I am a guitar player and novice drummer and audio engineer. I have always tuned drums for any drummers I play with. They have all said, how does a guitar player know how to tune drums? lololol It's about presenting the best possible sound for every instrument especially before recording. I learned even more watching this video. Thanks so much!
You are the first person I have heard say to adjust the others rather than attack the one. I have been chasing my tail for a few months and couldn't figure out why I sucked at tuning. I figured this out on my own recently and am glad I discovered the correct path but damn this could have saved me some time lol. Thanks for validating my inexperienced technique.
This video can be truly called "Drum Tuning Masterclass in 20 minutes". I recently started to learn about drum tuning and I found everything here as a ground concept. Thank you very much !
I bought the drum dial 20 years ago before youtube was popular and never really had this type of tutorial. I always tuned by toms around 70 but i always tuned the drum to the pitch of the shell so that the drums REALLY SING in live conditions. I use my stick to make the sound of the shell without heads on it. then keep that sound in mind when i tune my heads. My set sings!!!
I was able to tune my 10” and 12” toms to a tension of 76 and 75 respectively as recommended by drum dial. I then checked the pitch and I was able to make very fine small adjustments (as they were very very close to my desired key pitch) doing so evenly with two drum keys on opposite lugs simultaneously to get it to a perfect “A”for the 12 inch Tom and a perfect “D” for the 10 inch Tom - (using a tuner app on my iphone) this being a one-fourth pitch apart - great- love the full sweet even tonal sound this achieved - all of which was my goal and feel proud of this accomplishment and deeper understanding of my drum’s sound and how to tune them right - no when I strike them with the stick they make that beautiful “OM” pleasant in tune sound that I wanted. Now I’m going to tune my 14 inch floor Tom and 20” Bass drum both to tension of 74 on the drum dial tensionometer, and then do any fine tune and tweaks, using both keys at the same time on each opposite lug. At first, as I was learning, I was chasing the pitch around each lug as one did affect the other, but then learned how to do it, and then used two keys at once to even everything up and and get it right. This all works well as each drum is 2 inches apart and width, respectively to each other. Thanks Drum Dial team for all your help. - Laurence
I meant to say - compare the 10, 12 and 14 inch drums in a one-fourth pitch apart from each other. Of course the bass drum being 20” is different much lower pitch but will still get tuned to attention of 74.
Drum dial changed my life. I thought I was good at tuning by ear. Always tuned it to where I thought it “sounded good.” With the drum dial I tuned both reso and batter for toms/floor toms to 75 and they sound great. The snare batter I tuned to 86 and the reso to 82. Sounds awesome!
I've been playing since I was 12 ( now 40) always struggled with tuning. Just went out and got a drum dial. Works amazing and my kit sounds fantastic. Thank you!!
This is the most helpful video for tuning the drums. Coming from the guitar world, tuning drums is much more complex. This video and the drum dial helped me get my drums sounding so warm and clear.
This is my fav drum tuning video ever. Thanks for taking the time to explain this and for me to figure out the mistakes I’ve been making for years! Lol!
I used to dread the thought of tuning one drum, not to mention the whole kit. Since I bought this little guy my life has been sooo much easier. You`ll find those conservative drummers who`ll bash these tuners and say you should alwasy use your ears, but what kind of ear does a beginner drummer, possibly with no musical theory background have? This tool helped me develop my ears and get a perfect drum sound. Can`t recommend it enough! One thing to have in mind tho, is you have to be sure that your bearing edge is even, the drum shell is perfectly round and your hoops are not bent. If any of those happen, the Dial can give you false results.
I like to tune "by ear" and then use the drum dial to document successes after I'm happy with the sound I find. I also consider the pitch of the wooden shell and try to get my Reso head to agree with that.
B: I tune the reso a minor third higher than the batter head. My mentor/instructor was a phenomenal percussionist and taught me this method. I feel my vintage ludwig will take to this tuning very easily and will not need internal/external muffling to moderate the sustain.
Greetings from Helsinki, Finland and thanks for a thorough video ! After playing 45 years rock/blues/pop/country I'm still looking for that perfect sound for each style. I used to tune my reso heads a bit higher than batter, but now I have changed my mind: the past years I have watched dozens of videos on tuning drums and now I do the opposite. I love vintage style of drums and they usually sound best when the reso head is a bit looser and the bass drum boomy with no port hole and no muffling besides felt strips. I use coated Ambassadors on every drum and on both sides.
My drum dial live in my gig case. Wonderful thing when setting up in a loud venue to make sure my sound is consistent from gig to gig. I have both my heads the same pitch by the way.
I'm opposite, I tune the reso to the lower end of where the drum "sings" then I tune the batter head to a higher pitch that feels good under the stick. I think the keys, in this order, are 1) getting the reso at the pitch you want, 2) getting both heads tuned to themselves, i.e. even around the drum so there aren't weird harmonics, and 3) getting the top head at a comfortable tension that activates the rest of the system and feels good to play on. But it's mostly preference at the end of the day!
Great explanation on tuning toms. As a studio owner and engineer I prefere single ply heads to obtain a more lively sound. I do like the 12" tom at around 75 also my 13" tom is slightly lower. I like having both single ply heads on my 13" tom clear. Creates a really nice lower sound with good attack.
Wonderful video! I agree with everything you do. I personally prefer the B - higher pitched reso tuning for my style of light jazz playing. Many years ago, I learned that rubbing the drawer runners in furniture with candle wax was a fantastic wood lube that was better than bar soap or any kind of petroleum base lube. I've used this on my drum bearing edges lightly when replacing heads. Also, I use a teflon base lube on the lug screws so there is no friction with steel-on-steel. This makes the initial finger tightening so much easier with maximum feedback and knowing that the head tension is actually what I feel instead of the friction of the bearing edge or lug screws.
"Tuning Up into a note". SO glad you mentioned that. It's more the mechanics of the mechanism (not to sound utterly redundant.. Lol) but whether guitar, drums, or Zebraphone., it's simply the nature of the beast. *Also as with the jazz player you mentioned, tuning for effect has many uses as well. The only steadfast rule I apply to art, music, etc.. as long as it is somehow pleasing, or better yet, Exciting, there is no wrong tuning. ... Unless they make a sound you would hear if you took a plastic spatula and smacked a steamy pile of dog mess. GO TEAM!
I've always been a higher pitched reso guy, but after 42 years on the drums, I have something new to consider. I've owned a drum dial for several years, but have never really used it. I think I'll dig it out and do some investigating .. thanks
Great video! I find one thing interesting when compared to other videos. I’ve seem multiple instructions on tuning pattern. One, tune across then move one clockwise, another tune across then skip one or two lugs (depending on number of lugs) counterclockwise, and here two across simultaneously the rotating one after the other clockwise. It’s confusing to know which is best/right, but gotta say the two key method really makes sense to me for initial tune, then dial for consistency, then fine tuning by ear. Yep, best process to me! Nicely done! 😎👍🏻
I do what he does, it works! Both my vista Lite, (Ludwig), and my DW Classic natural finish. I think his video is very well done and true to my experience. Remo heads..
I have my rack toms tuned to the drum and my floor toms tuned down for that metal thump. Batters and reso heads the same pitch. Great video! A lot of people have trouble hearing the difference in tone when checking the lugs for consistency. Took me a little while too.
