The Secret to Tuning a Drum!!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ส.ค. 2024
- Learn the secret of drum tuning! This super-fast, simple, and easy system of drum tuning is for beginners, students, professional drummers, and percussionists of all kinds. This video will help you get set up your drum and how to tune a drum very quickly. Ed will show you how to correctly use a drum key, and use your ears to tune a drum kit. Ed's system works in the studio, or live, with a band.
The tuning concepts will work on a full drum set, any drum, including snare drums, tom-toms, bass drums, marching drums, quads, quints, concert toms, congas, djembes, dumbeks, hand drums, timpani, etc.
Ed Hartman owned and operated The Drum Exchange, a retail drum shop, in Seattle, WA for 25 years (now closed). He is an experienced drummer, percussionist, and educator. Ed has extensive knowledge of drum equipment and percussion repairs.
Please subscribe: / @edhartman1
The Drum Exchange lives on HERE! There are a lot of cool products and drum education videos to watch. Hit me with your drum and percussion questions, and thanks for watching!
Ed
My websites are:
edhartmanmusic.com
/ edhartman
Thanks!
Ed Hartman
Ed, I've been playing drums for almost 50 yrs. I can't thank you enough for this video. My drums sound better than they ever have.
+Michael Shur Thanks!!! Made my day...
Ed
Wow. That amazes me.
For the life of me I could never tune my drums well.
Now that is how a tutorial should be given: simpel, to the point, clearly and above all no shouting or wild advertising and so. Great video and great explaning. Never to old to learn some tricks and tips. For myself I always use a drumstick to check the tuning but never used two keys. Will be done from now on. Thanks. Greatings from the Netherlands.
Ed! I am a self-taught drummer of 2 years and I've watched countless videos on TH-cam of how to properly tune drums. Yours was by far the best and most useful. I love the way you explain as well. You'd make a great tutor. The way you spin the drum around, I've never seen that before. Definitely a good trick instead of bending over and hurting your back. And placing your hand in the centre and giving a tap with your finger around the edge... And placing the drum on the side and hearing bottom and top pitches without having to flip the drum. Wow, I've learnt so much. Sad to hear that you have closed your shop in Seattle. I will be sure to check out your website anywho and hope you keep posting videos on TH-cam. Thank you so much!
Thanks very much for the wonderful comment. I am glad this video has helped you. I learned about tuning in college a long time ago. I learned to tune timpani, which are very delicate, and pitch is very important. Anyway, I hope to grow this channel, and add a lot more videos. Thanks, and please pass the word!
Thanks Ed , I've been playing for 55 years and I'm always listening to good information like yours. Thanks again !!!!!!!!!
Hi Ed,
I've been floating my own tuning tutorial around the net for about 20-25 years now and this video presentation pretty much mimics those directions.
Thanks for putting this out there.
Happy that we're on the same page. Thanks.
This Ed is a drum jewel. Must be protected at all cost.
Thanks very much for the kind words!!
seriously the most comprehensive, concise video on tom tuning, this should be the reference for all. thanks Ed.
Thanks! I appreciate the feedback.
This is one of the best tom tuning teaching technique ever.
Thank you very much! I'm glad your got something from it.
Great video...I already perform all of these steps, but I found it interesting how he got straight to the point...
This is the most informative and helpful approach to tuning that I have found. Thank you for this, it clears much of my overthinking and calms my ocd brain frequencies, as I have been struggling to figure out the how and what to do in effort to achieve the sound I'm looking for.
Thanks very much. I'm glad it helped!
Man, how nice it is to hear a guy just talkin facts. Clear, concise and with a guy who clearly has been in the craft a while and knows his stuff. Thank you for that tutorial. It was awesome and a refreshing break from all the production and unecessary commentary. Don't get me wrong, those thongs aren't bad but I just want a subject matter expert to tell me what they think I should do so I can get playing. God Bless you.
Thanks! I appreciate it very much.
Great vid. The 2 key approach improved my tuning results dramatically. Thanks!!
That's wonderful to hear. Thanks very much!
I've spent hours on a cheaper, stubborn floor tom. This video saved my sanity.
I'm happy it helped! In college, the rite of passage was to try to tune an out-of-round small timpani. It pretty much was impossible. I spent 5 hours on it. That drum taught me more about tuning than anything else. If you can tune a cheap drum, you can tune anything. Good luck!
Excellent tip about tuning a drum head with two keys. I never thought about that. Thanks. 🥁
Glad it helped. Thanks for watching!
Liked. To the point and agree with your synopsis on tuning.
Thanks very much.
Great tuning video and thank you for sharing Ed! Have been using 2 keys at a time for the last few years.
