This is simply the best video that I have found on the entire TH-cam with regards to jazz tuning. I was having difficulties finding tom tom tones that I was happy with until I followed your technique. My drums sound killer. Thank you!
That is great to hear! It really is the sweet spot for a bop kit to me. And the notes work extremely well for the guitar trio I'm in, where we play a lot of tunes in C, F, or G. It's almost as if my drums are tuned for the song!
I’m using coated heads on the batters, clear on the resos, and I find you get a nice balance of attack and resonance with this tuning. In fact, my rack tom is in a snare stand.
Great fundamental note choices. I had my intervals the same but my fundamentals either G# (2nd octave) D# G snare or sometimes E and F. Just tuned up to F and C with a G snare and F bass drum. The drums seem to work better together. Thanks!
Great to hear! It works really well for our trio specifically as we play a lot of tunes in F, G, and C. I'm not trying to actually play melodies with the pitches, but they don't clash and actually support the music well. I tuned all of them 1/2 step higher once, and it truly sounded "off" in context.
Having the reso head tuned higher works well if if you close mic the drums. I found when I played a small room without mics, the tom-toms would get washed out. The sound projects back at the player and not out into the room.
Hi Jeffrey, I actually haven't found that to be the case. I watched the Steve Maxwell videos, where he recommends tuning with the bottom lower for projection. However, the drums sound boxy to me when tuned liked that, and the projection doesn't seem any better. I've had other drummers sit in numerous times, and I'm always surprised how nicely they sound out front--a strong fundamental with punch. I don't think the resultant fundamental goes one direction more than the other; rather, the overtones you hear from the batter head will get swallowed up before reaching the audience. How do you tune your drums?
@@tracktuary Hey Pete...I tune very similar in terms of intervals. I keep the rack tom and Bass drum an octave apart and the floor tom a forth down (like "George of the jungle") so, just like you. Thanks to you, I was pitching the snare drum a third up from the rack tom, but I followed your advice. It seems more musical to me. As far as Steve Maxwell, I think he may say the same thing. I listened to my drums from the back of the room with another drummer sitting in, like I said, the tom toms got lost in the mix. I changed the tuning like I mentioned, and it seems to work better. By the way, I don't tune to a specific key, I play a gretsch USA set and I start the tuning with the 12 inch tom and I tune to the pitch that seems to have that classic jazz sound, which to me is less about a specific pitch and more about resonance. Not too high like Max Roach (his rack tom seemed choked IMHO) and not too low like Elvin Jones....Effectively, just a tad lower than Max.....I use my ears.
I used to have the bottom heads slightly higher than the bottoms. I found with my toms (12 diameter x 10 deep, 13 x 11, 14 x 14) that they choked with that configuration. So I now have the bottoms a bit lower; these drums resonate better that way.
Great explanation, I‘ll try that kind of tuning. I never got it though why when tuning the two heads to two different notes, the result is a third one when hitting the drum. And I have difficulties hearing the F of your bass drum, because to me it really sounds like a D as the heads are tuned. Despite that, the kit sounds great!
The overtones are really strong behind the kit when hitting the bass drum. The F is clearer directly in front, but you still get quite a mix of overtones. Placing a rolled up hand towel next to your pedal against the head will focus the sound-many guys do that. The physics of tuning are really weird. I found these spots through many iterations of tinkering.
so……with jazz sound drum set, the bottom skin is usually tighter than the top? another question, is the bottom skin a single layer of clear skin, or is it the same white sandblasted skin as the top?
Thank you! I was looking for any excuse to play my drums early during lockdown. After many iterations and talking with others, this is where I landed. Hopefully this helps others get close to their desired sound faster than I did.
@@tracktuary Here is another "task" in case you are still bored: I am trying to figure out the tuning of this set, ASBA 12/16/20, 5 1/2 SD. Can you figure that out? Start at 0:25. I believe I am pretty close but I am not sure. I have iDrumTune to reproduce whatever you may suggest: th-cam.com/video/nMbxZ1cw6Ok/w-d-xo.html. Thank you kindly and needless to say, there is no rush!
@@JazzDrummerChris I'm hearing Ab for the snare, F# for the rack tom, Ab for the floor tom, and C for the bass drum. I'm less certain on the floor and bass than the snare and rack. There's a pretty big spread between the toms (an octave) compared to the typical 4th or 5th.
How do you know your drums are tuned to those specific pitches and intervals apart? Are you just using your ears with a reference tone or are you using some type of device? Thanks
Truthfully, I never worry about that. I have more issues having my snare rattle when a guitar or bass amp is too close! So, I try to set up in a way where those don't point directly at it.
great video. I have a quick question. you said that u turn the reso head higher (tighter) than the batter head. but in the video if u tap the 2 sides, the reso head sounds deeper than the batter head. Am I hearing that wrong? thanks in advance...
