Jared, I am a teacher and on call drummer who has been teaching and playing for 49 years, in all styles. I've watched many videos and used quite a few with students. I can say with gusto that I echo so many of the comments here. Your videos and teaching are unpretentious, substantive, insightful, and thoughtful. You anticipate the common questions that developing drummers have, and answer them clearly, honestly, and humbly. I wish that I had been able to access your teaching when I started (but there wasn't even an internet then); it would have saved me a buttload of time. However, if we stop learning, we die, and I can say that I learn at least one thing every time I watch one of your videos. Your best quality, although you are obviously accomplished technically, is that you have a passion to help others make progress and therefore a passion for teaching. I share that passion, and so appreciate it in one who does it so well. Thanks for the effort it takes to do what you do and do it with excellence and love for the art of drumming and for those who learn from you. Keep it up, and may your tribe increase!
Jared, you deserve a medal of some sort. I know people that would tell me to f*ck off if i asked them for help with anything about drumming, whether it's tuning or tips to improve my skill, yet you share them so willingly. Your kindness and generosity exceeds that of most people I've seen. Great job.
I used to waych this guy all the time when i was a kid he was basically my free drum teacher. Finally out the army and bought a beginner drumset and gonna build my own kit again :). Getting nostalgia watching this guy. Thanks jared for helping kids like me for free. U made me a better drummer
Thank you ! I'm french and even if I don't speak english very well, I've understood everything. Erverything is clear and precise so I'm just happy ! Thanks again
Just a suggestion, but when you make these videos, you should show how the drum sounds with no microphone. Let everyone here exactly what they'll actually be hearing.
Beautiful drums and excellent vids. I like your "old school" tuning techniques and contemporary productions. I think you are thorough,teach without being condescending and are one of the best instructors, online. Props to Victor. THANKS!
This guy is funny without even knowing it! The reason this guy makes good videos is because he hasn't got the stereotypical "my method is all that matters" ego like most of jumped up little pricks in the comments. 😏
As both drummer for 32 years, and drum tech for 18 of those 32 yrs, i think it's all subjective.. For example , i would personally never put a pillow or any other type of internal dampening with the type of Evans batter head he's using here. Way too much dampening for my taste, but like i said before, it's all subjective. It all depends on the music you play, the beater type, putting a port hole or not, wanting a wide open sound with no muffling (like Keith Carlock) or wanting a studio, pre EQ-ed muffled kick sound, (like Jared's) is all subjective, but all work just the same..There is no "best way" to tune a bass drum. However, for an all around "standard" kick sound, a drum head like an Evans EQ4 or Remo P3 on the batter side, and the equivalent or thinner version equivalent on the resonant side with a port hole for miking purposes for both in studio and live, is the ideal standard, all purpose kick sound that works well in most genres of music and musical situations. This is what Jared is trying to show everyone here with this demonstration, and did a great job of doing so...
drum itfy Yes. It is a very pre-EQ'ed sound which seems to be the standard in the industry these days, and of the last 4 decades or so. I will do the same on occasion, or whenever it's required for the musical situation i'm in at that time..
+Rhythmista So as a tech, you would understand the cross tuning method. I'v seen many videos these days where they tune and tension in a clockwise sequence. I was taught very early to avoid tuning clockwise because it can damage your shells (over time) and tune inaccurately. He's tuning in a clockwise pattern so I was curious on your thoughts.
elmercorn Tuning a drum can get tricky at times, and is mostly subjective.. I use my own personal method having observed both drum techs and drummers, and ended up with my own distinct tuning method.. Even as a tech you're never too experienced to learn a more efficient method of tuning a drum. When i said that i go counter clockwise, i mean direction, consistently going that way but tensioning each lug at every opposite side, NOT every following lug , so i'm actually going top lug/bottom lug, second lug clockwise, opposite bottom lug, and so on.. Also, when i do this, i flip the drum over and repeat the same thing at the same time, following it's top lug counterpart (hope that makes sense to you ;)) This gives a totally even tension all throughout the drum, and then when both sides are evenly tuned, i crank the bottom head with a few half turns to have the bottom slightly tighter than the top head, which is the standard method. Once that's done, i place the drum flat on a hard, or soft muffled surface (this helps in cutting out any unwanted sound and you can clearly hear the overtones of the drum) then proceed to fine tune any lugs that are higher or lower in pitch to and even tuning all around the drum.. Great results.. Hope this helps ;)
you are so right it's really all about taste. I use the basic Remo powerstroke 3 batter head with the slam patch combined with a pillow inside. depending on the space I'm playing I will either place the pillow against the batter head the resonate or in between to get the right sound. the most important thing is even tension on all your lugs. every bass drum is unique so tune to your own style
Jared, Thank You so much for this video. I went out and bought all Evans drum heads and Resonant heads as well and followed your video in replacing them on a cheapo drum kit that my church has. These things sound awesome! Unbelievably punchy, clean, and beautiful. Amazing! I can hardly wait for the elderly gent who plays them more than I do at church to play this kit with the new Evans heads. He was putting on folded paper towels and taping on to the old heads and sounding terrible. Many thanks again.
Nice to see how someone else does it. Being set up in a tighter home (bedroom) space I'm in the habit, when replacing the beater head, of tuning my resonant head, the placing any sound dampening pillows in the drum then tuning my beater head into my resonant head. It's a space constraint motivated methodology.