Excellent tutorial, bookmarked. As one who is *very* hawkish about drum tuning, the 2 key idea is awesome. My tuning is based on what gave the best "ring" for each of my particular drums; from which by happenstance I composed a melodic drum song while farting around, further fine-tuning it for the song, which I have since used to tune the kit. Not even sure what notes they are, but I suspect they are natural, rather than even-tempered intervals. As for the top and bottom heads, my kit (which is c. 1970s) has no bottom heads, giving a tribal sound that is a personal signature; but when playing a kit that does, I tune the top and bottom to the same note, usually the bottom an octave down.
Thank you Andrew, we will be posting more in the coming weeks. This video teaching series will all focus on drum tuning tips and ear training all in the same video style.
I used to be same pitch top and bottom 24/7 for years and years. Discovered tuning bottom head a minor 3rd above batter has a very pleasing, rich sound - it's a bit more complex than same pitch tuning, but again more pleasing fuller sound (like tow voices singing together that blend well. I did not go back.
A: for the obvious reason of sustain especially on floor toms and if too much sustain on the low drums a touch of moon gel to take it away. Even on the snare to get that bellowing bottom end. Nice tutorial btw.
I feel like Im a "B" guy for the most part, and go for a mellow boing sound, but I think its tougher to get that great tuned 'boing' than to go equal on both sides. This video has me wanting to experiment more. I love my drumdial, and its useful to help check myself as my ears grow older and less reliable. Excellently done!
What a fabulous video. I'll be sharing with every drummer I know. Thank you for sharing your significant expertise! Can't wait to get home today and get to it.
I use A most of the time on toms,and floor toms.Never owned one of these drum dials although at 66 years old it's beginning to get harder tunning. I might just have to pick one up.Thank you for the great demo.
David I am 67 and a few years ago I bought a dial to see what I had been doing for 55 years.. Great tool with the obvious finishing touch of the human ear.
Very useful video! For a few years i've been using a higher reso on bottom in order to down the resonance, but after watching your video I'll try to tune like you suggested. That tom sounded beautyfully! All the best 👊
This was great! Thanks guys. I adore my drums and always been so weak at tuning them, even though I need out about it. Drum dial has helped me SO much and now love and appreciate videos like this even more! Can’t wait to get back in the studio 👌🏼
Recently I´ve tried a maj 3th on the hi tom (batter the tonic and a 3th up on the reso) and a perfect 4th on the floor tom, with an interval of a 5th between them. It worked out very well for live situation. Very cool video, and useful information!
Great video Victor, thank you so much. This has helped me get my Pearl Masters sounding so much better and I really appreciate it. All the best to you and DrumDial.
Also, you're saying to match the pitch top and bottom. On other drum dial tuning videos, they say to tune to the same tension top and bottom. This will make the reso head higher than the batter. About how man tics lower should the reso be than the batter to get the same pitch?
I like my reso a little higher. I tap the shell and try to get the reso close to that . And tune the top to suit. I haven't used a drumdial before but I would like to try it. Thanks for the useful info and vid. 👍
We should have added the spectrum and note values. See our tom tuning video (#2 in the series) for note displays also. Head thickness will drop the note up or down depending on 2 ply and thinner snare side heads.
What a great video. Thank you so much for this. Ive played DW for years and i recently bought a Sonor SQ1 and im still having a bass drum problem. I get beater slap. Im trying to get that feel of the beater not resonating on the head. That dead thud feel. Even using an Evans EMAD it still does it
Is the reso head ported? That should normally solve your issue. If it is ported and the beater is still dribbling, you’ll need to tune your batter head down. Good luck and congrats with your SQ1!
Excellent vid, thank you! I have a DD and used it lots when learning. I use it much less now, but I like how you use it to objectively get close, then set it aside for fine-ear-tuning. And I've always noticed the excellent sounds on Drumeo vids. Toms, I have historically preferred equal pitch, except I find it sings slightly better if the reso is the tiniest bit higher, like a half step or less. Seems weird, maybe I'm hearing it funny. I figure it's because when you strike the batter head, the impact pressure raises the pitch on it just a smidge for that moment. I have more recently experimented with the resos ~a perfect 4th higher than the batter, and that has a nice tone and sustain too. Sometimes if a drum isn't behaving the way I want with equal pitch, that change can help. This ends up being more or less in line with the theory and method championed by iDrumTune.
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@@DrumDial Haha!! You Rock!! Thanks Greatly!! ( I'm actually building a snare drum currently.. This would just be awesome to have. "These plans will not fall into the hands of the Empire"! and are truly appreciated. My brain is full of snare bed calculations.. well, That, and Gummy Bears. Cheers!! Stay well!!!!!!!! (and Thanks again! :)
I just bought a DrumDial, after a few years of struggling with the idea of whether I needed one. So I have one now, and I am experimenting on a few different toms. The only problem for me, that many drummer won't encounter, is that Mapex Sonic Saver hoops are rolled in. I can't just set the DrumDial down at the rim with the guide. I either have to pick up at an angle and pull away or slide it away just a bit. But the only problem is, the DrumDial is heavy and can embed a round silhouette of the bass of the tool etched onto the head now. But that's only a problem for clear batter and resonant heads. My batter heads are powder coated. Other than that, it seems to work fine.
Thank you, the edge gage distance is 3/4 inch. Any small spacer will work. The main thing is to maintain an equal distance from the edge. Tissue paper under the base can prevent any scuffing while tuning. Scuff marks will not effect the sound.
Great tutorial, thank you! Could you recommend settings for the 10", 12", and 16" toms configuration? I'm specifically interested in the relation bewtween 12" and 16" tom. Music style - Rock, low tuning preferred :) My set is DW performance, batter heads - evans 2ecs, reso - remo single ply 10mil. Your advice would be much appreciated :)
10" 77 top batter 77 bottom resonant 12" 75 top batter 75 bottom resonant 16" 74 top batter 74 bottom resonant These settings will work well for you, with plenty of note spacing between the toms.
ive got evans torgue key I;m sure most of drummer are familiar with .but wouldn't it work as good as drumdial?except from not telling you the numbers? torgue key got setting wheel to give you an idea where you are(only if you want to set lets say tom same way)or snare every time you change the head
Excellent question! No, a torque wrench or torque type key measures tension rod torque, not drum head tension. It can only get you close. Plating on the threads, thread tolerances, rust or dirt and lubrication affect the torque. High spots in the bearing edge cannot be detected with a torque wrench. DrumDial measures the tension directly from the drum head, bypassing the tension rod inconsistence's completely.
C. Lower Pitched Reso. I am using 77 on top and 67 on bottom with my drum dial. Let me know if I should bring my reso up to 70. But it sounds darn good. I have 10" and 12" DW Collector series Maple shells
If you are happy with the sound, do not change your settings. For a slightly higher pitch, increase the resonant head to 70 or higher for more sustain.
