Totally new drummer with my first drum, an old Pearl snare and vintage Slingerland stand. And Rick Beato instructing me on some basics. It doesn't get any better.
@@novitamonitor Thank you. Fortunately I had run into some instructional videos on that. I have had to apply that even more to the tuning of my rack toms.
I read many comments and let's face it- we all have different techniques and rituals to break in and tune. And frankly to me, the result still sounds really gamey and ringy and raw to me. BUT, when I followed this and put a bit of dampening on it , it sounded really great. It had a fat punch and a crack and little resonance that I tend to choke out too much with my previous technique. I think there are many ways to get to a good spot for us all, and many are worth considering. Coming from Rick you know it's going to be a process worth exploring, so one needs to keep an open mind. That is something that is surprisingly problematic with musicians- one would expect them to be very accepting of different techniques and approaches, but in fact many of us are very locked into one way to do things and are convinced anything else is incorrect. And if I know anything, I know that is wrong. There are many approaches that can work. I tried this and got great results. I learned not to tame and over tighten and allow some ring that will need to be tamed a bit. But not having any overtones sucks. To me at least. And again, it depends on the application. Just like with a guitar sound what sounds great by itself sometimes does not work in the context of playing with others or a style of music or mix. It just depends.
I have watched many, many videos over the years on how to tune drums. Your method is the only one that really worked for me. My drums have come alive with tone and feel. Thanks.
There's a lot of really good drummers out there that have never bothered to master the art of tuning their drums correctly, especially in church drumming. This was a great tutorial. I've actually never heard of anybody breaking the seals like that.
Hey Rick, I was a drummer back when I was a kid, and I played bass and guitar pro for decades, and now at age 60 I've pulled the ol' kit out from mothballs and needed to replace the snare heads. So glad I found this video because it made replacing them much easier and quicker than the way I did it usually. I never lost the skill for tuning drums, and your way is a tad more work on the front end, but it saves tons of time on the back end. By the time the heads were tight enough, I just had to adjust one or two lugs slightly on each and I was off to the races! Thank you so much!
You left out a crucial part of tuning the snare: when attaching a new snare wire, make sure your SNARE MECHANISM is unlocked (loose) and it's screw is loosened almost entirely. That way once you've properly attached the snare wire, you can engage the snare mech and tighten it as needed to your play style. The looser it is, the "fatter" the sound. The tighter it is, the sharper and cutting the sound will be. Otherwise perfect tutorial!
Thank you for mentioning this. That is the hardest part of putting snare wires on a drum. It can be a bit of a challenge to line them up and have the strainer work perfectly. As far as vintage Ludwig throw-offs go, I would prefer the P-83 any day over the junky P-85. The new P-88AC isn't too bad either.
Me i loosen it and maybe have to hold it were i want it its s focus thing . I already know how to tune i just like a refresh force so othen . This is a great video i get it and like it . I woulda liked to have heard it behind a drumset . But i already know how it sounds live i have one .
I appreciate you noted and add it to the comments. Being a experienced drummer I went ahead and figure it out, but it's definitely needed when we're putting out these videos and countless people are watching it around the world... I always hated when somebody that could not explain in details or could even explain it after I asked that I was eventually going to get it... "You'll get it!, You'll get it!, Thank God I wasn't paying that guy for instructions lol.
Pretty much...it's hard to make a Supra sound 'bad" at all. I mean, the sound you like is subjective of course but these things have a good quality sound no matter what heads or tensions I've tried.
Don't have a Supra but I have an old Ludwig 6 1/2" x 14" wood snare from the 50's that is absolute magic and I plan on getting a 70's Supra for something different.
I've been following your critic videos for over a year now. As a songwriter who just bought his first drum set days ago in order to learn the instrument(s) so I could write the drum parts, I'm very happy to find this video from years ago. I have a lot to figure out.
The first thing to do on a 402 is change the P-85 throw off. Lol Glad you caught the point on the rim weights. Most folk would overlook the mention. I really enjoy your channel.
Great tutorial. I picked up a nifty little trick the other day in regards to the old batter head. Cut it so you can lay it on top of the new one. Maybe even cut a hole in the middle, effectively making it into a ring. It’ll be a quick and easy way to muffle the sustain, without adjusting the drum itself. Always nice to find a new use for something, rather than to throw it away. 🙂
Rick (from my experience playing for a long time) when you place the head on the batter side of the snare you may want to consider placing the joint where the collar is glued together over one of the lugs. It usually prevents uneven crinkling and/or buzzing (which will make your life more difficult especially in the studio).
I still Love my 1976 Dyna Sonic Sound. (Rogers) I bought the drum kit in 1976 and have been making a living with it ever since. Still sounds as good as the day I bought it. Very crisp!!! Thanks for sharing Rick...
I'm not correct here. His undergrad was bass, but his gigs were mostly guitar --- or is he "mostly" a sound engineer? Producer? Interesting question to pose to Rick: what DOES he self identify as? A Musician?
@@newdeltamusic I would identify him as a versatile teaching musician who has a recording studio and lots and lots of real-world experience and friends who are really good musicians in their own right, with a liberal topping of awesome sauce!
If you want to tension drum head rims progressively and arrive at an even tension accross the head, number opposite lugs as a pair rather than every lug. For example, a ten lug rim will have five pairs. First determine which will be called pair one (use the logo or put a mark or some masking tape on the shell to be clear about that firstly). Then, progressively tension each pair rotating clockwise (ask your grand dad what that means), and call out 1, 3, 2 4 as you tweak these pairs. Doing that methodically will help prevent confusing yourself doing this save time getting an even pitch around the head. Nice kit Rick.
I got to say, man, your channel is just always informative, to the point, and well done. Whether I am watching you and listening to you about something that I already know. Or if I’m listening to you talk about something that I never knew. it’s always a master class of an instruction. When it comes to music and musicianship, and then just listening enjoyment in general, you are number one. Thank you for all of your videos.
I love many of Rick Beato’s videos and have for years. I have learned so much about production, arrangement and theory from him. As a drummer however, this was hard to watch. Rob “Beatdown” Brown is a great source for all things drumset biased. With all due respect Rick.
I’m with you on this vid. He does a LOT of things and says a lot of things that are off the mark. Where I disagree is with Rob Brown. He reinforces a ton of false “knowledge” and stereotypes within drumming and especially technique. Brown has a good YT presence and good production. He is also a pretty good drummer. He is an awful teacher.
Thank you Rick! followed this step by step, couple years ago I bought a drum set third hand to learn on, had original Tama heads, went to an Evans Snare Genera Dry, OMG what a difference! Just bought heads for the toms, cant wait
Phrosda1 Z same here, I play my snare heads until they're as slick as a used racing tire. But since I started using the Evans Hybrid I at least get my damn money's worth.
Doesn't matter that much, unless you ever need to use brushes; if the coating's gone the brush work suffers. Drummers can go their whole career and never use brushes. Or learn to play a waltz properly. I hate those drummers, and I don't hire them.