Thank you! The reso is higher by about a whole step. If you're hearing something different, it could be the speakers you're using to listen. Overtones can get really weird on computers and phones. Hopefully a difference device or headphones helps. Let me know if you have more questions.
If you don't mind, I have a question. The c on the floortom, what c are you referring to? I'm not good at notes. Above middel c? If so, how much? Thank you in advance
@@RogierRJDonker Glad to hear! I just picked up a cheap Yamaha stage custom and tuned them the same exact way, and they sound just as good as this maple custom absolute (for a fraction of the price!).
@@tracktuary nice! I'm using a Tama Silverstar bop kit. So also not the most expensive but it sounds good. Only thing left is swapping the bassdrum heads for stuff that is not pre dampened. I'm going with Remo Coated ambassador heads.
Nothing has to be exactly. If you hit the drum in the center, I am aiming for around a G. If you hit on the edges, the batter will ring around a C# or D.
As he says, it’s not about precise notes from the drums. It’s about repeatable intervals that are pleasing to the ear and work well with the music. It’s a recipe, if you don’t like the result, don’t use it. The nice thing about your drums is you can tune them however you like.
This is simply the best video that I have found on the entire TH-cam with regards to jazz tuning. I was having difficulties finding tom tom tones that I was happy with until I followed your technique. My drums sound killer. Thank you!
That is great to hear! It really is the sweet spot for a bop kit to me. And the notes work extremely well for the guitar trio I'm in, where we play a lot of tunes in C, F, or G. It's almost as if my drums are tuned for the song!
I’m using coated heads on the batters, clear on the resos, and I find you get a nice balance of attack and resonance with this tuning. In fact, my rack tom is in a snare stand.
Great fundamental note choices. I had my intervals the same but my fundamentals either G# (2nd octave) D# G snare or sometimes E and F.
Just tuned up to F and C with a G snare and F bass drum. The drums seem to work better together. Thanks!
Great to hear! It works really well for our trio specifically as we play a lot of tunes in F, G, and C. I'm not trying to actually play melodies with the pitches, but they don't clash and actually support the music well. I tuned all of them 1/2 step higher once, and it truly sounded "off" in context.
Thanks man! this was really nicely done! I've been tuning bottom a fourth higher for a while, I like whole step on the toms! Thanks for sharing!
Having the reso head tuned higher works well if if you close mic the drums. I found when I played a small room without mics, the tom-toms would get washed out. The sound projects back at the player and not out into the room.
Hi Jeffrey, I actually haven't found that to be the case. I watched the Steve Maxwell videos, where he recommends tuning with the bottom lower for projection. However, the drums sound boxy to me when tuned liked that, and the projection doesn't seem any better. I've had other drummers sit in numerous times, and I'm always surprised how nicely they sound out front--a strong fundamental with punch. I don't think the resultant fundamental goes one direction more than the other; rather, the overtones you hear from the batter head will get swallowed up before reaching the audience. How do you tune your drums?
@@tracktuary Hey Pete...I tune very similar in terms of intervals. I keep the rack tom and Bass drum an octave apart and the floor tom a forth down (like "George of the jungle") so, just like you. Thanks to you, I was pitching the snare drum a third up from the rack tom, but I followed your advice. It seems more musical to me. As far as Steve Maxwell, I think he may say the same thing. I listened to my drums from the back of the room with another drummer sitting in, like I said, the tom toms got lost in the mix. I changed the tuning like I mentioned, and it seems to work better. By the way, I don't tune to a specific key, I play a gretsch USA set and I start the tuning with the 12 inch tom and I tune to the pitch that seems to have that classic jazz sound, which to me is less about a specific pitch and more about resonance. Not too high like Max Roach (his rack tom seemed choked IMHO) and not too low like Elvin Jones....Effectively, just a tad lower than Max.....I use my ears.
I used to have the bottom heads slightly higher than the bottoms. I found with my toms (12 diameter x 10 deep, 13 x 11, 14 x 14) that they choked with that configuration. So I now have the bottoms a bit lower; these drums resonate better that way.
It's possible different drums have different sweet spots. I have found that mine sound "boxy" when I have the top tighter.
Curious what notes you would use if you were using a 20” kick and 16” floor?
More jazz videos please!!
Great explanation, I‘ll try that kind of tuning.
I never got it though why when tuning the two heads to two different notes, the result is a third one when hitting the drum.