Great advice once again from Drumeo. Agree that modern high quality drums and drum heads make it so much easier. I have a DW 24" kick with Evans heads and eq pads inside the drum. The whack off it is extremely satisfying! And I do exactly what you do, batter head loose, reso head slightly tighter and.......whhhoooommpp! Yeah Baby!!!
One simple trick I use for functionality is rotating the front head to relocate the hole. If a studio or stage situation requires locating a mic deep in the drum, short mic stands are a must if the hole is midway or lower. Sometimes the only thing available is a standard height boom intended to just mic the front of the hole. However, because of stage bleed or tonal desires of the engineer or producer, an interior mic position is required. A standard boom can swoop down from that waist-high elbow into the center of the drum chamber ONLY if the hole is in a high “corner” of the resonant head. So I often put the hole near a lug that is close to 1 o’clock for such access, ahead of time, rather than detuning-rotating-retuning during a hectic and noisy set up.
+Jay Z Coated has a slightly warmer sound and less attack, clear is sharper and has more ;bite;. That's my experience with the single headed models. Never tried the twin headed ones; thought they might be a bit overkill!
Thank you so much for the tuning tutorials. I'm a keyboardist who got my 13 yr old son a drum kit..had no idea how to make it sound good until I watched these vids. You're awesome. Thanks again.
@RogueKovu I would experiment with different beaters. Try plastic or wood. Then go with a clear head as you'll get more attack. That's all I can think of right now.
Great tutorial Jared! Thanks for sharing your tuning techniques! I've been trying to get a rich "thump" sound from my bass drum. Now I have some new tuning "tools" to try thanks to you!
What do you do with your old heads? would you consider donating them? I have a church and work off a very small budget, your used heads still look good and still have a lot of life left.
@Gigadrane I am not an expert on this sort of stuff, but in the new year (if the world doesn't end in 2012), I'll be filming a series of videos on the different woods for drums and the sound differences. Stay subbed and you'll get it!
The Batter head is the head that is on the top meaning the head that you hit with the stick. "Reso" is short for "Resonant" meaning the head that makes the drum resonate. If you're looking for a great company for heads go with Evans. Any head from Evans is amazing.
@kelsomc10 Yes, this has been on my list for awhile, I just haven't gotten around to it. In my Bass Drum Secrets product (search Bass Drum Secrets for more info) I talk more in-depth about that, but I should get something up on here ass-well.
Jared,I very much appreciate your humility in sharing this excellent and unpretentious presentation...Obviously,what is considered proper tuning and damping of heads around the kit,is subjective ..Some here however,may have missed the reason for your post,which is simply a response to multiple,positive inquiries concerning the specific method used in creating your personalized sound...I'm 64 now but began learning drums at the age of 12 and I'm still learning....
Hi Jared Try the following times: Take a 22x20 kick, an Aquarian Super Kick 2 and a resohead coated without a hole. Then both heads are tuned exactly the same like so: Handthight the rods and then just look that there are no folds are. Thats it. Sorry for my bad english
i just think there's too much dampening for that kick. there's already a dampening ring on the head and with three more things touching the heads just defeats the purpose of trying to find an actual tone of the drum itself.
No that would cause warping in a lesser kit. as the other guy said he's got the right idea. Chk out Bonzolium Drum YT Chn. This dude is a mad player that has lots of drums & is very good & funny he did a great drum head changing tuning video that is worth watching showing why you turn in a pattern that hold the head straight down like a car wheel when you have a flat you don't go in a circle its a criss cross pattern or you wheel won't seat flush on the wheel mount = loss of wheel & wreck. 8 lug do a Star pattern 12 lug do a Square pattern oh & seat the Heads too. That's common sense also Bozolium chn he shows te wrinkles where you can see the head being in a bind by sight as well tuning in a circle pattern is going to bind the heads & they won't last as long i.e. hold their tone. = less life more $$$. Same w.Gtr Strings you gotta stretch them seat them don't twist the strings use the right amount of wraps all determines the life & tone of the strings Bass strings are expensive. He can afford to change heads but many can't so unless you have lots of cash or endorsed by a head co. It would serve you to tune the optimum way. The end result is the same maybe like 9i said a lesser kit w/cheap die cast pot metal rings they will warp.
I wanted to mess with my bass drum and decided to tune mine like yours, I have a new EMAD 2 over an old PS3 with 2 port holes I tuned mine as close as I could to yours and I love the sound I really get a lot of attack and punch I've always been a fan of higher tuned kicks and am use to the feel so I'll probably bring up the tension on the batter head! Thanks a lot Jared!
My tuning: 1.) Stuff bass drum with pillow 2.) Finger tighten batter head 3.) Adjust reso head if needed 4.) Play!!! *Depending upon how I want the sound, I may do half or a full turn up on the batter head. The reso head is usually tight for a rock bass drum reso. Don't crank it up, but just enough.
I do enjoy these videos by Mr. Drumeo. Good job. However, in this case I would have to say that in the end you have emasculated your bass drum and it sounds shitty compared to what it would sound like without all the muffling. Of course, don't get me wrong, 99 percent of drummers will be just fine with what you have here. I'm talking about a bass drum sound with a solid punch with all the tones in play. No mufflers whatsoever. Ironically I learned to play completely muffle free drums in college jazz bands. Let them be free. Liberate your drums from the Evil Muffler Empire. You obviously will have some overtones, and many of those can be handled with the way you tune your resonant heads. But mic your drums, such as with an Audix D6, and go through the board. If they must, the sound guy will "muffle" you ... but at least the sonic punch of bass drum will land a body blow to your audience.