Phrosda1 Z Cool. You and my drummer should swap ideas. He swears by aluminum tape trick, and better yet the old “piece of drum head held on by aluminum tape” trick. He tells me it’s not one you’ll find in the book.
I thought you meant when he first took it off.. I thought, that's not very funny... then I saw him toss it back into the rest of his studio, and I found it pretty damn funny too. lol
The "cracking" sound that Remo's heads make when you place them under tension is NOT the sound of glue cracking. It's the sound of the collar forming against the bearing edge of the drum. Rather than pressing into the collar of the head with your hands, it is much better (and safer) to just tension the head tightly and then let it sit for an hour or two. Then you can loosen the head and then tension it up to where you want it.
@@paulpresson4507 when I was taught how to tension a snare drum, it was to "seat" the head by putting pressure on each side of the rims evenly. You will hear the cracking sound. This is when the head is only finger-tightened and only light pressure, evenly. Then, you will have loosened tension in the rods some as well , so another finger tighten. Then you're ready to tune the drum up as well as (evenly) putting pressure in the center of the head. Never failed for me, this was from a professional player and instructor
using a tune bot if i tune a head up to a desired pitch, if i then put a cloth in the center and then using the heal of my hand press on it with all my weight it will streatch and and can then tune it back up to the desired pitch, usually about 5 cycle of this and then it will stop changing and hold pitch. i bet you head tats sat for a hour or 2 is still stretchable and will detune after playing.
I made a jig that applies even pressure all around the drum. Squeezing the drum so to speak. Only the rim down onto the drum. With pressure applied, finger tighten rods (you can use a key if you want) release pressure, drum tuned. you can get consistant tuning, and all rods will be the same. No guessing. Want a higher pitch? Squeeze more. Its the same principle as pushing down with your hand, only its all at once and uniform.
This is great. I have a heap of steel snare drums ans a couple of wood shell snare drums and using your methods make them all sound great. I like the different sounds they all produce. Using a few different heads makes a difference too. Thanks Rick . Love ya work 👍
Great videos, I use your technique regularly now. I do have one issue though. I have toured both the Remo and Evans heads plants and neither of them put glue on the collar of the head, only in the hoop holing the head in place. The collar of both is formed by heating the film and bending it over a mold, hot in Remo's case and cold in Evan's case, no glue ever touches the collar. The cracking you hear is the film itself cracking at the collar point, not any kind of glue. By cracking it like you do, you may make the collar less stiff to form over the bearing edges better, but no glue is involved. Great videos, keep them coming!
I've watched other videos on tuning snares. Yours made more sense than anybody else's I've ran across. I have a Pearl, play mostly latin music, & it's a 14 × 5½. Looking for suggested pitches to tune both sides. Note ⭐ I sometimes use brushes for acoustic setups.
Amusingly, Rick, and I almost hate to mention this, the bar code sticker was still attached to the bottom rim. Affects nothing, but it's probably a great trigger for those of us who are also a bit obsessive compulsive (in the colloquial sense). Unless, of course, the snare is for sale, lol.
To replace those old snare wire plastic bands, I cut the inside ply from an old clear tom head into many replacement snare wire bands. They are stronger than the ones that come with the wires.
8:12 the 4 lugs around the snare bed will need to be cranked a little more than the others because the bearing edge sits lower for the snares. On wood drums they'll sand the edge down almost to flat...... I've seen on metal shells the same type of contour or none at all. But you'll generally have to tighten out some wrinkles on the 4 lugs directly adjacent to the snare mechanisms
Rick. I love your videos but there's something you do with the reso head that l conpletely disagree with. Tightening the reso head that much doesn't mean it gives you the best sound. In fact you're overtensioning the reso head and you might ruin it if you ever want to tune it lower. I used to do that when l started and it completely destroyed the head's tuning ability once l brough it lower to a specific high pitch within the recommended range. I also like my resos tight to the max, with the batter higher than the reso, but you can also get perfect sound the other way around. What l'm saying is: dont bring your reso head higher than 440Hz ~ A4 because you'll get choked sound beyound that and people who are learning to tune should get the feel of the reso resonance. As for the batter l go with what sounds best. I have a great rich fat sound on my roadshow's snare because of that. But l completely fucked my reso head overtensioning it beyound 440hz. Keep that in mind. Aint so hard to train your ear and experiment within range. I usually use a pitch emmiter on my phone like you did with the toms. It works. Tightening the reso to the max only works as a last resort when you really have a cheap low end snare drum with a lot of annoying overtones. However good tuning and knowing the recommended ranges works best most of the time.
Finally some one has said it…I like to almost match the tone on both heads, and use the end of a stick when tuning! Do you have a drumstick? Rick’s snare was way, way too high, esp as a starting off point.
We started using the Drum Dial to precisely tighten the lugs on the three kits - Ludwig Downbeat 20, Gretsch Brooklyn and Pearl Reference - I keep in my studio. They’ve never sounded better.
I usually press and hold a finger lightly the middle and then tap around each lug to check pitch of each in the star pattern too. Sometimes 1/8 turns on lugs can do the trick for fine tuning
Hey Rick, I know this is a very old Video. I don't have your email, so I will make this post of an occurrence I encountered with my DW Design Series Nickel over Brass 14 X 6.5 Snare drum. I bought it used in 2021 via Reverb. It came with the previous owner installed HD Dry batter head. It played great out of the dleivery box. It was Cranked High on both heads. A month ago or so, I replaced the batter head with anew HD Dry one; re-installed he stock reso head and wires. I could not get that Sweet Sound that I liked , no matter how much tweaked it. I have a PdP Concept Maple 7 Drum Kit including a 14 X 5.5 Snare. After getting that kit (also Used) I replaced the stock Batter head with a HD Dry. Last week while playing to Music (I'm a 71 yo retiree who plays for pleasure about 1 hour a day), I placed the PdP snare in the stand. I put the DW snare on my 16 Inch Floor Tom - just to get it out of the way. During a fill, I hit the DW snare - Bingo - That was the Sound I was looking to attain, the Jon Bonham sound !! Better than the out of the delivery box sound. Take the drum off the Tom, it was not the same. I've posted this Phenominum on a number of Forums. One poster said that I was Playing 2 Drums simultaneously ; another jokingly said that I may have Invented a new Snare Stand. Like You, I have a little OCD about certain things. Drum Tuning has become one of the OCD issues :(:(. Any idea as to what is going on. Even the PdP maple snare sounds better when doing this!. I even tried placing an extra EC2 clear 16" Tom head in the snare stand, and placing the drum on top of that - sounds a bit better than w/o it, but not the same as being on the Floor tom. Appreciate your or others' thoughts about this. PS: I just tried chnaging the batter head to a UV1 (NG), then a UV2 - still not happy with it.
Been a pro for 50 years and if I have time, I always hold the drum in the air ( without heads or rims ) and tap the shell to hear its fundamental tone which is the area of tuning that that particular drum sounds best at. This mainly is for wood drums but also some others. Experiment!
