I'm a guitar player that enjoys drumming on the side. My friend who has been a drummer for many years came over and he found that my drum set and particularly the snare sounded so good. The only two words I said to him were : "Beatdown Brown" ! You da man Rob!
I've definitely experienced snare drums, particularly ones that come with inexpensive kits, where the kit might sound very good, but the snare doesn't, no matter how I tune it. Other snares work great, though, after cranking the bottom head, and it can't be underestimated that it needs to be really tight. If I do all that, and I'm still getting a kind of sloppy snare response, I do one more thing; loosening the 4 lugs on either sides of the snare just a bit, and sometimes that ends up being the magic fix...
Oh great. Now I have to go buy another drum key. Thanks DR. Beatdown! No seriously, another great tutorial. Concise and to the point. We appreciate all of them!!
@@jimdrummer816 I did laugh MAO too when Rob made the comment, but I’m not familiar with this terminology :D so I wondered what it could possibly have meant in the context. ;)
You saved me again man! Picked up an Oak Custom 5×14 snare in a pawnshop for a steal. Couldn't get it to sound the way I wanted, and was pretty disappointed. Low and behold, beatdown drops this video on me while Im at work today. Get excited, race home, flip that bad boy over. BOOM! Awesomeness from that Oak beauty!!
Love Robs tuning videos. Been following his “keep it simple” methods for years now and it has made my drums sound so much better and I have so much more fun jamming
I recently bought a second hand Gretsch Catalina Maple 7 Piece that had been barely touched and sitting in a garage for years. This Has helped the snare a lot.
I’ve been tuning the bottom head tighter for awhile, but still not quite happy with the sound of some of my snares. This video, along with some other snare troubleshooting videos, have helped me to not be afraid to crank it. The difference has been amazing! Thank you!!
Pure gold there, that's how I've been tuning snares for about 20 years and it never fails. The o-rings and moongels are god sends if I'm playing a really bad sounding room. Very quick fix. Just make sure the snare wires are on straight and adjusted properly. Flappy snare wires can really ruin your snare sound.
Newbie rock drummer here, my budget mapex prodigy sounded to me really good except for the snare so I was going to buy a really expensive new snare.. and now you have me thinking I just need to do this! Thanks for these tutorials they are very helpful for amateurs especially who are serious about learning drums 🥁
Great video! The sound, tone, and crack of the snare drum is such a personal thing for drummers, but I think we all could agree on what sounds good and what sounds awful. I have 2 snares, one a DW Crav and one a Ludwig Breakbeats. I like a good crack with sizzle on them, and both have double wide snares to get that sound. Yes, very important that the bottom head be tuned tight while the top head can vary to adjust the fat or crisp tone.
I have that exact snare... love it when it's tuned just right!!! I can attest to this method. My son bought a PDP kit and hated the snare tone; so I told him to crank up the bottom head and now it sounds like a beautiful cannon!!! I also had him buy some plastic washers to replace the metal one that came with the drum to make it easier to tune.
Your videos are always informative, to the point, and they make me smile with your descriptive remarks on why things aren’t working like we think they should be 😀😀😂 and as always, cool 😎
@Robert Adams No! When you tap on the snare side head, you should get a tin can sound - no real shell resonance. Once you back the lugs off again, you'll some tone. :D
Believe me, I've felt the frustration! A year ago, I replaced the snare and batter heads on three of my Tamas. They immediately sounded like CRAP! This fixed them!
Thanks for spreading the word, I've been sayin' this for years! Some times we're searching for that better sound in all the wrong places when it's sitting there the WHOLE TIME, just requires a tiny bit of effort.. Resurrecting dead and forgotten snares is one of my favorite things to do.
Thank you very much for your videos. I have been through a few of them and my snare is alive now. I have a fairly old Ludwig set that I’ve been noodling on for years to play along to my looped riffs for fun. Now I feel like I could actually record live sounds.
Dude, you have the best drum channel ever; your advice is simple, logical, funny, and easy to use. I turned an $50 Pearl roadshow snare that I got on eBay and following your advice, turned it into an awesome sounding snare drum. Love your channel. I watched a bunch of your videos, especially on tuning Toms and basic beats for beginners excellent channel!
at the fact that ive been with my snare for about two years and i always questioned myself as in why it sounds sooooo bad and the whole time, it was something very simple. thanks.
