"Drummers Only" Bob Gatzen Drum Tuning Tip #1

[bobgatzen]

My pleasure cj... thanks for the kind words

[bobgatzen]

Always my pleasure... thanks for kind words cj!

[cjgarza89]

i thought i was good at tuning before, but all these videos make my drums sound great. i get a ton of compliments on my sound. thanks Bob

[soopcoop08]

Bob Gatzen is a boss.

[Blastrebation]

Perhaps fashionable..

[bobgatzen]

@Blastrebation Thanks for the morning....LOL! 

[Blastrebation]

@bobgatzen Lol. Seriously though bob, you know your stuff better than anyone else. Made my drums sound infinitely better, and opened my mind. Thanks Bob!

P.S. And the fashion tips help too! :P

[bobgatzen]

@Blastrebation I'm LOLing blast!! That's so good to hear though... especially the fashion statement! Let's stay in touch

[Blastrebation]

@bobgatzen I'm glad Lol. Lets. :)

[zobazoba69]

Bob gatzen is the only man I know who can beat chuck norris in the art of drumming

[espguitarpro77]

Where can i order this DVD?

[bobgatzen]

@espguitarpro77 Alfred Publishing or Amazon. Make sure you get the 2nd edition which includes the first edition back in the 90's. "DrumTuning, Sound & Design...SIMPLIFIED" is the title. Big thanks pro!!

[5Spekter]

use remo heads! jk bob. great job on all your vids! =]

[bobgatzen]

@5Spekter BIG thank you 5S!

[earmuffhead]

i love you

[bobgatzen]

@earmuffhead awwww... don't what to say except... thanks EAR!! Really appreciate it

[bobgatzen]

Subtle differences between maple & birch combos. For example...Maple generates more brightness in tone... more sustain...pitch clarity. It's important to note that shell "construction" is as... if not more important than wood types. It's a tough call...best to go into drum shops or departments, test the drums, tune em up, hit em...you'll know when you hit pay dirt! Happy hunting and holidays

bob

[DeadtreeFilms1]

How big of a difference on the sound do the woods of the drums make in relationship to the heads? Such as my favorites: maple + clear or coated, or birch +clear or coated. And after that, what about the maple/birch composite shells? I really hope that bade sense.

[metalicadude69]

Bob, I really love your way of explaining things. It's almost like you're here talking to me personally helping me understand whatever you're talking about. Most people would just tell us directly what you're saying, but you go the extra mile to think of creative ways to help us figure it out. Just because of your awesome teaching abilities I'm considering switching from Aquarian to Evans ^_^

You are, in fact, a tuning god.

Thanks Bob,

-Zach

[AAXDrums]

Bob, is a drum God. No doubts. You teach us how to tune and make our drums sound amazing.

You're our drum dad !

[bobgatzen]

@AAXDrums Drum dad...wow... now that's original! But I'm not sure about the age factor.... God & Dad? How about drum guro? lol!!!... really lol'ing!! Either way AA...big thanks!

[jtc95]

bob your the man

and you definetly know whats best for drums,

im buying this dvd and i would highly recommend it,

and your drum kit is awesome'

have a good one,

cheers afro :)

[bobgatzen]

@jtc95 BIG thanks back to you jt! Your message goes directly into my "Rainy Day" files. These are inspiring messages that put me back on track when I'm feeling low!!

Bob

[sk8erboy182]

this is the best tuning dvd for drums in history

[bobgatzen]

@sk8erboy182 Well thank you very much... how nice of you to write!

[JJSHIZZ]

hey bob, i always have a problem with heads. I love to have a warm, deep tone, however, my heads get easy dented in a very short amount of time. I don't know what to do.. should i tune to a higher octave ? or play softer ?

[bobgatzen]

@JJSHIZZ Welll I'll need more info...What type of heads (brand & style) are you using? When is the last time you replace them. Also, what type of drumstick?

[JJSHIZZ]

@bobgatzen im using evans G2 coated. I played them for about 4 weeks. I was using Vic Firth sticks. It seems to always happen, even on the beater side of my bass drum.

[bobgatzen]

@JJSHIZZ Interesting I just answered a question on what heads I used on the "Attitude Adjustment" video. They were G-2 Coated!! That was shot a few years ago before the "EC" line was invented. I suggest trying the new EC2-SST on your floor tom...more control, easy tuning and excellent durability. Please let me know how it plays out for you.

[JJSHIZZ]

@bobgatzen thanks bob ! I'll definitely give those a shot when the heads i have on now give out

[777warrior1]

Hey Bob, Just wanted to thanks for the help. have watch many of your tutorials and such and have to say that God has given you a great drumming a teaching gift. Am playing an old Tama rock star set for nine years now and am just now learning about the right tuning and all the above. Thanks again and am using your methods and telling fellow drummers to tune into your stuff as well.

