Drum Tuning

The kit I borrow once a week sounded REALLY GOOD last night...I think the owner spent some quality time tuning it over the weekend. I like the results.

Drum tuning is a funny thing.  The most common advice about drum tuning (from drummers, magazines, and such) is "do whatever sounds good to you" which is really no advice at all.  But in recent weeks I've had a couple of guitar players try to give me advice about drum tuning which was basically "do what I think you should do."

I know that people mean well and want to help...but I don't really LIKE help...especially help that I haven't asked for. Especially help that feels like I'm being told my way is wrong. I like figuring stuff out for myself. If I need help or want an opinion, I'll ask. I know that I should be more open to input and that I could probably learn alot that way...but it is hard enough for me to gain confidence in my own abilities. I don't need pot shots from the peanut gallery.

So that kind of talk annoys me anyway...but in the cases in question...it has been with respect to this kit that I'm not even privvy to tuning. It isn't my kit and I'm not messing with it. So telling me how I ought to tune it is no help. It isn't mine to tune. You don't tune another man's drums when he's being nice enough to loan them to you.

And in the end...there is no "right" way to tune a drum kit so long as you don't damage the drum. Anything goes. Anyone who tells you differently doesn't know what they are talking about. It really IS all personal preference.

I'm still learning and deciding about my own method and preferences for drum tuning. It is one of those things that is half science and half art. I'm still learning the science part (what you do to get what effect)...and I haven't really even begun to reflect on the art part...well...I've just recently begun.

The two guitar players both really wanted me to tune to a note. I find this funny. I mean, I guess it makes sense because they play instruments that are tuned to notes. To them "tuning" = "find the right note". There are certainly drummers who follow this approach. But I know enough about my preferences already to know that I'm not a drummer who will ever probably tune to a note.

First off...I suck at tuning by ear. I have trouble with that and always have. Getting a guitar string in tune to pitch for me is hard...never mind a drum that has two heads and 12 to 20 lugs to work with. Tuning to a pitch just isn't going to happen for me.

But beyond that, I just don't think it is WISE to tune to a pitch.  The drums need to be separate in sonic space from the pitched instruments (in my opinion). It is a contrast thing. For me that means them NOT being tuned to a pitch. Tune to a pitch and at some point you are going to have dissonance with the band (you might be playing a drum note not in the key of the song). If things are more nebulous that seems less of a risk. Sure, even if you don't try the drums will be tuned to a note...but I just think it is better that it be less defined.

I'm more concerned with tone. And I'm still figuring out how to get the best tone. Full but focused. The drums should be in tune with themselves...and then the snare to the rack toms and then to the floor toms should descend and not sound "bad" as far as moving from drum to drum goes (sometimes something just sounds out of place flat or sharp). But I'm not so worried about what the note is or if the drums are tuned in 3rds or whatever. Just that it sounds good moving from drum to drum. Maybe tuning to relative pitches is happening by accident because that's what sounds good...but it isn't on purpose. I also like the floor tom to be almost as low as possible without being lower than the bass. You end up setting a lower limit. You can only go so loose with the bass drum without it sounding "flappy"...so go for the lowest possible note on the bass drum...and then the floor tom should be as low as possible but higher than the bass drum. And so on.

And then there's getting the ring out and the unwanted overtones and the sympathetic vibrations. There's tweaking. Speaking of which...I just ordered snare wires with the center wires missing...which is supposed to reduce sympathetic vibrations, which I've had trouble with on the new Sonor because the bass drum is so powerful.

Anyway, I'm figuring it out and getting better at knowing what I want and how to get it. But it's a new game. And my preferences will grow and change and evolve.

And I kinda think the drum tuning talk from guitar players is just that...talk. I'd love to sit them down with five drums and 10 heads still in the packages and say "go for it" and see what happens. Two or three hours later they can get back to me about their theory of drum tuning.