The biggest life saver I’ve found when trying to clean up the snare sound beyond heads/snare wire tuning and something like a ring/moon gel is completely loosening one of the top bolts. Doesn’t affect rebound unless you’re next to it and made my generic Pearl steel snare sound amazing
I recently had to get a smaller set and purchased a Ludwig Breakbeat set that now sits in our church praise band. I have never been happy with the snare until I ran across this video. Pure genius and so easy. Thanks.
Actually the problem I've had to deal with way more often is the fact that both the bottom head and the snare wires are usually cranked too tight so that they choke the sound completely :)
I think the bottom head can hardly be tuned too high, but snarewires that are too tight absolutely ruin the sound, unless you're in a marching band.... 😉 But I hate the sound of those snaredrums!
Thanks...this is a great tip. I like that you've got a good bit of playing in this video too, because I'm still working on developing an ear for a good drum sound!
It is amazing to me how many drummers don't actually know how to tune drums, especially reso heads. The snare at your friends church is a Ludwig black beauty. One of the best drums ever made.
Every open mic backline I play the snare sounds terrible and I pop my old tama rockstar snare on it sounds like a million dollars. The bottom is cranked to table top tight. I'll be sending this vid to various local open mic house drummers to get their acts together. As always, on point, Rob!
Love your videos!! I watched one recently where the key to his tuning was the bottom head to 400hz. I downloaded a free app to find this frequency range. I took all my snare drums and did this. Then the top head, you do whatever you like. It was night and day. And I also tended to tighten my snare wires too tight. Your method seems simpler and probably achieves near the same result. Thanks!
Rob, great video instruction on tunining the snare drum, for decades l never knew this, l always thought to leave the bottom head alone and tune the top head only- Thanks Much, now my snare drum sounds GREAT!!!!! THANKS!!!!!
Great video and spot-on guidance - thank you!! Those church drummers who managed to make a Sonor AQ2 snare sound bad just made my day 😁 I thought I was the only drummer who didn’t know how to tune drums …until recently, that is. And one of my snares is a Sonor AQ2. It is very well built, sounds fantastic and I use a Remo CS reverse white dot head on it - that’s what Evans calls their power center reverse dot head, seen in this video.
Ok, just started the video and I'm going to guess first, and see how close I was. Typically I find 3 things wrong with snare drums, that are very easy fixes, and in this exact order - 1. Most often, the batter head is out of tune, and usually it's just the lugs closest to the throne. That's a 15-20 second fix. 2. The snares are almost never placed right. Usually they're too tight, but sometimes too lose, that's a 5-10 second fix, longer if you need to actually remount the snares, maybe a minute. 3. The resonant head is out of tune, usually it's really loose, so I just crank it up and get it in tune. Alright, let's watch the vid and see how close (crossing fingers). Hehe, I love that we both said "crank it up". In my experience I've had more issues with the placement of the snares than the reso head. I had a drummer, with a brand new snare, tell me the snare was garbage. I asked when the last time he tuned it was and he sheepishly admitted he didn't tune it. So I tuned it up and away he went, thrilled that he didn't have to buy a new snare. I was incredibly lucky to have my first drum teacher really drill into how important tuning was, but also how simple it was as well. Having said that, I found an even easier way than I was first shown, and that was from Mr. Rob Brown himself. I HIGHLY recommend you watch his video on tuning a kit. I've done it in some pro venues with their backline kit, using his method, and have actually had the house sound guys tell me the kit sounded a lot better. Hands down, Rob Brown is the best drum instructor online, and I'd even wager top tier of all instructors. There are a couple I'd say are around as good, but at that top level, I stop trying to figure out who's better, and just say 'top shelf'.
Thank you !!!! Snare sounds good now !!!! . Its a Yamaha stage custom metal snare never sounded good until now , it was so easy after watching your video 👍👍
Rob always has great advice, so take it. The bottom head is where it all starts. You can spend big bucks on strainers and wires, but until you dial in the tension, it won't matter.
