If you're looking for a shortcut to great sound, you just may find it in the knowledge you gain from this article, once you apply it. Finally, if you read the entire "bible", it should also aid you in choosing a drum set to fulfill your dreams.

These are some of the issues covered within various sections of the bible:

• Difference between heads, when to use what.
• How to make drums resonant, fat, punchy, open, less/more ring.
• How microphones affect the choice of heads.
• The fundamental note of a drum versus pitch and timbre.
• The difference material and construction make in the tuning and overall drum sound.
• Example head setups and results.
• Snare buzz or sympathetic vibration issues.
• Snare replacement, tension and choice issues.
• How to get more articulation, volume, crack, sensitivity and warmth from a snare drum.
• Example of tuning sequences and tuning to notes.
• Kick drum muffling and choice of heads.
• Hoops or Rims.
• Bearing Edges.

1.     The interval between drums is more important than many realize and size is the key to get even resonance and the incremental notes between drums. Diameter has a greater impact on tuning that does depth. See "Shell Depth versus Diameter"

2.     The tiniest of movements on the tuning lug "can" make huge differences and raise pitch drastically, more so with a rigid hoop, such as cast. Moreover, tweaks of the lugs on the resonant side are more prone to raising pitch than are ones on the batter side.

3.     A sound or tuning, which works for a small venue will not work as well for a large venue. You have to consider what component of your sound will carry through to the audience. For example head selection for microphones will likely be different than without. A highly resonant kit may be your sound tech's worst nightmare. While the drummer can be inspired by this tone, a large venue or recording may result in a very muddy sound due to the overtones and lingering decay of the drum mixed with all the other instruments or acoustics. In large venues under close micing techniques, its typical for drummers to use 2-ply heads because the sound is more muffled or controlled. You get a shorter burst of energy, which by virtue of the hall or venue, reverberates or becomes delayed to the audience. Much the same as large venues require a more selective or simplistic placement of notes and fills because the audience does not hear the detail.

4.     Get to know the utilization of microphones well if you're going to use them, even slight alterations in placement make a huge difference. For example, placing a mic near the outside edge of a drum can bring out the high-pitched overtones. But move it in just a ½" and those diminish dramatically.

5.     All drums sound different at 0, 15, 50, 150 foot or differing distances. So what sounds good to the drummer while playing may be terrible to the audience, in whatever forms the audience takes. Its important to go out and listen to what your kit sounds like while the other instruments are playing. Move around and make head selections and tunings accordingly. A higher pitch enables the drum to carry more, lower pitches less so.

6.     The sound heard from a CD at home is not what a drum really sounds like but on few occasions. What you hear is usually an altered version recorded according to what the producer and the artist wants it to sound like through alterations and to fit the recording at hand. Sometimes you just cannot duplicate your drum gods sound without the electronics.

7.     This tuning method works for ALL DRUMS.

8.     Less expensive does not mean inferior, in some cases, it may be far superior to achieve the desired end-result. For example a birch shell or beech shell with flanged hoops, while less expensive than a maple shell with cast hoops, may provide the feel and penetrating sound you need on a snare drum.

9.     The air hole or vent in the shell is to allow the shell to breath when two heads are used and atmospheric changes occur, thereby helping to eliminate moisture build-up. This is a typical problem moving from cold to hot environments much the same as glass windows can sweat in your house. The vents have little effect on tone.

10.     Yes, you should stretch heads (within reason) on all drums; it's called "seating" and is the most important and often most overlooked step in getting quality sound and consistency out of a drum.

1.     The batter head controls attack and ring while the resonant head produces "resonance" and aids in sustain, it has a major effect in the overtones and enhances the timbre of the drum. While the drummer focuses on the sound coming from the batter side, an audience hears something completely different and many times, something inferior to what the drummer hears. If using microphones, this problem is lessened to some extent because the microphone is usually placed on the top. But without mic's, the audience hears a reflection of what the resonant head produces, more so if you are sitting above the audience, such as on stage.

2.     When the drum is hit, the ear hears mostly the attack and the fundamental pitch of the drum, overtones are washed out at a distance. Overtones are also an essential component to making the drum sound carry through other instruments and to the audience. The drummer should focus on the sound they create, as the audience would hear it rather than how they hear it in an otherwise quiet and stale environment. High-pitched overtones are essential to making a dull drum come to life in the audience.

3.     A drum placed upon a soft surface, such as carpet, and tapped very lightly allows you to hear the point of clarity in a drum and isolate the overtones and point of resonance.

4.     The most inherent sound created from any given head will be heard by placing a head of identical specifications on the resonance side. This is due to the ability for polymers of equal thickness (specification) to vibrate reasonably equal to each other, thus eliminating phase cancellations, which can cause a tight head to sound dead or lifeless.

5.     As you tune the drum with one side either higher or lower, you go through "zones" producing one of either clear pitch, phase cancellation, no sound or a Doppler effect. "Doppler" is where the drum when hit, descends in pitch from the point of initial attack to a lower pitch. This also becomes more pronounced when the head is of a different specification (weight/thickness) and the batter head is higher/lower in pitch than the bottom head.

6.     If the drum is tuned wrong or "seated" incorrectly the first time a head is mounted, you will likely ruin the head beyond its use or it will never sound its best. Seating wrong does not always mean uneven tuning, such as one side tighter than the other. It can also mean the utilization of bent or distorted hoops and/or poor bearing edges. Even though the drum has been equally tensioned (such as that of using tension devises, which measure lug torque or head tension), inferior hardware and shells problems cause unequal stretch of the head polymer and/or force the head out of round.

7.     Generally, you do not use anything other than single ply on the resonant side, but there are exceptions.

8.     Coated heads are considered "warm" or "mellow" sounding meaning generally void of the real bright overtone associated with the "clear" version of equal brand and specification. Clear heads are considered "bright" or "clear" sounding meaning they bring out as much of the high-pitched tones of the stick attack and resonance of the drum. In between these two coated and clear heads in tone quality is the "ebony" series of heads and is often described as being a "thicker" or "darker" sound than that of a clear head of equal specification. Ebony colored heads, while usually chosen due to aesthetics, has the virtue of being both warm in the overtone area, yet bright in the stick attack. Coated is probably required if doing brushwork.

9.     Even if you know how to tune, you may not be able to achieve the pitch and/or resonance desired due to drum sizing and shell weight. Any given shell has a fundamental pitch and timbre associated with it and you cannot change that without major alterations. Head selection can only make the most of the natural character in the drum. Your job when tuning, is to find that "fundamental" shell pitch and enhance or detract all the inherent sounds of that particular drum, it's character.

10.     Timbre and note/pitch are not the same. Timbre refers to the overall character of the drum vs. the fundamental note, which is the point at which the drum is likely to be most "open" or "resonant" in tone quality. Know that pitch can be raised or lowered in reference to say a note on the piano, but the shell resonance doesn't really change. So a 12" drum of a given material and depth may produce a note of G up to say a D-sharp ("pitch"), but it may really stand out around an A-flat ("fundamental" note of shell). The fact that one drum is "brighter" vs. "warm" is the Timbre.

11.     Most Important step in tuning is seating the head. When the head is first mounted, the objective is to get the head to seat itself in the hoop and form that all-important bond between the bearing edge of the drum and the head itself; this is called seating the head (explained in great detail below). If the head is pulled tighter on side or is forced out of round, it is no longer centered and will not vibrate correctly, meaning evenly in tune at all points around the shell ("in-tune with itself").

12.     Bearing edges are hidden from view, little understood by most drummers and are, without a doubt, the single most important aspect of the ability (or lack thereof) for the drum to produce a clear, resonant tone. Even cheaper drums can produce acceptable tone, provided the bearing edge is true, flat and properly formed. The most expensive, high-tech set available will produce poor tone is a bearing edge has been damaged or poorly tooled.

       To pick the right head to achieve desired sound, you should consider the inherent character of your drum. All of what I consider the important aspects of construction is covered in greater detail as you read through the bible. Here are some simple rules to know:

1.     The rougher the interior, the less resonant the drum. Just like putting carpet on a wall, rough interiors break-up and absorb reflections.