VINtageE drums are where its at!!! Got a '76 set of Ludwig Vistalites and 70s chrome over maple Slingerlands w a Chrome over Brass Gene Krupa snare. You cant go wrong w the wood shell, wood hoop Ayottes from BC Canada either used by Matt Cameon of SoundGarden& Pearl jam and Jeremy from Our lady Peace name a few
Great video. @3:21 you don't know how bad I wanted that tossed head to knock down that lamp. I'm always in confusion on what snare head I should be using.
This one a good Rick but your gonna confuse drummers about bottom head when you say crank bottom head up your tuning down, the bottom head should be a bit looser than top. To very close..depending..there are rules. If it sounds good and good to you? Your rules and sound. Depends ya wanna fat back Traveling Will berries or a tight Instrumental funk needs cut through horns and such..I’ve been at it awhile but Rick is the man! Always much be learned from him!👍
Use Evans heads and you won't have to do your little DJ spin to seat it...lol I'm just kidding bro, I'm an Evans guy and had to do a little trash talking , love the channel and a big thanks for the help you provide.
Aquarian heads don't usually have those snap/crackle/pop starting sounds like Remos do. Plus, the head profile differs from Remos' by having an "oversized" flat area with lower edge part. That's why I prefer Aquarians. They can be used with any brand drums
Great video, I appreciate your work. I guess it's personal preference, but I really dislike everything about triple-flanged hoops. Especially on snare drums. Maybe it's better on certain kinds of recording, but I'm a big fan of die cast hoops or 'S'-Hoops (Sonic/Saver/Sticksaver/Safety). If I want a more open sound, I opt for the S-Hoops, if I want a more focused sound I go for the Die-Cast. I just find them to be much more durable, easier on sticks, the S-hoops help hold loose muffling rings and such in place, they also protect the bearing edge, and give a different, to my ear, fatter rimshot than triple-flange, and both die-cast and S-hoops tend to hold a tuning more evenly for longer around the drum, even under heavy use. One of the best 's-hoops' I've seen has been the proprietary Mapex Black Panther Snare Sonic-Saver Hoops, if S-hoops are a compromise between triple-flanged and die-cast hoops, then the Sonic Savers are like the compromise between S-hoops and Die-cast, they're probably about as solid as die-cast hoops structurally, but more open in resonance/lighter. I agree they can deaden a drum slightly, but I would argue in most situations, the amount it deadens it relative to what you can get out of it via tuning and micing, is marginal, perhaps even desirable. Plus. especially on a snare, it's very common to bend triple flange rims from use and age, or de-tune the batter head from rimshots. Obviously, it's not as big of a concern in lighter styles, but these are things I've noticed playing heavier rock drums where gear breakdowns like that can waste a lot of time/money.
Best sounding and most durable batter head Ive ever used was Remo Emperor Black Suede. 10yrs and still going strong! Bottom heads always a Remo Diplomat or Ludwig equivalent. Remo Fiberskyn 3 is great too but not as durable... great vintage type sound tho 1/2", 1", 1.5" and maybe even 2" muffle rings give You a ton of different snare sounds instantly. 4 sounds w 1 of the muffle rings alone. Snare on: muffle ring on or off, snare off: muffle ring on or off... timpani sticks w large felt ends gives U more variety of sounds instantly as well. There was actually a signature remo snare head w circles where to place butt or tip of stick for I believe it was up to 14 different sounds.
"Going around" the head to tension it...even by hand, causes the head to seat unevenly. Always cross tension the head...even at the beginning. Plastic strips don't allow the snares to "breath" because they have no stretch to them. Better to use chords or woven straps. Evenly tensioning each rod is really not very important. Getting them relatively close is good enough. Some drummers even loosen a couple of rods to take away some of the ring. Buddy Rich used to say, "You don't 'tune' a drum head, you tension it". The thing about hoop thickness is that thick hoops actually ring MORE. Try this experiment: Take off a cast or super hoop, suspend it by one finger and strike it with a stick. It will ring like a bell. Do the same with a 1.6mm hoop and it will have much less ring. Using a thinner hoop actually allows more energy to go into the shell rather than into the hoop. Also thick or cast hoops tend to have a better cross stick and louder rim shot sound. So it's a trade off. If you want that airy snare sound go with thin hoops...If you want a harder sound go thick. Snare wires themselves are another thing. If you want a fat, wet drum sound go with 42 strand snares. If you like a quick, sharp sound use 20 or 24 strand snares. I would advise cranking the snare side head up VERY tight and then tensioning the batter side to suit the music or what you'd like to hear, high or low.
I tuned my Starphonics aka Rob Brown originally. They sounded great. Should have left well enough alone. Lol. Also if you're dealing with diecast rims it's very different!
I used to have an acoustic drum kit. I loved the process of changing and tuning up the heads. I also love the process of changing guitar strings - is it weird to say 'thank you' to them when you take them off?
I have been playing percussion since I was 14, and I'm 55 now. It is unnecessary to do a lot of the stuff you do to the new heads before you put them on. When you tighten the hoops down, the heads will stretch on their own. I don't skip every other nut when I tighten the hoop, but it is right to always criss-cross when tightening the lugs. Hope this helps!
Not sure if you have touched on the subject before or not but those of us who own metal snare drums like my Sonor 2005 steel snare it has oxidation on the hoops and the drum itself how do we get this cleaned up looking new again would also be a great video for those if us who loves the metal snare drums brass copper etc
The mass of an object isn't what makes it resonant, it's what makes it compliant. Resonance is related to the elasticity / stiffness of the object along a specific axis. A heavy object will need more energy to be set into motion, but if it has the proper elasticity, it will resonante longer than a light object. So the difference in rims is both a function of their mass (compliance) and their material and shape (which affect elasticity and stiffness). A very light rim made of styrofoam will not resonate. To know how a rim will behave, simply hold it by a lug, and hit it, suspended. Each rim will sound different, based on a whole bunch of factors. Thin flanged rims don't have much of a sound and as such, won't interfere /interact with the shell the same way a rim that has more 'character' would.
Right. Shouldn't something with more mass actually resonate longer since it has more inertia? There's a Bob Gatzen video where he shows the difference between a 10mil reso and a 7.5 mil reso on a tom and the 7.5 definitely has a faster decay.
You are on the right track...but only something that moves can resonate. The head tensioning ring doesn’t move or vibrate. It’s only purpose is to stay rigid so the ring doesn’t warp between lugs.
Not only that the purpose of the counter hoops is to apply tension to the head around the bearing edge. The bearing edge serves the same function as a guitar bridge. The whole reason manufacturers went to 2.3mm and diecast is it offers more even pressure over the bearing edge, and thus makes it easier to tune and stay in tune.