I love his videos. More drummers that I know of(some are even drum teachers), asked me at a jam session how to tune a drum set! You wonder why parents have such bad impressions of drum sets over piano lessons!
I never comment on anything but wanted to say thank you so much. I have been tuning my snare over and over and hating it. I flipped it over and all the lugs were loose. You the man.
I don’t crank mine really high but yes, a lot of ppl neglect the bottom head and the the tighten the snares so tight the get messed up or have the whole snares indented on the bottom head. You control extra snare buzz by making sure the top head is pretty even with itself and rack Tom closest to snare is tuned correctly, more new drummers need to see your videos. Great stuff man
I'm not a drummer, but I learned more about music from a drummer than any other player. My friend Scotty B. The best I've worked with... he fussed about tuning, and would tune between songs sometimes... Scotty gave good snare... could play only kick, hat, snare, and sound like an orchestra... I miss that dude.
Rob, I am busted. I'm watching this video because I watch all your videos because I like you. I am a drummer and love nice sounding drums, so I check out all your stuff. That drum in church at the beginning sounded killer after you tuned it. Like really great. Now onto the rest: if you don't mind my commenting, I was shocked when you detuned the gorgeous snare drum and was expecting a dud, but Rob, that damn thing still sounded pretty damn good, even with headphones!!!!! Yes, I know it was unbelievable tuned properly, but what da hell, that drum has such quality even you can't make it sound bad, even when your trying. Lol! Hey man, keep up the great videos. Nice job!
The snare drum behind the drum cage looks like a Ludwig Black Beauty or a Ludwig COB snare drum. Either of these drums is a great snare & is one of the most recorded snares in the business, they should sound great as they cost $$$, but as always you hit a bullseye when you went right to the point that most drummers & even sound engineers overlook...the bottom head! Thanks Rob I won't waste time when tuning snares, I'll always check the bottom head first then tune the top head according to sound & feel!!
The throw-off is a 1970s P85, so I think it's too new too be an original COB (although I suppose it could've been replaced at some point), and too old to be a modern COB. It's hard to tell due to the lighting, but the shell plating looks the same as the lugs - chrome, not black nickel. So I think it's a Supra, not a BB or COB.
Didn't take 30 mins.... Man it sounds incredibly different. It's got that nice piccolo snap I was looking for. I thought I had tuned it from the bottom better than I did. Thanks for showing me how to do it right. Now I'm getting some ring from the snare when I hit my 7X8 tom. I'll have to figure that one out.
It’s awesome yer friends use Yamaha like u do. No way the bottom head doesn’t matter. That being out the natural harmonic. But yea I’m not an idiot my snare side is snug. I love your videos. I just never wanna forget.
My mind is blown lol. I've wondered why my snare didn't have that snap/crack. I was always afraid of messing with the bottom head and the snare strings. Gonna try this tomorrow. Thank you !!!!
The Canada snare drum was a Ludwig L-402 Superphonic 6 1/2 x 14, Her drummers have issues if they can’t tune that thing. ‘50s to ‘60s was the L-400, ‘70s- Zepplin’s John Bonham used it and the rest is history. There is an adapter to use the Trick-007 three position throw off to get rid of the P-85 and P-86.
My snare drums are all super tight.....I play in funk bands, jazz,even latin and greek bands.Always great comments on my snare sound....Even in the studio.
Funny enough I think the first video I ever watched from you years ago was also on snare tuning. When I was 14 to 17 I had a cheap ddrum snare and a no name alluminum one that both came with the kits I had and I just put them aside until I was probably 20. I'm glad I ended up going back to them and trying different head combos and really fine tuning them so I could have 3 to use for different applications.
You mention using a ring or gel to dry up the snare a bit. Since you are an Evans endorser, what is your opinion of the Genera Dry head? I prefer it, especially if I know I'll be using brushes at times. In my opinion it dries it up just enough.
What about new drum heads? I was told that you need to seat them by tighten them down real hard, then loosen them up to tune. What do you think? I drum for a hobby and love drums but now there’s so many opinions about everything but I trust your word you seem to know what you’re talking about ; I’m putting new heads on my drums and I don’t want to do it wrong ‘ please what do you think.?
