Tips on Tuning your Drum Kit

As with any musical instrument, getting the best sound that you can possibly achieve is one of the key attributes in defining your own style. Whilst the distinctive tone and pitch of your instrument can be attributed to the way you play it, which is especially evident with drum playing, making sure that you tune your kit will also allow further control of the sound, and more so help to eliminate annoying buzzing, ringing and unwanted resonance.

Preparation is important to ensuring good tuning of your drum kit, and by putting aside enough time before you attempt to tune your kit will come in handy, especially if you have an upcoming gig or recording. Whilst it may seem daunting to undertake, tuning your kit can be a relatively simple process that once you’ve tuned one drum, you can perform the same technique to the remainder of your kit. As most drum tuning occurs when replacing the drum heads, your drum key tool is required to unscrew the tension screws to remove the head.

Clean and Prepare the Shells

It is important before you seat the new drum heads on their respective shells, make sure to wipe down and clean the drum rim and the head of debris and dust. Place the drum head into position and place the rim over the top of the fresh drum head. Once this is done you can start to tighten the tension rods by hand to ensure they are hand tight and even for now. Screwing the rods in with the drum key tool at this point is not necessary, as hand tightening is all that is required to ensure the heads are neatly positioned.

Tightening of the drum head comes next, and whilst you may want to tighten the head by tightening in a circular motion around the drum, you should ensure that you gradually tighten opposing tension rods to achieve an even balance across the drum head. Tighten the tension rods a few turns at a time with your drum key tool and repeat the process until the tension appears balanced, secure and a tight fit. Once you have achieved a secure and tight fit of the drum head, strike the drum with your drum stick to hear the progress.

Fine Tuning Your Drum Kit

By striking the drum head near the tension rods, you can make sure that the sound of the drum is balanced across the surface of the head. If you hear any inconsistencies in the pitch of the sound, tighten and loosen the tension rods accordingly to raise and lower the pitch around the tension rod until the drum makes a balanced sound. Repeat the process with the remaining drums in your kit to achieve tuning.

The sound of a drum kit is a personal preference, but when tuning your kit you should ensure that each drum creates a clear resonant tone and that the pitch of the toms deliver a series of sounds that complement the kit overall. An important aspect fine tuning is the relationship between the top and bottom drum heads. The top drum head controls the ring and attack of the sound, whilst the bottom drum head relays the timbre, the overtones, resonance and sustain of the overall sound.

Once you have achieved a pleasant sounding kit, you will be able to fine tune further to complement the style of music you play and accompany. This fine tuning will help promote your particular style of drumming and help you further to understand the subtle nature of drum tuning. With regular cleaning and fine tuning, you can get the best sound out of your kit and breed new life into an older kit that you may have neglected.

The Origins and History of Drums

Early forms of drumming may actually date back to the very beginnings of civilisation as we know it, and interestingly, modern drum kits differ only slightly to those early percussive instruments. The invention of new materials and a change in our musical tastes have changed the nature of drums somewhat, but their primary function remains relatively similar to early versions used thousands of years ago.

Image Source: drumforbeginner.com

The earliest recorded appearance of a percussion drum used as an instrument is thought to have appeared around 6000 BC. These early drums took a cylindrical form and due to their shape offered a distinctive sound when hit with sticks. It is thought that these drums were used as percussive musical instruments to accompany various ceremonies, religious uses and rituals. Later on, some of the first skinned drums appeared in China around 5500-2400 BC, using alligator skin as a membrane and were used in shaman rituals and ceremonies in the region.





Not do they have obvious musical and rhythmic qualities, drums have been used for communication by many different cultures to send messages over long distances. The African talking drum, which came in various shapes and sizes, could convey a message to a nearby tribe and even declare war and boost the morale of the troops. 

In Western cultures, once the use of goathide skinned drums became more popular, marching bands were enlisted to not only help keep the marching pace of an army in line, but also to convey messages during decidedly loud battles.

The majority of percussive instruments were played separately by individual musicians, and whilst this meant louder music in marching bands, it was not ideal for music in theatres and orchestras. It is in this era that the modern drum kit that we see today came into fruition. Around 1900, percussion musicians began combining drums and cymbals into an arrangement to be played with specialist drum sticks.

Foot pedals became popular later on with the introduction of the kick drum being played with the feet with the formation of the Ludwig & Ludwig Co.’s bass drum pedal system. This freed up the hands of the drummer to surround the large floor bass drum with other smaller drums to form the basis of the modern drum kit. With an evolution of musical styles and tastes that followed through the 50s, 60s and 70s and the musical revolution that proceeded, the electronic drum kit was a natural progression.

Today, we see many professional drummers using classic vintage drum kits from yesteryear as well as many drummers who swear by their full electronic kits. With musical tastes ever changing and musicians being influenced by newer electronic music, the evolution of the humble drum will change in form and sound, but the rich history of this percussive instrument in particular will stand the test of time, as the backbone of all music past and present.

The Personality Traits of a Drummer

For whatever reason, certain people and personality types are drawn to certain instruments. Not to generalise, but it’s fair to say that we think of guitarists, vocalists, bassists, keyboardists and drummers in a certain way - whether the clichés are accurate or not. In this article, we take a look at some of the characteristics that are associated with a quintessential drummer. Or a certain persona comes up in my mind when we think of one.