@DustinShaneYounce The hole in the Reso head just helps push out more sound. No hole = more resonance, With hole = more punch, more sound. Personally, I recommend getting a resonant head with the hole in it, but if your like me and don't always have the $ to go out and get new equipment when you want it, things like getting a hole in the resonant head is easily fixable. I wanted one, didn't have the $, so I used an exacto knife, and just cut it out as neatly as humanly possible. It sounds great.
If you don't have a budget to replace old (but non-damaged) heads, can you remove them, clean the drums and install the old heads and re-tension them? Does this cause problems in the long run? Any feedback would be great!
As long as the head isnt damaged at all, it shouldnt matter. Just make sure there is nothing on the head or the bearing edge (dust, gunk, etc) and make sure the head is sitting in the exact same place it was before
@RogueKovu you can get kick pads for your batter head that have metal plates that click together when you play that will achieve the sound your looking for
imo the evans bass drum pad is the greatest thing ever invented for drums... you will never break the skin with one of those on seriously they work so well
Thanks Jared. Very helpful as I have a Pearl kit from the early 60's and my kick now sounds just great. The EQ Pad really made the difference as before I only had a pillow and sheet and my sound guy at church would always have to take extra time to get the sound out of it he wanted.
Know what type of heads you need first. Type and ply. To style of music you play. Every drum sounds different with a different head used. And inspect new heads when buying closely. Any defects or exposed glue. Remo heads seem to use more glue. I like Aquarian heads for my snare and Evans for my toms. Each makes many types. They seem to be better made heads, less glue. Durable. Usually amuse thinner mill heads on resonate, bottom side and thicker mill heads for batter side. Looser head on bottom resonates more. I usually tighten bottom head more than top head, but this can vary for what sound you like or need. And you tune drums to music you play. And never over tighten a lug or two! You want even tension around drum she'll. Be sure sound edges on shells are clean and even; in good shape. Tighten lugs 1/4 turns in star pattern, not sequentially around the drum. Tunes up better and heads will last. Drum will have more even sound. Proper heads can make a cheap drum sound much better. If you have cheap, ringing shells, try oil filled heads to warm up the sound. I have bought heads in my past and came home, put them on, and sounded terrible. It's hard to tell which heads you like without experimentation sometimes. Then what? You start all over again, and have to try and buy brand new heads again. Not cheap or happy experience. And every drummer prefers their own sound. Just why I went to Aquarian and Evans heads. Like them best. Evans on my toms. Aquarian on my snare. But it's up to you. Been thru this for over 50 years playing drums.
E-Mad are fantastic heads, only problem with them is the plastic retaining rings for the foam damper don't last 5 minutes before they split, possibly because the plastic is too brittle to withstand the constant vibration of the kick being struck. Man, they have sharp edges!!
This is why i just get an EQ4 and have it slightly looser than the reso head.. I'm sure you're not the only one who's had this issue, and hopefully Evans will address this typical problem drummers have with the Emad.. A good idea would be to have some type of snap-on- snap-off method with their dampening rings, kind of like what Remo has with their Powersonic..
If you are using Evans for resonant heads then you should definitely go for a G1. It is much more common to use a clear G1 but a coated would work for some Jazz sounds and a Bonham sound. As for the importance of resonant heads, well they are hugely important in the overall sounds and tones you can achieve. You should replace them periodically, maybe every second time you replace batter heads. Resonant heads create the note when the drum is struck. Batter heads are tuned for feel.
Awesome video! When tuning my BD and bigger toms I also push down on the center (like seating, but not hard) to see if there are any ripples, then tighten accordingly. Apart from that, I tune mine in the exact same way.
you got the evans emad ring along with the evans pillow then two sheets of blackets inside. in my humble opinion the kick drum is super muted taking away the craftmanship of DW and wood with all that muffling... emad with evan pillow and a kick port and your good to go... thats what i use
Bad Ass video partner! I got so much out of this and to be honest I thought you were full of it till I got mid way, I felt like the Karate Kid finally getting what you were showing. Bravo!!
I bought a drum key that fits in my electric drill and now changing heads is a breeze. I always torque them properly with my torque key for the actual tuning. Saves a lot of time and tedium!
They are actually really nice for the price,you get 5 toms,1 snare and 1 bassdrum all in maple.And the toms have suspension tom mount systems, which means that nothing penentrates the shell itself.And all the drums are laquered not wrapped with plastic. I have only played on the drums with the fabric skins on them, and they actually sounds pretty good. But the sound increase ALOT when you use Remo or evans skins. I really recomend the x7. They have alot of expensive feautures but they're cheap.
Emad… I used them since they came out.. Now I'm tired of them so I use the EQ1 and the next's gonna be the G1 or Ambassador. Guess I just needed a change. Thank you for the videoI was actually surprised you use so much muffling inside the bass drum. I never used any muffling with Emads but now there's a pillow in my bass drum since I use EQ1- love it! Ciao
Guys The Point is to put the front head in a low tight . and give it a more muffle with a pillow or a cloth .that way i got the right sound!!! Thanku jared !!
