How To Tune Your Toms - Drum Lessons

[stix44kix]

also, whenever i use the kick, the tom toms mounted on it kinda ring? and i have basically everything tuned up to how i like it, and it didn't ring while i had the kit in an open area, but ever since i moved it into my room, it has. so is that an acoustic environment issue? whats the ideal acoustics for a drum kit?

[stix44kix]

my toms are the complete opposite. the low tom has the most tone, and the hi tom has almost none. i really want to change that, i had G2s, but im wondering if it could be an issue of the resonant head? comments, complaints, concerns?

[Scribyexe]

What skin did you use ? Please reply , If possible send like for em'

[Sageofflames]

I just started drumset (I've been playing percussion for a few years) and Ii tried tuning to a 1-3-5-8 arpeggio w/ floor mid high snare

[LiddoDrummerBoy]

Since I can't have your drums.. Can I Have your shirt ?:D

[seanyk221]

PLEASE REPLY Hey im new to drumming i just bought a Pearl Target TGB-605 kit and i cant get to sound good.

is it just me or did i buy a bad kit

[zeroplague]

@seanyk221 I have a Pearl Forum as a starter. Wish I would have spent a little more to get a better set.  Discouraging learning when you hear bad sound from your equipment.

[makakamakaki]

You never explained how to tune octobans and rototoms! xD

[ExtremeLonely360]

Ive got erings and i still use my Ludwig stock heads. I dont have that much money, but my drums resonate way too much! I would like to buy new heads, so what kind of heads can i get for cheap?

Thanks

-David

[zeroplague]

@ExtremeLonely360 I have Evans G2 2-ply heads for all my toms. I believe that's what he said he has. I bought mine on Ebay new for around 36 bucks. Don't know if that's a good deal or not, but it seemed like it at the time.

[borkhadeyuvraj]

Hey which head is Jared using?



[gmd1417]

YOU SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED A SNARE SEGMENT OR POST A VIDEO ABOUT TUNING THE SNARE. THAT IS A MUCH HARDER DRUM TO TUNE THAN TOMS. MOST DRUMMERS HAVE MORE TROUBLE WITH THE SNARE THAN ANY OTHER DRUM

[HoboNum99]

@drumlessonscom so you never have to change the reson head?

[XthrownX]

I finaly got my toms to sound just like this!!! Do exactly what he says and youll get the sound! And have patience! The drums usually dont tune up this quick.

[CheahNeah]

what do you guys think about axis drum pedals?

[tricky12321]

aha try tuning a guitar with a floyd rose bridge then tell me its easy first time

[mangoman144]

what heads are the ones you're using?

[TheUltramarine13]

The 12 inch tom is the bane of my existence....

[StandoftheFallen]

Hey Jared, just wondering what reso heads you're using because when they're tuned well they sound great with your kit. Thanks.

[Zanthxs]

hey jared, started tuning my 1 month-old toms and floor tom after your vid and they definitely sound way better now just tuning them so they "sound" good together... not to an actual pitch which was frustrating me... thanks again! turtles are cool...

[jziwillkill]

u call 22 mins short lol...

[Dakingmot]

i like turtles!

[beaniealex]

I have a really important question. How do you know what note to tune your drum to?

[jamesly24]

when if you dont have a resident head for all your toms

[mcdrummonkey]

isent it wrong to tighten the lugs in a circular motion iv always heard you have to do it like in a start patern or youll damage the heads

[bukz17]

very helpful..thanks for sharing!

[RickysXplaylist]

jared! send me your old heads!!!!

[grijwoww]

it would be so embarassing if in the end of the video you coudl'nt get the tunning again and you said like "OH SHIT WHY DID I DO THIS , THIS IS YOURS GUYS FAULT WHO ASKED ME TO SHOW THIS !!!!!!!!!!" and then trash the dream drum set with a club screaming "WHY? WHY?WHY? I LOVED SO MUCH ! WHY???????"

[fireflys127]

Afterr searching for awhile the drum sound i most enjoy is zac farros drums from paramore he plays a gretsch kit with 9x13 16x16 and 16x18 toms, by you listening to some of his stuff is there anything different to this video that i should do? thanks hope you can reply!

[drytaffin]

The sound of the toms is very very good.

I like it, do you know what produce such a good sound ? (The main head ? The bottom one ? The shell itself ?)

[6Shawn6Crahan6]

Are Remo Ambassadors on the Toms and Emperrors on the Floors??