No matter what snare I've bought, or how much I loved the sound, or paid. I ALWAYS go back to the Supra. That's the second time I've heard you say "Indi bands" don't play rim shots. Are they usually less skilled? I had never heard that until you said that
Live your videos Ric but I would be cautious when pressing down while finger tightening to not have the rim be uneven or a low spot if you will. The most important thing is to make sure the head and the hoop are centered (not off to one side) with even pressure and also not having one side of the hoop higher. I would be afraid of pressing too hard when finger tightening and throwing it out of whack from the beginning.
I noticed Rick feels for defects (smoots) around the drum edge that mates to the head - I noticed that nobody seems to think the ring needs the same treatment. The rings are often what needs it the most. He didn't tune either head by tapping the head near each screw for tone to insure all screws were tightened equally.
Ludwig Superphonic 402: using the Evans HD dry (the pinholes around the edge) Evans 300 on the snare side, Puresound steel 20 strand. Put a Trick throw off with the milled adapter. The 200 was too sensitive to Tom sympathetic overtones. ; likely best for symphonic/ concert band.
Rick I have loved every video I've ever seen you do, until this one. Replacing both heads? Take them both off first. Start with the bottom. Get it even, then do the top. Then add the snare. There's no other way they stay even, unless you use something to dampen the other side, like a large pillow. Each head needs to be in tune with itself. Then add the other. But this, like watching an uncle at Thanksgiving try to show you how to tune a drum after a fifth of Wild Turkey. Every other video you've made is better than this. And you're still the best, just not at tuning a snare.
Bottom Head I use a 40 strand snappy, alot lower tuning than top and the 4 lugs surroundings the snappy on bottom with alot less tension for less of a crispy snappy sound
I'm a pep drummer and we play on multiple snares and basses. How do I tune my snares and basses if I want them to sound in harmony? For example I want my snare line to sound very bright and my basses very deep.
Great video but why the jump at 11:23 to the batter head? How tight did you actually get the snare head? I've heard people say to make the snare side head very very tight. But that's pretty subjective. I'd like to know how tight you actually got it
Rick can you cover some of the different aspects,like tuning to a note,detuning 2 lugs etc. I like tighter bottom head on snares,for crispness,a little looser but still tight on top. I have different kits or parts of for various styles: Gretsch classic maple (black) 6.5" x14, Gr. chrome/brass 5"x14 all die cast hoops. Premier 3.5" x14 birch,pressed steel hoop. Pearl 8"x14 chrome/maple die cast hoop. Slingerland 5"x14 chrome/brass pressed steel hoop. I play Rock,blues,R&B,jazz.latin,folk. I also have Roland TD9 kit.
"Welcome the the definitive guide" *immediately starts talking drum head maker lingo that only people who already know what they are doing would understand*
Nice lesson Rick! Just to offer an FYI: Those vintage Supraphonics you mentioned that had the lighter rims from the 1970s are great for another reason,- they were equipped with the internal muffler control so you didn't have to mess around with those crappy makeshift dampening methods like tape, moon gel, drum dots or even setting your wallet on the drum like some guys do (ha ha!) So I always recommend (when possible) to go with a vintage Ludwig snare drum as they were better equipped.
Rick is spot-on here. With a newer Supra, you have to toss the factory 2.3mm hoops (they are horrible). Immediately chuck those in favor of 1.6mm or 1.8mm (I use old Tama and Pearl thins), as they both reduce weight and add resonance. Also, with regard to the wires, I prefer to use the plastic strip on the butt end and the nylon cord on the P-85 throw-off side. I use the coated-dot on top and clear ambassador on bottom, although I prefer the "low collar" version ambassador snare side, which is like an old school 70's Ludwig snare side bead. Do all this and you will have snare 💜. And when your bassist looks over and gives you that "nod", you'll know you've found the drum's sweet spot.
I always make sure the throw off is in the down position when installing snares other wise you will not have a wide range of tension for the snares. They will be on the loose side.
The 2 key method is spot on. I like to use use some candle wax on the bearing edges to ease tuning, especially on wood shells. Just run your wife's candles around the edge. Also, the thicker rims will tune up better, because they are stiffer. The majority of the resonance come from the shell, not the rim.
Totally new drummer with my first drum, an old Pearl snare and vintage Slingerland stand. And Rick Beato instructing me on some basics. It doesn't get any better.
But but but .... the tuning of the snare resohead is extreme important for the sound and attack. Learn about that elsewere!
@@novitamonitor Thank you. Fortunately I had run into some instructional videos on that. I have had to apply that even more to the tuning of my rack toms.
I read many comments and let's face it- we all have different techniques and rituals to break in and tune. And frankly to me, the result still sounds really gamey and ringy and raw to me. BUT, when I followed this and put a bit of dampening on it , it sounded really great. It had a fat punch and a crack and little resonance that I tend to choke out too much with my previous technique. I think there are many ways to get to a good spot for us all, and many are worth considering. Coming from Rick you know it's going to be a process worth exploring, so one needs to keep an open mind. That is something that is surprisingly problematic with musicians- one would expect them to be very accepting of different techniques and approaches, but in fact many of us are very locked into one way to do things and are convinced anything else is incorrect. And if I know anything, I know that is wrong. There are many approaches that can work. I tried this and got great results. I learned not to tame and over tighten and allow some ring that will need to be tamed a bit. But not having any overtones sucks. To me at least. And again, it depends on the application. Just like with a guitar sound what sounds great by itself sometimes does not work in the context of playing with others or a style of music or mix. It just depends.
I have watched many, many videos over the years on how to tune drums. Your method is the only one that really worked for me. My drums have come alive with tone and feel. Thanks.
There's a lot of really good drummers out there that have never bothered to master the art of tuning their drums correctly, especially in church drumming. This was a great tutorial. I've actually never heard of anybody breaking the seals like that.
Hey Rick, I was a drummer back when I was a kid, and I played bass and guitar pro for decades, and now at age 60 I've pulled the ol' kit out from mothballs and needed to replace the snare heads. So glad I found this video because it made replacing them much easier and quicker than the way I did it usually. I never lost the skill for tuning drums, and your way is a tad more work on the front end, but it saves tons of time on the back end. By the time the heads were tight enough, I just had to adjust one or two lugs slightly on each and I was off to the races! Thank you so much!
You left out a crucial part of tuning the snare: when attaching a new snare wire, make sure your SNARE MECHANISM is unlocked (loose) and it's screw is loosened almost entirely. That way once you've properly attached the snare wire, you can engage the snare mech and tighten it as needed to your play style. The looser it is, the "fatter" the sound. The tighter it is, the sharper and cutting the sound will be. Otherwise perfect tutorial!
Thank you for mentioning this. That is the hardest part of putting snare wires on a drum. It can be a bit of a challenge to line them up and have the strainer work perfectly. As far as vintage Ludwig throw-offs go, I would prefer the P-83 any day over the junky P-85. The new P-88AC isn't too bad either.