[bobgatzen]

@777warrior1 That's so nice of you to take the time to write...thank you! The more drummers are in the "know", the more our industry grows! Always happy to help out.

Thanks again,

Bob

[drumtime360]

What a great example, most drummers would have probably went on a really technical explanation for like ten minutes. this is so clear most non-drummers would probably understand. btw, i picked up an emad about 4 months ago, and i'm still so happy with it, thanks Bob.

[bobgatzen]

@drumtime360 Always striving for the simplest explanation...not an easy thing. Great to hear that...thanks so much DT!

[MrDrummer1992]

hey bob i'm having trouble with one of my snares its a homemade 14'' segmented cherry snare drum and i was wondering what would be the best heads to put on the top and bottom thanks a bunch

[bobgatzen]

What head combination are you currently using and how old are the heads?

[MrDrummer1992]

well the kit is a pdp x7 and i'm using the same heads that came with the kit..i have had them for 3 to 4 weeks i need new heads for those..but the snare is got a remo power stroke 3 and a remo ambassader on the bottom and i have had those for at least 6 to 7 months

[bobgatzen]

Here is a good selection of heads for just about any musical genre.

SN- Powercenter-RD/ Hazy 300 snare side

TOMs- EC2-SSD batters / EC-reso or Genera-resos

BD- EC2 Clear & the new EC-reso (that will hit the market within a couple of weeks)

Good luck! Let's us know how it works out

[garytheagnostic]

Also, having your heads not centered for extended periods of time can cause your shells to go out of round.

[bobgatzen]

Not likely. The biggest culprit is exposure to radical, severe climate conditions. Left in the car during winter or extremely hot & humid conditions.

[garytheagnostic]

Yes, temperature and humidity are real bad, for any instrument. You're probably right about the head though. It would probably stretch out before bending the wood. I'm just overly cautious lol.

[garytheagnostic]

Good analogy.

[bobgatzen]

thanks gary

[kickdrum100]

whats your opinion on the drumteck dts drum tuning system?

[bobgatzen]

I haven't had the opportunity to really check it out. I've heard good and not so good stories from drummers. But that's typical when it comes to any "innovative" break-through product. I think the guys at Drumteck deserve credit for taking the chance on something new...I know that feeling, it's scary!

[kickdrum100]

@bobgatzen whats the deal with drumframe? im dying to get my hands on one of these, and if you guys start back up will you be bringing the vx-ez into your company as far as i know it wasnt one of your products? maybe just a rumour but either way i think you guys have something amazing and will change the way we drum till the end

[bobgatzen]

The vx version was based on a 3 year contract with Kaman Music. The "Taiwan" version was problematic so we did not extend our contract. Currently we are seeking a fabricator to be able to offer the DF at a reasonable price here in the states.

Thanks for the kudos on DF...one of my all-time favorite inventions... very close to my heart.

[kickdrum100]

@bobgatzen im sorry that question is off topic

[Musicaman12]

Ok Bob what about Damping your drum heads?!?! What do you use? I have moongels I like them. What do you think of them?!?!

I enjoy your videos.

[bobgatzen]

I use Evans MIN-EMAD Mufflers on the toms and EQ and/or RGS Pads in the BD's.

[jennafan14]

and bob when you say like find the lug thats flat and tune the lug across from it.. does apply all the time or just when seating a new head?

[bobgatzen]

Just have to approach small diameter drums a bit differently... keep at it... you'll get it.

[bobgatzen]

Yes, it's best to seat the head in a crisscross fashion. Once the head is seated, quick tune-ups are a combination of crisscrossing and circular techniques. After a while you'll get a feel (intuitive) for which technique to use.

[jennafan14]

drum dial perhaps?

[bobgatzen]

The drum dial can be helpful... it's the only tuning aid I feel works fairly well. However, it doesn't replace your "ears" which is the ultimate goal. Hey!! 2010!!! good "timing" to set personal goals.

[jennafan14]

thnx bob! i have pretty good ears as far as snare and floor toms. but yea not 10 inch rack tom and bass drum so much

[jennafan14]

hey bob. i'm having problems tuning my drums i've watched all your vids over and over, but what does a standard 10,12,14, 22x18 kit sound like? any advice bob? i just want standard and then make adjustments from there

[bobgatzen]

Try tuning the 10" tom and the 14" tom to the same pitch (F>G) The 10" should be pitch an octave higher than the 14" Once you have that in place tune the 12" drum between C>G "above" the pitch between the 10' and 14" pitches. It's important to set-up the octaves between the 14" and 10" drums. Let me know how it works for you... Happy New Year!

[noeffingwayman]

@bobgatzen this comment is EXACTLY what i was looking for.

thanks so much for sharing these videos! they make me wish you'd been my band instructor- you're a wonderful educator.

[bobgatzen]

Well thank you very much... always my pleasure. I working on my next DVD and plan to upload vids from it. Please stay tuned!