Thanks so much definitely an important basic. The two key thing was brilliant; definitely one of those why-didn't-I-think-of-that things. Full points esp. the playing made me go play for a bit
Expert snare tuner here... you are spot on, brother. Bottom head tension is sooo important and is absolutely the first thing to address when tackling a crappy sounding snare. I personally prefer to lightly tap around the edge of both top and bottom head and listen to pitch changes and adjust individual lugs accordingly until I have a pretty consistent sound all around the head... just gives it that little bit of extra "sing". Guitar player in my band has a brother who's a drummer. Told me one day, "My brother has a snare drum that sounds like crap and he's about ready to throw it in the garbage. Think you can help him?" I said "Sure, tell him to bring it to the show this weekend and I'll show him how to fix it." He brought it, handed it to me, it sounded awful, I grabbed a key, cranked up the bottom head and a little on the top, evened up the tension all around and handed it back to him. Took two minutes maybe. He put it on a stand and his face was priceless when he hit it the first time. Joy and anger at the same time!! So glad to hear his snare sound so good, but mad because he didn't know how easy it was to achieve. Great tip Rob. Love your stuff!
I clicked because my snare stinks AND I think your stuff is cool….so it’s an and situation rather than an either/or. Thanks for your stuff. I gotta get involved in your lessons.
I'm familiar with overthinking! You made a comment on another video as well about not overthinking and my friend I was set free. Used the same concept on a plumbing job a day later and successfully completed the job. Thanks for the reminder! Think I'll have a t-shirt made with this life rule!😂😂
I'm a guitar player that enjoys drumming on the side. My friend who has been a drummer for many years came over and he found that my drum set and particularly the snare sounded so good. The only two words I said to him were : "Beatdown Brown" ! You da man Rob!
Haha. Thanks for the endorsement 👊🏽
I've definitely experienced snare drums, particularly ones that come with inexpensive kits, where the kit might sound very good, but the snare doesn't, no matter how I tune it. Other snares work great, though, after cranking the bottom head, and it can't be underestimated that it needs to be really tight. If I do all that, and I'm still getting a kind of sloppy snare response, I do one more thing; loosening the 4 lugs on either sides of the snare just a bit, and sometimes that ends up being the magic fix...
Oh great. Now I have to go buy another drum key. Thanks DR. Beatdown!
No seriously, another great tutorial. Concise and to the point. We appreciate all of them!!
New drummer here. I'm finding that drum keys are like 10mm sockets, they disappear almost instantly!
Did he say,"Hot butt juice?"😂😂😂 If so, that was hilarious!😂😂😂 🥁 from 💩 to 💥
Yes I DID 😏
He sure did! But what does that mean?
@@ryekani1 Be careful. You might not want the answer. (:
LMFAO got a good pop outta me for sure, his delivery is perfect 😂
@@jimdrummer816 I did laugh MAO too when Rob made the comment, but I’m not familiar with this terminology :D so I wondered what it could possibly have meant in the context. ;)
You are saving all drummers by your videos. I'm soooo thankful! ❤
You saved me again man! Picked up an Oak Custom 5×14 snare in a pawnshop for a steal. Couldn't get it to sound the way I wanted, and was pretty disappointed. Low and behold, beatdown drops this video on me while Im at work today. Get excited, race home, flip that bad boy over. BOOM! Awesomeness from that Oak beauty!!
Those are killer sounding snares👌🏽
Love Robs tuning videos. Been following his “keep it simple” methods for years now and it has made my drums sound so much better and I have so much more fun jamming
I recently bought a second hand Gretsch Catalina Maple 7 Piece that had been barely touched and sitting in a garage for years. This Has helped the snare a lot.
Taught me a skill I’ll use for the rest of my life. Simple as that!
You are the coolest, Man. Your no bs lessons are so appreciated by the thousands of us that follow you, and yes, I do think you are sooo cool.
I’ve been tuning the bottom head tighter for awhile, but still not quite happy with the sound of some of my snares. This video, along with some other snare troubleshooting videos, have helped me to not be afraid to crank it. The difference has been amazing! Thank you!!
Really cool tutorial RB, you make me smile while you educate me!! Thank you.