2.     Thinner shells are more resonant. Because there is less mass, they are easier to excite, much the same as bending thin wood is easier than thick lumber.

3.     Sharp bearing edges means more overtone and resonance.

4.     If the drum is void of obstructions inside, that is, no reinforcing hoop adhered to the inside; the drum will be more open and vibrate more freely. Conversely, if the drum has reinforcing hoops inside, it will have a shorter decay/sustain and a more mid-ranged presence or attack than unobstructed shells. The reinforcing or counter-hoop stifles the ability for the drum to resonate, thus decreasing the low-end along with the very high-end response to a small degree. Therefore, the unobstructed shell is usually brighter or with more high frequencies, while the thin unobstructed shell increases low-end resonance as well.

5.     A "better" sound is what you want the drum to sound like and despite the marketing propaganda; less expensive does not mean an inferior sound. Low cost drums are usually a "punchy" type sound due to wood grades used. If recording, this may be exactly what you want in a drum.

6.     Mainstream Material, Wood Sound Explained: First, these are general guidelines, which are greatly enhanced by the thickness of the wood used. So if you apply the rules given above, and some common sense, the following will hold true or aid in choosing a drum. Maple compared to African Mahogany: Mahogany will have an approximate 20% increase in low frequency resonance over the Maple drum, mid and high frequencies will be the same from a reproduction point of view. Maple compared to Birch: Birch will have about a 10% loss in reproduction of low end compared to Maple and about a 20% increase in the high end, with the mid range remaining about the same. So the Birch kit will definitely be a "harder" and "brighter" sounding kit. Beech is in between Maple and Birch. All other Maple colored woods used in laminated shells are basically there for either structural integrity or looks and do not have the desired qualities (meaning density and grain structure) of the above. Mahogany has earned an undeserved bad reputation due to the use of inferior grades such as Luann on low cost drums for appearance reasons.

       For many reasons, this is a very misunderstood area of the drum. The bearing edge is the part of the drum that the head should be in contact with at all times and is the essential element to gaining resonance, or the lack thereof. The problem is, they are hidden from view most of the time.

       If you are using a "vintage" set of drums, or any set of drums for that matter, first take into account the era or how they were manufactured and realize that the set was designed to produce a sound that reflects the designer or that, which may have been popular with the times.

       Anyone can very quickly determine whether his or her set will be able to be tuned to a point where it can be very resonant, excluding the abilities of the tuner and head used. If upon further investigation you determine that your set has been constructed so that a built-in problem or construction technique exists, rethink your desire to put new heads on your drums in hopes it will sound like something in your head because it simply may not be able to be achieved by changing heads, in other cases certainly changing heads may work.

       By simply removing the drumhead on any given drum, the answer will be visually right there, staring you in the face. Many older sets were manufactured with a bearing edge that has anywhere between a 35 to 60 degree chamfer cut on the interior side of the shell. On the outer side of the shell, in many cases the bearing edge is rounded over on the outside and crown area as opposed to that of the newer manufacturing techniques. Now add a bent or deformed hoop to this and I don't care what head you pick, it will always have a "thud" element to the sound. The closer you move to flatter bearing edge or a bearing edge of 35 degrees on the outside or inside, or rounded as the case may be, the drum will exhibit more of the "thud/cardboard" sound. With newer drums, which usually are a 45 with a very small radius of less than 1/16 of an inch (some kicks very as do snares), resonance is easy to achieve and the head selections I have given will hold true. It is the designers tool to get the drum to produce it's signature sound.

       The key is not the shape of the cut as much as it is what interacts with the head under tension. It's that fine line of an area right after the head breaks towards the inside of the shell and what remains in contact or can contact the head underneath and interfere with the tone around the circumference.

       If you take your finger and lay it lightly on the surface it has an impact on muffling the sound. If the bearing edge has a contact patch of say .03125" or 1/32nd of an inch, the contact area on a 12" drum head is 1.17 square inches, or the same thing as taking the tip of your first index finger to the first joint and laying it on the drumhead. Now if you double that to what seems to be an insignificant 1/16" (twice my 1/32nd example) can imagine how little a change in the contact of the bearing edge surface has on the impact of the sound. In our example, it would be like laying two fingers on the drum. These kinds of differences can make big changes in the tone of the head. So again, its not so much the angle or being double cut (although this can determine where the bearing edge falls on the head), its what contacts the surface at tension and the treatment of the crown of the edge. A 35-degree cut allows greater contact thus a drier sound vs. a 45, which can be a more resonant sound. Many snares purposefully use a 35-degree cut. Sharper or steep is not always better; it depends upon what you want.

       Then you have the limitations of what the wood and how it will tool to consider, which ply it falls on, etc. I leave any tooling of a bearing edge up to a professional because it's easy to get flat spots or inconsistent angles without proper tools or fixtures.

       So my advice is that before you spend, spend, spend on new heads, take 10 minutes and really observe what you have in the bearing edge department. It will not be enough to see 2-45's degree angles on the drum. They must be even, very even. The drum must be round, very round. They must be consistent in that the profile is the same all around. For example, a round over of 1/16 in one area and a round over of 1/8th in another is a sure sign of trouble. If one of the chamfer cuts looks wavy, the round over will not be consistent nor will it be truly round. The drum must also sit flat on a hard surface. Lay black paper on a flat hard surface and shine a light from the inside to check. If everything is consistent, this is the mark of a good candidate to get tone from the shell. If not, before you spend money on heads, consider spending the $30 to $60 per drum to have the edges re-cut. It's money well worth it..

       Note this Correction: The recent version of the Drum Tuning Bible that appeared here prior to January 23rd, 2000, under this section, inadvertently stated the value for square inch of shell area as a value equal to cubic inches. I apologize for the error and this section is now correct. (Prof.Sound)

       The shell depth while having an impact on the warmth or resonance of the drum has a greater impact on volume and articulation. The diameter has a far greater impact on creating lower pitch. Greater depth increases volume or power by having an impact on resonance of the fundamental note of the shell. A shallower shell creates a shorter burst of tone and makes a drum more articulate by virtue of the fact that the quantity of surface area of the parent material (i.e. the shell) is lessened and therefore cannot resonate as much as large surface area. Less distance between heads means the opposite head (i.e. Resonant head) reacts quicker, or gets excited faster when striking the batter head, it responds better to softer playing. For instance, a 22" diameter kick drum of 16" in depth has a shell area of approximately 1,106 square inches. A 22" diameter kick drum of 18" in depth has a shell area of approximately 1,244 square inches, or a 12.5% increase in area to resonate. Take that same thought to a 10" tom with a 9" depth. This results in a shell area of approximately 282 square inches versus one with an 11" depth, which results in a shell area of 346 sq. in. That 2" increase in depth is now a 22% gain. The deeper the shell, the more likely they are to produce a deeper or warmer sound because of resonance ability, but this should not be confused with a low tuning.

       As for diameter, you have to think about your approach to tuning and overall sound desired. This further explained in the sections "Musical Notes for Tuning, Suggested" and "Interval and Drum Sizing".

1.     Die Cast Hoops: Thicker and stronger then triple flanged stamped hoops with an ability to allow more even tuning of the head and as a result, the head is usually more responsive throughout the tuning range with less varied overtones. As such, may create a slightly drier sound on thin shell, small sized drums due the weight of the rim causing the drum to vibrate less freely. They can also be made out of differing materials such as nickel or aluminum and all aid in changing the sound of the drum.

2.     Triple Flanged or "stamped" hoops come in a variety of metals, which affect the tone of the drum. The thinner they are the more difficult they'll be to tune with. Many drummers prefer these on toms because of the ability to tune "fatter" or "warmer" than with cast. Aluminum makes for a higher pitched tone than does steel and as a result is used on snares quite a bit for a great "crack". Brass makes the drum more musical and aids in the presence or high-pitched overtones.

3.     Wood Hoops have the virtue of being either rigid or flexible, depending upon the manufacturer's thickness of the hoop. As a result, they can take on the tuning characteristics of a cast hoop if rigid or flanged hoops if thin in construction. However, the rimshot sound is considerably different and acts like an extension of the shell so the drum is usually both more resonant and brighter.

