9. Drum Tuning

After putting on a new drumhead, it’s time to tune. This guide focuses on achieving a versatile rock and pop drum sound that you can tweak to suit your personal preferences. Remember, there are many ways to tune a drum.

Tip: Find drum sound inspirations. Keep in mind, though, that every recorded drum sound is also shaped by the room, recording technique, and mix. Try to develop a realistic idea of what your drums can sound like naturally in your space.

Tuning the Snare Drum

Contrary to what you might think, getting a good snare drum sound isn’t necessarily about having expensive drums. Even with an affordable snare, you can achieve professional sounds. Start with the resonant head, so you can focus on the batter head and its overall sound character without constantly flipping the drum.

Most experts and drum techs recommend a very tight tension on the snare drum’s resonant head. Unlike toms, this head mainly serves as a solid base for the snare wires. A tightly tuned resonant head allows for a very responsive snare and provides a controlled, compact sound—just what you usually want from a snare drum.

You can approach the snare’s batter head similarly. The snare drum is often the highest-pitched drum in the set, so start with higher tensions. Tighten the tuning screws in a crisscross pattern and tap about two to three centimeters away from each screw to ensure even tension. This will give you a fuller, cleaner sound. Significant differences in tension can cause unwanted overtones and a thin sound.

Speaking of overtones: every drum has a natural sustain (decay). Not everyone likes this, especially in modern music styles where a drier snare sound is preferred. Use damping products to achieve this. To find the right level of damping, you can simply place a finger on the drumhead and strike the drum.

Tuning the Bass Drum

For a punchy, controlled bass drum sound typical in rock, pop, funk, hip-hop, and other styles, you don’t need to do much. The key is using a pillow inside the drum and having a small, four to six-inch hole in the resonant head. The pillow shortens the drum’s decay and makes it easier to play. The air hole allows air to escape quickly and makes it easier to mic the bass drum.

Tighten the batter head so it’s evenly pressed down by the hoop. For a low, attack-focused sound, keep the tension low; for more mid-range, tonal sounds, increase the tension a bit. Treat the resonant head similarly. Less damping and a smaller resonant head hole will make the bass drum sound boomier. Your playing technique and whether you leave the bass drum beater on the head or let it bounce back will also have a noticeable effect.

Tuning the Toms and Floor Toms

Tune your toms the same way you would other drums. Since toms have a more tonal sound than snares and bass drums and often have longer sustain, it’s important to follow basic tuning principles. Make sure the hoops press the drumhead collar down evenly to avoid unpleasant overtones.

If you have more than two toms, decide how low or high you want your largest and smallest toms to sound. This will guide you in tuning the others.

A good starting point is tuning the resonant head. Many drummers prefer the resonant head to be slightly higher than the batter head on rack toms, which makes the tone drop slightly after hitting and sound more controlled. Tighten the screws in quarter-turn increments in a crisscross pattern. If some screws seem tight initially but then loosen, that’s normal—just keep tightening until they stay snug. Tune the resonant heads for a clean, tonal sustain.

Next, tune the batter head the same way. If you only have one rack tom and one floor tom, it might be useful to tune them together in their playing positions. If the toms’ sustain is too long and dominant, use Gaffer tape or specific damping products.

Tip: Tune by ear rather than strictly by rules. Hold a tuning key in one hand and a drumstick in the other, and check your progress frequently by playing the drum. Many drummers also find tuning aids like the TuneBot from Overtone Labs helpful. This device can measure the pitch at each tuning screw and the overall pitch of the drum.

Enjoy experimenting with your drum sound!