Drumming Essentials – Tuning Drums

Well tuned drums are absolutely essential, if you want to sound good. The unfortunate fact is that many drummers don’t know how to tune their drums. Playing an out of tune instrument is really no fun, even a great drummer can sound terrible. In this article we’ll talk about why tuning is important and what techniques to use in order to tune your drums.

We’ll begin with why – why is tuning important? The number one reason is probably because you will sound better if you play a well tuned instrument. It will also be easier to play and you will get much more out of it. Plus, you will prolong the life of your drums.

Okay, what do you need in order to tune a drum set? Not much – you’ll need a drum key, a good ear, and a bit of patience. As far as tools are concerned, you’ll only need a drum key. But, of course, it will take time to develop a good ear, so patience is also important.

Tuning is a delicate process and you have to be careful not to damage the drum heads. It must be done correctly. Many beginners do this wrong. For example, there is a common myth that you have to seat the new head by tensioning it down. This is not true and can actually damage the head. And if the head is damaged, you won’t be able to tune it correctly no matter how good your ear is.

The best practice is to do it slowly. You must break it in naturally. Again, patience is important. Learn the opposite lug tuning sequence. This is a technique where you don’t go around in a circle, but you move back and forth across the drum, so that the head is tightened more evenly.

Now, I won’t lie to you, tuning a drum set is not going to be learned overnight. But it’s definitely worth your time and with the right instructions it’s really not that difficult.

For a more detailed instructions, visit how to tune a drum set. Also take a look at drums lessons for beginners.