Me i loosen it and maybe have to hold it were i want it its s focus thing . I already know how to tune i just like a refresh force so othen . This is a great video i get it and like it . I woulda liked to have heard it behind a drumset . But i already know how it sounds live i have one .
yes indeed,,great catch
I just loosen it enough to give me some play, then tweak it til I get what I'm looking for
I appreciate you noted and add it to the comments. Being a experienced drummer I went ahead and figure it out, but it's definitely needed when we're putting out these videos and countless people are watching it around the world... I always hated when somebody that could not explain in details or could even explain it after I asked that I was eventually going to get it... "You'll get it!, You'll get it!, Thank God I wasn't paying that guy for instructions lol.
how to get a good snare sound:
step 1. get a ludwig supraphonic
step 2. thats it
Supraphonic is hard to tune
Ahahaha! no kidding!
Pretty much...it's hard to make a Supra sound 'bad" at all. I mean, the sound you like is subjective of course but these things have a good quality sound no matter what heads or tensions I've tried.
Don't have a Supra but I have an old Ludwig 6 1/2" x 14" wood snare from the 50's that is absolute magic and I plan on getting a 70's Supra for something different.
My Supra is just untouchable...amazing snare.
I've been following your critic videos for over a year now. As a songwriter who just bought his first drum set days ago in order to learn the instrument(s) so I could write the drum parts, I'm very happy to find this video from years ago. I have a lot to figure out.
I’m in the same boat haha.
The first thing to do on a 402 is change the P-85 throw off. Lol Glad you caught the point on the rim weights. Most folk would overlook the mention. I really enjoy your channel.
Great tutorial. I picked up a nifty little trick the other day in regards to the old batter head. Cut it so you can lay it on top of the new one. Maybe even cut a hole in the middle, effectively making it into a ring. It’ll be a quick and easy way to muffle the sustain, without adjusting the drum itself. Always nice to find a new use for something, rather than to throw it away. 🙂
Just got back into playing the drums, played guitar for awhile, so this was a fantastic refresher on drum tuning, thank you!!
Rick (from my experience playing for a long time) when you place the head on the batter side of the snare you may want to consider placing the joint where the collar is glued together over one of the lugs. It usually prevents uneven crinkling and/or buzzing (which will make your life more difficult especially in the studio).
How do you mean place it over a lug?
@@ScrambleBandOfficial I believe he means to line the joint up with one of the lugs
I still Love my 1976 Dyna Sonic Sound. (Rogers) I bought the drum kit in 1976 and have been making a living with it ever since. Still sounds as good as the day I bought it. Very crisp!!! Thanks for sharing Rick...
Those old Rogers kits sound great!
It's cool how Rick, being mostly a guitarist, is so knowledgeable on drum tech.
It's a studio he needs to have lots of knowledge on every instrument.
Mostly a bass player, isn't he? Just happens to also play "a little" guitar XD : )
I'm not correct here. His undergrad was bass, but his gigs were mostly guitar --- or is he "mostly" a sound engineer? Producer? Interesting question to pose to Rick: what DOES he self identify as? A Musician?
@@newdeltamusic I would identify him as a versatile teaching musician who has a recording studio and lots and lots of real-world experience and friends who are really good musicians in their own right, with a liberal topping of awesome sauce!
If you want to tension drum head rims progressively and arrive at an even tension accross the head, number opposite lugs as a pair rather than every lug. For example, a ten lug rim will have five pairs. First determine which will be called pair one (use the logo or put a mark or some masking tape on the shell to be clear about that firstly). Then, progressively tension each pair rotating clockwise (ask your grand dad what that means), and call out 1, 3, 2 4 as you tweak these pairs. Doing that methodically will help prevent confusing yourself doing this save time getting an even pitch around the head. Nice kit Rick.
Yep, use two keys.
I got to say, man, your channel is just always informative, to the point, and well done. Whether I am watching you and listening to you about something that I already know. Or if I’m listening to you talk about something that I never knew. it’s always a master class of an instruction. When it comes to music and musicianship, and then just listening enjoyment in general, you are number one. Thank you for all of your videos.
I love many of Rick Beato’s videos and have for years. I have learned so much about production, arrangement and theory from him. As a drummer however, this was hard to watch. Rob “Beatdown” Brown is a great source for all things drumset biased. With all due respect Rick.
I’m with you on this vid. He does a LOT of things and says a lot of things that are off the mark.
Where I disagree is with Rob Brown. He reinforces a ton of false “knowledge” and stereotypes within drumming and especially technique. Brown has a good YT presence and good production. He is also a pretty good drummer. He is an awful teacher.
@@joegiotta7580 true. I was just appreciating Rob Brown’s approach to snare tuning. Who’s your “go-to” for drum instruction?
Thank you Rick! followed this step by step, couple years ago I bought a drum set third hand to learn on, had original Tama heads, went to an Evans Snare Genera Dry, OMG what a difference! Just bought heads for the toms, cant wait
Thanks so much for this video Rick! I'm a piano and synth player and your deep dive into drums has helped me immensely!!
shiny it's done? I play until there's a hole in it.
Phrosda1 Z same here, I play my snare heads until they're as slick as a used racing tire. But since I started using the Evans Hybrid I at least get my damn money's worth.
Doesn't matter that much, unless you ever need to use brushes; if the coating's gone the brush work suffers. Drummers can go their whole career and never use brushes. Or learn to play a waltz properly. I hate those drummers, and I don't hire them.
Cool. Where is the link to your video on snare tuning?
Phrosda1 Z Cool. You and my drummer should swap ideas. He swears by aluminum tape trick, and better yet the old “piece of drum head held on by aluminum tape” trick. He tells me it’s not one you’ll find in the book.
@@m0j0b0ne I prefer playing a worn head with brushes. It adds color when you go from smooth to rough. BTW I'm not looking for work so no biggie.
I don't know why I found him throwing the skin away so funny
I thought you meant when he first took it off.. I thought, that's not very funny... then I saw him toss it back into the rest of his studio, and I found it pretty damn funny too. lol
I thought it was going to hit the lamp at first.......that would have been golden!!!
Finger tighten is my new favorite thing. The first toss I thought was funny too.
I laughed pretty hard too and then 5 minutes later I see your comment.
The timing.
The "cracking" sound that Remo's heads make when you place them under tension is NOT the sound of glue cracking. It's the sound of the collar forming against the bearing edge of the drum. Rather than pressing into the collar of the head with your hands, it is much better (and safer) to just tension the head tightly and then let it sit for an hour or two. Then you can loosen the head and then tension it up to where you want it.
I also have never heard of anyone deforming the collar to "break up the glue" before mounting the head. I wonder where he got that instruction from.
Yup I usually do mine at night and let it sit till morning
I've seen a drummer literally stand on top of a new head and even jump on it.
@@paulpresson4507 when I was taught how to tension a snare drum, it was to "seat" the head by putting pressure on each side of the rims evenly. You will hear the cracking sound. This is when the head is only finger-tightened and only light pressure, evenly. Then, you will have loosened tension in the rods some as well , so another finger tighten. Then you're ready to tune the drum up as well as (evenly) putting pressure in the center of the head. Never failed for me, this was from a professional player and instructor
using a tune bot if i tune a head up to a desired pitch, if i then put a cloth in the center and then using the heal of my hand press on it with all my weight it will streatch and and can then tune it back up to the desired pitch, usually about 5 cycle of this and then it will stop changing and hold pitch. i bet you head tats sat for a hour or 2 is still stretchable and will detune after playing.