Used this method with a Pearl VBX bass drum, with a Aquarian Super Kick II, and a Aquarian resonator head. Inside i have one sheet against the batter, and a sheet of a matress pad with ripples, cut and conformed to the bass head. Its never sounded better!
this guy helps me out a lot i love the way he tunes his cause i tune mine the same way and my set sounds amazing still learning but this channel and how cast is helping learn it step by step i would say im decent for a beginner
You can eliminate the ripples if you alternate tightening the tension rods instead of tightening them in a clock-wise or counter clock-wise motion like your showing. Since you have a 12 lug you would tighten lugs 1/7,2/8,3/9,4/10,5/11,6/12. No more ripples
What I do is tune up the head to where it's a little tighter than finger tight and then jump on it but only on the batter side to really stretch it out and then if you really want a good sound what I do is let it age it'll sound bad for a long time but tighten both sides a little higher than normal and let them sit for like a year and then tune down batter and reso to where it's a little more than finger tight and you get a nice deep boom
with my toms and my snare its pretty obvious when its time to change them out, but im not sure when i should change out my bass head. BTW i also use the emad head and I love the dampening rings you can change out. but I dont really like that flat thud from all the blankets and such. also i like my batter head tight so i can get a little bit of bounce out of it.
@dgarreis The best technique I've found is to insert your hand underneath the drum, and let the spurs drop down. This will get the drum off of the ground just enough. The good thing is that it also gives the drum a better feel, as the beater is closer to the head.
i like evans but what i use is remo single ply for my batter then get some weatherstripping and put it on the inside. my resonant side i have a ebony pinstripe with the stripping too. sounds just like the emad
Dude! Thank you SOOOO much for all your awesome tuning and drum lesson videos! This has really helped me out with achieving the drum sound that I want. Thanks again and ROCK ONnnnnn!
@RogueKovu Yeah i use vater wood beaters with a remo powerstroke, and an even retro screen on the front, and you get eveything you need. but if you want t more thump i would go with a regular old bleck reso head, i just started using kickports too, look them up, it lowers the frequency of the reso bringing out those sub frequencies drummers are starting more and more to get after.
Just a quick question about drum head choice, i know you recommend Evans heads, but regardless of brand, I'd like to know what you recommend for a metal drummer, what thickness, style etc
@RogueKovu Tune it so that it has a nice thump, then buy the Danmar PDKP Patch for your bass drum. It has a sheet of metal on the inside to give you that clicky sound
i’m 14 years old playing in a garage band type thing, we all are young teens scrounging for money for all the expensive equipment for the band and i just hated the sound of my bass drum and it sounds a lot better now regardless it’s a cheap drum with bad heads. Thanks!
Jared, I am a teacher and on call drummer who has been teaching and playing for 49 years, in all styles. I've watched many videos and used quite a few with students. I can say with gusto that I echo so many of the comments here. Your videos and teaching are unpretentious, substantive, insightful, and thoughtful. You anticipate the common questions that developing drummers have, and answer them clearly, honestly, and humbly. I wish that I had been able to access your teaching when I started (but there wasn't even an internet then); it would have saved me a buttload of time. However, if we stop learning, we die, and I can say that I learn at least one thing every time I watch one of your videos. Your best quality, although you are obviously accomplished technically, is that you have a passion to help others make progress and therefore a passion for teaching. I share that passion, and so appreciate it in one who does it so well. Thanks for the effort it takes to do what you do and do it with excellence and love for the art of drumming and for those who learn from you. Keep it up, and may your tribe increase!
I dont play studio or anything. Just in my bedroom. But i have a port hole for the mic in my base drum and my cat sleeps inside my bass lol
I did recently switch it out.
BlizzardHockey4432
hahaha ! my cat LOVES sleeping in my drums x)
BlizzardHockey4432
ever accidentally start playing your drums while your cat is taking a nap inside? xD
Jared, you deserve a medal of some sort. I know people that would tell me to f*ck off if i asked them for help with anything about drumming, whether it's tuning or tips to improve my skill, yet you share them so willingly. Your kindness and generosity exceeds that of most people I've seen. Great job.
dude , even if you just show how you tune it, you are showing the technique on how to tune a drum in general. so thanks it really helped me.
I used to waych this guy all the time when i was a kid he was basically my free drum teacher. Finally out the army and bought a beginner drumset and gonna build my own kit again :). Getting nostalgia watching this guy. Thanks jared for helping kids like me for free. U made me a better drummer
man i've tuned all my drums with your videos, i respect the patience you have with all these haters out in the internet!
Thank you ! I'm french and even if I don't speak english very well, I've understood everything. Erverything is clear and precise so I'm just happy ! Thanks again
Just a suggestion, but when you make these videos, you should show how the drum sounds with no microphone. Let everyone here exactly what they'll actually be hearing.
+Jacob Elsea They actually have a video demoing all of Evans kick drum heads with close and room micing..
Do you have any special recommendations for tuning silent stroke heads on the bass drum?
But is the cameras microphone even what you'd hear if you were in the room?
Larry Tate depends on the camera mics frequency response
Jacob Elsea just a suggestion, you should shut your fucking mouth.
Beautiful drums and excellent vids. I like your "old school" tuning techniques and contemporary productions. I think you are thorough,teach without being condescending and are one of the best instructors, online. Props to Victor. THANKS!