Pure gold there, that's how I've been tuning snares for about 20 years and it never fails. The o-rings and moongels are god sends if I'm playing a really bad sounding room. Very quick fix.
Just make sure the snare wires are on straight and adjusted properly. Flappy snare wires can really ruin your snare sound.
Newbie rock drummer here, my budget mapex prodigy sounded to me really good except for the snare so I was going to buy a really expensive new snare.. and now you have me thinking I just need to do this! Thanks for these tutorials they are very helpful for amateurs especially who are serious about learning drums 🥁
I almost feel dumb for how simple the fix is. My snare sounds incredibly better now thanks to this! Thanks Rob as always!
Came across one of your snare vids a few years ago, and my life has been changed ever since. (Mostly for the better even! 😂)
Great video! The sound, tone, and crack of the snare drum is such a personal thing for drummers, but I think we all could agree on what sounds good and what sounds awful. I have 2 snares, one a DW Crav and one a Ludwig Breakbeats. I like a good crack with sizzle on them, and both have double wide snares to get that sound. Yes, very important that the bottom head be tuned tight while the top head can vary to adjust the fat or crisp tone.
I have that exact snare... love it when it's tuned just right!!! I can attest to this method. My son bought a PDP kit and hated the snare tone; so I told him to crank up the bottom head and now it sounds like a beautiful cannon!!! I also had him buy some plastic washers to replace the metal one that came with the drum to make it easier to tune.
Your videos are always informative, to the point, and they make me smile with your descriptive remarks on why things aren’t working like we think they should be 😀😀😂 and as always, cool 😎
Since seeing your vids on this, I've started CHOKING the sanre side head, then backing it off 1\8 to 1\4 turn. It's an amazing difference. 😊
how do you know it's 'choked'? sound test? key doesn't turn anymore without big effort?
@Robert Adams No! When you tap on the snare side head, you should get a tin can sound - no real shell resonance. Once you back the lugs off again, you'll some tone. :D
@@hombreenojado nice! thanks! 🙏
Believe me, I've felt the frustration! A year ago, I replaced the snare and batter heads on three of my Tamas. They immediately sounded like CRAP! This fixed them!
Thanks for spreading the word, I've been sayin' this for years! Some times we're searching for that better sound in all the wrong places when it's sitting there the WHOLE TIME, just requires a tiny bit of effort.. Resurrecting dead and forgotten snares is one of my favorite things to do.
Thank you very much for your videos. I have been through a few of them and my snare is alive now. I have a fairly old Ludwig set that I’ve been noodling on for years to play along to my looped riffs for fun. Now I feel like I could actually record live sounds.
Dude, you have the best drum channel ever; your advice is simple, logical, funny, and easy to use. I turned an $50 Pearl roadshow snare that I got on eBay and following your advice, turned it into an awesome sounding snare drum. Love your channel. I watched a bunch of your videos, especially on tuning Toms and basic beats for beginners excellent channel!
This guy is really underrated. Keep it up!
at the fact that ive been with my snare for about two years and i always questioned myself as in why it sounds sooooo bad and the whole time, it was something very simple. thanks.
The biggest life saver I’ve found when trying to clean up the snare sound beyond heads/snare wire tuning and something like a ring/moon gel is completely loosening one of the top bolts. Doesn’t affect rebound unless you’re next to it and made my generic Pearl steel snare sound amazing
I recently had to get a smaller set and purchased a Ludwig Breakbeat set that now sits in our church praise band. I have never been happy with the snare until I ran across this video. Pure genius and so easy. Thanks.
Just watched your easy method on how to tune toms bass an snare drums...OMFG! Man my cheap $500 set now sounds like a $2000 set! Thank you so much!
wow! constantly amazed by amazing Rob Brown tips. Now to bust out my most hated snare and give it a shot 🤞
Actually the problem I've had to deal with way more often is the fact that both the bottom head and the snare wires are usually cranked too tight so that they choke the sound completely :)
YUP!!!!!
I think the bottom head can hardly be tuned too high, but snarewires that are too tight absolutely ruin the sound, unless you're in a marching band.... 😉
But I hate the sound of those snaredrums!
