Bob Gatzen - Snare Drum Tuning

[signorelli21]

Now i feel like a tool for doing this completely wrong, lol! thanks for the info this helps alot!

[pearlgretschdrummer1]

Bob gatzen thank you for telling me a better snare strainer strips plastic strips sucks and nolon is awesome! I used it from one of those dog leshes that gets long to short!

[JohnVidar]

Thanks, Bob! My snare had a mediocre sound, it sounds great now! Feels much better to play!

[rutherx13]

@prodrumtips hey i have an old 70s or so crown drum set and the throw off for the snare is simply on or off, there is no knob to adjust the tension on the snare wires and i haven't been able to make it work, the strap simply slides through the clamp. how would you fix this?

[drabhand]

@rutherx13 Post a video of your problem, I tech a bit and like a challenge. Should be able to help.

[rutherx13]

@drabhand i would, but i don't have a recorder. i actually found a way to fix it, i used some ribbon to add more friction.

[CheeseToastieLover]

This help me SO much my snare sounds amazing now thank you

[Jakelikesxbox]

does the snare wires need to be on when I tighten them?

[sjograas]

@Jakelikesxbox They should not be on when you tighten them. Set the throw off, make sure everything is nice and even and then throw them on.

[GregMagDrums]

Hello,  Would you like to hear what Bobs first set of

Ludwig's from 1970 sound like? Click on the link below;

[drummerfreaks97]

hey guys, i'm using evans genera g1 coated on my snare, but every time i play it, the tuning is getting loose, anyone can explain?,thanks

[drabhand]

I just like listening to this guy, know all the shit he teaches already..

[mynamesbsod]

This dudes singing- EPIC WIN!

[yisoonshin12]

he seems kind of tone deaf.... A (with metronome)... A (one whole note lower)

[mrawsomepants355]

Is that an Evan's reverse dot?

[drabhand]

@mrawsomepants355 No, it's a DW head made by Evans, dinky dampening system, pointless.

[javzero]

MASTER

[PonasAdolis]

cool. thanks

[FedBru]

very very professional!! :)

[iplaybass428]

Hit 5 repeatedly.

[zordanlija]

dude if i could sing i wouldnt be a drummer ;)

[RachelD1996]

1:17 So... awkward...

[samm1809]

he actually tuned it to about C not C sharp.

[MRsuperSexyNumberOne]

who cam here because of boy in a band?

[burritobeaverTV]

yaaa.... good tuning tips... but the video is in 240p only, so the sound quality isn't all that great.

[ordinaryH]

my snare had an awful buzz. used his approach to installing the snares, and now my snare sounds awesome!

[Drivenut4]

umm... on the snare bottom.. doesn't he sound kinda flat at the end result??

[SMG59]

"it does 2 things.. its a tuner and a metronome. it does a million things"

[21madmethod]

I have the same snare. Nice...

[blapis89]

i dont understand the opposite side tunning.What i saw is hes got a low pitch and in the other side the high pitch, and then he turns the lug of the high pitch tighter to tune :/

can anyone explain me plz?

[LKRP92]

@blapis89 what he actually does is loosen the higher pitch one a bit. the tighter the drum is the higher it is. hope that's the answer you were looking for.

[jtmcneil90]

@MrKP258 lars: oh this tuning sounds awesome! i'll use it for the whole album!

[Masterb0y999]

he just shows how he tunes..

[XxStrongDrums1996xX]

@Masterb0y999 Exactly.

[bumi84]

Hey Bob, quick question: I got a Mapex Black Panther steel snare and I would love it to sound similar to your result, so that there's a lasting "dang" when you hit it (some would call it Metallica trash can snare ^^). I got that sound when I hit the head close to the rim, but in the middle it sounds a little "flat". How do I know if I need to tune the pitch higher or lower? The goal is a real nice sound for some (death) metal music, but I'm totally lost

[TEETHHURTS]

@bumi84 LMAO do you really think this guy is actually going to reply to you ?! HAhahahah

[Seffyr]

@TEETHHURTS Bob does reply to his videos once in a blue moon.

[TEETHHURTS]

@Seffyr O wow cool man so good to know

[expurgatetor]

Its a tuner and a metronome...It does a million different things.