I know that you're using Evans but it may could be that you're knowing that to =D

[Ileikdrumzz]

@6Shawn6Crahan6 i actually bought heads today and they recommended Emperors on the top and Ambassadors on the bottom and with the floor they said a powerstroke on the top and a Ambassador on the bottom. hope this helps!!!

[davecampos04]

Jared, I noticed that when you tuned down you 12 inch tom a bit, you did the star pattern instead of going around the drum. Is it really necessary to do the star pattern if you are to tune down your toms?

[305G00NZ]

How much did that kit cost?

[concretesurfer124]

digging the shirt man hahaha

[bcefra]

23 min...

[concretesurfer124]

@bcefra hahaha

[digitalfreak123]

his shirt :D

[Kidwithcomputer]

Hey Jared, great vid, I've always benefited from the Free Drum Lessons youtube channel and website. I have gotten a new (used) drumset. It's a Sonor Force 3007 4-pc kit. I'm a little self conscience about playing it live because I still have the stock heads on them, that and I'm a Intermediate drummer who can play, but can't tune well, any advice to making stock heads sound like "good" heads?

[dnfbighit]

NICK SWARDSON!

[AndyPFTW]

this is a relatively short video...just 23 minutes long...

[colingtr1]

why is that when i finger tight my drums its super high pitch.

[73368]

you have the most awesome shirt ever

[PHatxObesityxGaming]

That guy seems like he just got laid.

[HookShot25]

i like turtles too.

[jameszhoupatino]

Can I have your old drum heads? Your FAMOUS!

[drumguything]

Hi Jared, just a question, but i just got a Tama Silverstar Kit, its my 1st acoustic kit, so im not the best at Tuning them. Its came with some Tama Heads (Power Craft heads or something) and i've tried this technique on the Toms but it just sounds shocking, would that be because of the Heads i have?

[ThePoydo]

What are the best heads (Batter and resonance) to get a heavy, powerful, short sustain tom sound, and not much resonance?

Any brand I easy.

[nonpoint666rocks]

is there a difference between the top head and the lower head in sound? because mine are eactly the same and i cant tell which one is which

[vashgrabe]

asdasdasd

[ultimatrum]

don´t you muffle the toms ?

[Oli4drums]

Uhh, don't tighten the lugs in a circular motion. Go opposites.

[Drumlink93]

Which reso-heads do you use?

Awesome drumsound btw!

[KrazyMan329]

I just got my first drum set (pdp mainstage) and I can't get anything tuned. Everything sounds like bongo drums and they keep having this long ringing. What can I do?

[KrazyMan329]

@KrazyMan329 What can I do to make my drums sound like yours*

[nonpoint666rocks]

@KrazyMan329 same here man, what i did with the kick drum to make it sound better was put some pillows inside and it helped, alot, seriously now it sounds like a kick drum, before it was a bongo, so now i'm experimenting with the toms, I might tape something inside to reduce the resonancy

[CaptainShakeel]

@KrazyMan329 i have the same set, and the same problem

[WhoDrums]

@KrazyMan329 I also have that problem on my PDP X7 Drum set!

Someone please help us..

[TheBreakfastBurritos]

@WhoDrums Usually they ring because

1. They're not tuned high enough (If so tune your drums higher)

2. There's not enough muffling (Get Moongel, it saves lives)

3. Your drum heads aren't good enough(?) (If so, I highly recommend Evans G2 Tom heads pack, the ones Jared is using here.)

Hope I helped!

[WhoDrums]

@TheBreakfastBurritos

Thanks for the info man!

Yeah I heard that moongel is great for muffling. :)

And my heads are horrible, they are pdp remo stock heads.. But thanks!

[BowDownMufasa]

@KrazyMan329

for the ringing use moongels. or aquarian studio rings.

what heads are you using. batters/resos.

[c3laya]

@KrazyMan329 its recommended that u replace ur drumheads right away because stock drumheads aren't that good

[InsaneDrumer18]

@KrazyMan329 try to stick something like a paper tissue just to kill that long ringing

if that doesn't work try to buy plastic rings (i don't know how do you call them i'm from croatia) by remo

just look in your local music shop for those

[InsaneDrumer18]

@InsaneDrumer18 stick it on the edge of the head

[js1851]

@KrazyMan329 lol, got one yesterday, sounds average too. I can't get it to sound anything like my previous drum kit.

[PunkApostle]

lol Anal..

[17karankokar]

fine. i cant buy ur great drum set, but can i buy ur shirt?

