The ONE tuning tip that changed my life 

Sounds like a dead fish being dropped onto a newspaper

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. To me the floor Tom sounds papery .

Certainly, tuning by ear is the more "organic" approach. It helps you get more intimate with your drums, and develop your ears as well. And that's always a good thing.

What I do is finger tighten all rods.. then in the same pattern, press down firmly on the batter hoop at each rod point and then finger tighten each rod again. That should get you a pretty good even baseline to then use a key to start fine-tuning. I find that at the second finger tightening, you're pretty much almost to the final spot, excluding snare drum tuning. Hope that works for y'all!

I agree with the tuning method, but the drums do not sound good in my opinion. The shell is designed to resonate the note and at a quarter tune, it's not even close yet.

I've experimented with recording drums different ways for a couple years. What I've ultimately landed on is the exact same approach as you. 1/4 - 1/2 turn on the lugs is all thats really needed on pretty much everything! Just make sure all the lugs are tuned evenly, and should be good to go!

I prefer a medium low tuning for a musical note, but to each his own.

Great looking set of old Ludwig 'Standards'. I use similar simple way of tuning: first make sure heads are evenly tensioned all the way around: tap the head about an inch from the edge at each lug and make sure all the lugs are evenly tensioned, then for a starting point for toms I tune for the drums to be 'in tune with themselves'; e.g. the tone more or less similar to the sound of the shell when tapped with a stick. Then I tune more or less to note values: I generally keep a floor tom at about a G, the rack tom at about a C#, and the snare at about an E# or F using an electronic tuner or piano for comparison. Bass drum I simply tension resonant and batter side for a good punchy deep sound with a bit of resonance..I try to avoid that flat dead 'totally muffled' bass drum sound.

Bryan foster drummer for the pardrige family tv series used these drum kits.if you look closer. in different wrap finishes

3:06 is when he hits it. You're welcome! 🤙

I agree that it’s not as hard as many say, and I’ve mainly used extremely low tuned toms just like this. However, the rebound is awful, and that can be problematic, especially if you’re going for quick precision or linear grooves. Doubles are very difficult.

I must be doing this all wrong. I tune the bottom head tight, and the top head to feel. I check each lug to make sure i get the same tone. I also try to do a 4th between the top and bottom. But dang... I was getting crazy buzz last gig. All night long my snare wires buzzed.

Ok, with al due respect and it's all a matter of taste, but this to me sounds like somebody bought a drumkit and accidently threw away the drums and kept the cardboard boxes they came in. No tone, no sustain whatsoever and no serious tuning of the bottomheads. I'm a professional drummer and studio-owner/producer/engineer and believe me, I wouldn't be happy with this sound, not in the studio and not live. But it's a nice kit, it has potential!

I totally agree tuning drums is not rocket science. I can tune each drum in about 30 seconds or less as well using a similar technique. I add one last step to yours. I push down the center of each head with my palm of my hand and then tight each lug until the wrinkles vanish. Then done. I even have a PhD in physics from UCLA and my day job is building rockets. I think your technique us better! 😀

Since 1989, when I was 13, I tuned by going in the criss cross pattern - and did well with it! But recently I've been doing the method that Roy Burns shared of going around the drum, tuning has been faster and more accurate! I finger tighten thetensuon rods, then go counter clockwise around the drum. No fuss no muss. I did start using Aquarian heads recently as well, and have been enjoying them. I'll probably float back and forth between Remo and Aquarian.

Been drumming for nearly 30 years now and I learned this exact technique a few years ago and I’ll never go back to anything else.

Am I the only one who thought that sounded craptacular?

I have a Ludwig kit from 1956. There is a distinct sound from that era but this isn't it. My kit appeared in the film "That Thing You Do." Look for That Thing You Do 1996 - Best Jazz on RU-vid and you can listen.

it sucks - sounds great ??? seriously? nooooooooooooo way

Like 228. Subscribed. Great tuning tip. I've been using your approach for a long time and it really works.

I found the greatest,I mean the best greatest way to tune drum,s,my ear,s.