Theres two Bob, what about the other 999,998 things?

[djentlover]

@expurgatetor what is this i dont even

[brettgov]

this video is awesome. my snare drum has never sounded better

[BlindShorty11]

i watch this video over and over while tuning and then finally got the same tuning as him! yay

[chewbacca0901]

Nice lesson! Ever see someone put a towel or piece of cloth across their snare, or a towel in the bass? What's up with that? Thanks!

[djmdkdbo1]

@chewbacca0901 now you are talkin about me lol thats the reason im watchn this video i don't like the ringing echo and for some reason i like the soprano snare more because it does not ring

[johnthegreek178]

@MrKP258 Seriously, Lars said that he took off the snare to get that sound!

[MrStijl]

WOAH ITS ATTA C!?

[xChristian93x]

Its still kinda of confusing me cus he says go a pitch higher than a C but idk how many notes higher is he saying to go up to

[joedo24]

1:54 thats the sound he makes when hes havin sex

[ThePurpleDrumStick]

@joedo24 and you know this because???

[EPICisFUN]

@PLaw1995 thanks man but i thnk overall its the room.. and if not that its got to be my drum kit but i tried ur method and it did help alot actually thanks

[jammer4321]

does it go hummmmm, or waaaaa or huwa?

[EPICisFUN]

hey can some1 help my drum echoes like hell!!!!! if i hit one litely all the others echoe aswell for least 3 seconds and its so annoying! i tried tuning it as best as possible but they still echoe

[Crumpdog]

@EPICisFUN - moon gel. works wonders. and muting rings. i've gone as far as to put two on a snare for a dryer sound.

[Crumpdog]

@EPICisFUN - moon gel. works wonders. and muting rings. i've gone as far as to put two on a snare for a dryer sound. but that's mainly cuz im lazy as hell and haven't had time to perfect the gospel crack like this guy

[sk8rbuoi]

Man he makes it look so easy. I have so much trouble hearing the note the snare makes

[90swil]

opposite tuning.. OTT?

[FredaSpirit]

what a genius.

[DarknessDrawsCloser]

In all honesty, he's a fucking wizard. I try for HOURS and cannot get SHIT done.

[latem777]

6:00 tadaahh 

[ShotecMusic]

Thanks a lot for this tutorial! It even helped with that snarebuzz when I hit first tom (because a had my snare tuned much more lower).

[crazyjak123]

i thought you werent meant to tune going round the drum but you were supposed to do opposite lugs? I'm confused xD

[ToweringFilth]

@crazyjak123 did you even watch the video?

[crazyjak123]

@ToweringFilth yes. he went round lug to lug, in a circle. ohh snap.

[NathanielSaintPaul]

thank you so much for making a USEFUL video (expertvillage doesnt know what theyre talking about at all). i tried tuning my snare drum on my own, and i could never get it to stop humming afterward. now my snare sounds great. thanks!

[richardaburt]

@rollerghost615 same snare same problem i just got new heads a few months back and am having trouble tuning

[naomifullbloom93]

That RECIPROCALxALTRUISM guy is a pretty good troll. :D

[jonnydim]

good job his snare drum was already in tune so he just had to tighten it all a bit...

[wadoryu2u]

did anyone else notice that he like started out doing the tuning patterns but then totally went in random directions? im going into college for music and im not really good at tuning, i can, but not very well,but i guess i will learn at college.

[MrHeitz17]

@wadoryu2u College for drums or percussion?

[wadoryu2u]

@MrHeitz17 -percussion

[rollerghost615]

I know how to tune my snare, but I have been trying for months to get that perfect low tuned, but with lots of crack sound out of my natural finished maple Pearl Masters snare drum. And I just can't seem to get it. I know it is possible with the drum, as I have played the same drum (not mine in particular) before, and it sounded amazing...but with with mine I just can't get that sound. Maybe it's time for a hardware upgrade. :\

@RECIPROCALxALTRUISM Wrong definition. :P

[TerrarumRaven]

NO. he has most of the video right, exept that he isnt cross tuning. he should start at one lug nut, then go directly to the one across it, and then repeat that going clockwise

[MeicoRaider]

Hehe...butt end...wow. I'm so immature. Lol

[dawizard737]

he stopped tuning the bottom head at an A flat, and his C sharp is a c natural.

should've checked his tuner again.