[tmosley444]

You said DooDoo

[DrummerRyan94]

Hey, I have a Tama Superstar Hyperdrive kit

14" Snare

12" Tom

14" Floor Tom

20" Bass Drum

I use EVANS EC2 SST on both toms as the batter head and the stock Tama reso head...

I can get the 12" Tom sounding exactly how I want it and amazing but I'm constantly struggling with the 14"...

I cannot seem to get it as low as I want it, so when I hit both Toms after one and other... They don't differentiate that much in tone and almost sound the same...

I know it's not the lowest of floor toms coz it's

[goodnamepending]

@DrummerRyan94 tune the bottom head high (tight) and then tune the top head looser till u get the pitch u want

[kevtamk]

hey Jared I have a Pearl Target, yes, the basic Pearl's drum set... do you think that if I buy evans drum heads like yours it could sound fine? or i this a really basic drum so it cant actually sound good? I can afford only buying batter heads (Im not sure if batter is the right word but I mean the top head where you hit)

[Craigy125]

what resonant side heads are you using

[GWolffstein]

How often do we change the drum heads???

[GhostLoveScore0]

This might be silly but how often do you change your tom heads? Would you change the tom heads along with snare head? I know that It depends from the music you play, but roughly?

Big thanks for the video!!! Extremly helpful!!!

[djronzi]

can i get the same sound like you do - with basswood shells?

if i cant, how can i get the sound to be as close as yours?

[linkg13]

I have 6 ply Japanese Maple pearl drums from like 20-30 years ago (vintage ftw) and I have Evans EC2 on them, do you suggest any other kind of heads for the drums I have?

I find that my toms resonate too much and I want a heavier shorter sound, any suggestions?

[drumlessonscom]

@linkg13 You can try the Evans Onyx. Those will have a faster decay and less resonance. I'd also recommend some basic muffling using Moon Gel.

[linkg13]

@drumlessonscom Thanks, ill look into picking up some of those when the ones im using wear out :D

Could you do a video on what kind of skins work best for what kind of drums and how to get a type of sound (shorter sustain vs long sustain) by tuning them differently?

[joeyjuniorjunior]

@drumlessonscom Please could Dave and Sean do a tuning series, just becuase we all do it differently and i think Dave and Sean (becuase of there style) would tell us differently on how they tune there toms, this would appeal to there style abit more than yours (no offence) your a great drummer :D and Happy xmas or Happy Holidays, where ever your reading this from! :) :)

[johnathanharris86]

@drumlessonscom What heads do you use for the reso side?

[Drumlink93]

@linkg13 I use the Evans Onyx and they have a warm short tone. I think you should try em' out !

[Spydr2000]

@linkg13

Tune bottom heads tighter than the top, this will shorten the ringing you hear.

[AJHouserulez]

i agree. it good sound, but the mic's make em sound 10 times better.

[wooddrummer]

Is the bottom tom on 1 full turn (on all toms)?

[wooddrummer]

How tight is the bottom skin!? please please reply... i'm tuning right now!!

[chemacoco]

hey Jared. is mahogany a good wood?

[dave5video]

Hi. I was tuning my toms the other day because they sounded pretty bad and I got them to sound pretty good after a while but when I tried them out with my drum set they kept vibrating the snare and it sounded gross. I had this problem before with my first small tom but now all of them do it. What do I do to stop this?

[Falter1107]

Hey Jared iActually need a lot of help wit my toms dey sound disgusting I've tried everytin n iEven jus put a cloth inside taped to da top head n it sound a little better den way iHad before bt it doesn't hav ur sound . Mine will jus b like a simpler boom no vibration jus a second hit iNeed help so can u message me comment bac anytin or can anyone else help me . Message me anyone? Danc

[MrTsaoJuan]

is there a reason why some people recommend that you tighten the tension rods in a star-like pattern? Because it seems that you just sequentially went around the tension rods to tune the tom.....

[falloist]

0:32 was that a fart?

[BenRawk]

Hi Jared, I tried Tuning my Drum Toms But the sound Kinda Got Worst :X

What Happen??

[gillieman760]

Best tuning video I've seen. very simple and straight forward. you guys are the best! ...you too Jared. Thanks a bunch!

-Cheers

[komakazi1]

i would like to see a video on the difference stick size makes on the sound

[MrStickIII]

14:10 I want to learn this :D

[alexgo4210]

my 13" wont tune. it always has a dead sound ;/

[pugs321]

Is that 8th note on the tom, the first time u tune? sorry im new

[pugs321]

Is that 8th note on the tom?

