tuning drums is my kryptonite...

[guitaristic]

I've been drumming for about a year, but I've never taken lessons or anything. Just kinda watched drummers I admire and practiced a lot Too bad I never see them tune their drums...I'm sure it would help me a lot.

Needless to say, I'm not a great drum tuner My kit currently sounds like crap due to me trying to tune it (trying! and failing miserably lol)...For those of you who don't have this problem like I do, how long did it take you to get an ear for tuning drums? What's your method for tuning?

I just find it kind of frustrating to not be able to pick out the intervals in my drums (there probably aren't any good ones really, since I'm such a moron). I'm using Evan G2 batter heads, and some crappy Pearl resonants that came with the set (which I got used, which the guy before me bought 5 years ago). I'm guessing the ancient resonant heads are part of the problem Any recommendations to replace them?

Thanks drum dudes.

 

[moresound]

Your a Drummer!!!!!!

 

[guitaristic]

Your a Drummer!!!!!!

Technically, I guess so
But seeing as how I can't tune my own kit, I'd feel kinda ashamed calling myself a drummer!

 

[moresound]

I had much higher hopes for you.

 

[Bob F.]

I'm a novice drummer, and I use a DrumDial. It's helped me out a lot.

 

[Greg_L]

I'm a novice drummer, and I use a DrumDial. It's helped me out a lot.

Fuck that.

Drum dials are a cool tool for quick tunings, but you still need to know what the hell you're doing. You need to be able to do it by ear.

I personally don't pay too much attention to intervals. I just go for the best sound I can get out of each drum. They're different sizes so they're naturally gonna sound different. I'm not a fan of forcing a drum to a pitch it doesn't want to be tuned to. That's just me.

Tuning is easy though. Like everything else, it just takes some practice. Make sure your lugs are clean and lubed, your bearing edges are in good shape, your heads are good, and then google it.

 

[guitaristic]

Fuck that.

Drum dials are a cool tool for quick tunings, but you still need to know what the hell you're doing. You need to be able to do it by ear.

I personally don't pay too much attention to intervals. I just go for the best sound I can get out of each drum. They're different sizes so they're naturally gonna sound different. I'm not a fan of forcing a drum to a pitch it doesn't want to be tuned to. That's just me.

Tuning is easy though. Like everything else, it just takes some practice. Make sure your lugs are clean and lubed, your bearing edges are in good shape, your heads are good, and then google it.

K thanks Gerg!!!

 

[Bob F.]

Fuck that.

Drum dials are a cool tool for quick tunings, but you still need to know what the hell you're doing. You need to be able to do it by ear.

Obviously, you don't need to be able to do it by ear. Unless you don't have a DrumDial.

Obviously.

Is a DrumDial a "crutch"? Definitely. No doubt about it. So what? Who cares?

"In tune" is in tune; it really doesn't matter how you get there, as long as you arrive. If it sounds good, it is good.

I usually don't tune my drums by ear, and my drums certainly sound more in tune to me when I use a DrumDial then when I don't. It works for me, and I'm sure I'm not alone. It's a relatively easy device to learn how to use, and the DrumDial makes it faster and easier for me, a novice drummer with less experience tuning drums. It's also easier to tune by ear when you know better what they're supposed to sound like when they actually sound in tune, instead of just guessing what you think they might sound like. It's certainly not a bad place to start.

I stand by what I said, FWIW:
I'm a novice drummer, and I use a DrumDial. It's helped me out a lot, and I recommend it for those who have a difficult time tuning drums.

 

[Greg_L]

Obviously, you don't need to be able to do it by ear. Unless you don't have a DrumDial.

Obviously.

Is a DrumDial a "crutch"? Definitely. No doubt about it. So what? Who cares?

"In tune" is in tune; it really doesn't matter how you get there, as long as you arrive. If it sounds good, it is good.

I usually don't tune my drums by ear, and my drums certainly sound more in tune to me when I use a DrumDial then when I don't. It works for me, and I'm sure I'm not alone. It's a relatively easy device to learn how to use, and the DrumDial makes it faster and easier for me, a novice drummer with less experience tuning drums. It's also easier to tune by ear when you know better what they're supposed to sound like when they actually sound in tune, instead of just guessing what you think they might sound like. It's certainly not a bad place to start.

I stand by what I said, FWIW:
I'm a novice drummer, and I use a DrumDial. It's helped me out a lot, and I recommend it for those who have a difficult time tuning drums.

Calm down Bobby.

Drum Dials are cool. I have one, and use it. The problem though with a drum dial is what you just described. You'll never learn to do it by ear because you keep reaching for the dial. I fine tune by ear after using the dial to get it close, and it always needs some tweaking and it always sounds better with ear tuning. Sure, it works, but happens when you're at a gig or something and need to change a head real quick? Uh oh, better remember to bring the drum dial. Or, you can just know how to do it by ear and be done with it. Also, in tune is not in tune. All drums have a sweet spot. I can crank my lugs until they almost rip off the shell and the drum dial will tell me it's in tune. It isn't though. It would be way too tight and sound like shit. But how? The numbers on the dial are all the same! Pfft. Use your ears to tell you what sounds good, not some gauge. If you can't do it, get to practicing.

 

[drumslinger]

I have to agree with Greg. I started tuning drums by ear and I am glad i did because it doesn't take long to tune the kit anymore and I too have a DrumDial. I bought it initially to show my nephew the differences in lug tension and their effects on the tuning of the drum and he ended up liking the DrumDial because it was easier until he showed up at a gig and sat in on some borrowed drums that were less than musical...LOL. He now tunes the drums by ear.