[lavaxtris1]

the heads are in sympathy

[SunnyHusaini]

click 0.12 repeatedly.Bob really don't believe it.

[Nogert]

lol hold down 5, looks naughty

[takenhigherbyu]

Bob tunes his: pitch is easily identifiable, tunes perfectly in under 5 minutes. I tune mine: can't find proper pitch, heads don't sound good together, kinda-sorta-ok tuned in under 1 hour



[RECIPROCALxALTRUISM]

*URGENT HELP NEEDED*

I tried a tuning technique called "dampening". I took my kit out onto the lawn and sprayed it with a hose until it was all nice and damp, and now my drums aren't round anymore.

How do i fix this???? What did i do wrong?? please help

[shitolabar911]

@RECIPROCALxALTRUISM You broke your drum kit. When you sprayed water on the kit it became warped.

[CommanderDaz]

@RECIPROCALxALTRUISM are you being serious??? nononono! dampening is where you control the overtones and unwanted ring. there are many products that can help you dampen them such as moongel, which are blue sticky rectangles that you place on the drum head or you can get tone rings. to dampen the bass drum you put pillows/blankets inside of it to absorb some of the sound

[TTFUnlimited]

@RECIPROCALxALTRUISM You sprayed your drums with a hoze, thats what you did wrong

[ham1L2Ts]

there's a difference between the snare drum and duh tahm tahmz.

[RandomDude9815]

lol press 5 rapidly...and you see bob banging the snare :D

[itsB0BBY]

hahahaa. Hold 5

[infinitesimotel]

Nice 1 thanx Bob

[MrNickdrummer]

Thanks for the video, I have tuned my snare following these steps and it sounds very good, records perfectly through my shure sm-57.

[oliverioraga]

crazy guy hahahahah laraaa-- laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!

[ireternalexistence]

I think the snare and bass drum tuning really depends on what type of music you are playing. There isn't only one way to tune them, if you want to play Jazz, make it tight so you can get the lightest touches, or looser for rock.

[humpterthompson]

bob is the men!

[snakev10v5]

dude thanks for all your lessions been really helpful ^_^ I finally found someone who knows what there on about o.o

[TIMEDISORT]

Mine sounds like shit still.

[XxStrongDrums1996xX]

@TIMEDISORT Then fix it. If you follow everything in this video, and your snare drum still sounds like shit, then you are doing something wrong.

[spercoco]

Hi Bob,

I've watched your videos and even have the video Drum Tuning and Design but I can never get much out of trying your methods (no offense). I always revert to just using my old method that seems to work out best but recently I decided to purchase a Drum Dial. I noticed you don't really use these in your videos; any reason for that? Also you always mention that the opposite side dtermines the tension but the whole concept of the drum dial is contrary to this. Any thoughts?

[garrettgerbil13]

@spercoco Yeah, I like using drum dials too

[spercoco]

@garrettgerbil13 When you use the dial do you turn the opposite lug of where the dial is placed? I have the digital dial and I never used the older design. Any preference?

[runingblackbear]

you did a good job of telling young drummers how to set up and tune there there drum

[runingblackbear]

i have the guy with the guitar hit his e string and i use that

[runingblackbear]

i tune them in the key of ( e )

[fotouvlo88]

i want that snare...

[fatariv]

this is no help at all the snare was practically tuned already! fucking retard

[biocideband]

i feel like bob will kick me in the head if i use remo

[ghoshupanishad]

very cool........!!!

[panadesu]

I got my first drumset today, and tuning is insanely hard, and i havent even started learning to play yet :(

[adsmglasser]

@panadesu So have me and my husband. Well.. A few days ago.. I had to tune the worn out heads.. Not a fun thing as they never sound quite right. It helps if you have an ear for pitch and that's why alot of the metronomes have tuner options on them. I happen to have a ear for pitch and have taken on the task of tuning fresh drum heads. Its hard at first but if you listen for when it sounds right to you it gets easier. Just don't give up before you even begin! Much luck!

[jussara2851]

VERRY COOL!

[timeegee]

Hey, would anyone mind having a quick look at my drum video and give me some advice on tuning?

