from where I want to be, I start just turning clockwise so I can get consistent turns at about 45-90* of turn depending on how I'm feeling. I just keep it consistent. A kevlar head won't break if you go in a circle doing small turns. I do star pattern on mylar all the way to pitch, but kevlar is so hefty that it really isn't needed and is kind of a big fallacy in high tension drum tuning IMO. I've never torn out a batter head doing small turns around the top head at the pitch I go for. Maybe someone else going higher has had other thoughts... 2- Where is the ringing coming from? Top head? Bottom? Snares? What is the pitch of the bottom head, and are your snares seated correctly? Ringing and resonance (as long as the pitch is uniform) are generally good in my boat, so maybe it's just something to get used to. Do you have a video you could share? My go to fix would be checking the bottom head tension, making sure snares aren't hitting the bearing edge, and then making sure they are tight enough-- Maybe some electrical tape to thicken it up a bit more, as well.
Justin Bales Thanks for the reply! I’ll try what you suggested first and get back to you if the problem continues. Its nice to know that if there’s a little ringing it’s okay.
Justin Bales Great! I took the bottom head back off and followed all the steps and brought it up to pitch, and a majority of the ringing is gone. I do have one more question though. If i wanted to put some tape on the bottom head, where would i put it? And would regular electrical tape work?
Sorry this is a year late, hah! Those 13” drums always gave me grief. I haven’t tuned one in years. I’m going to try to get my hands on one. The drums I was working with had white maxes on top, falams on bottom. They were always super plasticy sounding. A black max might darken the sound up a bit. Anyways- was not fond of the 13” drums in that situation. When UW band went to Shanghai, Pearl had drums for us over there so we didn’t need to fly with them. I believe we were on 13” drums. Black max on top, Mylar on bottom. Those drums sounded freaking awesome. The Mylar added some much depth to the sound, at a cost of tuning all the time. I’d imagine that it wouldn’t work super well from a longevity standpoint- We were only there for a week.
Neil Bista- generally I use a falams 2 on bottom and a black max on top. Couldn’t find the falams 2 on Lone Star, but the XT is basically interchangeable. I have used both on bottom pretty extensively. Top: www.lonestarpercussion.com/Drum-Heads/Marching-Snare-Drum-Heads/Remo-14-Inches-Black-Max-with-Technora-Snare-Batter-Head-KS-0614-00.html Bottom: www.lonestarpercussion.com/Drum-Heads/Marching-Snare-Drum-Heads/Remo-14-Inches-Falam-XT-Snare-Side-Kevlar-Head-KL1214SA.html
I tend to tune the top to feel, but right now it's at a Bb4, bottom is D5, making it a major 3rd lower than the bottom head. I didn't plan on that-- I'd guess it goes anywhere from an A4 to maybeeeee a C4 if I want a crazy amount of rebound, but I'd rather have it feel good in the A4/Bb4 Range. Evans says A and D. www.evansdrumheads.com/upload/EVBR_MPSG07_Marching_Percussion_Survival_Guide_12562.pdf Jim Casella says D on the bottom w/ same remo heads I have on, doesn't mention top pitch www.jimcasella.com/news-1/2015/2/17/tips-on-snare-tuning-and-drumline-gear Basically, I'd try a 4th and then move to a third if it isn't bright enough sounding.
Mark Ponekovic yes the general strategy would work well. I’m not sure what pitch the heads would sound best on a 13” so just try to find that high pitched resonant sweet spot! Since the 13” produces less sound you might need to play with gut tension to fill it out a bit more.
The reason im asking because i'm getting a new marching snare drum i don't know if you heard of them the xymox hybrid snare drum but that's what im getting
I’ve used all sorts of stuff to be honest. Skate wax is good, tea light candle wax gets a little chunky but is workable. Paraffin wax is a good bet. I’d just shoot for something pretty hard that doesn’t have any coloration in it and you’ll be good, honestly. I don’t buy specific products for drum maintenance, I just use what I have (that block of wax will literally be mostly there by the time we’re dead, lol), I’ll just use things I have laying around like thin bike lube for lugs, candle wax for edges, painters tape/packing tape for deadening. No real point in splurging, IMO.
Summer music rehearsals for marching band, anywhere from a couple days, to a few weeks. The “band camp” I referenced was basically just a week of 9am-5pm rehearsals.
Johnny Lo that depends on the sound you want. For me at least I would tune all the guts to the same neutral pitch (work outside strands to inside, meeting in the middle because you want them to stay semi balanced as you tune, then double check em again), and then just tighten them to where they feel similar to a guitar string tension. Put a pencil on the opposite side of the throw between the snares and head to hear the guts better. I always end up getting them sounding good and resonant right after I’ve tuned the bottom, and then end up putting a few more twists on them when I hear everyone together. The one thing I can say is don’t over tighten them to the point where the bottom head can’t resonate anymore, you’ll get a really choked sound. Compensate by keeping them looser and using tape.
Gary Gracer if you tape the guts you will want to leave the snares in the on position. If you turn the snare off it will pull the tape off, and you’ll need to put it back on. Not a huge issue- more of a minor annoyance than anything else.