This guy is funny without even knowing it! The reason this guy makes good videos is because he hasn't got the stereotypical "my method is all that matters" ego like most of jumped up little pricks in the comments. 😏
lol like you?
Fantastic video. I used it for putting heads on a brand new bass drum, and the actual tuning took maybe a minute on each side and sounds great!
As both drummer for 32 years, and drum tech for 18 of those 32 yrs, i think it's all subjective.. For example , i would personally never put a pillow or any other type of internal dampening with the type of Evans batter head he's using here. Way too much dampening for my taste, but like i said before, it's all subjective. It all depends on the music you play, the beater type, putting a port hole or not, wanting a wide open sound with no muffling (like Keith Carlock) or wanting a studio, pre EQ-ed muffled kick sound, (like Jared's) is all subjective, but all work just the same..There is no "best way" to tune a bass drum. However, for an all around "standard" kick sound, a drum head like an Evans EQ4 or Remo P3 on the batter side, and the equivalent or thinner version equivalent on the resonant side with a port hole for miking purposes for both in studio and live, is the ideal standard, all purpose kick sound that works well in most genres of music and musical situations. This is what Jared is trying to show everyone here with this demonstration, and did a great job of doing so...
+Rhythmista Yes,I imagine Jared always plays in a miked up situation; but I still couldn't believe how much stuff he had in his bass drum!
drum itfy Yes. It is a very pre-EQ'ed sound which seems to be the standard in the industry these days, and of the last 4 decades or so. I will do the same on occasion, or whenever it's required for the musical situation i'm in at that time..
+Rhythmista So as a tech, you would understand the cross tuning method. I'v seen many videos these days where they tune and tension in a clockwise sequence. I was taught very early to avoid tuning clockwise because it can damage your shells (over time) and tune inaccurately. He's tuning in a clockwise pattern so I was curious on your thoughts.
elmercorn Tuning a drum can get tricky at times, and is mostly subjective.. I use my own personal method having observed both drum techs and drummers, and ended up with my own distinct tuning method.. Even as a tech you're never too experienced to learn a more efficient method of tuning a drum.
When i said that i go counter clockwise, i mean direction, consistently going that way but tensioning each lug at every opposite side, NOT every following lug , so i'm actually going top lug/bottom lug, second lug clockwise, opposite bottom lug, and so on.. Also, when i do this, i flip the drum over and repeat the same thing at the same time, following it's top lug counterpart (hope that makes sense to you ;)) This gives a totally even tension all throughout the drum, and then when both sides are evenly tuned, i crank the bottom head with a few half turns to have the bottom slightly tighter than the top head, which is the standard method. Once that's done, i place the drum flat on a hard, or soft muffled surface (this helps in cutting out any unwanted sound and you can clearly hear the overtones of the drum) then proceed to fine tune any lugs that are higher or lower in pitch to and even tuning all around the drum.. Great results.. Hope this helps ;)
Lol douche bag
you are so right it's really all about taste. I use the basic Remo powerstroke 3 batter head with the slam patch combined with a pillow inside. depending on the space I'm playing I will either place the pillow against the batter head the resonate or in between to get the right sound. the most important thing is even tension on all your lugs. every bass drum is unique so tune to your own style
After using your tuning way, my church bass drum sound much more better! Thanks a lot!
Jared, Thank You so much for this video. I went out and bought all Evans drum heads and Resonant heads as well and followed your video in replacing them on a cheapo drum kit that my church has. These things sound awesome! Unbelievably punchy, clean, and beautiful. Amazing! I can hardly wait for the elderly gent who plays them more than I do at church to play this kit with the new Evans heads. He was putting on folded paper towels and taping on to the old heads and sounding terrible. Many thanks again.
@UHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH7 I would put it on a similar spot to where mine is. That is the industry standard.
Nice to see how someone else does it. Being set up in a tighter home (bedroom) space I'm in the habit, when replacing the beater head, of tuning my resonant head, the placing any sound dampening pillows in the drum then tuning my beater head into my resonant head. It's a space constraint motivated methodology.
Great lesson. Thank you for supporting our global drumming community.
Great advice once again from Drumeo. Agree that modern high quality drums and drum heads make it so much easier. I have a DW 24" kick with Evans heads and eq pads inside the drum. The whack off it is extremely satisfying! And I do exactly what you do, batter head loose, reso head slightly tighter and.......whhhoooommpp! Yeah Baby!!!
Thank you so much for posting these videos. They've helped me a ton.
One simple trick I use for functionality is rotating the front head to relocate the hole. If a studio or stage situation requires locating a mic deep in the drum, short mic stands are a must if the hole is midway or lower. Sometimes the only thing available is a standard height boom intended to just mic the front of the hole. However, because of stage bleed or tonal desires of the engineer or producer, an interior mic position is required. A standard boom can swoop down from that waist-high elbow into the center of the drum chamber ONLY if the hole is in a high “corner” of the resonant head. So I often put the hole near a lug that is close to 1 o’clock for such access, ahead of time, rather than detuning-rotating-retuning during a hectic and noisy set up.
I like turtles too
Me to
Same
I think your way is the best way for a bass drum. I have always tuned mine the same as you. I've been playing for 10 years
evans heads are great for toms and snares but nothing beats the sound of the aquarian superkick for bass drums.
he has a deal w/ evans if you didn't know
One more for superkick. it's the bass you can feel in your butt
+Julian Boyd I would like to second this motion
+Julian Boyd looks like ima have to this try out, coated or clear?