@@DrumDial Victor. I just spent time today and tweaked my Toms. I have Evans G2 Coated on top and Evans black single ply on the bottom. I got the Tome perfectly now. 10" and 12" - Top 76. Bottom 72. 16" Floor- Top 76, Bot 76. Wow they all sound great now. This is amazing 40 years of doing this by ear and always wondering if the lugs are all exact. Now with the Drum dial, no more thinking and wondering I can sleep at night not wondering. This is Soooo cool. So much fun being precise on each lug. Thank you Thank you Thank you for making a drum tuner that is so precise and easy to use. OMG so happy now
Great video!! I’ve own quite a few kits. Each drum has its own personality when tuning. I’ve had some tom-toms produce a nice and full pitch when both heads were tuned alike at a certain tension. On others, I’ve achieved this tone where the reso was substantially lower that the batter… I tell people to experiment; because, what one 12” drum sounds good at is often different from another.
I'm trying out a higher batter with a lower reso now (on the toms). I immensely like the projection, attack, and tone intensity, but I get many irritating dissonant overtones. I was meticulous with the head equalisation, but I'm considering buying your product to gauge myself. Also, could the overtones be generated by the head relationship, which has quite a big gap (I went for batter 1.5 times higher in pitch [Hz] than the reso), and not by the heads being unequal? Every shell has its own sweet spot, after all. Next time, I'll try your approach, first bringing the heads to equal pitch and adjusting them based on the sound and specific goals later. Thank you for the video.
Mike, excellent question! If the sound is where you want it, but the drums have more sustain than you like (or ringing), the only options are muffling slightly with gels or dead ringers. We suggest starting with a minimal amount of dampening and adding from there.
Im going to try the cotton wool bud muffling technique.... basically get about 4 cotton wool buds inside your toms and they land on the reso inside every strike. Apparently subtles the overtones whilst making no noise.
funny you mentioned the bottom head 70s thing. When i started playing drums ten years ago i was in love with Robert Wyatts drum tone on Soft Machine III and had been chasing it for years. Last year I was reading an interview with Milford Graves and he was talking about how he doesnt use bottom heads because of loves that archaic, traditional, african tone on his toms. That got me inspired to experiment l, so i cut out my reso heads, leaving an inch around the hoop for stability and to give the hardware something to hold onto. When i started to play them after tuning them up, whamo!! I was as close to that tone that i had been chasing for a decade. and now i also dont need to tune reso heads on my toms 😅 thanks for the guide tho! Just bough some Evans calftones today and prepping to re-skin my kit. p.s. any interval ideas for a 12" rack tom, 13" snare, 14" floor tom?
For single head toms (also concert toms) you can tune all three drums to the same tension for single note intervals. Tune to 2 tics apart for larger intervals up to a 4th apart.
I've always had a pitch issue with tuning drums. In the example here, where he's tuning the tom, I hear two notes, but he's tuning it using the higher frequency note, rather than the low overtone which seems to be a "4th" away in difference to the other. How does one tell if the listener is going to hear the higher or lower tone? Also, how does one tune the tom with the two noticeable notes, in conjunction with the rest of the kit, in which each drum will have it's own main note and overtone to deal with? It all has to come together sonically or it'll all sound off. One drum can spoil the whole overall sound of the kit.
Excellent question! When tapping the edge of the drum head, we hear the principal tone and then, the 5th above. Tapping the center of the drum gives us the fundamental (overall) tone of any drum. To get the drum in tune with itself, we suggest tuning to the principal tone, but it can be difficult for the untrained ear. DrumDial helps, by getting the drum in tune with itself, by matching the head tension at each tuning point. From there, the note choice is up to you. We suggest the midrange of each tom as a very good starting point (74-76 on the DrumDial).
The video can be translated to Spanish by clicking video settings (gear symbol) in the lower right of the video and selecting subtitles/cc , Auto-translate, Spanish.
what is/was the name of the chapstick you used on your drum? I have watched the clip over & over again multiple times & have NEVER ONCE caught the name of the chapstick you used on the drum head... I appreciate the time you take/took to answer my question. tips a glass of fine Scotch to you for your time to answer this question for myself.CHEERS!!!!
absolutely right always tune up thats why they call it tune up it holds the tension because your actually ratcheting down tightening the bolt to the rim never loosen causes warbles
Being I play either old school prog rock or metal, I tune the batter slightly higher than the reso. Not much. (I used to do the opposite, but like the pitch bend better with a higher batter). Example: with the snare, I tune the batter a wee bit higher than the reso -- *85B* to *81R* with the drum dial -- a low tuning. I like a dry punchy sound, mostly. My toms are the same but in the upper 70's, depending on the tom size.
a) how do you decide what PSI to test for, and b) I noticed you didn't get a tuner out there, but a lot of drummers I respect talk about tuning to notes in the key of the song you'll be recording. I'd love to know your thoughts on that and if so, what tool(s) do you recommend to tune to a specific pitch?
DrumDial comes with a tuning chart. We usually tune to the midrange of the toms for the best sound (between 74-76 on the DrumDial). You can use a guitar tuner (or chromatic tuner) to find the note by lightly tapping the tom in the center of the head. Ear training is important for tuning to specific notes and DrumDial can help by giving you a visual of the head tensions at each lug to get the drum in tune with itself. That way, you can get an accurate center head pitch or fundamental note of the drum.
Drumdial, what if you tune the heads tight and then re-tune lower , are the Heads Over Stretched which will affect that head ? I seek that Doooo.... Doooooo. sound that Jared indicates in his tuning video. THX so much for time to make this and your contributions.
It is OK to tighten / loosen and then tune up to your desired tension for top batter heads, but is not necessary for bottom resonant heads. The edge conditioner shown in video is DrumDial Bearing Edge conditioner. Greases build up and deaden the sound at the edge. Lithium etc. can harm some heads.
Thank you, this was very helpful to me, and how to tune the toms. I’m thinking about buying one of the drum dial tensionometer’s. I prefer to have the top and bottom heads be equal in pitch as close as possible agreeing with the two ply for the battle ahead on the one ply for the resonant head. Q: - part A My question is in regard to the pitch. you had mentioned that each drum should be a fourth pitch apart when the Tom’s are 2 inches consecutively from each other, going up in size size - which which mine are I have a 10 12, and 14 with a 20 inch bass drum So, what is the tuning pitch that they should typically be and is it better to tune from the smallest drum first or the floor, Tom first? so for hypothetical sense let’s say the the 12 inch second time is in the pitch key of “C” - does that mean the number 110 inch Tom would be in the pitch o “ G” as an example. Q: part B once you get all the Tom’s in tune, do you then go back and check pitch and slowly adjust each leg until you get each time to be in the correct pitch. Thanks a lot. Laurence
Hi Lawrence! Excellent questions. Set the tension on each drum and it will naturally be about a fourth apart for a nice downward sound progression with good stick response. A good starting point for your drums is: 10 76 top batter 76 bottom resonant 12 75 top batter 75 bottom resonant 14 74 top batter 74 bottom resonant 20 bass drum 74 kick batter and 74 front resonant Yes, you are correct, the 12" tom would be about a fourth lower than the 10" tom and the same between the 12 and 14. Once your drums are in tune with themselves, it is OK to tune up or down for a higher or lower pitch. If you tighten or loosen a drum by one or two tic marks on the dial, be sure to do the same for the other drums.