Great to hear. Thanks very much!
The voice of experience! Great video.
THANKS FOR THE SECRET ED HARTMAN!
Best tuning video out! So you tune top head first and then the bottom
Great tutorial Ed. I've been playing for a long time but it's never too late to take good info on board.Thanks..
Best advice I've seen on youtube so far for beginners who wanna know about tuning drums!
Thanks for watching!
So the finger in the middle is to mute the drum. Ok... I see people do that and thought is was for additional tension and always wondered how that could be uniform across all the pegs. This makes sense now. Thanks Ed.
Like a guitar player, you are muting the fundamental pitch and hearing the overtone. It takes practice. So do it a lot! Thanks!
One of the best tuning videos I've watched. Thanks.
Thanks very much!
Cool stuff! Just like to add that it's not hard at all to actually CHOOSE the notes of each tom if you want to.
There are simple formulas to follow depending on how much resonance you want but very easy to do. I use the Tunebot and all the instructions and even suggestions on different tunings are on the website. You do need a digital tuner that shows frequency but it doesn't have to be the Tunebot. A good mic with any tuner that displays frequency in numbers will do. It actually works really well if you follow the instructions. 2 years into using this method and I get lots of compliments on tuning and being easy to mix because they don't ring on and on lol. (I use the low resonance formula to get my chosen notes.) ***The math all changes if you use two ply batter heads**** Found that out the hard way lol. I was nowhere near the right note haha!
Anyways, love the technique tips! I will definitely be using two keys from now on 👍
Cheers!
Thanks very much for watching. Yes, you can really get into pitch for your toms. I learned pitch relationships through ear training in college at Indiana University. You need that skill to tune timpani FAST (especially when the orchestra is playing in a different key!). My go-to tuning for 12-13-16 is a major or minor third between the high and middle, and a fourth between the 13 and 16. It's relative to the diameter. If you play floor-high-low, you will get something like the NBC chime. You are correct about both heads. Things do get crazy for sure. It's a science project, in any event!
PS: Berlioz figured out the harmonics between 16 timpani in his "Requiem,." The fundamental pitch is really only the first part of tuning. Hearing the harmonics creates all sorts of new relationships between sounds.
@@edhartman1 Funny you mentioned 12-13 -16. I play a Sonor Force 3007 series. Those are the sizes lol. I'm also a full time FOH tech. I've learned over time that actually boosting the fundamental of a tom no matter the frequency, and then cutting the first two octaves above that fundamental very accurately, can make a huge difference in there presence with them going on and on. Less gating required too. Still see a lot of techs CUTTING the fundamental to calm things down. Sounds thin and boxy compared... Nice chatting with you mate!! Cheers
*without them going on and on.
One of the best tuning videos on TH-cam
Thanks!
Excellent system for tuning any drum
Great video..very easy to follow!
This guy knows what he is talking about!
Great video Ed. I like your concept about using 2 drum keys. Makes good sense, I don't know why I didn't think of it myself. Thanks for posting.
The secret is to play a edrum set...works every time and never goes out of tune 😊
Roland V-Drums are tuneable with tension rods (for rebound action). The concept still applies!
@@edhartman1 that's for the feel.. I'm not talking about feelings we were talking about tuning drums I thought? not the feel.
Rebound = feel - yes. Just saying equal tension is always a good idea for anything that has tension rods, IMO. You never know when you'll encounter an acoustic drum, too. I use these ideas for nearly any kind of drum, including congas, bongos, timbales, frame drums, etc. Thanks for watching!@@_stardust62
great...drummer for 60 years, I had to figure all this out for myself.. you understand this subject in wonderful depth...cool
Thanks very much.
I love this guy. Thanks
quick n to the point
nice one
100K views! 100 comments! Thanks everyone for watching!
This is the best drum tuning video I have ever seen. Thanks Ed!
Thanks bud!
This is my go-to video for drum tuning. Thanks, Ed!
Blair: Thanks very much!
Thank you! The best tutorial on TH-cam!
40 plus years as a player and tunner of drums, it's very important to note that die cast and flanged rims play a big role in the tunning aspect as well. Tunning drums with the entire kit is the only way to achieve good results. The resonance of the other drums needs to be considered when tuning individual drums.
Absolutely! Relative pitch can be an entire topic in itself. Size of shells, quality of wood, suspension mounts, room acoustics, type of music, etc. are all part of the art. This particular video is all about the individual head and drum tuned to itself. It's just a start. Thanks for the comment!
@@edhartman1 well done!
@@rarefiedhermetic792 Thanks very much. PS: I beat you by 10 years.