Great video, some very helpful tips for a long term drummer who's always struggled with tuning!
I wish someone had told me about the 1.6 rims 25 years ago, thank Rick.have changed them now.
Love this video, the only thing I would suggest is using the 2 key method when tightening lugs. It makes it much more accurate and quicker!
Isn't this exactly what is suggested at 6:44 😂
@@christophertracy5188 But Gretsch keys are expensive..lol {nice to have tho}
I made a jig that applies even pressure all around the drum. Squeezing the drum so to speak. Only the rim down onto the drum. With pressure applied, finger tighten rods (you can use a key if you want) release pressure, drum tuned. you can get consistant tuning, and all rods will be the same. No guessing. Want a higher pitch? Squeeze more. Its the same principle as pushing down with your hand, only its all at once and uniform.
Oh wow! That's a brilliant suggestion 👏. As a veteran musician and master carpenter don't know why I never thought of that myself.
This is great. I have a heap of steel snare drums ans a couple of wood shell snare drums and using your methods make them all sound great.
I like the different sounds they all produce. Using a few different heads makes a difference too.
Thanks Rick . Love ya work 👍
Rick you are a life saver :) had a lot of trouble with my snare drum until I watched this video !!! :) THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH !!!!
Great videos, I use your technique regularly now. I do have one issue though. I have toured both the Remo and Evans heads plants and neither of them put glue on the collar of the head, only in the hoop holing the head in place. The collar of both is formed by heating the film and bending it over a mold, hot in Remo's case and cold in Evan's case, no glue ever touches the collar. The cracking you hear is the film itself cracking at the collar point, not any kind of glue. By cracking it like you do, you may make the collar less stiff to form over the bearing edges better, but no glue is involved. Great videos, keep them coming!
I've watched other videos on tuning snares. Yours made more sense than anybody else's I've ran across. I have a Pearl, play mostly latin music, & it's a 14 × 5½. Looking for suggested pitches to tune both sides. Note ⭐ I sometimes use brushes for acoustic setups.
318hz top 400hz bottom. (if that not hight enough go to 356top) buy a tunebot.
I'm a guitar player, i am not sure why i watched this. I've got to say that i waited for you to using a tuner and accord it to a exact pitch.
Hey Rick, Great share. Gonna be kicking back and watch all three of this series. Awesome stuff!
snare head frisbee... absolutely hilarious! 👍
Amusingly, Rick, and I almost hate to mention this, the bar code sticker was still attached to the bottom rim. Affects nothing, but it's probably a great trigger for those of us who are also a bit obsessive compulsive (in the colloquial sense). Unless, of course, the snare is for sale, lol.
Haha, I noticed that too and would never leave it on.
To replace those old snare wire plastic bands, I cut the inside ply from an old clear tom head into many replacement snare wire bands. They are stronger than the ones that come with the wires.
Great idea!
3:18 this is why I love Rick
I’ve given this method a go on two of my snares. Worked a treat. My thanks.
8:12 the 4 lugs around the snare bed will need to be cranked a little more than the others because the bearing edge sits lower for the snares. On wood drums they'll sand the edge down almost to flat...... I've seen on metal shells the same type of contour or none at all. But you'll generally have to tighten out some wrinkles on the 4 lugs directly adjacent to the snare mechanisms
I believe Ludwig's metal drums don't have snare beds they're just flat. At least my 1970s acrolite is
Rick. I love your videos but there's something you do with the reso head that l conpletely disagree with.
Tightening the reso head that much doesn't mean it gives you the best sound. In fact you're overtensioning the reso head and you might ruin it if you ever want to tune it lower. I used to do that when l started and it completely destroyed the head's tuning ability once l brough it lower to a specific high pitch within the recommended range.
I also like my resos tight to the max, with the batter higher than the reso, but you can also get perfect sound the other way around. What l'm saying is: dont bring your reso head higher than 440Hz ~ A4 because you'll get choked sound beyound that and people who are learning to tune should get the feel of the reso resonance. As for the batter l go with what sounds best. I have a great rich fat sound on my roadshow's snare because of that. But l completely fucked my reso head overtensioning it beyound 440hz.
Keep that in mind. Aint so hard to train your ear and experiment within range. I usually use a pitch emmiter on my phone like you did with the toms. It works.
Tightening the reso to the max only works as a last resort when you really have a cheap low end snare drum with a lot of annoying overtones. However good tuning and knowing the recommended ranges works best most of the time.
I agree...400hz max on the reso or risk splitting the head.
Finally some one has said it…I like to almost match the tone on both heads, and use the end of a stick when tuning! Do you have a drumstick? Rick’s snare was way, way too high, esp as a starting off point.
We started using the Drum Dial to precisely tighten the lugs on the three kits - Ludwig Downbeat 20, Gretsch Brooklyn and Pearl Reference - I keep in my studio. They’ve never sounded better.
Why are all of these people who know exactly how to tune a snare drum even watching this
Excellent Question
Ha just so we can say we can do a better job than him lol
Hell of blast beat, right there Rick 🤣
I usually press and hold a finger lightly the middle and then tap around each lug to check pitch of each in the star pattern too. Sometimes 1/8 turns on lugs can do the trick for fine tuning
Hey Rick, I know this is a very old Video. I don't have your email, so I will make this post of an occurrence I encountered with my DW Design Series Nickel over Brass 14 X 6.5 Snare drum. I bought it used in 2021 via Reverb. It came with the previous owner installed HD Dry batter head. It played great out of the dleivery box. It was Cranked High on both heads. A month ago or so, I replaced the batter head with anew HD Dry one; re-installed he stock reso head and wires. I could not get that Sweet Sound that I liked , no matter how much tweaked it. I have a PdP Concept Maple 7 Drum Kit including a 14 X 5.5 Snare. After getting that kit (also Used) I replaced the stock Batter head with a HD Dry. Last week while playing to Music (I'm a 71 yo retiree who plays for pleasure about 1 hour a day), I placed the PdP snare in the stand. I put the DW snare on my 16 Inch Floor Tom - just to get it out of the way. During a fill, I hit the DW snare - Bingo - That was the Sound I was looking to attain, the Jon Bonham sound !! Better than the out of the delivery box sound. Take the drum off the Tom, it was not the same. I've posted this Phenominum on a number of Forums. One poster said that I was Playing 2 Drums simultaneously ; another jokingly said that I may have Invented a new Snare Stand. Like You, I have a little OCD about certain things. Drum Tuning has become one of the OCD issues :(:(. Any idea as to what is going on. Even the PdP maple snare sounds better when doing this!. I even tried placing an extra EC2 clear 16" Tom head in the snare stand, and placing the drum on top of that - sounds a bit better than w/o it, but not the same as being on the Floor tom. Appreciate your or others' thoughts about this. PS: I just tried chnaging the batter head to a UV1 (NG), then a UV2 - still not happy with it.