Great video thank you, I'm getting a drum dial when I get a new kit and getting extra toms, could you please recommend what would be the best tuning. Thank you SONOR AQ2 MARTINI SET Snare Drum: 12" x 5" Tom Tom: 8" x 7" Tom Tom: 10" x 7" Tom Tom: 12" x 8" Floor Tom: 13" x 12" Floor Tom: 14" x 13" Bass drum 14" x 13"
I would think as the batter head lower and the reso higher because the reso is traditionally stretched a lot more because it is a lot more thin than the batter, but I would think of the batter as a low e string and the reso as the high e string
Toms have a range of between 70 and 80 on the DrumDial. Much lower than 70 and the head will sound like hitting paper. Much higher than 80 and the drum will start to into the snare drum range (timbale, bell sound). The midrange of most toms is between 74 to 76.
When using the 2 drum key method for 5 lug drums, tighten 2 & 3 at the same time, then 4 & 5 at the same time and then tighten lug 1 by itself. See the 5 lug tuning pattern here: www.drumdial.com/how-to-use/drum-tuning-patterns/
@@DrumDial thank you for the quick reply. I've been wondering if the drum dial is worth buying and I'm starting to think it is. I have trouble finding the right sound for my cheaper poplar wood drum set.
For the most sustain, tune to the same pitch. A very good starting point. We usually tune the thinner batter head to the same tension as the thicker batter head for medium sustain with more attack.
I got a drumdial and I'm loving it! It's making setting up so much quicker. It got an old collarlock set sounding amazing! I had a question though too, I picked up a vintage slingerland set, and it has some odd shell sizes; 12x8, 13x9, 16x16, 22x14. On toms and snare I'm using Aquarian modern vintage medium, coated 10mil single ply batters, reso's are classic clear 10mil single ply (snare side is 3mil), kick is Evans emad2 clear batter with Aquarian modern vintage medium as the kick reso. From your experience, what would you recommend? Thanks!
Great video! Does anybody have any quick tricks for taming an extremely resonant 16inch floor tom? I really like the open sound of the smaller toms, and they have a natural sounding decay, but with the 16 when I tune the same way as my smaller toms the 16 rings FOREVER. Like, literally 5+ seconds. And In a live setting I have to use a gate to cut the sound off or it creates a nasty low-end feedback hum as the heads on the 16 are excited by outside sources. It's possible that this particular drum is just like that, since I've tried a handful of things but I'm not ready to give up on it and resort to that just below resonance "flappy" top head trick (or slapping tons of tape on it) just yet!
For less sustain, you can do a few things: detune the bottom head slightly, or add some gels to the top head, or add a dampening ring (Rem O's or internal foam muffle ring) or try an oil filled head (Evans Hydraulic etc.). All of these will help. The easiest is to dampen the top head with a gel (Moon gel , Drum dots etc.)
Late reply but...I had the same issue. I read this and was leary but tried it anyway. Pick a number of "cotton balls" ranging from 4-10. I prefer 4, and 10 takes out too much sustain. Wad them gently into a ball. Drop into your shell onto the inside top of your reso. Install batter head. Before setting your floor tom in place angle it momentarily to cause the ball to sit on the reso WHILE touching the shell. 2. Second item: Pearl Isolation Mounts. 3 rubber teardrops you mount on your Tom feet, approx $20. Now I have that low deep resonant "boom" of early Carole King recordings and instead of selling my floor toms, they are the best sounding on my kit. Best of luck.
I am a guitar player and novice drummer and audio engineer. I have always tuned drums for any drummers I play with. They have all said, how does a guitar player know how to tune drums? lololol It's about presenting the best possible sound for every instrument especially before recording. I learned even more watching this video. Thanks so much!
You are the first person I have heard say to adjust the others rather than attack the one. I have been chasing my tail for a few months and couldn't figure out why I sucked at tuning. I figured this out on my own recently and am glad I discovered the correct path but damn this could have saved me some time lol. Thanks for validating my inexperienced technique.
This video can be truly called "Drum Tuning Masterclass in 20 minutes".
I recently started to learn about drum tuning and I found everything here as a ground concept.
Thank you very much !
I bought the drum dial 20 years ago before youtube was popular and never really had this type of tutorial. I always tuned by toms around 70 but i always tuned the drum to the pitch of the shell so that the drums REALLY SING in live conditions. I use my stick to make the sound of the shell without heads on it. then keep that sound in mind when i tune my heads. My set sings!!!
I was able to tune my 10” and 12” toms to a tension of 76 and 75 respectively as recommended by drum dial. I then checked the pitch and I was able to make very fine small adjustments (as they were very very close to my desired key pitch) doing so evenly with two drum keys on opposite lugs simultaneously to get it to a perfect “A”for the 12 inch Tom and a perfect “D” for the 10 inch Tom - (using a tuner app on my iphone) this being a one-fourth pitch apart - great- love the full sweet even tonal sound this achieved - all of which was my goal and feel proud of this accomplishment and deeper understanding of my drum’s sound and how to tune them right - no when I strike them with the stick they make that beautiful “OM” pleasant in tune sound that I wanted.
Now I’m going to tune my 14 inch floor Tom and 20” Bass drum both to tension of 74 on the drum dial tensionometer, and then do any fine tune and tweaks, using both keys at the same time on each opposite lug.
At first, as I was learning, I was chasing the pitch around each lug as one did affect the other, but then learned how to do it, and then used two keys at once to even everything up and and get it right.
This all works well as each drum is 2 inches apart and width, respectively to each other.
Thanks Drum Dial team for all your help. - Laurence
I meant to say - compare the 10, 12 and 14 inch drums in a one-fourth pitch apart from each other. Of course the bass drum being 20” is different much lower pitch but will still get tuned to attention of 74.
@@DrummerLP FINALLY! a drummer who agrees that 10=D, 12=A. (generally)
Drum dial changed my life. I thought I was good at tuning by ear. Always tuned it to where I thought it “sounded good.” With the drum dial I tuned both reso and batter for toms/floor toms to 75 and they sound great. The snare batter I tuned to 86 and the reso to 82. Sounds awesome!
Do you tune each Tom to 75 and let the diameter of each drum determine its pitch?
Yes. As of now I tune the floor tom batter heads 74 and the reso to 73.
I've been very against the drum dial,but I've always wanted to try one ....any other insight?
@@NintenDub it makes it easier to get mostly in tune and you do the fine tuning by ear
Higher pitched reso . Useuly medium tone on top
I've been playing since I was 12 ( now 40) always struggled with tuning. Just went out and got a drum dial. Works amazing and my kit sounds fantastic. Thank you!!
This is the most helpful video for tuning the drums. Coming from the guitar world, tuning drums is much more complex. This video and the drum dial helped me get my drums sounding so warm and clear.
This is my fav drum tuning video ever. Thanks for taking the time to explain this and for me to figure out the mistakes I’ve been making for years! Lol!
I used to dread the thought of tuning one drum, not to mention the whole kit. Since I bought this little guy my life has been sooo much easier. You`ll find those conservative drummers who`ll bash these tuners and say you should alwasy use your ears, but what kind of ear does a beginner drummer, possibly with no musical theory background have? This tool helped me develop my ears and get a perfect drum sound. Can`t recommend it enough!
One thing to have in mind tho, is you have to be sure that your bearing edge is even, the drum shell is perfectly round and your hoops are not bent. If any of those happen, the Dial can give you false results.