They are tension screws not lugs. I’d you are attempting to teach something, you need to learn what the parts of the drum are. Your lugs are the tubes not the screws! Damn this is difficult to watch.
this is the best tuning video ever. Thanks for getting even the smallest of details, because those are what a lot of other tuning vids forget about.
Thank you! I am glad to help!
life saver! my homie told me to do the opposite... top high, bottom low. game changer! amazing video!
Thank you! Glad to help.
Justin Bales Thank you :)
hey Justin, is it possible for me to send you my tuning vid so you can see what i’m doing wrong? i followed everting you said in the video and i’m still having a trouble...
i’m in japan btw
Shoki Hirayama yeah, definitely!
I came here and 5 minutes later realized im a brass player
Now you can tune your drumline’s snares tho, so that’s tight.
I just tuned my yamaha and watched this video it sounds heavenly
Yesssss! That makes me so happy! Have fun!!!
Justin Bales thank you
Holy shoot am I so thankful for this video. There's some good videos out there and all, but they didn't explain things as thoroughly as this one. Really appreciate it, dog.
Glad to help!
"it doesnt take a lot to do a lot" BIG FAX
"That great mylar sound" 30 seconds later: "It's Kevlar"
That was before he brought it up to pitch but ya that was funny
bad joke :D
Hey its Justin Bales!
Hi i have a question im getting this new marching snare drum its called the xymox hybrid snare drum how many times should i tune the head in a circle because i also have a pearl competitor marching snare drum and i previously had a remo white max and i tuned it in a star pattern and it went good but then i believe couple months later i wanted to tune it again way up and that didn't go well i over tuned it and the head riped so now i have an Evans hybrid white and i tuned it previously to a star pattern again and that went fine and then the sound started to go a little bit low and i finally decided to go in a circle like in your video and i felt comfortable doing that and i think i did it 10 times and nothing broke im not an expert on tuning but when i get the new snare drum how many times should I go in a circle im going to do a tiny bit of a star pattern just to get started then a circle so that im careful what's your suggestion on how many times should I go in a circle i don't want to mess anything up thank you
You are a drum tuning wizard
Don’t ask me about tenor tuning, you’ll have a bad time.
Hey. What do you think about the new Remo head? I think the suede max? I heard that it is super durable and it's designed to be cranked up really high and still have that soft comfy feel.
Gabriel {BYOS} I haven’t had a chance to tune one personally, but I have heard they are easy to work with and feel better than a black max. They also sound great- UW used them last season and the line had a super solid sound!
Nice. Nice, nice.
Hi! You mentioned it briefly, but you said once you have the head seated you dont have to use the star pattern, ive always heard differently. Could you explain why you can just go around in a circle? Also, sometimes when i play my drum ( especially around the outside of the head or tap my rim) theres a ringing sound. Ive tried loosening/ tightening some lugs but sometimes it can be an overwhelming ringing. Have you ever ran into this problem and do you have any suggestions? I am thankful for any replies!
Also! I just wanted to say this is an amazing video! Most videos dont go as in depth as this one
Yo, sorry I'm slow getting back.
For 1- I use a star pattern for my big turns. IE, if I do 720* of turn all around, I will use the star pattern to keep things balanced and all of that, and then check for a good even seat. Once I get up to maybe a 5th from where I want to be, I start just turning clockwise so I can get consistent turns at about 45-90* of turn depending on how I'm feeling. I just keep it consistent. A kevlar head won't break if you go in a circle doing small turns. I do star pattern on mylar all the way to pitch, but kevlar is so hefty that it really isn't needed and is kind of a big fallacy in high tension drum tuning IMO. I've never torn out a batter head doing small turns around the top head at the pitch I go for. Maybe someone else going higher has had other thoughts...
2- Where is the ringing coming from? Top head? Bottom? Snares? What is the pitch of the bottom head, and are your snares seated correctly? Ringing and resonance (as long as the pitch is uniform) are generally good in my boat, so maybe it's just something to get used to. Do you have a video you could share? My go to fix would be checking the bottom head tension, making sure snares aren't hitting the bearing edge, and then making sure they are tight enough-- Maybe some electrical tape to thicken it up a bit more, as well.
Justin Bales Thanks for the reply! I’ll try what you suggested first and get back to you if the problem continues. Its nice to know that if there’s a little ringing it’s okay.
Josef Martinez how’s it going with the tuning?
Justin Bales Great! I took the bottom head back off and followed all the steps and brought it up to pitch, and a majority of the ringing is gone. I do have one more question though. If i wanted to put some tape on the bottom head, where would i put it? And would regular electrical tape work?
Whats the velcro tape for on the bottom rim
Cammm15 YT snare scoop.
thanks dude! can you help me with my 13 inch pearl drum? i cant seem to tune it to sound quite like that
Sorry this is a year late, hah! Those 13” drums always gave me grief. I haven’t tuned one in years. I’m going to try to get my hands on one. The drums I was working with had white maxes on top, falams on bottom. They were always super plasticy sounding. A black max might darken the sound up a bit. Anyways- was not fond of the 13” drums in that situation.