You should talk about the many ways we can tune drums, and all seem to work just fine. 7th time i watch this video :)
Great video. Tons of info for me a beginner ❤
Been a pro for 50 years and if I have time, I always hold the drum in the air ( without heads or rims ) and tap the shell to hear its fundamental tone which is the area of tuning that that particular drum sounds best at. This mainly is for wood drums but also some others. Experiment!
VINtageE drums are where its at!!! Got a '76 set of Ludwig Vistalites and 70s chrome over maple Slingerlands w a Chrome over Brass Gene Krupa snare. You cant go wrong w the wood shell, wood hoop Ayottes from BC Canada either used by Matt Cameon of SoundGarden& Pearl jam and Jeremy from Our lady Peace name a few
Great video. @3:21 you don't know how bad I wanted that tossed head to knock down that lamp. I'm always in confusion on what snare head I should be using.
For real? 15 min long video and it cuts off during the final tuning of the bottom head???
couldn't believe it!
Couldn't believe it too. Most important part of the video in my eyes. He needs to finish tuning it from where the video ends.
You guys do realize there are 3 parts to this video right
Great!
I always use Dry Lube PTFE Spray on the snare shell bearing edges "friction is your enemy whatever you are tuning!
Nice!
thaks Rick very informative for a rookie like me =) Love cheers
This one a good Rick but your gonna confuse drummers about bottom head when you say crank bottom head up your tuning down, the bottom head should be a bit looser than top. To very close..depending..there are rules. If it sounds good and good to you? Your rules and sound. Depends ya wanna fat back Traveling Will berries or a tight Instrumental funk needs cut through horns and such..I’ve been at it awhile but Rick is the man! Always much be learned from him!👍
Use Evans heads and you won't have to do your little DJ spin to seat it...lol I'm just kidding bro, I'm an Evans guy and had to do a little trash talking , love the channel and a big thanks for the help you provide.
Aquarian heads don't usually have those snap/crackle/pop starting sounds like Remos do. Plus, the head profile differs from Remos' by having an "oversized" flat area with lower edge part. That's why I prefer Aquarians. They can be used with any brand drums
Great video, I appreciate your work. I guess it's personal preference, but I really dislike everything about triple-flanged hoops. Especially on snare drums. Maybe it's better on certain kinds of recording, but I'm a big fan of die cast hoops or 'S'-Hoops (Sonic/Saver/Sticksaver/Safety). If I want a more open sound, I opt for the S-Hoops, if I want a more focused sound I go for the Die-Cast. I just find them to be much more durable, easier on sticks, the S-hoops help hold loose muffling rings and such in place, they also protect the bearing edge, and give a different, to my ear, fatter rimshot than triple-flange, and both die-cast and S-hoops tend to hold a tuning more evenly for longer around the drum, even under heavy use. One of the best 's-hoops' I've seen has been the proprietary Mapex Black Panther Snare Sonic-Saver Hoops, if S-hoops are a compromise between triple-flanged and die-cast hoops, then the Sonic Savers are like the compromise between S-hoops and Die-cast, they're probably about as solid as die-cast hoops structurally, but more open in resonance/lighter. I agree they can deaden a drum slightly, but I would argue in most situations, the amount it deadens it relative to what you can get out of it via tuning and micing, is marginal, perhaps even desirable. Plus. especially on a snare, it's very common to bend triple flange rims from use and age, or de-tune the batter head from rimshots. Obviously, it's not as big of a concern in lighter styles, but these are things I've noticed playing heavier rock drums where gear breakdowns like that can waste a lot of time/money.
Somebody got an A in drums class.
Rock on 🤘🏽 dude.
Best sounding and most durable batter head Ive ever used was Remo Emperor Black Suede. 10yrs and still going strong! Bottom heads always a Remo Diplomat or Ludwig equivalent. Remo Fiberskyn 3 is great too but not as durable... great vintage type sound tho
1/2", 1", 1.5" and maybe even 2" muffle rings give You a ton of different snare sounds instantly. 4 sounds w 1 of the muffle rings alone. Snare on: muffle ring on or off, snare off: muffle ring on or off... timpani sticks w large felt ends gives U more variety of sounds instantly as well.
There was actually a signature remo snare head w circles where to place butt or tip of stick for I believe it was up to 14 different sounds.
"Going around" the head to tension it...even by hand, causes the head to seat unevenly. Always cross tension the head...even at the beginning. Plastic strips don't allow the snares to "breath" because they have no stretch to them. Better to use chords or woven straps. Evenly tensioning each rod is really not very important. Getting them relatively close is good enough. Some drummers even loosen a couple of rods to take away some of the ring.
Buddy Rich used to say, "You don't 'tune' a drum head, you tension it".
The thing about hoop thickness is that thick hoops actually ring MORE. Try this experiment: Take off a cast or super hoop, suspend it by one finger and strike it with a stick. It will ring like a bell. Do the same with a 1.6mm hoop and it will have much less ring. Using a thinner hoop actually allows more energy to go into the shell rather than into the hoop. Also thick or cast hoops tend to have a better cross stick and louder rim shot sound. So it's a trade off. If you want that airy snare sound go with thin hoops...If you want a harder sound go thick.
Snare wires themselves are another thing. If you want a fat, wet drum sound go with 42 strand snares. If you like a quick, sharp sound use 20 or 24 strand snares. I would advise cranking the snare side head up VERY tight and then tensioning the batter side to suit the music or what you'd like to hear, high or low.
ha ha, you left the bar code sticker on the snare side rim. Thanks for the video Rick, appreciated it!
And it sounds great if you want to play something that has a bad snare sound.
lol
13:15 yep, you're pretty much there
Hahaha i was thinking exactly the same, gonna have start tuning it from there ;)
Still better than St Anger 😂
Flying Lizards - Money
I tuned my Starphonics aka Rob Brown originally. They sounded great. Should have left well enough alone. Lol. Also if you're dealing with diecast rims it's very different!
For an old Supra, that thing is in amazing shape. Moon gel FTW.
Thank you so very much for the video! very nice
Really good throws
I like the throw off be to my left and the air hole facing forward.
I used to have an acoustic drum kit. I loved the process of changing and tuning up the heads. I also love the process of changing guitar strings - is it weird to say 'thank you' to them when you take them off?
Best drum tuning tips from a great producer!
I have been playing percussion since I was 14, and I'm 55 now. It is unnecessary to do a lot of the stuff you do to the new heads before you put them on. When you tighten the hoops down, the heads will stretch on their own. I don't skip every other nut when I tighten the hoop, but it is right to always criss-cross when tightening the lugs. Hope this helps!
Not sure if you have touched on the subject before or not but those of us who own metal snare drums like my Sonor 2005 steel snare it has oxidation on the hoops and the drum itself how do we get this cleaned up looking new again would also be a great video for those if us who loves the metal snare drums brass copper etc
You can use 0000 steel wool.