Thanks...this is a great tip. I like that you've got a good bit of playing in this video too, because I'm still working on developing an ear for a good drum sound!
Rob, I love your sense of humor. Keep teaching. We're listening.
It is amazing to me how many drummers don't actually know how to tune drums, especially reso heads. The snare at your friends church is a Ludwig black beauty. One of the best drums ever made.
Every open mic backline I play the snare sounds terrible and I pop my old tama rockstar snare on it sounds like a million dollars. The bottom is cranked to table top tight. I'll be sending this vid to various local open mic house drummers to get their acts together. As always, on point, Rob!
Love your videos!! I watched one recently where the key to his tuning was the bottom head to 400hz. I downloaded a free app to find this frequency range. I took all my snare drums and did this. Then the top head, you do whatever you like. It was night and day. And I also tended to tighten my snare wires too tight. Your method seems simpler and probably achieves near the same result. Thanks!
Mr. Beatdown takes no prisoners, just doling out lots of good practical advice that works, as usual! Thank you, Rob :-)
Thank you. I bought this piccolo snare that I absolutely hated. This helped out so much! 🙏
The sounds on the first few are dope af!!
What about the wires on the bottom? high tension, low tension, no tension??
I tried this on Saturday and it worked perfectly for me...
Thanks for this tips
Rob, great video instruction on tunining the snare drum, for decades l never knew this, l always thought to leave the bottom head alone and tune the top head only- Thanks Much, now my snare drum sounds GREAT!!!!! THANKS!!!!!
Brand new to drumming and found your advice absolutely priceless, I feel tears of happiness queuing up as I type. Boss vid. Many thanks
Great video and spot-on guidance - thank you!! Those church drummers who managed to make a Sonor AQ2 snare sound bad just made my day 😁 I thought I was the only drummer who didn’t know how to tune drums …until recently, that is. And one of my snares is a Sonor AQ2. It is very well built, sounds fantastic and I use a Remo CS reverse white dot head on it - that’s what Evans calls their power center reverse dot head, seen in this video.
Ok, just started the video and I'm going to guess first, and see how close I was.
Typically I find 3 things wrong with snare drums, that are very easy fixes, and in this exact order -
1. Most often, the batter head is out of tune, and usually it's just the lugs closest to the throne. That's a 15-20 second fix.
2. The snares are almost never placed right. Usually they're too tight, but sometimes too lose, that's a 5-10 second fix, longer if you need to actually remount the snares, maybe a minute.
3. The resonant head is out of tune, usually it's really loose, so I just crank it up and get it in tune.
Alright, let's watch the vid and see how close (crossing fingers).
Hehe, I love that we both said "crank it up". In my experience I've had more issues with the placement of the snares than the reso head.
I had a drummer, with a brand new snare, tell me the snare was garbage. I asked when the last time he tuned it was and he sheepishly admitted he didn't tune it. So I tuned it up and away he went, thrilled that he didn't have to buy a new snare.
I was incredibly lucky to have my first drum teacher really drill into how important tuning was, but also how simple it was as well. Having said that, I found an even easier way than I was first shown, and that was from Mr. Rob Brown himself. I HIGHLY recommend you watch his video on tuning a kit. I've done it in some pro venues with their backline kit, using his method, and have actually had the house sound guys tell me the kit sounded a lot better.
Hands down, Rob Brown is the best drum instructor online, and I'd even wager top tier of all instructors. There are a couple I'd say are around as good, but at that top level, I stop trying to figure out who's better, and just say 'top shelf'.
Man inspired me to flip my snare and get to work the second I got home. Really appreciate the straightforward video
Thank you !!!! Snare sounds good now !!!! . Its a Yamaha stage custom metal snare never sounded good until now , it was so easy after watching your video 👍👍
As always super informative simple and awesome ! Thank you Rob! cheers from colombia
Also some times backing off on the lugs right next to the wires can help too
You are awesome!!
Your sense of humor is solid as well.
Right on cuz the right head and tuning is all you need
Thank you! Easy, cool, good info presented in an entertaining way.
Rob always has great advice, so take it. The bottom head is where it all starts. You can spend big bucks on strainers and wires, but until you dial in the tension, it won't matter.