4.     Less lugs means fatter tuning and more complex overtones. The longer the interval between lugs the less likely you are to get the head tuned evenly between lugs.

5.     A hoop of "rigid" nature results in a head, which can be tuned more evenly between lugs and will accentuate the imperfection in your drum if out of round or bad bearing edges. Sometimes, this causes a drier or more muffled sound as a result of inferior bearing edges.

       These are essentially tension or torque measuring devices that do have their place in the scheme of things. But the best gauge on the market comes packaged on each side of your head, which are your ears (god forbid your missing one).

       Some of the best drums on the market are being intentionally manufactured with lugs that cause resistance. The resistance induced by the lug itself can fool a gauge that measures torque. Further, devices that measure tension can and are fooled by thicker versus thinner heads. Especially when you consider the film used is not always exact in thickness from edge to edge, due to manufacturing issues. And, finally, if you've spent much time tuning by ear, you know that it's not uncommon to have a few lugs feel loose compared to others, it's the pitch at each lug, NOT THE TENSION OR TORQUE that counts. So where do the gauges fit in?

       Gauges can cut several minutes to hours off of tuning time, and here's how. The seating of the head cannot be effectively accomplished by the use of a gauge; it must be done manually, and then detuned. At this point you should find the tuning of the desired drum without a gauge and use you ears. Place the gauge on the drum and record the settings created at tension and pitch. When replacing heads, you can seat by had, detune, place the gauge of your choice on the drum and very quickly get the drum reasonably in tune. Tweak by hand and even the head out to itself so that pitch is the same lug to lug.

       Know that anytime you change brand of head, drum, thickness of head, or the manufacturer changes it's manufacturing technique, you should start over by hand and record the settings. And remember, the bigger the venue, play less and tune higher, so you might have several gauge settings.

       There are several indicators that determine when a drumhead should be replaced. Now keep in mind, I'm talking a "purist" and "practical" point of view here. Outside of the obvious, when there's a hole in the head, most heads will always produce a sound. The question is, what sound? So in some cases, you'll have to be the judge of when, enough-is-enough. But here are some simple guidelines:

1.     When the coating begins to wear off. If you have used the head to the point the coating wears, it's very likely that you are tuning to a very high-pitch, are a very heavy hitter or the head has just been on the drum a long time. As a result, point 2 (below) now comes into play.

2.     When the head is removed from the drum, it exhibits a dished-out or dented appearance. This is the indicator that the head has been stretched beyond its limits, tuned to the point where not much elasticity is left, or it's just been abused. Without a doubt, it's time to replace that head.

3.     When attempting a low-pitched tuning (assuming you have properly seated the heads as described in the section "Learning How, Resonant Side Tuning – The Beginning") the drum will not give the desired pitch due to a distorted sound or buzz. This is an indicator that the head has begun to stretch and as such, is no longer capable of remaining in constant contact with the shell. On 2-ply heads, this can occur sooner due to the upper ply stretching at a different rate than the bottom ply. The head may not be completely spent, but you may have to use a higher tuning from this point forward or as an alternative, you might try reseating the head while using the hair dryer as explained in the procedures.

4.     When you have changed venues such as now playing either a smaller, larger, less or more reverberant venue. A sound or tuning, which works for a small venue will not work as well for a large venue. You have to consider what component of your sound will carry through to the audience. For example head selection for microphones will likely be different than without. A highly resonant kit may be your sound tech's worst nightmare. While the drummer can be inspired by this tone, a large venue or recording may result in a very muddy sound due to the overtones and lingering decay of the drum mixed with all the other instruments or acoustics. In large venues under close micing techniques, its typical for drummers to use 2-ply heads because the sound is more muffled or controlled. You get a shorter burst of energy, which by virtue of the hall or venue, reverberates or becomes delayed to the audience. Much the same as large venues require a more selective or simplistic placement of notes and fills because the audience does not hear the detail.

5.     When you just want to experiment.

       This tuning procedure works on all drums, toms, snare and kick. Below, after this Tuning and Seating the Heads section, are specifics related to each drum. That is, a section for toms, kick and snare that gives specifics about the tuning tricks and head selection.

       To get to know how this procedure works, I recommend you typically start with a 12" drum. Do not get learning how to tune confused with the tuning of the set. When tuning a whole set, you may want to begin differently and that is covered below under "Tuning Sequences, Suggested", but first you need to understand how to get the most out of your drum. That is the focus.

       Assuming you have inspected your bearing edges as described under of all things the section entitled "Bearing Edges", you can begin as follows:

1.     Pick the heads you wish to use from the section related to Toms, Kick or Snare Drum.

2.     Read that section completely, then return to this section and apply any specifics you wish from the respective Tom, Kick or Snare Drum section.

3.     Remove both old heads completely, it's important for this procedure to work. Once you know the relative tuning capability of the drum, you will not always have to remove both reads. Remember, the objective is to find the true capability and tuning range of each drum.

4.     With heads off, thump on the shell with your hand or butt end of a stick and trace down any abnormal vibrations. If the lugs buzz, you can remove them and see if stuffing cotton (backed by some felt if the spring or lug threads are exposed) into the lug retainer will help stop the buzz. You can also look at putting some thin sheet rubber or felt and placing it between the lug casing and the shell.

5.     Set the drum on a carpeted surface, batter side down and either put the bottom head on or proceed as follows.

6.     It's important to tighten all rods just to the point where contact is made with the washer or rim. If your lugs move freely, you can use your fingers here or in the case where the lug is manufactured where there is resistance in the turning of the lug beyond a few turns, you'll have to use a key. In any event, once contact is made with the washer/rim, back-off 1/4 turns.

7.     Next, take two keys 180 degrees apart and tighten in half turn increments together until you've put 3 complete turns on all rods of the drum. We are now "Seating" the head, the musical note is not important.

8.     Lift the drum up a few inches and hit the head once and see if it is a distortion free sound. If not give each lug another 1/2 turn and repeat until the drum is distortion free. Do not be afraid to really tighten the head above a normal playing pitch, it is essential that the head produce a clear undistorted tone before proceeding.

9.     Next, with the drum back down on the carpet, tap with the drum key, lightly, about 1 to 1-1/2" from the edge, in the same place at each lug. LISTEN to the resonance of the tap and even out the lugs so the head will be "in tune with itself", the order is not very important here. DO NOT EVER TUNE DOWN TO A NOTE, TUNE UP. By this I mean, if a lug is too high detune below what you are trying to achieve and then bring it back up to pitch.

10.     If your heads are not made by REMO, go to the next step. If you are using glued heads such as the REMO heads, remember the current pitch the head is currently at. Now push down with light force directly in the center of the head to crack the glue joint. You aren't trying to push the head through the drum, so ease up. We're talking about maybe a ¼" depression here. Then tune back up to that pitch you so willingly remembered and even out the head so it's in tune with itself again.

11.     Next, either let the drum sit 12 hours or take a hair dryer and warm (not real hot) the perimeter of the skin. Go around 2 to 3 revolutions with the dryer on high with the dryer about 2-3" off the surface. It should take maybe 8 seconds to go around a 12" drum one time with an average hair dryer. This sets the skin/hoop/collar and finishes the "seating" process. Note this makes a difference, especially on 2-ply or thicker heads, try one with and one without and I think you will agree.

12.     Once set and cool, with the drum still on the floor, loosen as you tightened with 2 keys in ¼ turn increments just to the point of no resonance.

13.     Place the drum up in/on its stand or hold by the rim. Begin tightening evenly and successively on each lug in 1/4 turn increments. Go around once, even out by tapping and then strike once in the center. Don't be afraid to use 1/8 or 1/16 turns either. We're looking for the point where you tune just until you get a low and clear tone. STOP AT THIS POINT. For the head you selected, this is the lowest pitch this drum will ever go. If you haven't got a clear tone, go back to step 5 and tighten it up higher and reseat the head. If you've gone around several times and the head is moving up in pitch but the tone is distorted, something is wrong. Either it's a bad head, bearing edges or the head didn't seat. I'd leave the head under tension for 24 hours and try again. I have found that the problem goes away many times overnight, I don't know why. If you can't wait, try another head or try taking the pitch way up and use the heat again before you tune it back down. In any event, if you achieved to lowest clear note, STOP! I suggest you not tune any higher than this lowest note at this time.