I liked this ❤😊 stay cool 😎
I like to tune "by ear" and then use the drum dial to document successes after I'm happy with the sound I find. I also consider the pitch of the wooden shell and try to get my Reso head to agree with that.
B: I tune the reso a minor third higher than the batter head. My mentor/instructor was a phenomenal percussionist and taught me this method. I feel my vintage ludwig will take to this tuning very easily and will not need internal/external muffling to moderate the sustain.
Greetings from Helsinki, Finland and thanks for a thorough video !
After playing 45 years rock/blues/pop/country I'm still looking for that perfect sound for each style. I used to tune my reso heads a bit higher than batter, but now I have changed my mind: the past years I have watched dozens of videos on tuning drums and now I do the opposite. I love vintage style of drums and they usually sound best when the reso head is a bit looser and the bass drum boomy with no port hole and no muffling besides felt strips. I use coated Ambassadors on every drum and on both sides.
I love my digital drum dial. Thanks for the video! 20 years and learning new tricks every day.
My drum dial live in my gig case. Wonderful thing when setting up in a loud venue to make sure my sound is consistent from gig to gig. I have both my heads the same pitch by the way.
I’ve always done higher reso. Just bought a new kit that will be here in a couple days. I’m going to try same pitch for batter and reso.
I'm opposite, I tune the reso to the lower end of where the drum "sings" then I tune the batter head to a higher pitch that feels good under the stick. I think the keys, in this order, are 1) getting the reso at the pitch you want, 2) getting both heads tuned to themselves, i.e. even around the drum so there aren't weird harmonics, and 3) getting the top head at a comfortable tension that activates the rest of the system and feels good to play on.
But it's mostly preference at the end of the day!
Great explanation on tuning toms. As a studio owner and engineer I prefere single ply heads to obtain a more lively sound. I do like the 12" tom at around 75 also my 13" tom is slightly lower. I like having both single ply heads on my 13" tom clear. Creates a really nice lower sound with good attack.
Always done A: equal, because Simon Phillips said, and if anyone should know about tuning toms, it's Simon!
Wonderful video! I agree with everything you do. I personally prefer the B - higher pitched reso tuning for my style of light jazz playing.
Many years ago, I learned that rubbing the drawer runners in furniture with candle wax was a fantastic wood lube that was better than bar soap or any kind of petroleum base lube. I've used this on my drum bearing edges lightly when replacing heads. Also, I use a teflon base lube on the lug screws so there is no friction with steel-on-steel. This makes the initial finger tightening so much easier with maximum feedback and knowing that the head tension is actually what I feel instead of the friction of the bearing edge or lug screws.
the best tuto drum tuning i've seen...thank you
"Tuning Up into a note". SO glad you mentioned that. It's more the mechanics of the mechanism (not to sound utterly redundant.. Lol) but whether guitar, drums, or Zebraphone., it's simply the nature of the beast. *Also as with the jazz player you mentioned, tuning for effect has many uses as well. The only steadfast rule I apply to art, music, etc.. as long as it is somehow pleasing, or better yet, Exciting, there is no wrong tuning. ... Unless they make a sound you would hear if you took a plastic spatula and smacked a steamy pile of dog mess. GO TEAM!
I've always been a higher pitched reso guy, but after 42 years on the drums, I have something new to consider. I've owned a drum dial for several years, but have never really used it. I think I'll dig it out and do some investigating .. thanks
Great video! I find one thing interesting when compared to other videos. I’ve seem multiple instructions on tuning pattern. One, tune across then move one clockwise, another tune across then skip one or two lugs (depending on number of lugs) counterclockwise, and here two across simultaneously the rotating one after the other clockwise. It’s confusing to know which is best/right, but gotta say the two key method really makes sense to me for initial tune, then dial for consistency, then fine tuning by ear. Yep, best process to me! Nicely done!
😎👍🏻
I do what he does, it works! Both my vista Lite, (Ludwig), and my DW Classic natural finish. I think his video is very well done and true to my experience. Remo heads..
I have my rack toms tuned to the drum and my floor toms tuned down for that metal thump. Batters and reso heads the same pitch. Great video! A lot of people have trouble hearing the difference in tone when checking the lugs for consistency. Took me a little while too.
Excellent tutorial, bookmarked. As one who is *very* hawkish about drum tuning, the 2 key idea is awesome. My tuning is based on what gave the best "ring" for each of my particular drums; from which by happenstance I composed a melodic drum song while farting around, further fine-tuning it for the song, which I have since used to tune the kit. Not even sure what notes they are, but I suspect they are natural, rather than even-tempered intervals.
As for the top and bottom heads, my kit (which is c. 1970s) has no bottom heads, giving a tribal sound that is a personal signature; but when playing a kit that does, I tune the top and bottom to the same note, usually the bottom an octave down.
Best recording video I have seen. I have played for years and always struggle with tuning. I can’t wait to implement these techniques. Thank you dude!
Thank you Andrew, we will be posting more in the coming weeks. This video teaching series will all focus on drum tuning tips and ear training all in the same video style.
I used to be same pitch top and bottom 24/7 for years and years. Discovered tuning bottom head a minor 3rd above batter has a very pleasing, rich sound - it's a bit more complex than same pitch tuning, but again more pleasing fuller sound (like tow voices singing together that blend well. I did not go back.
So glad I found this Now to apply it to my set. I just thought I was tuning. This clarifies how the drum actually works. Thank you
TOP ! Many Thanks !! Best greetings from Austria in MiddleEurope 🥁 !!!
I always wondered why when tensioning a lug that the other side raised pitch. Im absolutely getting a drum dial this week!.
Useful information. 0:00 and 0:07 are both good sounds depending on what you want.
it's C, 75 batter, 72 reso for a 12x10 :-) drumdial is great.
Wow. That reso head is tuned so well that I can hear it sympathetically ring as he talks. I am wearing headphones but still....that's amazing.
B Lower Pitched Reso.. Thank for the lesson..
Great information here! Thanks!
Learn something new everyday , thankyou .
Although I haven’t tried the drum dial, I have recently been tuning both heads to match the frequency of the shell.
This is such a great video! Thank you for going through the time to walk us through this!
One follow up question for you is do you equate a note to a drum dial number on a given diameter drum?
No, to many head choices. We started a conversion chart, but found it to be many pages long and it changed as new heads were introduced.
I also check the pitch of the naked shell and tune the reso head to that note or a harmonic of it.
How do you check the pitch of the shell? Do you tap the shell with stick? Never seen that done.
A: for the obvious reason of sustain especially on floor toms and if too much sustain on the low drums a touch of moon gel to take it away. Even on the snare to get that bellowing bottom end. Nice tutorial btw.
Collaboration is art!
I feel like Im a "B" guy for the most part, and go for a mellow boing sound, but I think its tougher to get that great tuned 'boing' than to go equal on both sides. This video has me wanting to experiment more. I love my drumdial, and its useful to help check myself as my ears grow older and less reliable. Excellently done!
What a fabulous video. I'll be sharing with every drummer I know. Thank you for sharing your significant expertise! Can't wait to get home today and get to it.
Excellent video.
Drum Dial is great product, no matter which way you decide to use it!
Reso a third or a forth higher than batter! Nice tuning video!