@@edhartman1 merry Christmas!
Excellent video man,you and I tune the same way👍
great👌🏻, thank you from munich!
Thanks Ed.
Great video. Spot on approach! Loving it!
You are obviously a seasoned veteran when it comes to drums! Impressive sir! Fantastic tutorial! I've never really been good at tuning drums or really gotten the concept or "technique" down. But after seeing this video, I have a feeling that this is going to change.
Thanks very much! It's a skill that needs practice, just like playing. Until I ran my drumshop, and had to tune drums (and put them together) I was afraid of touching them! Tuning was intimidating. Just keep doing it. You can always retune a drum. Good luck, and ask questions. Support your local drumshop (if there is one). They can be an amazing resource of information.
Good video. Thanks for sharing. I agree on all except snare. Also check out Bob Gatzen videos on drum tuning, especially snare drum (which definitely needs to be tuned to pitch and different pitch for each head).
Agreed. Snares are unique and have different characteristics. The concept of tuning each head to itself is the same IMO. There are many other ideas too like de-tuning one lug. My point is to tune enough so it becomes a skill and isn't to be feared. Thanks for the additional ideas!
Nice choice for tutorial! Love them Rogers!
Nice vid! As I’m not hitting the resonant head, I’ve never bothered stretching it. And be aware that if you are a hard hitter, the sound you get when playing will be higher in pitch because your hit is creating more tension. That will of course drop in pitch quickly, but it will be noticeable. For rock I tune the reso heads lower than the batter heads; for jazz, I tune the reso heads higher than the batters.
Thanks. Good ideas!
63 and could not agree with you more!
Great video Ed!
Thanks very much!
been using 2 keys since the 60's to tune these days I have added a drum dial for fine tuning
Greaaaaaat. Fast , Easy and very usefull.
Thank you )))
Glad it helped. Thanks very much!
@@edhartman1and same method for floor toms ? Because this method is really great
Yes. Drums are drums. They need to be tuned to themselves. Speed and repetition is the skill you want. That's really the point of two keys. The more you tune, the better you get at it! Good luck. @@Eduarddrum
@@edhartman1 thank you again. 🙏🏻
Been a drummer for over fourty years - the last eight minutes were among the most interesting!
Familie Werner Glad to help! Good luck on the next 40!
Way to go Ed! 🥰🥰🥰
Hey, nice tips. Thanks.
Thanks very much!
Great advice on how to tune drums.. this video is the genuine article
Thanks very much. I'm glad it is of help!
Excellent video. Congrats.
I like this technic thank you!
Easy Peasy Ed. Nice simple approach to tuning drums. I've viewed lots of YT vids about this topic. This one and the one by Rob Brown ( how to tune your toms) seem to be prolific. You should point out that much can reliant on which batter and reso heads are used. For my new ( purchased used at Guitar Center), pdp concept maple series kit, I replaced the stock pdp (Remo) clear batter heads for Evans G2 coated batters work best to achieve that Duuuu, Dooooo tom sound that I desire . I did need to apply 1 moongel which Gzff tape to the head to get there. The foor toms 12 x 14 and 16 x 14 [depth x width] are more of a challenge. The 2 key approach is great tip and timesaver. I'm a 69yo, current retiree forced by spinal arthritis conditions, who returned to this passion after a 50 Year Hiatus. I play for enjoyment to My Music for enjoyment. I Thank God for my wife who gifted me (xmas 2018) a starter kit - Gammon which I tweaked and tweaked to finally get to a acceptable sound. Then I saw this used 6 piece maple kit on line from pdp, and couldn't resist for $579.
Thanks very much. I'm glad you got something from the video. Good ideas on muffling. Keep playing!
excellent advice, great lesson and tips. thank you ever so much!
Amazing brother
Great video!
Thanks!
Nice technique. Thanks for the time.
very smart guy....nice video....nice approach
Mate you know your shit.
Great video & tutorial ...thank you from London 👍
Thanks! Glad you like it.
5:30 you answered my question on how to get that sound
Most awesome lesson..ty
LOVE YOUR VIDEO
Excellent system, great job.
Nice video! It seems to me that what you got by tuning both heads to similar pitch ( top head being half step lower) is overall pitch minor third higher from the bottom head but octave lower when you hear the tone through the shell.
Good ears! Any pitch is fine. I'm just interested in getting the drum head tuned to itself. Relative pitch from top to bottom, heads to shell resonance, drum to drum, is to the players taste. Mostly, it's about doing tuning enough to make it an actual skill, and not be afraid of it. Two keys seems to help. Thanks for the comment!
