Drum Tuning

andrushkiwt

Well-known member
Based on MJB's thread, I realized I wanted to get everyone's opinion on drum tuning for individual songs. I'm using Superior Drummer, so it's rather easy for me to give it a try. But how should I approach this?

Most of my songs are drop D tuning, but already down a half step, so D-flat actually. The key is usually B-flat-minor and D-flat-major. How, then, would you approach tuning the snare, kick, toms, etc... ?
 
I usually don't tune the drums to the key of the song.
OK...maybe I've done it once or twice, and it mostly pays off if there's a lot of toms in the drum track for the song, since toms tend to carry through melodically if you tune them to notes.
Otherwise...most of the time I just tune the drums to how they sound within the whole kit. Granted, I'm also listening to how the drums are fitting the song...but it's really just about getting them somewhat musical sounding, on their own.
They could sound great, and perfect for the song...and not be anywhere near the key of the song...etc.

I think you have to make that call per song if you should just tune them up...or tune them to the key of the song.
 
I thought the only pitched drum was timpani?
I can see lowering or raising the timbre of a typical drum, but I'm not sure it would turn out to be a specific pitch.

I'd be curious to hear expert thoughts.
 
Ain't no drum tuning expert...but people will sometimes tune their drums to the key of a song, if it really matters to the production.
It's not necessary, but it can add a nice tone to the overall sound...with some productions.
I've done it a few times, but most times I just tune to kit as a whole, so that the pitches between the drums sound somewhat melodic, and that often has little to do with the key of the song...it's kinda more about finding the "key of the kit" that overall sounds good for the song....so to speak.
 
My drummer housemate tunes his toms to "three blind mice". I believe this is a time tested method for tuning drums.
 
I do it to 'fit' the song, not to tune to the song's key. Sometimes a higher pitch on the kick, same thing on the toms. I don't think I've ever gone lower.
 
My drummer housemate tunes his toms to "three blind mice". I believe this is a time tested method for tuning drums.

So, regardless of what the first pitch is exactly, the rest just follow in order in steps? That makes sense. I'm sure there isn't a huge leeway as far as how high or low they can go, prob only a few notes in either direction before they sound whacky. There have been times where I'm changing out snares continuously because something doesn't sound right about it or there is something different that's missing...tuning is an option I've overlooked in the past. I was wondering what particular patterns or whatnot are followed, and this is exactly the type of suggestion I needed.

I'll try it. Thanks man
 
I tune the drums to the pitch of the shells.

I have tuned them to the key of the song before. I really dont think it matters much, unless you have 8 toms and the drummer is actually playing a melody on them.

Interesting fact: If the bass and drums are playing in the same room, the kick drum will sympatheticly tune itself with the bass note being played.
 
I wrote about this in the other thread, too. With real drums, different head tension changes a lot more than just the pitch of the drum. The interaction of the tension of the head and the resonant frequency of the shell and the room can make a real difference in the overall envelope and dynamic of the drum itself. Tighter heads tend to ring more true, while looser heads are more like noise. Especially when you start messing with tuning the top heads different from the bottom heads, it gives you all kinds of options for how the drums come through.

None of that happens when you adjust the tuning parameters in SuperiorDrummer. All it really does is play the sample back faster or slower depending on your settings. This also shifts the whole frequency response of the room and mics involved by the same factor. It also changes the "size" of the room, by changing the timing of reflections. You can almost get away with it, if you're not going very far, and especially if you're tuning the entire kit the same amount. I personally can hear the difference in even small adjustments, to the point where if one drum is tuned different from the others, it sticks out to me as noticeably different.

Even without all of that, I don't think I would do much of matching the pitch of the drums to the key of a song. I just pick drums that sound right in context and kind of just go with it, or I use extreme tunings for special effects. Maybe I would experiment a bit if it didn't change everything else. Maybe I should, but I don't.
 
I wrote about this in the other thread, too. With real drums, different head tension changes a lot more than just the pitch of the drum. The interaction of the tension of the head and the resonant frequency of the shell and the room can make a real difference in the overall envelope and dynamic of the drum itself. Tighter heads tend to ring more true, while looser heads are more like noise. Especially when you start messing with tuning the top heads different from the bottom heads, it gives you all kinds of options for how the drums come through.

None of that happens when you adjust the tuning parameters in SuperiorDrummer. All it really does is play the sample back faster or slower depending on your settings. This also shifts the whole frequency response of the room and mics involved by the same factor. It also changes the "size" of the room, by changing the timing of reflections. You can almost get away with it, if you're not going very far, and especially if you're tuning the entire kit the same amount. I personally can hear the difference in even small adjustments, to the point where if one drum is tuned different from the others, it sticks out to me as noticeably different.

Even without all of that, I don't think I would do much of matching the pitch of the drums to the key of a song. I just pick drums that sound right in context and kind of just go with it, or I use extreme tunings for special effects. Maybe I would experiment a bit if it didn't change everything else. Maybe I should, but I don't.
I have found that if you tune drums to sound really good, they work in any key. I worry more about tuning them where one drum won't make another drum ring...or the snare rattle. Of course I'm not a seasoned drummer.
 
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