MME - Start here...

http://www.vintagedrumforum.com/showthread.php?t=49333

Then follow these steps:

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qxm3QunDjUs"]Bob Gatzen - Snare Drum Tuning - YouTube[/ame]

Good luck.

John

I had always tuned my snares with a higher tension/higher pitched bottom head until I tried the Gatzen method that John has already suggested.

Now I tune all my snares this way. It works very well, even though it is the opposite of how most of us were taught to tune a snare.

Try it.

On many snares it also reduces "snare buzz".

Matt - I know it seems counter-intuitive, but the key is; the snare head is much thinner (higher fundamental pitch) than the batter head. To hit the C# on the heavier (lower pitched) batter, you're just above middle in the tuning range of the drum. Weird, but it works. I get a great sounding snare drum, metal shell, or wood, every single time using Gatzen's method.

John

I'll have to give that a shot tonight. I've always used the batter to adjust my pitch and feel (either waaay low and muffled, medium with maybe one piece of tape or high and wide open) while leaving the snare side cranked, pretty much table-top tight. I remember hearing Stanton Moore saying he liked the bottom tight and the top quite a bit looser. But I guess he also plays shallow snare drums most of the time.

Stanton tunes that way because he play New Orleans Second-Line which incorporates a ton of buzz rolls. The lower slack-pitched batter also makes the drum sound fatter, again perfect for that buzzy-rolly Second Line stuff.

John

Investigate the need to re-cut the edges. It can make all the difference.

Or just trim down the wrap so that the head never touches any wrap. If it is touch the wrap - that wrap is affecting the tuning - especially if at one point the wrap overlaps - making a thicker section.

Another thing to think about - the more contact the head has with the shell (and the wrap) the less resonant it is going to be. If you desire more resonance, I would trim the wrap down so it does not touch the head - then you can even go further and get the edge(s) recut to a charper point with less contact with the head. This will make it more resonant.

I hope I am right - please correct me if I am missing something, but I think this is sound advice to consider.

Drummerjohn333;339442]Investigate the need to re-cut the edges. It can make all the difference.

Or just trim down the wrap so that the head never touches any wrap. If it is touch the wrap - that wrap is affecting the tuning - especially if at one point the wrap overlaps - making a thicker section.

Yes! That could be it right there. Good catch drummerjohn!!! :D

John

Thanks - new wrap job is a big clue. Then we need to consider that hey - it is not always easy to see how much contact is being made, especially if we are using coated heads. This is a step that should have been considered in the wrapping process.

Sure we can all learn from this one.

BTW - this is why roundovers tend to have more thud and less resonance. If they do have resonance, it usually can be attributed to good tuning - that is - the heads in tune with the shell.

I just figured out my problem. I didn't notice I had a ambassador tom head ,instead of a SNARE head. It made all the difference and sound fine. Thanks for the tips.Matt