[brimbles72]

Why do you recommend coated heads?

[kyuubimaster1]

Hey Jared, I have a question and I was hoping you could answer it for me. I have a DW performace series and I have a 14" and 16" floor toms, do you know a way I can have them both sitting on a stand like yours?

[junbug1980]

@JARED: YOU SHOULD GET ENDORSED BY DW, YOU HAVE MANY USERS AND YOUR SET LOOKS SO GOOD...MAKES ME WANT ONE, BUT I HAVE TO SAVE 20 YEARS LOL

[junbug1980]

@JARED: YOU SHOULD GET ENDORSED BY DW, YOU HAVE MANY USERS AND YOU SET LOOKS SO GOOD

[junbug1980]

@JARED: YOU GET ENDORSED BY DW, YOU HAVE MANY USERS AND YOU SET LOOKS SO GOOD

[ChadMaltoMusic]

Jared got me saying "eh" after alot of the stuff I say.. But it's okay. It hads effect to my words.

[4ynakabpa]

I tune my Maxtone really low. I have no idea how to tune my toms, which have five lags:(

But anyway, check out my vids, am I on the right way?

[Dkhay94]

Whats the song at 3:36. I can't put my finger on it.

[EdgeGuy48]

i don't realy like the sound of your 14" tom it sounds like the interval is to close to the 12" mabey you should tune it down slightly

[EdgeGuy48]

lol when you talk about seating the drum heads its like me with guitar, when you change the strings people like to stretch them out first but i find they stay in tune if i just put em on and tune em up

[lylaznboi01]

Use turtles to tune your drums.

[AfterlifeBlack]

Hehe he said anal.

[uu9999uu]

You're so anal Jared!

[Archkyrie11]

I like Turtles to lol

[keitheidebrecht]

Can I have your drum set?

[MrDrummerboii11]

Does anyone know what resonant heads he uses?

[RonnieBrewerFan]

At first I tried to hate Jarod because of his ol' spiky hair and happy attitude, but he keeps teaching me stuff. At this rate I'll be buying an "I Like Turtles" shirt.

[david2452]

@senore14 you tune it diagonally like an x

[DanGordon93]

Hey Jared :) Im loving your videos, you have great info about drumming and i love your content :) i have a question. Would you be able to make a video whenever you can about how to practice Triple Strokes? I watched your doubles video, and i have been practicing for about 2 months on them, and i feel confident with them now. i was just wondering how to go about practicing the triple stroke roll. I cant seem to find out how on the web.So i thought i would ask you as your videos are very helpful:)

[dropdeadSander]

@drumlessonscom

what reso heads do you use?!

[pineapplelim]

Another great tutorial!

[beanriffs]

i am not going to be a hater about seating your drums by pushing your fist into it but i know a guy who stands on his drums and his drums sound quite bad and way too deep considering he also puts his cymbals in sand as soon as he gets them.

[Dkhay94]

@beanriffs What does putting it in sand do 0_0

[beanriffs]

@Dkhay94

makes it have a vintage sound and it kinda wears out the finish

[SenorE14]

I have a question when you are tuning an 8 inch tom with 4 tension rods do you do the same thing or do you tune it differently??

[theman82]

the most relevant tip I got from this is: get good drums first!

[ImKidCuddy]

Is it better to have a coated head or a clear one?

[almightytyke182]

I got my G2's after you recommended them and I've never been happier with the sound of my drums! Thank you!

[hoostavah]

I also like turtles. :) 

[EdRuMmEr7]

jared, i recently tuned my snare drum and tom but now when i hit the tom it makes the snare resonate. how can i fix this problem? thanks.

[drumlessonscom]

@EdRuMmEr7 That is a very common problem. (Thumb up this comment if it happens to you). It's the tone of the tom and the tone of the snare shell thats causing the buzz. You can experiment with different tunings and that may help.

[kaneb221]

Thanks Jared! You've helped me so much over the last couple of years. I wish I could shake your hand. Keep up the damn good work. Ill be tuned in.

[Bmartell1021]

how often should you replace the bottom side of the tom?

[feche174580]

Hi Jared, how often do you change your drumheads? I mean all of the kit.

[drumlessonscom]

@feche174580 It depends on how much I play. Now I change them every 4 - 8 weeks. I change the reso heads every 3rd time.

[tererechipa]

Jared, are you doing a How to clean your cymbals lesson?I'm really struggling with that, you know abrasive and non abrasive, all that kind of stuff.