       Go to "Batter Side Tuning".

       Assuming you have inspected your bearing edges as described under of all things the section entitled "Bearing Edges", you can begin as follows:

1.     Pick the heads you wish to use from the section for the Toms, Kick or Snare Drum.

2.     Read that section completely, then return to this section and apply any specifics you wish from the respective Tom, Kick or Snare Drum section. Remove the drum from its stand and set it (now the resonant head) down against a carpet to void the drum of the newly installed resonant head from what else, resonating.

3.     Seat the Head: Install the top head in the same fashion as you did the resonant head and seat the head. Remember to push on glued heads.

4.     Detuning procedure: Loosen as you tightened with 2 keys just to the point of no resonance.

5.     Set the drum on a carpeted surface, batter side down and either put the bottom head on or proceed as follows.

6.     Hold the drum by the rim and hit it, ideally, it should sound the same once back on the holder. If it doesn't, try extending the position of the tom out a little more on the holder. If this doesn't help, you might be a good candidate for something like the aftermarket R.I.M.M.'s mounting system if it sounded better by holding in your hand.

       Go to "Time to Zone".

       It's time to proceed up through the tuning zones to get the most out of the drum. Focusing on the batter or top head, proceed and tune, never go in larger increments than 1/4 turn on the way up, 1/8 turn per lug preferred. Always stop and hit between a full round of lug tightening and make sure the heads in tune with itself. You will go through phases where the drum sounds good then sounds bad for a couple of turns and then suddenly the sound opens up again. You can usually do this for 2 zones and then the top head will go dead and have a high overtone/ring. While pitch may continue to change, the drum continues to have no real life to it. At this point you've gone too far with the top head, back off 1/4 to 1/2 turn (again make sure you tune up to the pitch not down).

1.     If you want a pitch higher than this "high" pitch you achieved, go to the bottom head and tighten each lug 1/8 to 1/4 turn each lug. After this you can increase the pitch of the top head again for another 1-2 steps. When tuning in this manner, you'll experience the "Doppler" effect at certain phases in the tuning meaning the drum when struck will have a descending pitch. This tells the drummer/tuner that the effective pitch for that drum has yet to be achieved, but some like this sound and stop here. As you move up out of that phase of the zone, you'll reach a point where the drum evens out, the Doppler is gone and the drum becomes open and even in sound. This is the point where both heads are or are close to being identical in pitch.

2.     Beyond this point, the drum will go dead again and you have to repeat with the 1/16, 1/8 or 1/4 turns on the bottom or resonant head to effectively raise the pitch of the drum and move up again to another zone and repeat the procedure.

       Go to "Results – What They Mean".

1.     Somewhere in the tuning there is a point where each drum will sound most resonant – when everything is related. At this point, that's the fundamental frequency of the shell, the sweet spot. Each drum will have one of these. If two different sized drums are close in this fundamental pitch, you'll likely better understand the importance of the increment sizing from one drum to another. You'll likely have to compromise and change the tuning of both drums +/- in pitch as a result to make them the same in character.

2.     By applying the correct heads and methods, the text that follows can teach you how to tune to intentionally make the most resonant drum less resonant thereby eliminating most if not all muffling devices that are applied to the interior and exterior of the drum heads surface. For example you might lower the batter and raise the resonant (or visa versus) causing a phase shift and the drum may go either dead or more open depending upon where you are in the zone. People often accomplish this same thing by loosening one lug. Although I find it is better to move all the lugs by a certain amount. This way you don't run the risk of destroying the head. The best way to achieve a good tone from a drum is through tuning. Many, albeit less experienced players, tend to rely on damping devices as a cure all, rather than proper tuning. Nonetheless, plastic rings, felt, rubber, gelatin devices (dampening devices) all can be excellent products used wisely, such as when you don't have time to tune properly, or are having trouble tuning.

3.     Taking the resonant head and tuning to the lowest note, and then detuning a slight amount (1/16 to 1/8 of a turn) creates a "fat, loose or dark" drum sound. The batter head is then used to alter the pitch. Note that the pitch for a "fat" tuning can be somewhat limited.

4.     For more "punch or attack", the resonant head is raised in pitch by a small degree (1-3 notes) over the pitch the batter head is at.

5.     To create an "open, resonant" sound, both heads should be of equal pitch. Use of a clear head will result in a more "open" tone.

       I have, for simplicity, categorized the drumheads into 5 different categories. Certainly within each category there are differences in the timbre of the head used. Most are subtle to very subtle tonal differences within each category, and usually can be used interchangeably. For example, a REMO Ambassador coated will sound very similar to an Evan's G1 or Aquarian Satin Texture coated. However, there are differences in the wear factor of the coatings. It is widely accepted that the coating on the Aquarian heads does last longer than those of the others, but keep an open mind because manufacturers are improving their lines all the time.

       Coated heads are considered "warm" or "mellow" sounding meaning generally void of the real bright overtone associated with the "clear" version of equal brand and specification. Coatings vary depending upon manufacturer, and some manufacturers have created heads which give then a very unique characteristic. For example, REMO offers the Renaissance series which gives the head sort of a less resonant but midrange presence to the sound whereas the FiberSkyn heads have a much more mellow tone to them. Coating vary from brand to brand so much that they not only offer a sound that separates one brand from another, but wear characteristics are effected as well. In most cases, REMO will be a warmer coating at the expense of faster wear. Aquarian is on the brighter end of the scale, but their coating will outlast most everyone else's. Evans sort of strikes a medium balance between REMO and Aquarian. So these are just general rules and you should try them all to see if you hear any differences?

       Clear heads are considered "bright" or "clear" sounding meaning they bring out the high-pitched tones of the stick attack and resonance of the drum. "Ebony" or black heads are in between the sound of coated and clear heads in tone. They are often described as being a "thicker" or "darker" in sound than that of a clear head of equal specification. Ebony colored heads, while usually chosen due to aesthetics, have the virtue of being both warm in the overtone area, yet bright in the stick attack. Coated is probably required if doing brushwork. Hazy heads are generally both "bright" and have a stronger "midrange presence" to the sound. "Glass" heads are both brighter and drier than Hazy or other pigmented heads. In all cases thicker heads will be mellower and less sensitive than that of the exact same thinner counterpart. For example, a REMO Diplomat Clear will be brighter and more sensitive than a REMO Ambassador Clear, the Ambassador being thicker than the Diplomat and both being single ply.

       Category 1 – Sensitive, good stick feel, open sound with good sustain and resonance. Single ply, unmuffled medium weight such as REMO Ambassador, Renaissance and FiberSkyn FA, Aquarian Satin Texture Coated, Classic Clear and the Evans G1 series, to name a few.

       Category 2 – A more mellow tone compared to single ply with overtones becoming less prevalent on the initial attack, stick feel and sustain are reduced slightly; A sound similar to placing an "O" ring around the head.  Comprised of either single and 2-ply muffled or heavy weight heads, these can help warm up or round out the tone, yet retain an element of sustain with minimal high-pitched overtones. This would include heads such as the REMO Emperor (2-ply), Evans G2, Aquarian Response and Double Thin, PowerStroke, FiberSkyn F1 and the Aquarian Studio-X series. All of these have slightly different characteristics. For example, the Aquarian Double Thin will be a bit more sensitive than will the Response series.

       Category 3 – Muffled and suitable for heavy wear concerns. This category is sort of a mixed bag, which I was tempted to separate. But everyone has their idea of what "muffled" means, and these are all muffled to some degree. Two-ply muffled or wear resistant heads like REMO PinStripe, or Performance II or in most cases, anything with a "Power dot" on it, these produce a very short initial attack coupled with a very short sustain.