+Jay Z Coated has a slightly warmer sound and less attack, clear is sharper and has more ;bite;. That's my experience with the single headed models. Never tried the twin headed ones; thought they might be a bit overkill!
Thank you so much for the tuning tutorials. I'm a keyboardist who got my 13 yr old son a drum kit..had no idea how to make it sound good until I watched these vids. You're awesome. Thanks again.
I never knew napoleon dynamite was so so good at tuning drums. Nice sound
@RogueKovu I would experiment with different beaters. Try plastic or wood. Then go with a clear head as you'll get more attack. That's all I can think of right now.
Great tutorial Jared! Thanks for sharing your tuning techniques! I've been trying to get a rich "thump" sound from my bass drum. Now I have some new tuning "tools" to try thanks to you!
Thank you a thousand times.. I've been watching your videos for hours.. What you are offering here is priceless..
What do you do with your old heads? would you consider donating them? I have a church and work off a very small budget, your used heads still look good and still have a lot of life left.
@Gigadrane I am not an expert on this sort of stuff, but in the new year (if the world doesn't end in 2012), I'll be filming a series of videos on the different woods for drums and the sound differences. Stay subbed and you'll get it!
"Sound-guys are gonna love you" Haha yeh that´s the dream! great tips though!
The Batter head is the head that is on the top meaning the head that you hit with the stick. "Reso" is short for "Resonant" meaning the head that makes the drum resonate. If you're looking for a great company for heads go with Evans. Any head from Evans is amazing.
That's the best shirt ever! How you always have the best shirts, Jared.
@kelsomc10 Yes, this has been on my list for awhile, I just haven't gotten around to it. In my Bass Drum Secrets product (search Bass Drum Secrets for more info) I talk more in-depth about that, but I should get something up on here ass-well.
Thank you, Jared Falk !!! :)
Jared,I very much appreciate your humility in sharing this excellent and unpretentious presentation...Obviously,what is considered proper tuning and damping of heads around the kit,is subjective ..Some here however,may have missed the reason for your post,which is simply a response to multiple,positive inquiries concerning the specific method used in creating your personalized sound...I'm 64 now but began learning drums at the age of 12 and I'm still learning....
"First thing you'll notice is that i'm using an Evans EMAD drum head." No. The first thing I noticed is that your bass drum costs like 1500$... Damn.
My whole kit was $ 500.00
So damn expensive!!!!!!!!
I've seen floor toms on their own go for over £600. That's fucking madness
@acab1922 It's coming here! It's already up at our other channel @drumlessonscom
Sounds PERFECT ...............
Sheet info please. Thread count ? Twin or Full ?
Hi Jared
Try the following times: Take a 22x20 kick, an Aquarian Super Kick 2 and a resohead coated without a hole. Then both heads are tuned exactly the same like so: Handthight the rods and then just look that there are no folds are. Thats it. Sorry for my bad english
i just think there's too much dampening for that kick. there's already a dampening ring on the head and with three more things touching the heads just defeats the purpose of trying to find an actual tone of the drum itself.
BOI
Lol douche bag
Jared, Love you and your team, and what you are doing for us !
Lots of gratefulness from... Romania :D
Don't understand why you tune in a circular fashion. I tune by opposite lugs. But whatever works for you, man!
Most likely to keep the rim from warping.
No that would cause warping in a lesser kit. as the other guy said he's got the right idea. Chk out Bonzolium Drum YT Chn. This dude is a mad player that has lots of drums & is very good & funny he did a great drum head changing tuning video that is worth watching showing why you turn in a pattern that hold the head straight down like a car wheel when you have a flat you don't go in a circle its a criss cross pattern or you wheel won't seat flush on the wheel mount = loss of wheel & wreck. 8 lug do a Star pattern 12 lug do a Square pattern oh & seat the Heads too. That's common sense also Bozolium chn he shows te wrinkles where you can see the head being in a bind by sight as well tuning in a circle pattern is going to bind the heads & they won't last as long i.e. hold their tone. = less life more $$$. Same w.Gtr Strings you gotta stretch them seat them don't twist the strings use the right amount of wraps all determines the life & tone of the strings Bass strings are expensive. He can afford to change heads but many can't so unless you have lots of cash or endorsed by a head co. It would serve you to tune the optimum way. The end result is the same maybe like 9i said a lesser kit w/cheap die cast pot metal rings they will warp.
Watchman4u I didn't know that, thanks dude.
Kbuzby19 I thought tuning in a cross pattern was supposed to prevent warping.
Josh Wheatstone it does.
I wanted to mess with my bass drum and decided to tune mine like yours, I have a new EMAD 2 over an old PS3 with 2 port holes I tuned mine as close as I could to yours and I love the sound I really get a lot of attack and punch I've always been a fan of higher tuned kicks and am use to the feel so I'll probably bring up the tension on the batter head! Thanks a lot Jared!
Does anyone think this guy looks like a combination of Nick Swardson (comedian) and Tre Cool (Drummer from Greenday)?
Thank you! Absolute beginner here, and I've been f&(%ing with my pedal for days. Much help!
it seems he likes turtles.
I think he was bullied at school
Ozzy Osbourne why?