Got a nice set of drums but they don't sound too nice at the minute :(

Thanks guys, much appreciated

[drumtapful]

Im glad I found this video, I have a Tama drum set, I tuned them the way Bob shows on the video and now they sound like a million bucks. Thanks Bob.

[Rturner201]

@honyontaco Thanks for the info. I currently have it tuned reso lower but was wondering if cranking the bottom head would give a better sound. Gonna have to try it.

[eyecn2worlds]

Quick question, What would be the best drum kit for strictly in house.

I am building my own sound packs, and I would love to purchase an acoustic

sound kit, for it's natural sound. Which is better Birch, or Maple.

My email address is dweirdbeats@aol.com.

Thanks--

[Rturner201]

To get the best snare sound should the reso head be tuned higher or lower than the batter head? I've seen videos where some say higher and some lower. Which gives the best sound?

[honyontaco]

@Rturner201 crank the tension on the bottom head, in general I've found that having the reso head on the toms and snare tuned higher sounds better (less of a difference on the tom heads). 

[powerm23]

Best video I have seen on snare drum tuning. Much more detail than any of the other videos. I will follow this guide to tune my new snare drum. Lots of very useful information here. Many thanks for a great video.

[MrX474]

Hey. Can someone help me? When ever i hit my toms or use my kick my snares rattle? Should I loosen them or tighten them or what? Anyone have a suggestion?

[platapush]

@MrX474 thats going to happen all the time, in recordings you wont hear it

[MrX474]

@platapush Alright then. Thanks bro

[mpelletier92]

643 persons enjoyed this video.

[joserp888]

this is really barney stinson's father! Bob!! he even speaks like him! XD

by the way great lesson it was really useful

[OskarOskar95]

i want bob to tune my drums

[MeideC]

i'm pretty new drummer. how can i avoid the toms being resonant with the snare?

[chtzeppelin]

@MeideC A commonly used way to fix resonating is simply apply duct tape to your heads. Depending on how much you want to mute your drums gives you a guess at how much tape you'll need. Electrical tape also works, and if you really want to mute your drum, you can use a gauss pad and tape it on.

[sephrix]

@MeideC Unfortunately if you find your toms are causing you snare to resonate, you're going to have to retune one or the other. I found it so much simpler re-tuning my toms when I last had this problem.

[lpjdrummer12295]

@MeideC another way to avoid that is to tighten the snares a little bit, maybe use some muffling (o-ring, drum gum, etc.) i find that some snare muffling takes care of the resonance.

[SuperMefisto6666]

''It does a million things''. No, it's a metronome and a tuner. That's two.

[benson1ification]

@SuperMefisto6666 Very good Sherlock

[SuperMefisto6666]

@benson1ification

Ty!

[z2thaanko]

@SuperMefisto6666 Lmao!!!

[turkeysandwich11]

@SuperMefisto6666 lol

[ianbhtube]

Hey Bob i just wanted to drop you a line to tell you about a cheap Mapex snare i had lying about. I could not get a sound i liked out of it but i watched some of your vids and decided to sort it out. Its now got an Evans G1 coated batter and a 300 hazy reso head with some puresound custom wires. I used your tuning method and gigged it at the weekend. My bass player complimented my "new snare drum". Enough said. Thanks to you it wont go in the bin.

[Lazetar]

SWAT Snare Wire Arrestor & Tuner Drum Muffler Dampener!

youtube.com/watch?v=cXH2cJmQhU­k

[propperbo2002]

5:57 "Tada"

[llPurpleHazell]

PLEASE HELP!!! I have a tama superstar hyperdrive, and when ever i hit any of my toms or bass my snare makes an annoying sound. I have the stock heads because i just got the set. And when ever i hit it not in the center it will have annoying overtones. What can i do????

[XxbanconandbeanxX]

@llPurpleHazell this is called snare buzz and is normal. but if the buzz is very excessive it is a sign of bad tuning but if you tune it well the buzz should be minimal

hope this helps

[llPurpleHazell]

@XxbanconandbeanxX Thanks i retuned it and it got better, but there is still some. Is it the tom or the snares fault?

