I'm sure this topic is on here somewhere, but I'm too lazy to find it. So, my question is about tuning the batter and resonant head of each drum. Steve Maxwell says he tunes all his drums with the batter side higher than the resonant side. I know guys like Bonham tuned the resonant side higher than the batter side. I know there's no correct or incorrect way, I'm just curious to what approach you guys use and why, that's all, carry on.
Drum Tuning
I try to keep the reso higher than the batter because of Bonham. The problem is I'm applying that to slightly different heads than Bonham and it might not be what's best suited for mine. Also, I have different heads across my kit which doesn't necessarily work with a one-size-fits-all approach.
Currently looking for a 3-ply 24x14 Ludwig in champagne sparkle w/rail consolette and cymbal mount!
I just tune to whatever makes the drum "sing" the best. With what I have now, it usually ends up with the bottom a little tighter than the top. But that's just for my ear, your results may vary, etc...
Depends on whether you want the drum pitch to dive, or to go up when you hit it. Strictly a personal taste thing. To make the drum dive, higher pitch in batter, to make the sound go up, tighter reso. A lot of guys tune both heads to the same pitch. Like I said matter of personal taste in sound. Tune em like -you- like em.
John
For what it is worth, I tend to use the same head top and bottom and tension them to about the same pitch, which is the pitch that sounds best (to me) from that particular drum. If I don't get exactly what I want immediately, it is more than likely I will mess with the bottom head first and probably tweak it up a bit. Then I check them as a set. That seems to require adjustment every time.
Then when the guitarists are tuning up, I ask for an E, which they always oblige before turning around to give me that look. Laughing H
The exception is the snare drum. I'm going to guess the bottom head of the snare ends up being tighter in almost every case.
For what it is worth, I tend to use the same head top and bottom and tension them to about the same pitch, which is the pitch that sounds best (to me) from that particular drum. If I don't get exactly what I want immediately, it is more than likely I will mess with the bottom head first and probably tweak it up a bit. Then I check them as a set. That seems to require adjustment every time.
I do a slight variation on that... heavy batter, lighter reso, -then- I tune them to the same pitch. The heavier batter (Emperor thickness) head gives me a little more 'punch' in the sound that I like.
John
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