Definitely a less is more approach which is cool if you like that sound. It fits most popular music but there are definitely times where you’ll want more tone. I like experimenting with the pitch relationships between batter and reso to get some cool effects. I also have to get the pitch at each lug the same because if not the overtones are nasty. If I’m going for just attack and thump I can detune a little and use some muffling as needed. That way I still get some tone. It’s all personal and I’ve never been a less is more guy at anything haha.

Beautiful kit.

I've been playing since 1966 and over the years I have created my own tuning style. For the batter heads on ALL the drums including the bass drum, I do what you with the finger tightening (I have a teflon lube on the threads to prevent the metal-to-metal friction from overcoming the head tension. This actually gives a much better feel while tightening the rods.because I use less force.) However the additional step that I do NOT do every time, is to tighten the resonant heads on ALL the drums slightly tighter for better rebound. Once it is set like I want, I leave it. I like the extra rebound for light playing because I'm a jazz drummer who plays a lot of acoustic gigs. Since I play with brushes a lot, this is very important. No, I do not tune to notes or use dials. I tune each one in relation to the next higher or lower pitch and make sure there is no ringing. Rock drummers who like to slam their sticks down like a bricklayer would probably use a different technique. Also, the types and thickness of heads as well as different sticks you choose are very important for your style. "One size does not fit all." Great info. We can all learn something from all styles of drumming. Good video.

Here's another huge tip- tune with two keys

These sound good! Throw up some room mics and compress and it would be SLAMMING💪

Man I hope those sound better in person than they do through my TV because they sound like hammered crap to be honest with you

No wonder it's easy, the shell isn't even resonating. Sounds like a cardboard box.

Tunnig is not just the top drumhead? Overall turning is the Bottom pitch and the bend and the Feel of the drumhead all together in a nut shell and preferred liking of the out come for you? I have a 1963 slingerland gold .The floor tom and the tom tom don't have a air hole in the them and the kick has it and snaredrum has it .over all the tom and floor are different in turning range

A large percentage of drummers tune way too low and the drum doesn't resonate. Too-Low tuned toms do not equal thunder, they equal flat trash

Sweet kit! Thanks for that. But aren’t there two heads on those drums??🤔. I’d like to hear where the reso head sits in relation to the batter.

They sound dreadful look up Rob Brown and you'll see how to tune drums that end up sounding like drums rather than carboard boxes !!!

69' was the last year for the old keystone badges. I had a 69' Ludwig in black oyster pearl with reinforcement rings aka Ringos drum set. Wish I would have never sold it. It had the steel snare so it wasn't worth thousands, just several hundred for a kit that I got for free, old Co worker had it stored in the attic of their garage. It actually got cleaned up and put on display at a local music store with a Beatles logo head so I could still see it for many years. This was like 15 yrs ago, I needed new cymbals and hardware and needed the money for them. Selling it allowed me to get some really nice new cymbals and a black panther snare drum, essentially got my drumming career back up and off the ground.

I’m not digging the sound of these drums. It could be the recording. Tuning is an individual thing, all depending on what you’re going for and the drums, heads, style of music, etc., all come into play, so whatever works for the situation at hand is ‘correct’ way to tune. In this video, I’m hearing a loud “slapping” attack sound with little to no tone or resonance. IMHO

Hmmm...the 1970s cardboard box sound is BACK!

I cant hear any tone on those at all… but i guess it could be the recording…

Those may be similar to the Ludwig Legacy and I just acquired a 7 piece copper rose kit so I'll give this tip a try as they were virutally untouched since on display at 2019 NAMM in Anaheim. Tho I am curious what you do with the reso head? However, I'd like to hear a bit of tone so I may attempt to crank them a little.

There is room for taste in tuning drums. I tend to prefer my drums tuned lower but a lot of jazz cats will pitch their drums up higher. It seems to me that the way you have them tuned you can hear a lot of the attack of the strike. It seems to me that the drumheads are barely stretched so this way you don't hear as much tone or overtones. Thank you for sharing with us on RU-vid.🤔

75% of the sound of a tom is the reso head. The batter is basically tuned for attack and feel. I prefer a bit of sustain to a thuddy whack... basically, the point where the first resonant tone emerges... about a half- to three-quarters turn past where you ended up. I like the toms to go "poooooommmmmm". It's true tho it doesn't take much cranking beyond loose to get there.

I generally make them finger tight and then turn each 3rd rod counter clockwise. Makes a nice crack sound with many overtones.