I use A most of the time on toms,and floor toms.Never owned one of these drum dials although at 66 years old it's beginning to get harder tunning. I might just have to pick one up.Thank you for the great demo.
David I am 67 and a few years ago I bought a dial to see what I had been doing for 55 years.. Great tool with the obvious finishing touch of the human ear.
Very useful video! For a few years i've been using a higher reso on bottom in order to down the resonance, but after watching your video I'll try to tune like you suggested. That tom sounded beautyfully! All the best 👊
This was great! Thanks guys. I adore my drums and always been so weak at tuning them, even though I need out about it. Drum dial has helped me SO much and now love and appreciate videos like this even more! Can’t wait to get back in the studio 👌🏼
7:00 - 8:00 I don’t know if I heard the name of the product once in that sales pitch, just a solid 60 seconds of mysterious endorsement 🤣
DrumDial Bearing Edge Conditioner.
ruclips.net/video/OLdMFijfGHw/видео.html
Recently I´ve tried a maj 3th on the hi tom (batter the tonic and a 3th up on the reso) and a perfect 4th on the floor tom, with an interval of a 5th between them. It worked out very well for live situation. Very cool video, and useful information!
Thanks for the intervals on your toms! Will give that a try here at the shop.
thanks man! amaizing stuff
Great video Victor, thank you so much. This has helped me get my Pearl Masters sounding so much better and I really appreciate it. All the best to you and DrumDial.
Awesome video! Would love to see a video on snare tuning! Maybe even include a full tuned kit.
Will do!
Also, you're saying to match the pitch top and bottom. On other drum dial tuning videos, they say to tune to the same tension top and bottom. This will make the reso head higher than the batter. About how man tics lower should the reso be than the batter to get the same pitch?
2 to 3 tics lower for a single ply bottom head and a 2 ply top batter head.
Ok thanks! Just bought new reso heads for my kit. Will be trying this method out. Looking forward to more videos.
I like my reso a little higher. I tap the shell and try to get the reso close to that . And tune the top to suit.
I haven't used a drumdial before but I would like to try it.
Thanks for the useful info and vid. 👍
You know…I’ve always known you should tune opposing lugs (star pattern was how I learned), but never knew why. Thanks for this!
Great instructional video, would be cool to see the note as well
We should have added the spectrum and note values. See our tom tuning video (#2 in the series) for note displays also. Head thickness will drop the note up or down depending on 2 ply and thinner snare side heads.
B 123 HRZ
I’ve learned loads from this. Thanks 🙏
What a great video. Thank you so much for this. Ive played DW for years and i recently bought a Sonor SQ1 and im still having a bass drum problem. I get beater slap. Im trying to get that feel of the beater not resonating on the head. That dead thud feel. Even using an Evans EMAD it still does it
Is the reso head ported? That should normally solve your issue. If it is ported and the beater is still dribbling, you’ll need to tune your batter head down. Good luck and congrats with your SQ1!
And when (slightly) out of tune the difference between the two frequencies will also be heard. As in tuning two bass strings with harmonics.
What is the name of the bearing edge lubricant you use? Thanks. great information!
DrumDial Bearing Edge Conditioner
www.drumdial.com/products/bearing-edge-conditioner/
@@DrumDial Thank You so much!
Excellent vid, thank you! I have a DD and used it lots when learning. I use it much less now, but I like how you use it to objectively get close, then set it aside for fine-ear-tuning. And I've always noticed the excellent sounds on Drumeo vids.
Toms, I have historically preferred equal pitch, except I find it sings slightly better if the reso is the tiniest bit higher, like a half step or less. Seems weird, maybe I'm hearing it funny. I figure it's because when you strike the batter head, the impact pressure raises the pitch on it just a smidge for that moment.
I have more recently experimented with the resos ~a perfect 4th higher than the batter, and that has a nice tone and sustain too. Sometimes if a drum isn't behaving the way I want with equal pitch, that change can help. This ends up being more or less in line with the theory and method championed by iDrumTune.
Video Request: Instructional Video on "How to build the $5 Lazy Su that Steve built for you". (This vid is great too btw ;) THANK YOU!
Here are links to the lazy susan parts. The turntable is held in place with 4 small #6 x 1/2 long wood screws. The turntable is set on the wood circle and screwed in place.
$4.50 Home Depot metal lazy susan
www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-6-in-Square-Lazy-Susan-Turntable-with-400-lb-Load-Rating-49548/203661089
$6.64 1 in. x 1.5 ft. x 1.5 ft. Pine Edge Glued Panel Round Board
www.homedepot.com/p/1-in-x-1-5-ft-x-1-5-ft-Pine-Edge-Glued-Panel-Round-Board-680435/202017011
@@DrumDial Haha!! You Rock!! Thanks Greatly!! ( I'm actually building a snare drum currently.. This would just be awesome to have. "These plans will not fall into the hands of the Empire"! and are truly appreciated. My brain is full of snare bed calculations.. well, That, and Gummy Bears. Cheers!! Stay well!!!!!!!! (and Thanks again! :)
@@DrumDial Great idea. I use my throne to sit my drum on since I have enough stuff in my room as is.
Good info, thank you! I tend to tune the reso head a little tighter, so my answer to your question would be B. T Y S.R.PURDY 🥁GOD BLESS
I just bought a DrumDial, after a few years of struggling with the idea of whether I needed one.
So I have one now, and I am experimenting on a few different toms. The only problem for me, that many drummer won't encounter, is that Mapex Sonic Saver hoops are rolled in. I can't just set the DrumDial down at the rim with the guide. I either have to pick up at an angle and pull away or slide it away just a bit. But the only problem is, the DrumDial is heavy and can embed a round silhouette of the bass of the tool etched onto the head now. But that's only a problem for clear batter and resonant heads. My batter heads are powder coated. Other than that, it seems to work fine.
Thank you, the edge gage distance is 3/4 inch. Any small spacer will work. The main thing is to maintain an equal distance from the edge. Tissue paper under the base can prevent any scuffing while tuning. Scuff marks will not effect the sound.
@@DrumDial Thanks. I was wondering if I might use something underneath the DrumDial base without it affecting anything.
Great tutorial, thank you! Could you recommend settings for the 10", 12", and 16" toms configuration? I'm specifically interested in the relation bewtween 12" and 16" tom. Music style - Rock, low tuning preferred :) My set is DW performance, batter heads - evans 2ecs, reso - remo single ply 10mil. Your advice would be much appreciated :)
10" 77 top batter 77 bottom resonant
12" 75 top batter 75 bottom resonant
16" 74 top batter 74 bottom resonant
These settings will work well for you, with plenty of note spacing between the toms.
@@DrumDial awesome! thank you very much! :)
ive got evans torgue key I;m sure most of drummer are familiar with .but wouldn't it work as good as drumdial?except from not telling you the numbers? torgue key got setting wheel to give you an idea where you are(only if you want to set lets say tom same way)or snare every time you change the head
Excellent question! No, a torque wrench or torque type key measures tension rod torque, not drum head tension. It can only get you close. Plating on the threads, thread tolerances, rust or dirt and lubrication affect the torque. High spots in the bearing edge cannot be detected with a torque wrench. DrumDial measures the tension directly from the drum head, bypassing the tension rod inconsistence's completely.
The tuning relationship that I prefer is what John Bonham did; tuning the resonant head higher than the batter head.