       Characteristics can be quite different in this category due to the application of control rings (or the lack thereof) around the outer circumference. For example a REMO "CS" or Control Sound head can have a thick sounding attack and be wear resistant, but still contain high-pitched overtones due to the applied dot but no other control rings. Whereas an Aquarian Signature series Carmine Appice tom and bass drumheads feature an extremely thin Power Dot on top and a Studio-X style muffling ring underneath, which gives both a thick sound and choke high-pitched overtones. Both are suitable for heavy hitters who need wear resistance but the resulting sound is quite different.

       Category 4 – Very dry heavy muffled. Heads with an oil barrier such as the Evans hydraulic or the REMO PowerStroke4. These heads are the most inherently "boxy" or "dull" of any. Almost void of much inherent sustain on their own. However, with higher tuning, can exhibit some form of sustain and resonance, depending upon the type of bearing edge you may have on the drum?

       Category 5 - Single ply, unmuffled and thin in weight. The REMO Diplomat pretty much locks up this category for tom batter heads. These are usually only suitable for a light touch or Jazz type situation where feel and sensitivity are of the utmost importance.

       Note, you can obviously use any head but it is usually preferred to use a single ply head.

1.     Thin resonant heads: Heads like REMO Diplomat batter, FiberSkyn 3 FT/FD, Aquarian High Frequency and Evan's Genera Resonant or Glass Resonant heads.

2.     Medium weigh heads: Heads such as REMO Ambassador, Ambassador Ebony and FiberSkyn FA, Aquarian Classic Clear or Satin Texture Coated and the Evans G1 series. These will have less sustain than the thinner counterparts such as the REMO Diplomat or Evans Glass or Genera Resonant. Knowing the inherent sound of each head and how to combine the heads and tune makes the batter head all that much more adequate when trying to achieve a sound.

       See the section "Toms, Some selections and characteristic sounds".

1.     Medium weight, single ply such as REMO Ambassador, Aquarian or EVANS G1 coated top/same on bottom. Very resonant, high ring can be very prominent, very good sustain, excellent stick response. Clear on top even more open. This is what a large portion of jazz, country and light rock guy's use. Tuning can control ring easily. Popular recording choice. Coated provides a nice sibilance to the stick attack while clear provides predominate midrange attack.

2.     REMO PowerStroke 3, FiberSkyn FA or Emperor, Aquarian Studio X; Coated or Clear on top with REMO Diplomat Batter Clear or EVANS Genera Resonant Clear bottom. Very resonant, almost void of high ring but very good sustain excellent stick response. A classic light jazz studio sound without mics. For a little warmer sound, use a medium weight coated head on the bottom or Ebony series. Used with some lower end bass heavy mic's in close mic situations, the sound can be almost too round due to "proximity effect (see "Microphone Use, In Brief – How they can effect the sound:" below).

3.     Emperor, FiberSkyn F1 or Aquarian Double Thin on top with a medium weight single ply on the bottom. Good combination that sort of bridges the gap between medium hitters and hard hitters without much of a sacrifice in sound and stick response. Warm sound yet can be resonant with some high pitch character.

4.     Pinstripe, Aquarian Performance II or EVANS G2 top and a thin single ply like REMO Diplomat or EVANS Genera Resonant Clear bottom. Less resonant than above, much more stick attack sound, some light to no high ring but very good sustain and attack with good stick response. For a fatter/wetter sound, try keeping the bottom head at or slightly below it's lowest fundamental note. This combination or the one below is a very good selection for fat sounding drums. Again, for a little warmer sound, use a medium weight coated head on the bottom such as an Ambassador or equivalent. Another good recording choice for a more isolated sound.

5.     REMO Ambassador, Aquarian or EVANS G1 coated top and a 2-ply head on the bottom such as EVANS G2. Longer fundamental note than the above combination and almost completely void of high ring with short sustain and excellent stick response.

6.     Evan's G2 or any other 2-ply muffled head on top and bottom, close to the dead sound of late 60's early 70's, a very short tone and not real great stick response. Tuned high in pitch, overtones can come back with a vengeance.

7.     Hydraulic heads top/bottom, like throwing a towel over the drum, "boxy" sounding, thud. Using a highly resonant head such as the Evan's Glass or Genera Resonant adds back some life. Some report this works good in high pitched tuning situations although I have no personal experience with drums tuned this way. I have however, used them in the low tuning ranges and the sound is as I have described.

1.     Brass: A very sharp edge to the sound and very rich with mellow overtones.

2.     Steel: A step more towards bright with a very pronounced ring, allot of body and longer decay than brass.

3.     Aluminum: Clear, open sounds with bright, crisp overtones and is capable of incredibly loud rimshots.

4.     Bronze: A close cousin to brass with the overall character of woods, can be loud, a good all around drum.

5.     Copper: A close cousin to the Aluminum drum only slightly warmer.

6.     Anything Hammered: Same overall characteristics as the parent material, only slightly less resonance to varying degrees.

7.     Metal Thickness: The 1mm shells are not as low to mid range resonant as thicker shells such as 3mm plus.

8.     Metal Cast Drums: Very Loud and Resonant due to special cymbal alloys used in the casting process.

9.     Wood drums, see "Construction Guidelines" above in the "Tom" section, they apply here too.

10.     Small diameter means higher pitch.

11.     Longer shell length means more power and shell resonance, longer decay.

12.     Shallow depth means more articulate, less power due to decreased shell area.

13.     Snare bed: A slight depression in the resonant side bearing edge to allow the snare to ride closer to the head.

14.     Bearing edges of less than 45 degrees are not inferior, they simply make for a different sound, usually less resonant and darker in character the less the angle, 35 degree is popular on Birch Drums. Drums get brighter if the crown of the bearing edge is a tighter radius (sharper) than if the radius is flatter (may be desired on the toms and kick).

       Coatings and material type are as described in the section "Tom, Drumheads - Batter side". There are some similarities here to that which is used for a tom. But there are also some real differences such as the Evan's Genera Snare and Genera Dry vented series.

1.     Single ply Thin Weight such as REMO Diplomat, Renaissance, FiberSkyn FD (FD extra thin), Evan's Genera Concert Snare, all are coated and are great for very articulate, extremely sensitive, bright, open overtones (FiberSkyn warmer), not very durable. Special mention - Evan's Genera Concert Staccato Snare, a drier very articulate version of the "thin" group.

2.     Single ply unmuffled/unvented medium weight such as REMO Ambassador, Renaissance and FiberSkyn FA, Aquarian Satin Texture Coated and the Evans G1 series, UNO 58 1000. Uno 58 is brightest, FiberSkyn warmest. All-purpose head, accentuated overtones, articulate, takes punishment from all but very heavy hitters. Aquarian coating most durable. Special mention – Evan's PowerCenter, all the virtues of a single ply head but has a perforated 5" coated thin dot that will withstand high tunings and severe abuse without the dot coming off (only 14").

3.     Single ply muffled or Heavy Weight such as the REMO Emperor, Renaissance, PowerStroke, FiberSkyn F1 and the Aquarian Studio X series, Evan's Genera Batter. The sound here goes more mellow compared to single ply with overtones becoming less prevalent on the initial attack and less or minimal sustain. There is still an element of ring to the drum.

4.     Single ply muffled and very "Dry" or "Vented". Evan's has the most in the market for this category with the Genera Dry, Uno 58 1000 Dry, The sound has a sharper, quicker attack and is almost void of overtones. This head requires careful attention to tuning and generally will make the midrange tone of the shell material standout while limiting the low frequencies of the drum.

5.     2 ply muffled or wear resistant heads like REMO Pinstripe, Aquarian Performance II or Double Thins and the classic Evans G2, or anything with a "Power dot" on it, these produce a very short initial attack coupled with a very short sustain.

6.     Heavily muffled with an oil barrier such as the Evans hydraulic. These heads are the most inherently "boxy" or "dull" of any. Almost void of any inherent sustain on their own.