Hmmm, do these drums have dampeners, or would this work on clear vs coated heads?? I've tried five different techniques for my sons drums, and I still think they do not sound right.....

Nope, just nope! These drums sound terrible! In certain recording contexts, I suppose they would do the job (time = money). There are a thousand better videos on RU-vid on how to properly tune any drum please go watch one of those. I would recommend Sounds Like A Drum here on RU-vid.

Where's the ring?

I use a dial, only because I don’t know what I’m doing, and tuning by ear hasn’t gone well (to be honest they sounded like shit). But that’s just me. But I’m more then happy to learn the traditional way, and I hope to try this soon.

Great video

These sound dead and thumpy. I like a dead no resonance FT. but the Racks to me have to sing for me personally. But u did mention something. Those luddys might be forgiving, but other shells arent. My tama star racks are not. But sound great when tuned. And my maple premier genista def are not forgiving. But again once done right, and frequently, you develop an ear for it. It gets easy

Haha very funny. You had me going there till you hit the floor tom. Lol. Cool kit by the way!

Hes totally trolling us right?

How do you tune the reso heads?

What about the tuning of the reso heads?

Great tip, but as I'm sure you know, the reso head has a lot to do with the sound of the drum. Can you expand on this video and talk about your tuning technique for the reso head?

Not too impressed. Sounded like someone was shooting-off a Cap-Gun or Something. :T

I do not consider myself an authority on drums but I do have some experience that I have learned from trial and error and listening to others for advice. When I was new to drums and tuning I thought the top head was the most important and the bottom head not as much but I couldn't have been more wrong. I eventually found out that to make a drum sound really good the two heads need to be in complete harmonic balance with equal tension on both heads. Whatever you do to one head you also need to do to the other head. No matter how tight you like your drum heads or what pitch you like them tuned to you need to keep them equal and balanced. If you don't do this the tone will often sound sour. Keeping them equalized will also help eliminate ringing if you do it right. No need for goofy remedies like a piece of duck tape on the head to muffle the ring. If you are going to play jazz style you will need your heads tuned tight to get the most effective rebounds from your heads much like you would with a marching snare drum. If you are going to play rock music the rebounds might be less important so you will tune your heads looser for a lower pitch but you will always want the two heads equal and balanced. This is what has worked best for me. I think this is fairly sound advice even though others may have different opinions.

Why does every drum sound like a snare?

I don't know any drummers who think you need fancy gauges to tune a drum kit, and this video could have been 3:40 shorter ....good advice though, I've been doing it since the 80s

The Sound Like paper

Have you tried cotton balls inside the drums , it’s really what made my drums sound amazing

That's the Rob Brown method.

Do you do the same for the reso head?

Awesome

My two cents on snare...it should sound like a tone..barely finger tight...then go from.there...or rim.is bad...head is bad...or drum is...

maybe it is utube, but why do people start selling basics as magic tips. Drums are not hard to tune, when the hardware is in well maintained condition. no gauges needed. as a human u have 3 measures/sensor feedback to tune 1) feel the pressure of drum head close to each lug. 2) hear the sound when u tap a drums tick close to each lug. 3) feel the pressure from the drum key when ur turn each lug. ( last one is unreliable if lug are in bad maintained, but then any torque key won't work either)!. Overall drum tuning is not chicken shit, but it's not rocket science. bit of practise and tools are not needed. Order of lug mattere very little if u sense 1) 2) and 3).

All that for one bang?

Who needs a drum kit when you could just stretch some plastic over a cardboard box and beat it with a broom handle to get this sound.

How do you tune bottom heads?

You should have your ears checked. Doesn't even sound like a TomTom

too many words.

Please, no.

Is this a joke I’m not getting?

Great like a wet bag. 😎 Abide

Is this a joke …

I like more tone

Bla Bla Bla ….. what running are you talking about?

I don't know what kind of music this guy plays, but this is not what I think drums are supposed to sound like - not even close! I've been playing 50 years with all kinds of bands and in studios. These sound like crap.

they sound pretty bad. maybe play them in context next time

Sounds terrible. This is like a satire video.

?

They really don’t sound good. No tone at all

This is the worst

I think the tuning sucks..