My drums have never sounded better using Rob browns method and it’s dead easy
I've been doing his method ever since he uploaded that video. Same with his snare tuning video. So easy and fast.
Good video
Perfect video.
Thanks very much!
I go by feel at first. Once I get it close all the way around the drum, I start to fine tune with tapping the edges. It will take some time to develop your ears and skills. If it doesn't work, detune and do it again. It's easier to tune than try to fix a tuning. Don't overthink it. Two keys get you started. Beyond that, it's all about your ears. Good luck and thanks for watching!@@tripledeluxedday
@@edhartman1 Yes. Sounds good. Thank You!
Great help, thanks. I really like your advice.. !! (p.s. respectfully. You did not test pich on your left hand side I noticed)
For the video, you are correct. I check that side a little. The idea of tuning symmetrically is that you really only need to tune 1/2 the drum. The other side should be in tune! That's the theory, anyway. In real life, I would check everything carefully. Good eye!
Love the 2-key thing - makes sense possibly as a way of seating the head on the bearing edge and seating the hoop evenly with the rim as well (hoops sometimes go out of ‘sync’ with head/hoop and they get uneven over time. So maybe this helps even seating … if that makes any sense at all…
Yes. You do want to get tension up a bit before seating it, though. In any event, 2 keys are a lot faster than one!
@@edhartman1 so it’s primarily for speed/efficiency? Makes sense.
If I really want to move things along, are use a black and decker drill with a drum key bit. One has to be very careful using that method but it’s incredibly fast, like a pitstop/auto racing methodology.
I did use a drill on occasion, at least to take the lugs off. You do have to be extremely careful going the wrong direction! The "pit-stop" analogy is right! With an electric screwdriver, you can buy a standard lug bit. I cut a few from keys. In fact, even without any bit, it does work to take out the lugs!
Amazing video great lesson !
Nicely done, thank you.
Excellent information..!
To use 2 keys I gotta buy like 10 lol good video
excellent information
My tuning video is really about even tension. There are players that de-tune for special qualities. The pitch range is controlled by diameter. My guess is muffling is your best way to battle bass cancellation. I prefer Remo muffls. Any symmetrically muffling system works. The front head may need muffling too - felt strip, powerstroke head, etc. I think too much resonance would be the biggest issue with a bass player. Just my opinion.
Loving your video, Ed! :)
Nice job.
Your explanation of tuning is excellent. One key factor your missing for contemporary toms is the mounting systems. Almost all mounting systems affect the tuning of the drum. In other words, you can tune it on a flat surface, the way you demonstrated in the video, and it could sound completely different once mounted on the kit. Maybe if you set the tom in a snare basket, you would be fine. But once tension is applied to the shell, hoop, or tension rods, the tuning could change, and possibly sound out of tune.
You are correct. In our store we sell suspension mounting systems. This video was just about even tension. Certainly to get full resonance it's great to suspend the shell. Even snare drum stands can deaden a drum, especially if the drum is tightly fit in the stand (basket type). Maybe it's time for an updated video! Thanks for the feedback.
If you have a Pearl ISS mount (on lower end Pearl drums like the Export/Vision series), tune the drum on a flat surface, then mount tom on the kit... wait until you hear the difference.
Matt Flacche p
Yess mounting system....lol
Especially
Thx ed great Advise .
Pay attention to the torque on your thumb as you tune. That is all that is needed. Go around the drum anyway you want. But always set the tension to the torque of your thumb. Experience will tell you what torque you want that to be.
Great idea! Thanks for sharing. In my experience, cleaning the lugs (WD40, etc.) helps avoid feeling friction from dirt, etc. The two key idea is all about speed, and not getting lost. Experience and practice is the real KEY!
Thanks ed, You da boss
Eveness yeah🥁🥁🇨🇦🇨🇦
No muffling systems Ed,wide open tuning,master that,you'll impress the shit out of me.
I understand what you mean. As someone who records drums regularly, I use muffling when the situation requires it. Jazz and classical music traditionally have open-sounding drums, and pop music tends to feature deeper deader sounds. Simple edge muffing rings have always been a good compromise that I've liked over the years. They get rid of the over-ring.
If in the end a drum is perfectly tuned to itself along with the pitch of the shell (assuming it is truly resonant, which is very rare), the air space inside, the pitch of the lower head, and the world is also at peace, then you may come up with something that is truly special, IMO. I'm afraid most folks may not like that kind of resonance, though. You do find those sounds from tablas to timpani. Those shapes of drums are more conducive to getting true pitch. As a kid, I always wanted a drumset that had a complete chromatic scale to play melodies on. There were attempts using tubular shells, like the Ludwig Octoplus and Tama octabons. At this point in my life, it's all good as long as you enjoy your music. Thanks for watching and commenting! (PS: I could talk an hour about calfskin heads!)