I love his videos. More drummers that I know of(some are even drum teachers), asked me at a jam session how to tune a drum set! You wonder why parents have such bad impressions of drum sets over piano lessons!
You are a great teacher , Thank for showing me to set up the drum kit properly .
Just watched it AFTER I did that to my snare. Thanks for the confirmation. The buzz is gone and it bounces like crazy.
Commonly with toms the doink happens with higher batter head tension great video brother love how you illustrate
Two keys changed my life! I'm not gonna go into it but damn. Your the GOAT Rob!
I never comment on anything but wanted to say thank you so much. I have been tuning my snare over and over and hating it. I flipped it over and all the lugs were loose. You the man.
I don’t crank mine really high but yes, a lot of ppl neglect the bottom head and the the tighten the snares so tight the get messed up or have the whole snares indented on the bottom head. You control extra snare buzz by making sure the top head is pretty even with itself and rack Tom closest to snare is tuned correctly, more new drummers need to see your videos. Great stuff man
I'm not a drummer, but I learned more about music from a drummer than any other player.
My friend Scotty B. The best I've worked with... he fussed about tuning, and would tune between songs sometimes... Scotty gave good snare... could play only kick, hat, snare, and sound like an orchestra... I miss that dude.
Rob, I am busted. I'm watching this video because I watch all your videos because I like you. I am a drummer and love nice sounding drums, so I check out all your stuff. That drum in church at the beginning sounded killer after you tuned it. Like really great. Now onto the rest: if you don't mind my commenting, I was shocked when you detuned the gorgeous snare drum and was expecting a dud, but Rob, that damn thing still sounded pretty damn good, even with headphones!!!!! Yes, I know it was unbelievable tuned properly, but what da hell, that drum has such quality even you can't make it sound bad, even when your trying. Lol! Hey man, keep up the great videos. Nice job!
That’s what I was trying to listen for also lol.
Thanks Rob! Taking in the tips from Nashville.
The snare drum behind the drum cage looks like a Ludwig Black Beauty or a Ludwig COB snare drum. Either of these drums is a great snare & is one of the most recorded snares in the business, they should sound great as they cost $$$, but as always you hit a bullseye when you went right to the point that most drummers & even sound engineers overlook...the bottom head! Thanks Rob I won't waste time when tuning snares, I'll always check the bottom head first then tune the top head according to sound & feel!!
Or a LM400 Supra, But it sounds more like brass to me, More likely a COB . Either way outstanding snare.
@@vincentquattrocchi7924 Yes I agree sounds like a brass shell snare with that warm crack for rim shots!
The throw-off is a 1970s P85, so I think it's too new too be an original COB (although I suppose it could've been replaced at some point), and too old to be a modern COB. It's hard to tell due to the lighting, but the shell plating looks the same as the lugs - chrome, not black nickel. So I think it's a Supra, not a BB or COB.
Thank you for your good advice. I have my tone I wanted in a long time🎉
Rob. I like the sound of my snare but when I play 10” rack Tom I get a buzz on the snare. Any idea why and hoss we to fix?
Dang. Fixed my issues. Love ya man!
You are an absolute gem, Sir 😂 Appreciate your content!
Cool interpretation man. Heavier n more punchy.
Didn't take 30 mins.... Man it sounds incredibly different. It's got that nice piccolo snap I was looking for. I thought I had tuned it from the bottom better than I did. Thanks for showing me how to do it right. Now I'm getting some ring from the snare when I hit my 7X8 tom. I'll have to figure that one out.
It’s awesome yer friends use Yamaha like u do. No way the bottom head doesn’t matter. That being out the natural harmonic. But yea I’m not an idiot my snare side is snug. I love your videos. I just never wanna forget.
This is the greatest RUclips drum video title I've ever seen. I love you, man! hahahaha
Whats the frequency on the crancked bottom head? 400 hz?
Cool tip, i still use your tom and bassdrum tuning tips
Fail safe, man 🤘🏽
I watch for the great content, but you are cool, which makes it fun to watch.
My mind is blown lol. I've wondered why my snare didn't have that snap/crack. I was always afraid of messing with the bottom head and the snare strings. Gonna try this tomorrow. Thank you !!!!