1.     Drum has an intermittent buzz during play: Remove heads and thump on the shell with your hand or butt end of a stick. If the lugs buzz, isolate the offending lug and first try to remove it or them and see if stuffing cotton into the lug retainer helps stop the buzz. You can also look at taking some thin sheet rubber and placing it between the lug casing and the shell, be careful you do not move the lug too far away from the shell, the lugs must align freely with the hoop. If you put the rubber in do it on all the lugs, not just the trouble lugs. If nothing buzzes without the heads, it is possible that the head itself is spent or seated wrong and this too can cause a buzz or distortion during play. The solution is to either replace the head or apply higher tension and try reseating the head. Look for loose bolts, etc. as well.

2.     How to check snares wire units: Lay the snares, unrestrained on a flat surface. See if all the wires look very uniform, make sure 1 or 2 of the strands are not over stretched or curving out (this can happen on new units as well). If they are in doubt, go buy or choose another snare wire unit, otherwise control over the "buzz" and "crack" of the drum may be very difficult. Check that portion of the unit where the wire of the snare couples with the clip and look for less than uniform joints. No sharp protrusions, lumps, etc. should be present. If you observe protrusions or unevenness, sometimes filing them off works, but don't remove too much or your likely to cause the wires to pull off the clip.

3.     How to determine if a head is too old to use? Outside of an obvious split, make sure they're not overly worn where the snare bed rides on the head (sometimes there's a tiny hole or a milky color). Make sure the head is not warped or dished out from age or being over tensioned. If either of these conditions exists, replace the heads.

4.     How to check hoops? Place them on a kitchen counter or other very flat surface (not glass or plastic, these are inherently unleveled) and see if they sit flat. If the hoop is stamped or a triple flanged hoop, push down on them to straighten, fix or replace. If the hoop is cast or wood, you run the risk of breaking the hoop if you push hard enough to actually cause a movement. Your only solution other than live with it will be to replace it. Check for round by measuring in a "+" pattern with a simple ruler at 90 degrees apart across the hoop. If the measurement is not the same, they are out of round.

1.     Work your way up through the tuning zones as you would a tom but rather than tuning the top head up in pitch, your tuning the bottom head up in pitch.

2.     Work in a typical "X" fashion as best you can or better yet, use 2 keys 180 degrees apart. The thin snare side heads are easy to knock out of whack if you pull one side tighter than the other, so move up in small ¼ turn increments for best results.

3.     Once you get the differential relationship be it for a "fat" or "pop" tuning, then you can move the entire drum up in pitch for a higher overall pitch. By this I mean that both heads must maintain the 2-3-note differential in tuning at all times. Minute changes in this relationship cause phase cancellations (or should) and as a result, usually by moving one head or the other minuscule amounts, you can cause the drum to kill allot of the overtones or accentuate them making the need for muffled heads less desirable.

4.     If you want a fat wet sound, keep the resonant head low pitched regardless of the pitch of the batter.

5.     If you want a more articulated, cutting sound, tune the bottom head up in pitch and keep the batter head lower in pitch than the resonant head.

6.     The tension of the snare bed also controls that punch you can feel in your stomach. If the head is too tight, the snare can't seat itself as well into the snare beds.

1.     Place the snares a little off center towards the opposite side of the release side.

2.     Tighten down the strings or strap paying close attention to the snare making sure its square to the hoop, not askew.

3.     With the retainer in the on position but with the tension control screwed down (as if loosening the snares), pull the strings or straps again square to the hoop to moderate tension.

4.     With the strainer now on, start to tighten while hitting the head, you'll get to a sweet spot where the buzz of the snare and feel of the drum come together. If you tighten more, the drum becomes more articulate. The slightest adjustment here can make huge differences. I'm talking 1/16 of a turn or less on the tension adjustment for the strainer. If you are blessed with an adjustment on both side of the drum, move up equally, very important!

5.     Experiment; at some point in the process you'll hear the bottom or that feeling in your stomach suddenly jump out at you if that's what you want. Don't over tighten; it really doesn't add much other than choking off the tone of the drum and killing stick response.

6.     Even the slightest adjustments will make the tone/overtones come alive or die. See "The 5 Stages of Snare Sound" section.

       Working from loose to tighter:

1.     Contact with buzz and sounding a little sloppy,

2.     Fewer buzzes and a little dry sounding. Almost like over tightening.

3.     Warmth starts to come out with a nice sort of "slap" of the snares,

4.     Becomes more articulate and the warmth goes away, and

5.     The garbage stage, extremely tight, choked, void of character, little to no response on the outside 3 inches of the batter head at low volumes, you've gone too far.

1.     The stand affects the sound. With the drum sitting in your stand, don't have the stand basket tight against the hoop of the drum, this restrains the inherent sound of the drum, it keeps the hoop and shell from vibrating freely.

2.     As a drummer hits harder, the crack of the drum or volume of the snare does not rise but the pitch can change or the perception exists because more of the inherent tone of the batter head is now coming out. Therefore you might want to resort to micing the bottom if you cannot get that high-end crack you otherwise hear in the room.

3.     If using a mic on both top and bottom you should be conscious of phase problems associated with the bottom mic, you might have to wire the resonant mic "out of phase". Remember the heads ideally are moving in phase with each other, therefore when the batter is moving away from the upper mic, its moving towards the lower mic causing a phase change making a electrical phase reversal needed.

       There are many instances where the sympathetic resonances of the snare drum snares are problematic. Usually the tuning of nearby drums or the bass guitar, etc causes these. The cause of the problem is that the tuning of the snare is at or close to the frequency of the sympathetic vibration, that is, they're too close in pitch. Retuning the snare may be the last thing you want to do now that you've found this incredible sound. But as is everything in sound, there may have to be compromises. It can be quite complex to solve this problem because of the inherent overtones found in the snare. In doing some background research on this issue I found a site which I have linked below which explores this issue. But I will attempt to summarize what others have offered for solutions. I have found the first two tips work very well, but many have become overly concerned by this and really shouldn't be. The buzz in many cases is the essential ingredient to getting the drum sound, such as a "fat" tuning and does not appear in the recording or the audience, as a buzz.

1.     On the snare side of a ten-lug snare, detune both lugs on either side of the snare where it attaches to the shell until the head ripples. Then tune it back up until the ripple just disappears. This means you will have detuned 4 lugs. Now, compensate by over- tightening the remaining 6 lugs (3 on either side of the snares).

2.     Find the offending instruments and retune it. Usually it's one of the toms and the tuning of the tom is usually not as critical in the mix. Others report that if the toms are tuned a 5th away from the snare and then from each other, this can eliminate the problem. But this is only partly a solution, as the snare drum itself is very rich in overtones (independent of tuning) and removing one overtone (by retuning) is likely to introduce a new one!

3.     A completely different approach put some very thin piece of paper or duct tape between the snare and the bottom head near the place where the snares attach to the retaining clip. You have to experiment a bit with thickness and placement, but it is possible to reduce the problem a lot.

4.     Different heads. Calfskin heads were rather insensitive to this phenomenon. It is thinkable that the use of calfskin-like heads (e.g. REMO Renaissance or FiberSkyn 3) may reduce the effect.

5.     Drape a towel or other heavy cloth from the bottom of the snare drum between the drum and the offending source if it is a nearby drum.

6.     Wire snares are the most problematic. Try using cable snares such as those made by Grover, Patterson or Hinger. Traditional gut snares are also less likely to buzz. However, the sound may likely change to the drier as a result.

       You have to know the center of your universe for playing and/or which drum is most important in the way of sound.

1.     Lowest, fattest sound: Start with your biggest, meanest floor tom and do a fat tuning as described above under "Results – What They Mean". No point in starting with the smallest drum because when you get to the low end of the range on the larger drums, the incremental tuning ability of the drums involved may make tuning the large drums impossible for the required interval. In other words, the floor tom won't go that low and you'll end up with a mismatched interval, so start low and work up in pitch to the small drum(s).

2.     Punchy, top 40, rock, etc., your rack toms are what usually drives the sound. If you play 2 or 3 rack toms, pick the 2nd or 1st tom and get it where you want it, these are the center of your work. From here everything else will fall into place. Keep it melodic, play pairs of drums. If you move in 5 note intervals you'll find all drums sound bigger, fuller, sympathetic tones are complementary. Move in 3 note increments, they'll sound a little thinner and drier; you might want this especially for a close mic situation. Tip: Don't make the kick drum too low in pitch, keep it in the same 5-note relationship to the lowest floor tom.