@@edhartman1 Yeah I get that,but I do both also and there's enough technology in studio or live to defeat any problems you might have, nice video though,I watch your stuff all the time
Thanks!
@edhartman1 Hey no problem, you're awesome
What do you think of Drumdials, Ed? I’ve always just used my ears and I often get compliments for my drum sound, but a Drumdial might help with serious precision tuning and speed up the process.
I would think drum techs on tour with bands use them efficiently. Because of my timpani training, I've always used my ears. If you are tuning drums mounted on a set, a dial might have problems, too. It's just another tool! Thanks for watching.
Hi Did you a tutorial about snare tuning
I use a mallet to tune my drums.I prefer open tones big and bold.
Whatever works! I learned timpani tuning so you have to be very quiet with your finger.
thanks
200K views! Thanks everyone.
I Dig the 10.80 P video qual. ;)
I don't remember what type camera I used for this one. It's awhile back. I started with 8mm film as a kid in the 60s and 70s! I still have LPs. I did reel to reel recording in high school. Hopefully, the content works for you!
check for pitch with a soft mallet, much easier to hear the fundamental pitch
Yes. I've used mallets, sticks, etc. My college training on timpani taught me to use my fingers (especially the "snap", pushing your middle finger forward) to test pitch quietly. If you want to hear the higher harmonics, though you need a harder mallet.
So are the harmonics always "higher" than the fundamental pitch?
Brian Lear yes. Harmonics are multiples of the fundamental. Some instruments have only odd harmonics. Its what makes the difference between a flute (more fundamental) and a string (many harmonics). Acoustics is the theory of the physics of sound. Check it out!
true pro
ED! What about the muddy low end BASS DRUM that screws up the sound for the bass player? I have actually played with drummers who have a big thick heavy low muddy sound to their bass drum that cancels out the bass guitar...Now which video addresses this problem? Many drummers have no idea about this. It has been a major concern of many a fine pro bass players!! What about getting a nice mid low tone? Your thoughts? Please do not tell me you have not heard of this being an issue before!
CPR that head!! haha
I tune by tension rod feel of each and the pitch I want. I don't tap the head just tune by even tension rod tightness. Do they all feel the same tension?
Any friction from oil, dirt, etc. can change the feel. For me, sound should always be the starting point. In the end, it depends on the drum and whether you really want perfectly even tension. Many don't. My point is to develop a skill that gives you options. Don't fear the drum. If the tuning doesn't work, do it again. Eventually, you will have a system that works for you. Good luck and thanks for watching!
also Tympanists AVOID tuning down.... as do Piano tuners.... there is too much of an opportunity for the vibrating body to "Settle" a little more while being played... Steinways are MUCH tougher to tune than almost ANY other piano because their tuning pins arent bushed or supported ( so the pin flexes slightly more ) and because of the additional pressure points between the capo bar and the tuning pin.... every portion of the string needs to be equalized ....and if they portions ARENT equalized then as the string are "banged" the string WILL even out... and will likely change pitch...... the same would be true with a drum head balancing out across and around the bearing edge... so for tuning stability,,, when possible tune "up" to your target,,, even if you need to drop down below the pitch and then come back up to it... I was both a percussionist, a piano tuner a drummer and a mediocre guitarist. so I know what an unstable tuning sounds like..... I was a repeat offender
Agreed! I had a piano tuner girlfriend. Also, I do play timpani and am always tuning up. I spent 5 hours trying to tune an out of round piccolo timpani in college (It was a rite-of-passage). Never got it, but it taught me more about tuning than anything else! I also played on calf-heads at the time and they were impossible to keep in tune. You had to show up an hour ahead of a rehearsal or concert to get the drum down. As soon as people entered the room you would lose the low notes. What a sound, though!
I think the more I tuned my drums the less structure I implemented I havent actually checked the pitch of an individual lug in years. I just hear the pitch and depth I want and the tonal difference between one drum and another and when it all sounds good I'm done
The closest I get to pitch is the NBC chime. Low, High, Middle tom. It puts a 4th between the low and middle and a third between the high and middle. For most sets, it seems to work, or at least become a starting point.
Ed Hartman guitar tones are a good concept. I hear what a guitar sounds like in my head and the step seems pretty similar. Tommy Igoe explained the relationship between top and bottom head and how that controls the depth and pitch anymore I find that with a good set of drums and a good set of heads they get easier to tune and almost always tune themselves
cool