C. Lower Pitched Reso. I am using 77 on top and 67 on bottom with my drum dial. Let me know if I should bring my reso up to 70. But it sounds darn good. I have 10" and 12" DW Collector series Maple shells
If you are happy with the sound, do not change your settings. For a slightly higher pitch, increase the resonant head to 70 or higher for more sustain.
@@DrumDial Victor. I just spent time today and tweaked my Toms. I have Evans G2 Coated on top and Evans black single ply on the bottom. I got the Tome perfectly now. 10" and 12" - Top 76. Bottom 72. 16" Floor- Top 76, Bot 76. Wow they all sound great now. This is amazing 40 years of doing this by ear and always wondering if the lugs are all exact. Now with the Drum dial, no more thinking and wondering I can sleep at night not wondering. This is Soooo cool. So much fun being precise on each lug. Thank you Thank you Thank you for making a drum tuner that is so precise and easy to use. OMG so happy now
This is my second day owning a drum dial. This is so much fun FINALLY!!
@@normnashtynash8815I've played since '99 and just recently purchased a drum dial- so worth it! My drums are sounding the best they ever have!
Great video!!
I’ve own quite a few kits. Each drum has its own personality when tuning. I’ve had some tom-toms produce a nice and full pitch when both heads were tuned alike at a certain tension. On others, I’ve achieved this tone where the reso was substantially lower that the batter… I tell people to experiment; because, what one 12” drum sounds good at is often different from another.
So geeky.. so awesome
I'm trying out a higher batter with a lower reso now (on the toms). I immensely like the projection, attack, and tone intensity, but I get many irritating dissonant overtones. I was meticulous with the head equalisation, but I'm considering buying your product to gauge myself. Also, could the overtones be generated by the head relationship, which has quite a big gap (I went for batter 1.5 times higher in pitch [Hz] than the reso), and not by the heads being unequal? Every shell has its own sweet spot, after all. Next time, I'll try your approach, first bringing the heads to equal pitch and adjusting them based on the sound and specific goals later. Thank you for the video.
Mike, excellent question! If the sound is where you want it, but the drums have more sustain than you like (or ringing), the only options are muffling slightly with gels or dead ringers. We suggest starting with a minimal amount of dampening and adding from there.
Im going to try the cotton wool bud muffling technique.... basically get about 4 cotton wool buds inside your toms and they land on the reso inside every strike. Apparently subtles the overtones whilst making no noise.
funny you mentioned the bottom head 70s thing. When i started playing drums ten years ago i was in love with Robert Wyatts drum tone on Soft Machine III and had been chasing it for years.
Last year I was reading an interview with Milford Graves and he was talking about how he doesnt use bottom heads because of loves that archaic, traditional, african tone on his toms.
That got me inspired to experiment l, so i cut out my reso heads, leaving an inch around the hoop for stability and to give the hardware something to hold onto.
When i started to play them after tuning them up, whamo!! I was as close to that tone that i had been chasing for a decade.
and now i also dont need to tune reso heads on my toms 😅
thanks for the guide tho! Just bough some Evans calftones today and prepping to re-skin my kit.
p.s. any interval ideas for a 12" rack tom, 13" snare, 14" floor tom?
For single head toms (also concert toms) you can tune all three drums to the same tension for single note intervals. Tune to 2 tics apart for larger intervals up to a 4th apart.
@@DrumDial huh! will do, thanks!
on my next pay cheque I will be ordering a drum dial. i dont know why i punished myself this long haha
I've always had a pitch issue with tuning drums. In the example here, where he's tuning the tom, I hear two notes, but he's tuning it using the higher frequency note, rather than the low overtone which seems to be a "4th" away in difference to the other. How does one tell if the listener is going to hear the higher or lower tone? Also, how does one tune the tom with the two noticeable notes, in conjunction with the rest of the kit, in which each drum will have it's own main note and overtone to deal with? It all has to come together sonically or it'll all sound off. One drum can spoil the whole overall sound of the kit.
Excellent question! When tapping the edge of the drum head, we hear the principal tone and then, the 5th above. Tapping the center of the drum gives us the fundamental (overall) tone of any drum. To get the drum in tune with itself, we suggest tuning to the principal tone, but it can be difficult for the untrained ear. DrumDial helps, by getting the drum in tune with itself, by matching the head tension at each tuning point. From there, the note choice is up to you. We suggest the midrange of each tom as a very good starting point (74-76 on the DrumDial).
Great video! I love "A" pitch, the same tone batter and resonant head. Please, translate this video to Spanish.
The video can be translated to Spanish by clicking video settings (gear symbol) in the lower right of the video and selecting subtitles/cc , Auto-translate, Spanish.
The outro music sounded just like a phone ringing about a mile away. I thought I was going crazy.
Good video!
what is/was the name of the chapstick you used on your drum? I have watched the clip over & over again multiple times & have NEVER ONCE caught the name of the chapstick you used on the drum head... I appreciate the time you take/took to answer my question. tips a glass of fine Scotch to you for your time to answer this question for myself.CHEERS!!!!
DrumDial Bearing Edge Conditioner
www.drumdial.com/products/bearing-edge-conditioner/
absolutely right always tune up thats why they call it tune up it holds the tension because your actually ratcheting down tightening the bolt to the rim never loosen causes warbles
I usually tune the batter higher than the reso. But I think I might try them equal.
Being I play either old school prog rock or metal, I tune the batter slightly higher than the reso. Not much.
(I used to do the opposite, but like the pitch bend better with a higher batter).
Example: with the snare, I tune the batter a wee bit higher than the reso -- *85B* to *81R* with the drum dial -- a low tuning.
I like a dry punchy sound, mostly. My toms are the same but in the upper 70's, depending on the tom size.
Upper 70s on my Tama Birch kit with Evans EC2S on batters and resos sounds incredible, best I've ever had my Tom's sounding since 2010!
a) how do you decide what PSI to test for, and b) I noticed you didn't get a tuner out there, but a lot of drummers I respect talk about tuning to notes in the key of the song you'll be recording. I'd love to know your thoughts on that and if so, what tool(s) do you recommend to tune to a specific pitch?
DrumDial comes with a tuning chart. We usually tune to the midrange of the toms for the best sound (between 74-76 on the DrumDial).
You can use a guitar tuner (or chromatic tuner) to find the note by lightly tapping the tom in the center of the head. Ear training is important for tuning to specific notes and DrumDial can help by giving you a visual of the head tensions at each lug to get the drum in tune with itself. That way, you can get an accurate center head pitch or fundamental note of the drum.
Drumdial, what if you tune the heads tight and then re-tune lower , are the Heads Over Stretched which will affect that head ? I seek that Doooo.... Doooooo. sound that Jared indicates in his tuning video. THX so much for time to make this and your contributions.
It is OK to tighten / loosen and then tune up to your desired tension for top batter heads, but is not necessary for bottom resonant heads.
The edge conditioner shown in video is DrumDial Bearing Edge conditioner. Greases build up and deaden the sound at the edge. Lithium etc. can harm some heads.
Thank you, this was very helpful to me, and how to tune the toms. I’m thinking about buying one of the drum dial tensionometer’s. I prefer to have the top and bottom heads be equal in pitch as close as possible agreeing with the two ply for the battle ahead on the one ply for the resonant head.