3.     Funk, the kick drives the groove: Start with the kick, snare and move on down from the snare sound again doing some grooves and a few top fills.

       Here's my thought's on this subject, there are no rules other than the first 2.

1.     Diameter means more for pitch change than does shell depth.

2.     Shell depth equates to resonance and volume, it gives the drum its character. A 12" x 10" (as in Diameter x Depth) gives you a shell surface area of 370 sq. in. as opposed to the 12" x 9" which has 333 sq. in. So depending upon how you look at it, the 10" depth has 11% increase in the ability to produce resonance (hence "power"), or the 9" has 10% less. The tone of the 10" depth is ever so slightly deeper, but it's the volume that's the drum can create is the real difference. Regardless of diameter, a one-inch change in shell length, for a drum of identical diameter, generally translates into the same increase of 11% or decrease of 10%. So a 12" x 8" will be 20% less in surface area than a 12" x 10". Simply put, the depth of the "punch" will be more evident on the 12" x 10" than that of a 12" x 8" drum.

3.     I find if you have a 12" drum, its wise not to pair it with a 13" unless you have a 14" and really desire something in-between for pitch. Likewise, a 11" drum is better paired with a 13" with a 12" as the in-between size. The common belief is that even sized drums produce better tuning qualities. I don't know why this belief is out there, I find they can all be tuned if tuned as the shell/diameter allows. If you try to make a 13" sound like a 14" while pairing it with a 12", you're setting yourself up for trouble unless you want a small incremental note difference.

4.     It's more melodic to skip 1 or 2 sizes in diameter in between drums (see the section "Musical Notes for Tuning, Suggested"). For example the use of a 13" or 14" with a 16" will likely be more satisfying than will be the use of a 15" with a 16". That is unless you have 14" and want something in-between again.

5.     Use a "Power Tom" as rack/mounted toms if the mounted toms are central to the sound you're creating (i.e. Top 40), if you're a "light" hitter or like big floor toms.

6.     Use Fundamentally Accurate Sized Toms ("FAST") if playing small venues, when size is a concern or when you just want less "power".

7.     Small drums tune "low" fairly well, large diameter drums don't always tune "high" well.

8.     I find any combination of drums in the following sizes tune well and allow room to add: (Expressed in Diameter x Depth) 8x8, 10x9, 12x10, 14x12, 16x14, 18x16, 20x16, 20x18, 22x16, 22x18, 24x18.

       I'm going to make an attempt to describe this in very elementary terms to make it easy. If you do not know what middle "C" is on a piano, take any keyboard (61 note, 76 note or 88 note) and walk up to it (or you can always take the short cut and ask the keyboard player). Right in the middle there are always 2 black keys surrounded by 3 black keys on either side of the 2 black keys. Pick the left black key of the black 2 key pair. Slide your finger just to the left on to the white key sitting just to the left of the left black key. That's it, middle "C"! Here's why we found that key. Whether you know it or not, your typical 10" or 12" drum is usually tuned within 3 to 4 notes either side of that middle "C". Your job is to find the note of your prized drum and tune the others around it in 3 or 5 note sequences. Why? Because if you go to the trouble of finding that note, you'll also see that from a musical standpoint, playing 2 notes together directly next to each other on a keyboard sounds pretty bad, for the most part. But play any combination of notes by counting 3 or 5 notes apart and it becomes very melodic. Hence your drums will sound better and can also sound bigger due to complementary vibration from drums, which are sympathetic to the one being struck. This is not an absolute rule. But in general, you should try playing your drums in combinations of 2 and try to make them melodic so they produce kind of a 2 or 3 finger cord when struck. Make notes of these types of things when tuning for different venues.

       I need to stress that the idea here is not to try and match cords used for songs so much as keeping the whole of the drum set from clashing. Although, if you have the time when recording, try tuning for the song and you may find that the result is far superior. Somewhere along the way, you'll find a sequence that fits your style and model of drum.

       For example, I know my drums will sound best tuned as follows:

       10"x 9" tom: D sharp

       12" x 10" tom: A sharp

       14" x 12" floor: F

       16" x 14" floor: C

       22" x 16" kick: Batter F (octave lower than floor); Resonant E

       Main snare 14" x 6" YAMAHA Anton Fig: G above the 10" x 9" D#, both heads the same

       How I know this is by working through all the same steps I've outlined in this "Bible".

       The procedures learned in the various sections should teach you what to expect in the tuning process. Knowing this on your particular drum, the condition of the bearing edges, etc., is a very key component to now re-tuning a drum or tweaking it night-after-night, day-to-day.

       Most drums drift down in pitch. Moving them from cold to hot or visa versa causes expansion and contraction, stiffness or more flexibility on the playing surface. Common sense should come into play here. The environment matters. So if the drum is cold, don't expect great things and try to refrain from attempting to tune until the temperature of the hardware adjusts and the heads, hoops, etc., match the temperature of your environment.

       Because drums drift down in pitch, the need is to bring them back up in pitch, uniformly. For some unknown reason, most drummers assume the drift down only occurred on the upper or batter head, not so! So here's a method to re-gain control of the drum and bring it back to pitch once the heads are on. Note it does not matter if the drum is on the stands or not, but it cannot be laying on the floor or a carpeted surface.

       Method 1 – Drum On Stand, Not On Floor

1.     Tap at each lug of each head and only raise pitch on the lowest pitched lugs until the head is in tune with itself. For the set I own, it's easy to completely rotate the tom to gain access to the resonant head, and you cannot ignore this head for long. Over time, the head will just keep drifting until the tuning becomes very difficult and the batter head has become disproportionately tuned to the resonant side. So whatever you do, do not ignore the resonant head.

2.     Strike the drum and see if the pitch is now correct, if so just stop. If not, proceed.

3.     Tweak each head, at each lug a very small amount, maybe 1/16th to 1/8th of a turn on each lug. Strike the drum and see if the pitch is now correct, if so just stop. If not, proceed.

4.     On the resonant head, take one lug and while striking the batter head, slowly turn that one lug no more then one complete turn. If while doing this the drum comes to pitch, you now know it's the resonant head and should back the lug down to its original pitch and tweak all lugs up in pitch small amounts until you get the pitch you want. If it does not make any difference, return the lug to original pitch and repeat this procedure on the batter head.

5.     If this method does not work on a given drum(s), proceed to Method 2. If you simply want to raise pitch, see below.

       Method 2 – Drum Off Stand, Sitting on Carpeted Surface.

1.     With the drum on the carpet, batter side down, tap at each lug of each head and lower the pitch on the highest pitched lugs until the head is in tune with itself. Remember to go down past the pitch and then back up to it.

2.     If the drum does not have the clear high pitched tone as learned in the procedures, raise pitch until it you achieve the clear note. Repeat on the batter head.

3.     Strike the drum and see if a clear pitch has been obtained. If so, just walk the drum up through the zones. If not, proceed.

4.     On the resonant head, take one lug and while striking the batter head, slowly turn that one lug no more then one complete turn. If while doing this the drum comes to pitch, you now know it's the resonant head and should back the lug down to its original pitch and tweak all lugs up in pitch small amounts until you get the pitch you want. If it does not make any difference, return the lug to original pitch and repeat this procedure on the batter head.

5.     If this has failed, then something has happened to the seat of the head, temperature has become a factor, the environment has drastically changed or simply gone out of whack and you should either try running a hair dryer around to warm it up and begin again, or re-seat the heads and retune.

       To Simply Raise or Lower Pitch: To simply raise or lower the pitch on an otherwise good sounding drum, I find it far more effective to tweak the lower head up/down rather than the batter head up/down. One major benefit from doing it this way is that it helps retain the same feel on the batter surface. If you use common sense and work with small turn/tweaks of the lugs, you'll immediately know when you've gone outside the zone and can respond by adjusting the opposite side.