When UW band went to Shanghai, Pearl had drums for us over there so we didn’t need to fly with them. I believe we were on 13” drums. Black max on top, Mylar on bottom. Those drums sounded freaking awesome. The Mylar added some much depth to the sound, at a cost of tuning all the time. I’d imagine that it wouldn’t work super well from a longevity standpoint- We were only there for a week.
What is the link for the top and bottom head?
Neil Bista- generally I use a falams 2 on bottom and a black max on top. Couldn’t find the falams 2 on Lone Star, but the XT is basically interchangeable. I have used both on bottom pretty extensively.
Top:
www.lonestarpercussion.com/Drum-Heads/Marching-Snare-Drum-Heads/Remo-14-Inches-Black-Max-with-Technora-Snare-Batter-Head-KS-0614-00.html
Bottom:
www.lonestarpercussion.com/Drum-Heads/Marching-Snare-Drum-Heads/Remo-14-Inches-Falam-XT-Snare-Side-Kevlar-Head-KL1214SA.html
Justin Bales thanks
thanks for saying "180 turns". when other vids say a full turn, im never sure if they mean 180 or 360
Thanks man!!
What note is the top head tuned to?
I tend to tune the top to feel, but right now it's at a Bb4, bottom is D5, making it a major 3rd lower than the bottom head. I didn't plan on that-- I'd guess it goes anywhere from an A4 to maybeeeee a C4 if I want a crazy amount of rebound, but I'd rather have it feel good in the A4/Bb4 Range.
Evans says A and D.
www.evansdrumheads.com/upload/EVBR_MPSG07_Marching_Percussion_Survival_Guide_12562.pdf
Jim Casella says D on the bottom w/ same remo heads I have on, doesn't mention top pitch
www.jimcasella.com/news-1/2015/2/17/tips-on-snare-tuning-and-drumline-gear
Basically, I'd try a 4th and then move to a third if it isn't bright enough sounding.
Thanks for your help!
When I play my snare in my room, I hear a ringing sound that I don’t like. How do I get rid of the ringing sound?
@@ja.smooon get two paper towel or napkin tape them to the bottom head on the left side of snare one the right size.
Will this method work on a 13 inch marching snare
Mark Ponekovic yes the general strategy would work well. I’m not sure what pitch the heads would sound best on a 13” so just try to find that high pitched resonant sweet spot!
Since the 13” produces less sound you might need to play with gut tension to fill it out a bit more.
The reason im asking because i'm getting a new marching snare drum i don't know if you heard of them the xymox hybrid snare drum but that's what im getting
Where did you teach corps?
Cascades 2014-2016 and early tour 2017
i cant do this, i tried for an hour and couldn't get it
Hey dude if you wanna skype/FaceTime I’d be happy to help out in more detail!
Justin Bales sure, id be down for that
What wax do you use? Thanks!
I’ve used all sorts of stuff to be honest. Skate wax is good, tea light candle wax gets a little chunky but is workable. Paraffin wax is a good bet. I’d just shoot for something pretty hard that doesn’t have any coloration in it and you’ll be good, honestly.
I don’t buy specific products for drum maintenance, I just use what I have (that block of wax will literally be mostly there by the time we’re dead, lol), I’ll just use things I have laying around like thin bike lube for lugs, candle wax for edges, painters tape/packing tape for deadening. No real point in splurging, IMO.
Cork grease!
What type of stand is that
Johann Flores just a basic pearl basket stand. It came with my 4th grade bell/snare combo kit way back in the day!
Thanks
Would this work with a Yamaha?
Yup!
"I did a band camp"? Idk what that means
Summer music rehearsals for marching band, anywhere from a couple days, to a few weeks. The “band camp” I referenced was basically just a week of 9am-5pm rehearsals.
@@SEAJustinDrum I know what band camp is I just didn't understand how you said it
What note do you tune the snare strings to if you want a dci snare sound?
Johnny Lo that depends on the sound you want. For me at least I would tune all the guts to the same neutral pitch (work outside strands to inside, meeting in the middle because you want them to stay semi balanced as you tune, then double check em again), and then just tighten them to where they feel similar to a guitar string tension. Put a pencil on the opposite side of the throw between the snares and head to hear the guts better.
I always end up getting them sounding good and resonant right after I’ve tuned the bottom, and then end up putting a few more twists on them when I hear everyone together.
The one thing I can say is don’t over tighten them to the point where the bottom head can’t resonate anymore, you’ll get a really choked sound. Compensate by keeping them looser and using tape.
If you put tape on your snares is it bad to leave the snare switch permanently in the on position?
Gary Gracer if you tape the guts you will want to leave the snares in the on position. If you turn the snare off it will pull the tape off, and you’ll need to put it back on. Not a huge issue- more of a minor annoyance than anything else.
They are tension screws not lugs. I’d you are attempting to teach something, you need to learn what the parts of the drum are. Your lugs are the tubes not the screws! Damn this is difficult to watch.
lol ok
what is the attachment you have to carry your drum
It's called a snare harness.