So what are these basic characteristics of a drummer? Let's find out!

Often overlooked by many fans and regularly the butt of jokes for their fellow musicians, being a drummer is a tough role play, making drummers some of the wackiest, outrageous and gifted musicians of the lot.

The Unnoticed yet Massively Talented One

Most often, these fine gifted and talented musicians go unnoticed in bands, which is really a shame. Throughout the history of rock and roll, we’ve often seen drummers singled out and the first member of a band to be replaced when something goes wrong. Most of the times he is the one to be blamed for everything that went wrong.

All the other members are going out, the quite 'unpopular' one in the band might be left behind. Have a press-conference, the drummer guy just keeps shut the whole time and sits in a corner. Be that as it may, the modern drummer’s character has emerged through rock evolution to become a unique individual.

The Dedication Level Never Lacks

    

Source: pixabay.com

It takes true dedication towards the instrument to become a drummer. Knowing that they will fill a position that more often than not will take them out off the limelight that many singers and lead guitarists will find while reaching popularity, a drummer may over-compensate with a ridiculous amount of drums and a canny knack for adding as many drum fills to a song as possible. Because they are out of the spotlight, some drummers will do whatever it takes to get their talent noticed!

A True Leader

Source: metallica.com

He keeps the band sane when other band mates try to kill each other. He is the referee in these arguments and with his natural ability to keep a good rhythm, can offer steady calming measures to keep the band on track. While setting behind the drum kits a drummer practically leads the band from the front not just by keeping the tempo right and collaborating with the bassist, he actually keep the tempo right off stage also. For example since the formation of the band Lars Ulrich has been keeping his hold strong on Metallica.

Unique Physical Appearance 

Source: wikipedia.org

Being the band member that exerts the most physical movement, it is often the case that you will find the ‘technician’ drummer fully decked out in wristbands, headbands, and the ubiquitous towel over the shoulder as well as the easy-grip gloves he actually needs to wear. With custom long hair, black tee and jeans this breed of drummer may look like a Tour de France contestant, but will do the job perfectly keeping the tempo right no matter what.

So even though the lead guitarist may try to confuse a drummer with a piece of sheet music every now and then, the drummer is a breed of musician that is unparalleled in determination and skill of beating things with sticks as any other musician can be judged on. With a list of famous drummers that took over their original bands to become some of the most famous musicians on the planet in their own right - band members should value their drummers and allow them a few ‘personality’ digressions before looking for a replacement.


If you think you have this level of dedication and passion for drumming what are you waiting for? Pay a visit to Drummers Paradise today to find the best suited drum set for you and get started!

Famous Drummers and Their Drum Kits

Over the course of the past 60 years, many famous drummers have chosen a particular brand to accompany their band’s playing style, often endorsing the particular brand throughout their careers. Drummers like Keith Moon, Phil Collins and Ringo Starr have famously endorsed drum kits that they have played on, which in-turn have become a defining feature of their music.

Ringo Starr

Source: drummerworld.com

As far as famous drummers go, Ringo Starr is probably at the top of the list. 

Being one of the first true celebrity drummers, Starr chose Ludwig in the early days. Which is popular set that has gone down in history as probably the most famous drum kit of all time. 

The black oyster pearl kit that was famously used during the Beatles’ hey-day proved a simple yet effective kit for Ringos back-beat drumming style, which is still widely praised and emulated to this day.

Phil Collins

Source: theguardian.com

One of the millions of people Ringo Starr influenced is none other than Phil Collins. 

Collins went with a classic Gretsch kit combined with Sabian cymbals. Not only did the set look great, but it suited the progressive rock style of Genesis and some of the drum-heavy numbers released during his solo career. 

As well as using a classic custom Pearl DLX Birch kit, Collins would occasionally use various electronic kits from the Simmons brand. Yet to this day, he is mainly known for his love of Gretsch drum kits, and various signature product were released including the Phil Collins Special 14” and regular 14x14” snare drums.

Keith Moon

Source: rollingstone.com

Keith Moon is probably more famous for destroying his kits than anyone else!

Despite this apparent recklessness, he could actually be described as a thoughtful drummer with great insight into what was needed to give The Who that distinct sound.  He will always be remembered for his unique style and often self-destructive behavior.

In the early years, Moon employed a Premier outfit 55 kit to bring along to early gigs and rehearsal sessions, while later moving on to a number of Ludwig and Zicko kits to further hone his style of playing.

The most famous of his kits has to include the Premier kits, which were highly customised and personalised to his style. Moon later became a full endorser of Premier kits, and stayed with the brand for the rest of his career. He used a 16-drum kit for recordings of the band’s later albums and took the kit on their final tour. Moon frequently used 14x6” (which were reinforced with steel so he could stand on the kit) and 5 ½” snare drums.

Obviously, when you’re choosing a brand of drums, it can be helpful to think about your own playing style. Take note of what the world’s greatest drummers use and compare your own style to there’s when you’re making your choice. The team at Drummers Paradise can help you out and advise you about the best brand for your requirements, and our great range of kicks, toms and snare drums will ensure you get the sounds you are after, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned drummer!