[drumlessonscom]

@tererechipa Sure, it's on the list bro.

[danvranic]

Another great idea Jared, is when you were talking about seating the head, tune them high up, and i leave them for a little while, and then come back and finish the fine tuning.

[drumlessonscom]

@danvranic VERY good idea. READ THIS EVERYONE ^^^^^

[DanDeePee]

i think your drum set is magical

[drumlessonscom]

@DanDeePee Me too :)

[opel257]

if i hit my drums my heads are not white anymore how do you keep them white?

hope you will answer me jared

[GD717]

@opel257 he replaces the heads before they have a chance to lose colour.. :)

[drumlessonscom]

@opel257 They are getting worn out. There is not really any way around that. That's a good indicator that the heads need to be changed.

[opel257]

@drumlessonscom

ah oke thank you

this helpt very good :P

[MrTrinidrummer]

great lesson Jared now i think i can tune my drums properly most if not all my questions were answered with this lesson

[xICHIGOxiii]

thanks jared! got wat i wanted~ i wish it was possible to tune cymbals too! the cheap cymbals that come with some drumsets sold by cheapskates sound friggin horrible! and good cymbals are just too pricy! LOL if it were possible i'll save a ton of cash!

[Villex93]

How does the tuning of the redo head effect the sound? Tight or loose, which does what?

[drumlessonscom]

@Villex93 It will change the way the drum resonates. It also depends on the way the top head is tuned and the type of drums. I highly recommend just tuning it up and down and finding a sound that you like.

[Villex93]

@drumlessonscom Thanks!

[blindByfearify]

i normally tune my reso waaaay higher that the top head :P but thats personal taste :D good tutorial, even if the 12" tom has a lot of overtones :P

[drumlessonscom]

@blindByfearify Awesome dude! Thanks for the comment.

[livedrummerboy26]

jared you just impress me with your rudiments! aha

[tomogh311]

Mm a lot of overtones on that 12" tom

[SophiaLovesDrums]

I like how he has his feet on his pedal all the time, although it's a video about tuning toms.

Always ready to start ripping it off :D

[MightymanofGod21]

Hey Jared- may the Turtles be with you :). Love the video, especially since I have (or should I say had) little to no clue about tuning. Also, I think you could make a lesson video just on the tom beat you did at the end. Looking foward to the next vid.

[tyfaruque]

So I have a fairly weird question. I bought my drums used, and my floor tom (16") doesn't have a rim for the bottom, so it has no resonant head. I haven't been able to find a new rim in the almost 2 years I've had the drums. Do you have any tuning advice for my situation? Thanks.

[drumlessonscom]

@tyfaruque I recommend finding a rim and getting some tension rods. Do a Google search on your rim type and you can find them. Also, check out the Gibraltar website as they make parts that work for all drum-sets.

[Videditor1067]

Quick tip... I throw some color tape or even spray paint the one side of my drum key handle. This helps to keep track of the turn when going around the head. Especially when you have 6 drums to tune up.

[drumlessonscom]

@Videditor1067 Another great tip. READ THIS COMMENT EVERYONE ^^^

[remurdereht]

sorry for double posting, but i also want to ask, but is the sound you're hearing at all similar to what is output through the mics? i think they sound amazing over the mics but i've never heard a live drum sound quite like that.

[drumlessonscom]

@remurdereht Depends on how they're mic'd the sound may change as it's being processed. In this video, we just used overhead mics to give you a better indicator of exactly what I'm doing.

[remurdereht]

how often do you change your heads? they barely look used at all. you should keep them. they could all still be used.

[drumlessonscom]

@remurdereht I am lucky to be endorsed so I get to change them more often. Usually every 4 - 8 weeks.

[LaughingOutKraut]

@drumlessonscom Good lord, that's hella often! It takes me way too much time to get the sound I want in my drums to put new heads on that often.

[therockonx]

@drumlessonscom What do you do with the head? I'd use them if you would send them to me.:)

[Nitram916]

@drumlessonscom must be annoying to change heads so often? :P

[bounce2628]

Jared, I just started drumming about 6 months ago. I have a really cheap kit for now how can I make them sound at least decent? and what is the best way to set up my cymbals ?

[pompernickels]

@bounce2628 i also have a cheaper drum set however i am able to get a pretty good sound out of it because i have good heads and i am good at tuning, what i suggest is to get good at tuning

[irishdrummergirl100]

I like turtles too! Great vid!! Thank you! : )