|
First of all, these thoughts on tuning and muffling are geared towards heavy metal playing and a heavy metal sound. For jazz and a few other styles this approach and sound wouldn't necessarily be appropriate. My theories on tuning come from a basic "what sounds good to my ear" approach, not the "I tune my toms in fourths or fifths depending on what key the song is in"-method.
BASS DRUMS - (2) 22" x 18"
Heads: I use the Evans EMAD (clear) bass drum head on the batter side and the EQ3 Resonant (black) on the front side.
Tuning: I tune my bass drums pretty loose. When I put new heads on the bass drums (or any drum), I finger tighten each tension rod first. Then I take out my drum key and tighten each tension rod a half turn using what I call the "criss-cross method".
Think of your drum as a clock and tighten the tension rod at 12:00 one half turn. Then go down to the tension rod at 6:00 and tighten it a half turn. Next, tighten the 11:00 tension rod a half turn, then the 5:00, then the 10:00, etc... until you end up back at 12:00. Now start over and repeat this whole process for another half turn. I'll usually repeat this procedure a couple more times until I've tightened the heads 2 full turns. Now check each tension rod to make sure nothing is too lose or too tight. Also check for wrinkles in the drums head. If there's wrinkles, go up another half or full turn. This is right about where I want my bass drums to be. I tune both bass drums the same. I don't think of them as 2 different instruments, I think of them as one voice. I prefer double bass to double pedal but double pedal on a single bass drum also works for me.
Muffling: The EMAD head comes with 2 optional foam rings for muffling/dampening. I use the thicker of the 2 rings. This provides minimal muffling for me. In
addition to the rings, for the last couple of years I've also been taking a medium size towel, folding it in half and duct taping it to the bottom 1/5 of the beater head. Basically the towel covers about 4" of the bottom of the drumhead. Of course using this muffling method you're not going to get that "John Bonham sound" but
considering the speed of double bass drumming in today's metal music; the bass drums need to "punchy" with a more focused attack rather than big and boomy.
Final Bass Drum thoughts:
If you're not accustomed to playing on a fairly loose and dampened bass drum head, it might take a little while to get used to. I say this knowing that there is a tendency among metal drummers to tighten the bd heads so that you can get more bounce from the beaters. Just beware that if your bd heads are too tight and too open they might start to sound "boingy". Years ago I worked with a soundman who also worked with a big name band and he complained about their drummer's bass drums being so tight that they sounded like "beach balls". I always remembered that so I always try to give the soundman a solid "thump" to work with.
TOMS - 10", 12", 14", and a 16" Floor Tom (I prefer toms sizes 2" apart rather than 12", 13", 14", 15")
Heads: In the studio, I'll use either Evans MXT (white) or Genera 2 heads (clear) on top. For playing live I occasionally add EC2 heads to the mix. For the bottom heads I use G1 Genera 1 heads (clear or coated) in the studio and live.
Tuning: As I mentioned, I don't tune my toms to specific notes. My main tuning objective with the 4 toms on my kit is to try and create a wide tonal spread between the 10" and the 16". The 12" and 14" will sit somewhere in between. Using the criss-cross method I tune the top and bottom heads on the 10" as high as it will get before it starts to sound choked and unnatural. I usually get it to that point and then go back down a bit. Then I tweak the bottom head to resonant with the top so that it will have a long natural ring.
With the 16" I do pretty much the opposite. First I tune the top and bottom heads up to stretch them a little. Then I bring them both down as low as they can go until the heads start to flutter. Then I bring them up just enough to lose the flutter.
Muffling: I don't believe in the dead tom sound. Throw those black foam dead ringers in the trash! The only reason I'll put tape or anything on the head is because that particular tom is ringing longer than the others.
Final Tom Thoughts: The ring is what makes toms great.
SNARE DRUM - I have a few snare drums.
Heads: I use either an Evans Rock AF or MX Gold heads for playing live. In the studio I use any number of heads including the Rock AF, MX Gold, Power Center, or ST heads. On the bottom of the snare I always use the Hazy 300 head.
Tuning: I tune the top head fairly tight and the bottom head about medium tight. For heavy metal the snare drum needs to have a whack so when I'm playing beats I also make sure to always hit a rimshot (head and rim at the same time).
Final Snare Drum Thoughts:
One thing I've noticed when I check out a student's snare drum or snare drums in a music store; the snare wires are always very tight. I don't understand why! The snare wires should buzz and vibrate with the bottom head. It's OK if your toms buzz a little when you hit the snare drum. During recordings I'll loosen the snare wires more than live and I'll occasionally loosen the snare stand basket so that the snare drum can sustain and breathe more.
Final Drum Tuning Thoughts:
In addition to the questions that I've been asked regarding how my drums were tuned on specific recordings, I've also been asked numerous questions about the manufacturer and sizes of my drums. Just so you don't get too wrapped up and disillusioned in your current drumset while trying to make them sound like the drums on your favorite recordings, I need to point out that there are other factors that go into getting that drum sound, including the microphones, the recording room, mic pre amps, recording console, effects, etc... So just remember, it's great to experiment with tuning your drums and this will sharpen your ear to achieve your ultimate sound but I wouldn't get too obsessed with it. Pick up the sticks and play! |