And I have difficulties hearing the F of your bass drum, because to me it really sounds like a D as the heads are tuned. Despite that, the kit sounds great!
The overtones are really strong behind the kit when hitting the bass drum. The F is clearer directly in front, but you still get quite a mix of overtones. Placing a rolled up hand towel next to your pedal against the head will focus the sound-many guys do that.
The physics of tuning are really weird. I found these spots through many iterations of tinkering.
so……with jazz sound drum set, the bottom skin is usually tighter than the top? another question, is the bottom skin a single layer of clear skin, or is it the same white sandblasted skin as the top?
Amazing explanation! What kit are you using here? it sounds great
Thank you! This a Yamaha Maple Custom Absolute. The size are 12-14-18.
Sounds great. Would you be able to post drum dial or tune bot settings for batters/ resos please ?
Thanks for that one, very well done and explained. In principle, I do the same.
Thank you! I was looking for any excuse to play my drums early during lockdown. After many iterations and talking with others, this is where I landed. Hopefully this helps others get close to their desired sound faster than I did.
@@tracktuary Here is another "task" in case you are still bored: I am trying to figure out the tuning of this set, ASBA 12/16/20, 5 1/2 SD. Can you figure that out? Start at 0:25. I believe I am pretty close but I am not sure. I have iDrumTune to reproduce whatever you may suggest: th-cam.com/video/nMbxZ1cw6Ok/w-d-xo.html. Thank you kindly and needless to say, there is no rush!
@@JazzDrummerChris I'm hearing Ab for the snare, F# for the rack tom, Ab for the floor tom, and C for the bass drum. I'm less certain on the floor and bass than the snare and rack. There's a pretty big spread between the toms (an octave) compared to the typical 4th or 5th.
Thanks for this Pete, what's the black mallet used for?
It's the same as the white one--the covering just came off!
Yes!
How do you know your drums are tuned to those specific pitches and intervals apart? Are you just using your ears with a reference tone or are you using some type of device? Thanks
I am just using my ears and either a tuning app, piano, or guitar for the reference.
How do you deal with the sympathetic resonance between the rack tom and the snare?
Truthfully, I never worry about that. I have more issues having my snare rattle when a guitar or bass amp is too close! So, I try to set up in a way where those don't point directly at it.
great video. I have a quick question. you said that u turn the reso head higher (tighter) than the batter head. but in the video if u tap the 2 sides, the reso head sounds deeper than the batter head. Am I hearing that wrong? thanks in advance...
Thank you! The reso is higher by about a whole step. If you're hearing something different, it could be the speakers you're using to listen. Overtones can get really weird on computers and phones. Hopefully a difference device or headphones helps. Let me know if you have more questions.
So all reso heads are coated?
Correct. Coated ambassadors on top and bottom of toms. Fiberskin ambassador on both sides of bass drum. Snare is a typical hazy snare side.
If you don't mind, I have a question. The c on the floortom, what c are you referring to? I'm not good at notes. Above middel c? If so, how much? Thank you in advance
I believe it's C3, which is one octave below middle C (C4).
@@tracktuary thanks so much! This really helped me with the tuning.
@@RogierRJDonker Glad to hear! I just picked up a cheap Yamaha stage custom and tuned them the same exact way, and they sound just as good as this maple custom absolute (for a fraction of the price!).
@@tracktuary nice! I'm using a Tama Silverstar bop kit. So also not the most expensive but it sounds good. Only thing left is swapping the bassdrum heads for stuff that is not pre dampened. I'm going with Remo Coated ambassador heads.
You’ve got coated in both sides? Even the resonant?
Yes, coated ambassadors on both sides of both toms. Snare has typical hazy snare side head. Bass drum has fiberskyn ambassadors on both sides.
Sick!
Thank you!
Thank you.
just were missing the cat that jumped on the drum and the dog that moved the camera 😅
This is near professional level stuff right here.
@@tracktuary It seems to me to be a good content, spontaneous, genuine and interesting, not always professional is synonymous with quality
And I’m tuning to an app on my phone. Does the note have to equal to G on the snare exactly when I hit it and it resonates
Nothing has to be exactly. If you hit the drum in the center, I am aiming for around a G. If you hit on the edges, the batter will ring around a C# or D.
They sound nice, but ur floor tom is higher pitched than ur rack tom
Not true. It must be the speaker you're using, which can sometimes bring out the overtones. The floor tom is definitely lower than the rack tom.
It's not a xylophone.
As he says, it’s not about precise notes from the drums. It’s about repeatable intervals that are pleasing to the ear and work well with the music. It’s a recipe, if you don’t like the result, don’t use it. The nice thing about your drums is you can tune them however you like.
No one said it was.