Q: - part A
My question is in regard to the pitch.
you had mentioned that each drum should be a fourth pitch apart when the Tom’s are 2 inches consecutively from each other, going up in size size - which which mine are I have a 10 12, and 14 with a 20 inch bass drum So, what is the tuning pitch that they should typically be and is it better to tune from the smallest drum first or the floor, Tom first? so for hypothetical sense let’s say the the 12 inch second time is in the pitch key of “C” - does that mean the number 110 inch Tom would be in the pitch o “ G” as an example.
Q: part B
once you get all the Tom’s in tune, do you then go back and check pitch and slowly adjust each leg until you get each time to be in the correct pitch.
Thanks a lot.
Laurence
Hi Lawrence! Excellent questions. Set the tension on each drum and it will naturally be about a fourth apart for a nice downward sound progression with good stick response.
A good starting point for your drums is:
10 76 top batter 76 bottom resonant
12 75 top batter 75 bottom resonant
14 74 top batter 74 bottom resonant
20 bass drum 74 kick batter and 74 front resonant
Yes, you are correct, the 12" tom would be about a fourth lower than the 10" tom and the same between the 12 and 14.
Once your drums are in tune with themselves, it is OK to tune up or down for a higher or lower pitch. If you tighten or loosen a drum by one or two tic marks on the dial, be sure to do the same for the other drums.
Great video thank you, I'm getting a drum dial when I get a new kit and getting extra toms, could you please recommend what would be the best tuning. Thank you
SONOR AQ2 MARTINI SET
Snare Drum: 12" x 5"
Tom Tom: 8" x 7"
Tom Tom: 10" x 7"
Tom Tom: 12" x 8"
Floor Tom: 13" x 12"
Floor Tom: 14" x 13"
Bass drum 14" x 13"
snare 87 top batter 80 bottom resonant
8 77 top batter 77 bottom resonant
10 76 top batter 76 bottom resonant
12 76 top batter 76 bottom resonant
13 76 top batter 74 bottom resonant
14 75 top batter 75 bottom resonant
14 bass drum 74 kick batter 74 front resonant
@@DrumDial legend thank you very much for your time
I would think as the batter head lower and the reso higher because the reso is traditionally stretched a lot more because it is a lot more thin than the batter, but I would think of the batter as a low e string and the reso as the high e string
I like to tune the reso to a harmony note of the batter. Just above the batter
This is super helpful, thank you! How do you decide what is considered a mid-range tuning note for any give drum?
Toms have a range of between 70 and 80 on the DrumDial. Much lower than 70 and the head will sound like hitting paper. Much higher than 80 and the drum will start to into the snare drum range (timbale, bell sound). The midrange of most toms is between 74 to 76.
very very interesting ! (so a sub and a thumb up ☺)
Great video! Any tips on tuning 5 lug toms?
When using the 2 drum key method for 5 lug drums, tighten 2 & 3 at the same time, then 4 & 5 at the same time and then tighten lug 1 by itself. See the 5 lug tuning pattern here: www.drumdial.com/how-to-use/drum-tuning-patterns/
@@DrumDial Thank you so much!! I'll give that a try!
Please, can you tell what is that product (lubricant) you talk about at 7min20 !
It's our Bearing Edge Conditioner. See the video here: ruclips.net/video/OLdMFijfGHw/видео.html
DrumDial Bearing Edge Conditioner
What about tuning Benny Grebs drum tuning? Did you tune his drums?
Drumeo
Awesome video. What did you use as the mute?
We used a small piece of damp sponge. 1" x 3" cut piece of sponge from the hardware or grocery store cleaning supply section for less than $1.
@@DrumDial thank you for the quick reply. I've been wondering if the drum dial is worth buying and I'm starting to think it is. I have trouble finding the right sound for my cheaper poplar wood drum set.
Omg! Dying laughing 4:53
What is the name of that chapstick or whatever it is?
That is DrumDial Bearing Edge Conditioner. See the video here: ruclips.net/video/OLdMFijfGHw/видео.html
DrumDial Bearing Edge Conditioner
do you also tune batter and reso head to the same pitch for the "power-tom" (2" deeper than traditional?
For the most sustain, tune to the same pitch. A very good starting point. We usually tune the thinner batter head to the same tension as the thicker batter head for medium sustain with more attack.
I have 5 Tom's 8,10,12,14,16 what are the numbers to top and bottoms
8" 76 top batter 76 bottom resonant,
10" 76 top batter 76 bottom resonant,
12" 75 top batter 75 bottom resonant ,
14" 75 top batter 75 bottom resonant,
16" 74 top batter 74 bottom resonant
I've been a DrumDial proponent for years. Steve and I go back quite a few years. I prefer the B method. It works well with my Ludwig Vistas.
I got a drumdial and I'm loving it! It's making setting up so much quicker. It got an old collarlock set sounding amazing! I had a question though too, I picked up a vintage slingerland set, and it has some odd shell sizes; 12x8, 13x9, 16x16, 22x14. On toms and snare I'm using Aquarian modern vintage medium, coated 10mil single ply batters, reso's are classic clear 10mil single ply (snare side is 3mil), kick is Evans emad2 clear batter with Aquarian modern vintage medium as the kick reso. From your experience, what would you recommend? Thanks!
12 76 top batter 76 bottom resonant
13 75 top batter 75 bottom resonant
16 74 top batter 74 bottom resonant
22 74 kick batter 73 front resonant
snare 88 top batter 82 bottom resonant
Great video! Does anybody have any quick tricks for taming an extremely resonant 16inch floor tom? I really like the open sound of the smaller toms, and they have a natural sounding decay, but with the 16 when I tune the same way as my smaller toms the 16 rings FOREVER. Like, literally 5+ seconds. And In a live setting I have to use a gate to cut the sound off or it creates a nasty low-end feedback hum as the heads on the 16 are excited by outside sources. It's possible that this particular drum is just like that, since I've tried a handful of things but I'm not ready to give up on it and resort to that just below resonance "flappy" top head trick (or slapping tons of tape on it) just yet!
For less sustain, you can do a few things: detune the bottom head slightly, or add some gels to the top head, or add a dampening ring (Rem O's or internal foam muffle ring) or try an oil filled head (Evans Hydraulic etc.). All of these will help. The easiest is to dampen the top head with a gel (Moon gel , Drum dots etc.)
I have a friend who cut my 16 x 16 down to 14 depth...much easier to tune.
Late reply but...I had the same issue. I read this and was leary but tried it anyway.
Pick a number of "cotton balls" ranging from 4-10. I prefer 4, and 10 takes out too much sustain. Wad them gently into a ball. Drop into your shell onto the inside top of your reso. Install batter head. Before setting your floor tom in place angle it momentarily to cause the ball to sit on the reso WHILE touching the shell.
2. Second item: Pearl Isolation Mounts. 3 rubber teardrops you mount on your Tom feet, approx $20. Now I have that low deep resonant "boom" of early Carole King recordings and instead of selling my floor toms, they are the best sounding on my kit. Best of luck.
What is the name of the lubricant that you used to coat the bearing edge of the drum? Thanks!
DrumDial Bearing Edge Conditioner.
www.drumdial.com/products/bearing-edge-conditioner/