Any body got any good tuning tricks or toys they want to share. I play a premier resonator series set with five toms tuned to a c-6th scale. I usually tune by ear with the bass guitar as we play outdoors alot but I did buy a small tone generator last year. I also have a bunch of those "torque wrench" type tuners. Any other ideas?
Tuning Tricks?
- Thread starter wumpsey
- Start date
Com'on somebody's got to have a secret for getting the perfect tone from a drum. I at least expected someone to suggest pissing on a head, leaving it in a cool dry place for three days and then torque it down till the the smell goes away. I know a guy that stands on the drum to stretch and seat the head. I'm to heavy for that but I'm sure you guys have something up your sleavless sleaves!
I play an old premier resonator series set with 10,12,13,14,16 toms I tune to a c 6th cord , so I've been told (c,a,g,e,c) and would like to get more melodic range. I like the resonance I get when blending the drum tones with the music but when I take off on some tangent alone I dont seem to have enough range to separate the individual drum sounds. One sounds to close to the next (or maybe I'm just too fast, yes thats it I need to slow down so normal humans can appreciate what I'm doing.
oh boy oh boy!
that's alot of drumset guy! Just like mine but each drum is two inches bigger than mine in diameter. I will risk assuming your your 12" tom is in front of your snare...right? okay start by removing all the other toms from the mounts, so you're left with just a four piece jazz-like kit. keep the floor tom where it is. tune up that first tom so it's in tune with it self and so the snare rattle is at a minimum, or at least as much as you can stand (some drummers like the rattle...don't ask). use the opposite lug tuning system, small increments. now add your 13" tom...tune it in relation to your 12". That should be the core sound of your kit (actually the four peice should be the core but i'll stretch it for you). remember the 13"drum is an odd size...an inconsistent interval, so that's probably where you're having the problem. If you can live without it, I would recommend not using that drum at all, or try mounting it on the left as an auxilliary floor tom (I think you might enjoy this set-up, even though it takes up more space...yet all the more reason to turn it into a accessory table). Now add your 10" and crank it up. especially the bottom head. don't crank the top too much or you'll get a timbale. add your 14" (now read carefully) to complement your floor tom. listen to them together...play a flam on them...one stick on each drum. listen for a nice thick chunk from to two big drums. if they sound thin just play with the bottom heads up or down.
My basic theory (and that's all it is, a theory),tune the high drums a little higher, and the low drums a little lower to expand the range. so when you roll down the toms, you will have the aural illusion of covering alot of drums in a little bit of time. Most drummers tend to think that is speed, when in reality it boils down to plain and simple ergonomics: or economical motion. Just remeber to tune from the "core" - outwards. Think of your kit as being a four string bass guitar, and converting it to a six string (heaven forbid) bass guitar. GOOD LUCK for now. HITMAN
P.S. oh..I must also stress that your tune each drum off their mounts (just trust me) then tweak them when you put them back up. it's an uncommon technique but the correct one, if there is such a thing....Peace! Have fun.
that's alot of drumset guy! Just like mine but each drum is two inches bigger than mine in diameter. I will risk assuming your your 12" tom is in front of your snare...right? okay start by removing all the other toms from the mounts, so you're left with just a four piece jazz-like kit. keep the floor tom where it is. tune up that first tom so it's in tune with it self and so the snare rattle is at a minimum, or at least as much as you can stand (some drummers like the rattle...don't ask). use the opposite lug tuning system, small increments. now add your 13" tom...tune it in relation to your 12". That should be the core sound of your kit (actually the four peice should be the core but i'll stretch it for you). remember the 13"drum is an odd size...an inconsistent interval, so that's probably where you're having the problem. If you can live without it, I would recommend not using that drum at all, or try mounting it on the left as an auxilliary floor tom (I think you might enjoy this set-up, even though it takes up more space...yet all the more reason to turn it into a accessory table). Now add your 10" and crank it up. especially the bottom head. don't crank the top too much or you'll get a timbale. add your 14" (now read carefully) to complement your floor tom. listen to them together...play a flam on them...one stick on each drum. listen for a nice thick chunk from to two big drums. if they sound thin just play with the bottom heads up or down.
My basic theory (and that's all it is, a theory),tune the high drums a little higher, and the low drums a little lower to expand the range. so when you roll down the toms, you will have the aural illusion of covering alot of drums in a little bit of time. Most drummers tend to think that is speed, when in reality it boils down to plain and simple ergonomics: or economical motion. Just remeber to tune from the "core" - outwards. Think of your kit as being a four string bass guitar, and converting it to a six string (heaven forbid) bass guitar. GOOD LUCK for now. HITMAN
P.S. oh..I must also stress that your tune each drum off their mounts (just trust me) then tweak them when you put them back up. it's an uncommon technique but the correct one, if there is such a thing....Peace! Have fun.
Dougie Johnson
New member
Ok, I can help here...The first thing you want to do is dress really sexy. This will attract your customers. Don't wear too much cologne or perfume. This will repel most clients. Also be discreet. Don't make yourself obvious by your mannerisms...But most importantly, be yourself, relax, and enjoy the person you are with.
Oops..Thought the post was called "Turning Tricks".
My Bad.
DJ
Oops..Thought the post was called "Turning Tricks".
My Bad.
DJ
John Sayers
Solar Power!!
Ha Ha... good one Dougie ..
6 String bass's aren't that big! I know lots of people that play 7's. Go to http://www.conklinguitars.com and you can see people jamming on some 9 strings.
Jake
Jake