       Playing without a microphone versus with one is very different. This is not a tutorial on Mic use, simply an elementary understanding of one key factor. When "close micing" a drum, the type of microphone can and usually creates proximity effect. If you look at typical mic's associated with use on toms, you'll see a drop-off on the frequency curve associated with most dynamic mic's. This drop-off can be compensated for through proximity effect. This is less pronounced on an electret condenser microphone. "Proximity effect" is a condition, which, when the mic is in close proximity to the head, a bump in the low frequency range is created, and therefore, accentuates the lower fundamental note of the drum. The opposite is also true, pull the mic away and low end response drops-off. When close, the pronounced increase of the low end offsets for the otherwise dead sound of 2-ply/muffled heads or the lack of free field low-end frequency response. Hence, never buy a microphone based upon a stated frequency curve or specifications alone. The microphone hears and accentuates what the ear cannot. Experiment because the proximity effect diminishes the further from the head you get (out of proximity). Check out the following in the "Links of Interest" section entitled "Audio Technica's Guide to Microphones Definitions" and "Shure Brothers Technical Publications on Recording Studio and Sound Reinforcement Techniques".

1.     Movement of the Mic as little as ½" can make big changes. Movement closer to the resonant head results in less definition and more "boom" from the drum.

2.     Place a mic closer to the pad/pillow to cut resonance and increase presence.

3.     Place a mic closer to the batter and mid range attack comes out, warmth disappears but deep low end remains. Careful not to get too close or clipping of electronics' or destruction of mic can occur.

4.     Two heads no hole – 1 Mic: Place the microphone on the outside of the batter side, but not in an upward facing direction. Try reversing the phase of the Mic, it will sometimes give more punch.

5.     Too much snare bleed, try taping a cardboard funnel around the mic face to trim unwanted high frequencies or aim the mic down at the point of impact at 35 degrees.

6.     Two Heads no Hole – 2 Mic's: A phase reversal of one or the other head is almost a must if using a mic aimed at both heads. Your sound is at the hands of engineer now because it's like retuning the drum to blend the Mic sounds.

7.     When doing recording, take a large floor tom and place it out in front of the kick drum. Tune the floor tom very low in pitch and place a large diaphragm mic on it to capture sympathetic vibrations and low-end resonance.

1.     Controlling leakage from Hi-Hat: Use a Mic with a Hypercardioid pattern. As a result, you may have to Mic either from overhead of the kit or the hat itself, could be a plus depending upon philosophy.

2.     To capture the "snap/crack" of the drum, especially for "hard hitters", Mic from the bottom and use in reverse polarity under the snare.

3.     Too many overtones: Don't place a Mic aiming at the outer 2 inches of the head unless you really want to overtones to come through or use a head such as an Evan's Genera Snare Batter, Aquarian Studio-X or REMO PowerStroke3, all coated.

4.     Avoid having the mic too close in general, 2-3 inches up and out aimed at the center of the head allows the mic to capture a more natural sound.

5.     Not enough snare sound when using a Mic. When Mic's are placed too close to the head, the Mic doesn't hear as much of the "crack", it hear more of a timbale sound. Hitting harder equals less crack when placed too close. You can also place the Mic directly centered over the rim of the drum up about 1 inch and aimed at the center of the head. This keeps the Mic from hearing the warmth of the head and picks up more shell resonance.

6.     If you do not have a brighter sounding snare, place just one mic in reverse polarity underneath in about 3" from the rim and centered on the snare unit itself.

       I have not mentioned anything in here I have not tried myself. This is why you see no mention of ATTACK or Bear Percussion drumheads anywhere. As of this date, they are not being carried as a mainstream head or in large supply by most retail stores. While I have heard the ATTACK brand, I haven't had time to place them on a drum set and tune them or use them for any length of time, record, etc. As a result, I feel it would be inappropriate to comment on them. This is not to imply they are inferior or superior, I just don't know. However, if interested you can view the "Links of Interest" section and read the marketing associated with them.

    Snare Buzz Problems

    Audio Technica Microphone terms

    Aquarian Drumheads

    Attack Drumheads

    Remo Drumheads

    Evan's Drumheads

    Compare Drumhead Prices

    Mix Books – Almost anything to do with recording

    Suggested Download, good visual for Kick drums Muffling

    Drumweb Message Board

    Funkster's Groove Theory

    Shure Brothers Technical Publications on Recording Studio and Sound Reinforcement Techniques (among others) at

    Drum Video Links

       I play Yamaha Maple Custom drums by choice; I am not sponsored by anyone. I find that with Yamaha, the quality is superb. The drum is not the most resonant drum on the market, I prefer to think of it as "controlled". You'll find many pro's using the YAMAHA Maple Custom, as you will that which play other brands. The set and sound just reflects what I feel is right for me. I like the brightness and the warmth projected by maple. Bright is a good way of explaining the characteristic of this kit if you subscribe to the notion that the audio spectrum has 3 basic bands; Bass (warmth); midrange (presence or harshness); and treble (bright). Top quality sets, regardless of manufacturer are all great. There's only one really great drum set, and that's the one that inspires you to play your best given the budget you have and reflects your personality.

       Yamaha Maple Custom, Sizes 10x9, 12x10, 14x12, 16x14, 22x16.
Finish: Black Maple, Gold lug casings, YESS mounts on all toms.
Hoops: Aluminum on toms, Solid Maple on kick, Snare by model.

       Head Choice:

       Kick: Mostly Evan's EQ4 Clear Batter paired with the REMO Ambassador Resonant Coated w/5" offset hole or for a tighter sound Evan's EQ3 clear batter paired with EQ3 ebony w/4-1/2" offset hole. In all cases I use the DW pillow covering 15% of each head.

       Toms (Rack): varies but mostly Evan's G2 Clear Batter w/Genera or Diplomat Clear Resonant. For a warmer sound Aquarian Studio-X Coated Batter with Genera or Diplomat Clear Resonant.

       Toms (Floor): Either Aquarian Classic, Evan's G1 or Ambassador Batter and Resonant side (all Clear, again depends upon which I can get).

       Snare Drums:

       14 x 5 1/2 Brass Snare Drum; Manu Katche Signature Model; Hoops cast; Heads: Ambassador Coated or Genera Snare, Diplomat Snare Side; Tuning Method 1 in the bible, batter tighter than resonant.

       14 x 6 Maple Snare Drum; Anton Fig Signature Model; Hoops wood maple 19 ply; Heads: Ambassador or Evans Coated batter and Ambassador Clear Snare side; Tuning Method 2 which is Batter looser than Resonant, Resonant about 3 notes higher.

       14 x 5 1/2 Steel Snare Drum; Phonic 400 60's era; Heads: Ambassador Coated batter and Diplomat Snare Side; Hoops are steel triple flanged; Heads equal in pitch, medium tuning Method 3.

       14 x 5 1/2 Steel Snare Drum; Rodgers Dynasonic 60's era; Heads: Evan's Genera Snare Coated and 200 Hazy Snare Side; Hoops steel triple flanged things; Heads equal in pitch, medium tuning Method 3.

       14 x 3 Brass Snare Drum; Pearl FreeFloat Model; Hoops Cast; Heads: REMO Ambassador Coated batter and Ambassador Clear Snare side; Tuning so the resonant side is typically 2 notes higher than the batter side

       On all the Snare drums I'll use various width "O" rings with a ½ width being the most common.

       Hardware: YAMAHA 800 series

       Cymbals: Paiste Signature Series
             Sound Edge Hi-Hat (14")
             Fast Crash (15")
             Fast Crash (16")
             Fast Crash (18")
             Dry Heavy Ride (20")
             Flat Ride (18")
             Splash (10")

       Microphones typically used:
             Snare- Batter Side: Shure Brothers SM57-LC;
             Snare-Resonant Side:Audio Technica ATM3528, Shure SM98 or Beyer M101
             Kick: AKG D112 or RE20
             Toms, Rack: AKG C418
             Toms, Floor: Sennheiser 421 – 70's series
             Overheads: Shure SM81-LC's
             Hi-Hat: Audio Technica ATM3528

       Headphones: Beyer 550