 

[guitaristic]

Thanks for the feedback, gents! I actually do have a drumdial, and while I find it's good for getting the sound of the drum in the right ballpark, of course there's always some fine-tuning needed.

Two more questions!

What would be a good reso head to go with my Evans G2s?
Annnnd
When tuning a drum, is it better to start with the reso head and then move to the batter head? How do you guys do it?

 

[guitaristic]

I had much higher hopes for you.

I also play guitar, bass, and piano

I think that's one of the reasons I get frustrated actually...I hear all the talk of drum intervals and such, and I can hear them on kits that are already tuned, but when I start tuning, I lose that ability lol. I think the bass/guitar/piano side of me finds that frustrating!

 

[Bob F.]

Calm down Bobby.

I'm perfectly calm. In fact, maybe you noticed that I didn't start my reply to you with "Fuck that."

Drum Dials are cool. I have one, and use it.

That's fairly inconsistent with your unnecessary dismissive "Fuck that", too. In fact, it almost reads like a back-pedal. Almost.

If the tone of this thread took a bad turn, that's certainly not because I'm not calm. Just sayin', all nice and relaxed like.

Now, we cool, Greggy?

Sure we are.

I have tuned my drums by ear. The dial isn't necessarily a bad place to start if you need help, especially when the drums are WAY out of tune. I understand that it might not be a good thing to rely on all the time, and it's unwise to do that for the reasons mentioned above. Used properly, I think it can certainly be a helpful tool for a beginner. For me, it cut out a little of the guess work. I use it as a guide.

And look, I'm basically just a beginner who at least wants to try to be in tune! It's really not a bad thing!

 

[Greg_L]

I'm perfectly calm. In fact, maybe you noticed that I didn't start my reply to you with "Fuck that."

The "fuck that" was a general exclamation in response to anyone relying on a drum dial. I did quote your post, but it wasn't directed at you specifically. Sorry if you took it that way. It's also just words on a screen. You don't need to fly off the handle so easily in here.

That's fairly inconsistent with your unnecessary dismissive "Fuck that", too. In fact, it almost reads like a back-pedal. Almost

If you say so. I've been tuning drums since way before the drum dial came out - as far as I know. Keep some perspective here. I can tune drums without needing a drum dial. You can't. I'm trying to tell n00bs, you included, that you all should get proficient at tuning drums without help from gadgets and gizmos. That's basic shit that any drummer should be able to do. Then, when you can do it all by yourself, add the gadgets and gizmos to supplement your technique.

And look, I'm basically just a beginner who at least wants to try to be in tune! It's really not a bad thing!

Nope, not at all. Don't cheat the basics though.

 

[Greg_L]

Two more questions!

What would be a good reso head to go with my Evans G2s?

G1's are great reso heads, especially with G2 batters.

When tuning a drum, is it better to start with the reso head and then move to the batter head? How do you guys do it?

I start with the reso. That's just me though. For toms, I tune both heads to their lowest, most open, clear, and resonant pitch. Then I tweak the reso head (usually incrementally tighter) to get that pitch bending doppler-effect. BOOOWWWWwwwwwwmmmmm. For snare, it's a little more trial and error. I have my own way to do it which may not work for you. Snares and snare sounds are very personal and subjective. Most people can agree on a bad snare sound, but no one can really agree on a great snare sound. I have 4 snares and tune them each differently. For kicks, I just tune both heads slightly tighter than finger tight.

 

[Bob F.]

Whatever, dude. It was unnecessary. Words on a screen that were just uncalled for (I don't give a fucking fuck that you used the word fuck, to be quite fucking honest), but it was directed at my post, and thus the "eye roll". You may as well have said that I'm wrong. I'm not wrong. For the most part, neither are you.

I don't see where you're getting that I'm not calm, or have flown off the handle in any way at all. I didn't use any exclamation point in my first reply to you. I haven't typed in all caps, bold, nor underlined anything. I haven't told anyone here what they "need" to do. You're making something out of nothing. And, besides, I've already stated, calmly, that I can and do tune my drums by ear. So you're just wrong about that. In fact, I had been tuning them by ear before I ever used a DrumDial, and the dial made it easier for me to get them to sound how I wanted them to sound. It's an inexact science anyway. Do what makes you happy.

I do what works for me. You do what works for you. I'm learning, I'm honestly trying to get better, and I'm happy to learn from what you have to share as well. It's not about tuning the right way or wrong way, nor better or worse. It's only about me trying to help and share what worked for me. That's all.

I accept your apology. <-----See? No fuckin' problem! Now, all kidding aside, have a fuckin' great day! Sincerely!

 

[Greg_L]

Settle down.

It's all good.

Guitaristic: Practice and learn how to tune by ear. Learn how different tweaks make the drum respond. Go tighter top, tighter bottom, both same pitch, etc and see what works for you.

 

[moresound]

I also play guitar, bass, and piano

I think that's one of the reasons I get frustrated actually...I hear all the talk of drum intervals and such, and I can hear them on kits that are already tuned, but when I start tuning, I lose that ability lol. I think the bass/guitar/piano side of me finds that frustrating!

I know what you mean Guitaristic. Out of all the instruments that I play and tune ... the drums are my worst as well.

 

[Armistice]

In fact, maybe you noticed that I didn't start my reply to you with "Fuck that."

There's a world of difference between "fuck that" and "fuck you"...

 

[Bob F.]

There's a world of difference between "fuck that" and "fuck you"...

Thanks for clearing that up on behalf of anyone and everyone who may have actually needed that cleared up.

I personally never took it as "fuck you", I never said anywhere that I did, and I've already clarified in more than one place how it came across to me.