A great reminder how important it is to take your time to understand how your instrument works..
Thank you i'm excited to try this!
Your video on how to fix my independence with my right hand saved me I thank you so mich
Amen. Been telling youngsteres this for years.
The Canada snare drum was a Ludwig L-402 Superphonic 6 1/2 x 14, Her drummers have issues if they can’t tune that thing. ‘50s to ‘60s was the L-400, ‘70s- Zepplin’s John Bonham used it and the rest is history. There is an adapter to use the Trick-007 three position throw off to get rid of the P-85 and P-86.
This is timeless information appreciate the tips.
5:30 🤯 Two drum keys! Brilliant!
Good Vid. Good Advice . I found changing the bottom Skin helpful too !
You are definitely the man! Thank you big feller!
Exactly what I needed, thanks!
Man I love you , every drummers have to see this vidéos😍🙏!!!!
My snare drums are all super tight.....I play in funk bands, jazz,even latin and greek bands.Always great comments on my snare sound....Even in the studio.
Funny enough I think the first video I ever watched from you years ago was also on snare tuning. When I was 14 to 17 I had a cheap ddrum snare and a no name alluminum one that both came with the kits I had and I just put them aside until I was probably 20. I'm glad I ended up going back to them and trying different head combos and really fine tuning them so I could have 3 to use for different applications.
People write things off out of ignorance especially people with GAS. Great video. Thank you Rob.
Thanks man!
You mention using a ring or gel to dry up the snare a bit. Since you are an Evans endorser, what is your opinion of the Genera Dry head? I prefer it, especially if I know I'll be using brushes at times. In my opinion it dries it up just enough.
Those are great heads. A tiny bit too dry for how I like my snares, but it does exactly what they say it’s gonna do👌🏽
What about new drum heads? I was told that you need to seat them by tighten them down real hard, then loosen them up to tune. What do you think? I drum for a hobby and love drums but now there’s so many opinions about everything but I trust your word you seem to know what you’re talking about ; I’m putting new heads on my drums and I don’t want to do it wrong ‘ please what do you think.?
I just bought a new Tama kit and I HATE my snare sound. I'm trying this now. Thanks!!!
Should fix it right up 👌🏽
You da man Rob, thanx Brother!
Thanks so much definitely an important basic. The two key thing was brilliant; definitely one of those why-didn't-I-think-of-that things. Full points esp. the playing made me go play for a bit
Snare-nirvana - (snarevana??) attained!! Thank you!!
Glad you fixed up those poor sidelined snares!!
Expert snare tuner here... you are spot on, brother. Bottom head tension is sooo important and is absolutely the first thing to address when tackling a crappy sounding snare. I personally prefer to lightly tap around the edge of both top and bottom head and listen to pitch changes and adjust individual lugs accordingly until I have a pretty consistent sound all around the head... just gives it that little bit of extra "sing". Guitar player in my band has a brother who's a drummer. Told me one day, "My brother has a snare drum that sounds like crap and he's about ready to throw it in the garbage. Think you can help him?" I said "Sure, tell him to bring it to the show this weekend and I'll show him how to fix it." He brought it, handed it to me, it sounded awful, I grabbed a key, cranked up the bottom head and a little on the top, evened up the tension all around and handed it back to him. Took two minutes maybe. He put it on a stand and his face was priceless when he hit it the first time. Joy and anger at the same time!! So glad to hear his snare sound so good, but mad because he didn't know how easy it was to achieve. Great tip Rob. Love your stuff!
Thats slick my friend! Thankyou very much, I frikn love NOT having to complicate it up mang!!!!
All your drum tuning videos are so good. Saved me so much time and headaches 🤘🏻
I clicked because my snare stinks AND I think your stuff is cool….so it’s an and situation rather than an either/or.
Thanks for your stuff. I gotta get involved in your lessons.
I'm familiar with overthinking!
You made a comment on another video as well about not overthinking and my friend I was set free. Used the same concept on a plumbing job a day later and successfully completed the job.
Thanks for the reminder!
Think I'll have a t-shirt made with this life rule!😂😂