Its really fine and won't scratch your shell or hoops .
OMG....I cant believe you created a vid on how to change heads and tune a snare.....what kind of drummers are out there...🤪
Very good breakdown of head and snare replacement and tuning. I disagree with your head selection, but that is mainly a matter of taste.
this guys seems to LOVE john bonham so much
Who doesn't
The mass of an object isn't what makes it resonant, it's what makes it compliant. Resonance is related to the elasticity / stiffness of the object along a specific axis. A heavy object will need more energy to be set into motion, but if it has the proper elasticity, it will resonante longer than a light object. So the difference in rims is both a function of their mass (compliance) and their material and shape (which affect elasticity and stiffness). A very light rim made of styrofoam will not resonate. To know how a rim will behave, simply hold it by a lug, and hit it, suspended. Each rim will sound different, based on a whole bunch of factors. Thin flanged rims don't have much of a sound and as such, won't interfere /interact with the shell the same way a rim that has more 'character' would.
Right. Shouldn't something with more mass actually resonate longer since it has more inertia? There's a Bob Gatzen video where he shows the difference between a 10mil reso and a 7.5 mil reso on a tom and the 7.5 definitely has a faster decay.
You are on the right track...but only something that moves can resonate. The head tensioning ring doesn’t move or vibrate. It’s only purpose is to stay rigid so the ring doesn’t warp between lugs.
Not only that the purpose of the counter hoops is to apply tension to the head around the bearing edge. The bearing edge serves the same function as a guitar bridge. The whole reason manufacturers went to 2.3mm and diecast is it offers more even pressure over the bearing edge, and thus makes it easier to tune and stay in tune.
No matter what snare I've bought, or how much I loved the sound, or paid. I ALWAYS go back to the Supra. That's the second time I've heard you say "Indi bands" don't play rim shots. Are they usually less skilled? I had never heard that until you said that
Learned a lot . Thanks @rick beato !
Live your videos Ric but I would be cautious when pressing down while finger tightening to not have the rim be uneven or a low spot if you will. The most important thing is to make sure the head and the hoop are centered (not off to one side) with even pressure and also not having one side of the hoop higher. I would be afraid of pressing too hard when finger tightening and throwing it out of whack from the beginning.
I noticed Rick feels for defects (smoots) around the drum edge that mates to the head - I noticed that nobody seems to think the ring needs the same treatment.
The rings are often what needs it the most. He didn't tune either head by tapping the head near each screw for tone to insure all screws were tightened equally.
Anybody else notice he totally missed tensioning the 12 and 6 o'clock tensioners on the snare side?
Yes ahahah just noticed that
Video was edited to shorten the tightening process. I doubt he missed any lugs.
Greetings from Miami !
Ludwig Superphonic 402: using the Evans HD dry (the pinholes around the edge) Evans 300 on the snare side, Puresound steel 20 strand. Put a Trick throw off with the milled adapter.
The 200 was too sensitive to Tom sympathetic overtones.
; likely best for symphonic/ concert band.
Rick I have loved every video I've ever seen you do, until this one. Replacing both heads? Take them both off first. Start with the bottom. Get it even, then do the top. Then add the snare. There's no other way they stay even, unless you use something to dampen the other side, like a large pillow. Each head needs to be in tune with itself. Then add the other.
But this, like watching an uncle at Thanksgiving try to show you how to tune a drum after a fifth of Wild Turkey. Every other video you've made is better than this. And you're still the best, just not at tuning a snare.
Interesting
Cool video Rick. I have that snare and didn't know that about the rims being a different size from the older supraphonic's. Going to give that a try!
What brand 1.6mm hoops do you recommend? Are DFDs any good?
Good stuff. I just uploaded a 3 minute shortcut drum tuning video and yours came up in my feed. Great as always Rick!
Excellent post. Thx Rick!
Bottom Head I use a 40 strand snappy, alot lower tuning than top and the 4 lugs surroundings the snappy on bottom with alot less tension for less of a crispy snappy sound
I'm a pep drummer and we play on multiple snares and basses. How do I tune my snares and basses if I want them to sound in harmony? For example I want my snare line to sound very bright and my basses very deep.
Awesome video, very comprehensive. Keep em' coming! :)
Great video but why the jump at 11:23 to the batter head? How tight did you actually get the snare head? I've heard people say to make the snare side head very very tight. But that's pretty subjective. I'd like to know how tight you actually got it
Rick can you cover some of the different aspects,like tuning to a note,detuning 2 lugs etc. I like tighter bottom head on snares,for crispness,a little looser but still tight on top. I have different kits or parts of for various styles: Gretsch classic maple (black) 6.5" x14, Gr. chrome/brass 5"x14 all die cast hoops. Premier 3.5" x14 birch,pressed steel hoop. Pearl 8"x14 chrome/maple die cast hoop. Slingerland 5"x14 chrome/brass pressed steel hoop. I play Rock,blues,R&B,jazz.latin,folk. I also have Roland TD9 kit.
Rick, Thanks for sharing your knowledge
"Welcome the the definitive guide"
*immediately starts talking drum head maker lingo that only people who already know what they are doing would understand*
Nice lesson Rick! Just to offer an FYI: Those vintage Supraphonics you mentioned that had the lighter rims from the 1970s are great for another reason,- they were equipped with the internal muffler control so you didn't have to mess around with those crappy makeshift dampening methods like tape, moon gel, drum dots or even setting your wallet on the drum like some guys do (ha ha!) So I always recommend (when possible) to go with a vintage Ludwig snare drum as they were better equipped.
Thank you Rick, this was so helpful!
Really usefull video! My snare sounds really good now!
great video
Rick is spot-on here. With a newer Supra, you have to toss the factory 2.3mm hoops (they are horrible). Immediately chuck those in favor of 1.6mm or 1.8mm (I use old Tama and Pearl thins), as they both reduce weight and add resonance. Also, with regard to the wires, I prefer to use the plastic strip on the butt end and the nylon cord on the P-85 throw-off side. I use the coated-dot on top and clear ambassador on bottom, although I prefer the "low collar" version ambassador snare side, which is like an old school 70's Ludwig snare side bead. Do all this and you will have snare 💜. And when your bassist looks over and gives you that "nod", you'll know you've found the drum's sweet spot.
I just bought a Nickel Gretschshcsshh snare. Which one of the Ludwigs would you recommend if I ever upgrade.
I always make sure the throw off is in the down position when installing snares other wise you will not have a wide range of tension for the snares. They will be on the loose side.
It flies pretty well!!
Rick, can you post a link for where to access 1.6mm triple flange hoops, please.
The 2 key method is spot on. I like to use use some candle wax on the bearing edges to ease tuning, especially on wood shells. Just run your wife's candles around the edge. Also, the thicker rims will tune up better, because they are stiffer. The majority of the resonance come from the shell, not the rim.