[96jamesjin]

@llPurpleHazell Its not drum's fault. There should be a knob in your snare strainer and you can twist it to reduce snare buzz.

[tehGmoney]

he has a LITHHHHP

[4thwatcher777]

THe dude isn't tone deaf!

[lpjdrummer122]

good instructions, but i don't mean to sound like a freak, every pitch except for the beginning A was a half step lower than what you thought. Also, was the bottom head a low A or high A

[JzXify]

I got an acoustic drum set for the first time 3 days ago (I used to have an electric drum kit for about 4 years and it was were I learned to play) so im new to all this tuning stuff, and im having a HELL of a time trying to get the sound I did for my electric drum kit, I play in a rock band, any tips?

[brandonlow27]

thin and empty eh? sounds depressing..

[BigRooster747]

a good trick is to use two keys, one in each hand ad try to tension them more or less the same. It is also good for preventing the head/ring combo to shift to one side of the drum. If you practice tuning will go a lot quicker and finetuning is done with one key for pitch.

[Jordainio]

If I have a snare that is ALWAYS high on each alternate lug, lower on the ones inbetween, does that indicate that the hoop is messed up or does it sound like a shell problem? Or something else? Really annoying, can't get it in tune ever.

[DrummerForLifeAlways]

Well Bob is da MAN! DUH!

[RoTTonMeLoNMaN187]

This man is my hero. THANK YOU

[Dylandavis8]

i like the pitch he uses

[MrSmpmusic]

finally some helpful tuning tips .......

[MrSmpmusic]

thank you bob gatzen............

[stargazer93]

Thank you so much. Best tuning video Ive seen so far.

[DJJPLin]

this is actually really good the kick drum video is meh i would make it a little more "thuddy"

[1Mikelo]

wth is a pitch A ?

[firebreath45]

this is perfect

[debo326]

2:33 "theeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy said there's a picture of me"

[peeehz]

let's tune it to the c sharp *sings c*

[peeehz]

@peeehz haha tuning to the a, singing something between Ab and G#

[gaben1994]

Hi. i'd like to ask that is it normal that my snare drum starts vibrating so hard when i hit the toms or the bass drum or something low sound. i have a yahama maple custom snare. Can anyone help?

[njnetsfan524]

@gaben1994 Thats completely normal, most peoples snares vibrate when you hit other drums, but sometimes its more noticeable on some snares

[instormchaser]

Excellent video... thanks so much for providing this :) Really got my snare sounding good!

[justentime77]

Thanks' for these great tuning videos Bob! As we all know, tuning drums is an imperfect science and it all comes down to personal preference on how each individual wants their tone. Every technique helps and I applied much of what you teach when I was in the studio last and walked away with the best sounding drum tone I've ever had!

[TheJukeboxExperience]

Thank you so much bob!! This tutorial saved me a few hours before a live actuation :)

[Practicle24]

Okay Bob. I'm having some issues on tuning.when I tune one, it seems the ones next to it changes pitch as well.(seems higher). What do you have the snare sitting on while you are tuning? When I start with my pitch it changes by the time I work my way around. I have a 13" Mapex MPX Birch snare. Evans G2 head on top and a Mapex UX by Remo for the bottom head.

[whitelightdrummer1]

Nice video for all drum tuning(snare drum ) ¨!Thank's prodrumtips and to Bob Gatzen. do it pro like a pro !

Croatian Drummer

[kk456128]

i want my snare to sound like the one from avenged sevenfold how do i do it?

[SCGARCUBE]

thanks you made my snare sound godly

i had an eargasm when i finished

[Tomzablade1]

a drum cant make a single note effectively it would need to be tied at just two ends like a guitar. there are too many directions for sound waves to resonate at once thats why its more like a noise thatn a note.

[JuniorBugDrums]

I wonder how Eastern countries tune their snare? taka.. taka...taka...

[killa32130]

are there any videos about tuning a shitty snare?? like not a beautiful DW snare??

[GeneralMillss]

@killa32130 Haha, I hear ya. I broke a lug on my snare not to long ago, and I replaced it with a block of wood and 2 screws. Sounds fine but it can be a pain in the ass to tune.

[DrumminGaming]

@killa32130 Hi! You dont need a million dollar snare to make it sound like one:)