My tuning:
1.) Stuff bass drum with pillow
2.) Finger tighten batter head
3.) Adjust reso head if needed
4.) Play!!!
*Depending upon how I want the sound, I may do half or a full turn up on the batter head. The reso head is usually tight for a rock bass drum reso. Don't crank it up, but just enough.
I do enjoy these videos by Mr. Drumeo. Good job. However, in this case I would have to say that in the end you have emasculated your bass drum and it sounds shitty compared to what it would sound like without all the muffling. Of course, don't get me wrong, 99 percent of drummers will be just fine with what you have here. I'm talking about a bass drum sound with a solid punch with all the tones in play. No mufflers whatsoever. Ironically I learned to play completely muffle free drums in college jazz bands. Let them be free. Liberate your drums from the Evil Muffler Empire. You obviously will have some overtones, and many of those can be handled with the way you tune your resonant heads. But mic your drums, such as with an Audix D6, and go through the board. If they must, the sound guy will "muffle" you ... but at least the sonic punch of bass drum will land a body blow to your audience.
shut up, douche
You first.
+Adam S ...What?
corey wicks nobody wants to play college jazz tbh
Thank you Jared! You are a gentleman and a true professional 🤘🏻
wow, this realy helped me! i've done so various things to get a great sound for my bassdrum, but i think this is the best!
or "Get a .50 cal bullet past TSA on a domestic flight..."
@DustinShaneYounce The hole in the Reso head just helps push out more sound. No hole = more resonance, With hole = more punch, more sound. Personally, I recommend getting a resonant head with the hole in it, but if your like me and don't always have the $ to go out and get new equipment when you want it, things like getting a hole in the resonant head is easily fixable. I wanted one, didn't have the $, so I used an exacto knife, and just cut it out as neatly as humanly possible. It sounds great.
If you don't have a budget to replace old (but non-damaged) heads, can you remove them, clean the drums and install the old heads and re-tension them? Does this cause problems in the long run? Any feedback would be great!
As long as the head isnt damaged at all, it shouldnt matter. Just make sure there is nothing on the head or the bearing edge (dust, gunk, etc) and make sure the head is sitting in the exact same place it was before
I have a double bass 18 piece yamaha and I did everything you said to do and it sounded really really good thanks for the information
its all about the sound. method is different for everyone. I dont use filler but its up to your ear. good job achieving your sound.
@KatiexKIRA Search "how to choose a drum set on our channel here. We have a 60 minute video out talking about that :)
@RogueKovu you can get kick pads for your batter head that have metal plates that click together when you play
that will achieve the sound your looking for
imo the evans bass drum pad is the greatest thing ever invented for drums... you will never break the skin with one of those on seriously they work so well
Evans Emad 2 is a great head. I find it really easy to tune and you get a great punch from it, even my 18" sounds killer.
Would love a video on how to choose the right 1st drum set, or right drums for a beginner! thanks!
Thanks Jared. Very helpful as I have a Pearl kit from the early 60's and my kick now sounds just great. The EQ Pad really made the difference as before I only had a pillow and sheet and my sound guy at church would always have to take extra time to get the sound out of it he wanted.
Know what type of heads you need first. Type and ply. To style of music you play. Every drum sounds different with a different head used. And inspect new heads when buying closely. Any defects or exposed glue. Remo heads seem to use more glue. I like Aquarian heads for my snare and Evans for my toms. Each makes many types. They seem to be better made heads, less glue. Durable. Usually amuse thinner mill heads on resonate, bottom side and thicker mill heads for batter side. Looser head on bottom resonates more. I usually tighten bottom head more than top head, but this can vary for what sound you like or need. And you tune drums to music you play. And never over tighten a lug or two! You want even tension around drum she'll. Be sure sound edges on shells are clean and even; in good shape. Tighten lugs 1/4 turns in star pattern, not sequentially around the drum. Tunes up better and heads will last. Drum will have more even sound. Proper heads can make a cheap drum sound much better. If you have cheap, ringing shells, try oil filled heads to warm up the sound. I have bought heads in my past and came home, put them on, and sounded terrible. It's hard to tell which heads you like without experimentation sometimes. Then what? You start all over again, and have to try and buy brand new heads again. Not cheap or happy experience. And every drummer prefers their own sound. Just why I went to Aquarian and Evans heads. Like them best. Evans on my toms. Aquarian on my snare. But it's up to you. Been thru this for over 50 years playing drums.
E-Mad are fantastic heads, only problem with them is the plastic retaining rings for the foam damper don't last 5 minutes before they split, possibly because the plastic is too brittle to withstand the constant vibration of the kick being struck. Man, they have sharp edges!!
This is why i just get an EQ4 and have it slightly looser than the reso head..
I'm sure you're not the only one who's had this issue, and hopefully Evans will address this typical problem drummers have with the Emad.. A good idea would be to have some type of snap-on- snap-off method with their dampening rings, kind of like what Remo has with their Powersonic..
If you are using Evans for resonant heads then you should definitely go for a G1. It is much more common to use a clear G1 but a coated would work for some Jazz sounds and a Bonham sound.
As for the importance of resonant heads, well they are hugely important in the overall sounds and tones you can achieve. You should replace them periodically, maybe every second time you replace batter heads. Resonant heads create the note when the drum is struck. Batter heads are tuned for feel.
Awesome video! When tuning my BD and bigger toms I also push down on the center (like seating, but not hard) to see if there are any ripples, then tighten accordingly. Apart from that, I tune mine in the exact same way.
you got the evans emad ring along with the evans pillow then two sheets of blackets inside. in my humble opinion the kick drum is super muted taking away the craftmanship of DW and wood with all that muffling... emad with evan pillow and a kick port and your good to go... thats what i use
12 years later, Emad's come with a patch. Hallelujah!
@JJMR322 Check the Gibraltar website. They make a ton of replacement parts.
As a professional drummer who is neither a drummer or professional, I found this to be very helpful.
Bad Ass video partner! I got so much out of this and to be honest I thought you were full of it till I got mid way, I felt like the Karate Kid finally getting what you were showing. Bravo!!
I bought a drum key that fits in my electric drill and now changing heads is a breeze. I always torque them properly with my torque key for the actual tuning. Saves a lot of time and tedium!
Ayyy! I love your channel alot I replayed the video only few times and now My drum is ready for my journey. Thank you isn't enough for you!
They are actually really nice for the price,you get 5 toms,1 snare and 1 bassdrum all in maple.And the toms have suspension tom mount systems, which means that nothing penentrates the shell itself.And all the drums are laquered not wrapped with plastic. I have only played on the drums with the fabric skins on them, and they actually sounds pretty good. But the sound increase ALOT when you use Remo or evans skins. I really recomend the x7. They have alot of expensive feautures but they're cheap.
@BrightenHite Why not?
Emad… I used them since they came out.. Now I'm tired of them so I use the EQ1 and the next's gonna be the G1 or Ambassador. Guess I just needed a change. Thank you for the videoI was actually surprised you use so much muffling inside the bass drum. I never used any muffling with Emads but now there's a pillow in my bass drum since I use EQ1- love it! Ciao
Guys The Point is to put the front head in a low tight . and give it a more muffle with a pillow or a cloth .that way i got the right sound!!! Thanku jared !!
I hope Jared is still practicing like he did when his vids first hit TH-cam. He's a shinning example of how hard work leads to success
Used this method with a Pearl VBX bass drum, with a Aquarian Super Kick II, and a Aquarian resonator head. Inside i have one sheet against the batter, and a sheet of a matress pad with ripples, cut and conformed to the bass head. Its never sounded better!
I just recently bought a EMAD bass drum 22", it is awesome.
this guy helps me out a lot i love the way he tunes his cause i tune mine the same way and my set sounds amazing still learning but this channel and how cast is helping learn it step by step i would say im decent for a beginner
Excellent vid Jared ! That’s exactly how I’d muffle as well
You can eliminate the ripples if you alternate tightening the tension rods instead of tightening them in a clock-wise or counter clock-wise motion like your showing. Since you have a 12 lug you would tighten lugs 1/7,2/8,3/9,4/10,5/11,6/12. No more ripples
What I do is tune up the head to where it's a little tighter than finger tight and then jump on it but only on the batter side to really stretch it out and then if you really want a good sound what I do is let it age it'll sound bad for a long time but tighten both sides a little higher than normal and let them sit for like a year and then tune down batter and reso to where it's a little more than finger tight and you get a nice deep boom
This guy is awesome
with my toms and my snare its pretty obvious when its time to change them out, but im not sure when i should change out my bass head. BTW i also use the emad head and I love the dampening rings you can change out. but I dont really like that flat thud from all the blankets and such. also i like my batter head tight so i can get a little bit of bounce out of it.
@dgarreis The best technique I've found is to insert your hand underneath the drum, and let the spurs drop down. This will get the drum off of the ground just enough. The good thing is that it also gives the drum a better feel, as the beater is closer to the head.
i like evans but what i use is remo single ply for my batter then get some weatherstripping and put it on the inside. my resonant side i have a ebony pinstripe with the stripping too. sounds just like the emad
I totally agree it's not rocket scientist I tune my drums exactly like you do and it works great great video keep up the great work
Dude! Thank you SOOOO much for all your awesome tuning and drum lesson videos! This has really helped me out with achieving the drum sound that I want. Thanks again and ROCK ONnnnnn!
Very helpful learn a lot about tuneing toms top & bottom thanks 🥁
Thanks for the tuning video's! Personally, your preferences suited me very well.
@RogueKovu Yeah i use vater wood beaters with a remo powerstroke, and an even retro screen on the front, and you get eveything you need. but if you want t more thump i would go with a regular old bleck reso head, i just started using kickports too, look them up, it lowers the frequency of the reso bringing out those sub frequencies drummers are starting more and more to get after.
Just a quick question about drum head choice, i know you recommend Evans heads, but regardless of brand, I'd like to know what you recommend for a metal drummer, what thickness, style etc
@RogueKovu Tune it so that it has a nice thump, then buy the Danmar PDKP Patch for your bass drum. It has a sheet of metal on the inside to give you that clicky sound
i’m 14 years old playing in a garage band type thing, we all are young teens scrounging for money for all the expensive equipment for the band and i just hated the sound of my bass drum and it sounds a lot better now regardless it’s a cheap drum with bad heads. Thanks!
I love your drum experience it helps me tune a play my drums better
Just tuned my bass drum this way, with the exact skin but clear. It sounds awesome!
it should be goof if we knew which are the settings on the mixing console for your bassdrum. ( and bass drum mike used )
Dude! The kick sounds INCREDIBLE!