[McYdys]

hey bob, i have a question.

when i tune 2 lugs across each other, the next lug in the pattern i tune is loose, or sometimes tighter than fingertight. should i still tighten that lug the same as the others or should i try to tension it so it feels as tight as the others? Thank you, and great videos on drumming

[bobgatzen]

Thanks Mc!

If you match pitches between the lugs @ 12:00 & 6:00 then yes, you should try to match the same pitch to lug 3:00 & 9:00, than 2:00 & 8:00. Once you all the lugs at about the same pitch then tweak each lug pitch to match the next by

moving in a clock-wise (12-1-2-3 etc) fashion. Don't forget to do final tuning using the OTR method demonstrated on the channel.

[JimBohabri]

One more thing,

The 13" tuned E - G

16" C-D

12" one octave higher then the floor tom

what about the 10, 14" ?

[bobgatzen]

14" perfect 4th higher than the 16@ C

The 10" an "F". octave higher than the 14

[JimBohabri]

Thank you, I will test that next month I think. I will also muffle my front head at the bass drum, I like that kicky sound in you vid with the EC pad!

[bobgatzen]

You're welcome...let us know how it works out for you.

[JimBohabri]

Hey Bob. I have a Pearl Kit with Poplar shells, they have great punch and bottom. I would like them to sound more Focused, not that open as they are now. And still contain the loudness. Is that possible at all? Im playing metal, and they sound kind of Jazz at the moment.. So, FOCUSED, and LOUD. What heads do you recomend?

[bobgatzen]

First I suggest changing the reso heas to the new Evans EC-resos. They provide more focus, definition and warmth in tone REGARDLESS of the batter head style. The EC-2 clears and EC-resos were designed as system. I suggest trying that combo on your 12" drum before further investment of $ and experimentation. If you do that, let know your feelings about the sound & feel and should be able give more intelligent choices in head combos.

[polishcomedy]

Bob, I had a similar question. I play all kinds of music, and am looking for something fairly versatile. In your tom head video it seemed the G2's had a more focused sound and quicker decay, whereas the EC resos rang forever. According to Evans' website the EC reso is supposed to have a very quick decay. Either way, I'd be willing to give the combo you mention here a try, but what do you think of EC-2 coated as opposed to the clear? Why do you recommend clear, and what would be the main diff?

[bobgatzen]

The clear offers more versatility so I recommend it for first time EC users.

By comparison (to the clear) the EC-2 coated batter produces shorter sustain with less "slap" (attack) This may work fine for you but in regards to versatility, less so. However, the EC-reso will create more "density" in tone by shortening sustain. It's comes down to personal choice which is why I recommend testing, comparing heads on a

single drum.

[tripleguy031]

hey bob this is a important question you have never been asked before in the comments/youtube messages section!! Can you put mutes (the internal things inside ur drum, that pushes up on the batter head, normally its metal and the disk that pushes up is the same stuff as the soft stuff used to keep the cymbal knob from touching the cymbal)...thats a mute, well thats what i heard what its called from my friends, well can u put mutes in metal snares? thanks, its a theory they can only go in wood.

[bobgatzen]

If your referring to internal mufflers that were used many years ago. The reason they were abandoned is the drum heads should push away from the muffler, not pushed into the head. Internal mufflers were designed more for convenience than function.

[tripleguy031]

ah yes i am bob! Thanks for taking the time to reply, umm so the moongels are better than internal? because i might not find a very good snare thats wood next time i go to a music shop in Kansas City, Kansas. I am looking forward in using moongels when muffling, What do you reccomend?

[bobgatzen]

The Evans MIN-Emad mufflers work great. Lot's of control, adjustability over the amount of dampening.

[cocacolalight1994]

is 9-ply philippine mahogany drum good for rock?

[bobgatzen]

Mahogany shells generally produce a warm, softer tone. A standard in the industry is the metal, Ludwig Supraphonic 400. It's a great all-around drum that is works great in live and recording environments. Keep in mind that sound is a personal choice. If the 9-ply works for you than it works well!

Sound is subject...

[cocacolalight1994]

hey bob! what happens if i tune my drums in a small room then take the drum set outdoor? will the sound and sustain remains the same?

[bobgatzen]

Oh sure, the drums are the constant, the listener's perspective is the variable. Generally, drums sound big in a small room and vice versa out in the field. However, if you go from the small room to a large gymnasium... the drums will sound bigger in the gym.

[MeatDrums]

I love your metaphors, makes everyone understand easily, even the dumbest imbecile drummer can understand. Keep it like this!

[bobgatzen]

Wow, great message! I love metaphors... EVERYTHING is a metaphor! Thanks M

[zZmekmekZzDrummerzZ]

can someone tell me how to make your toms stop ringing???? and especially when I hit my bass..... oh and my bass pedal wont come back to wear it is supposed to... ive tried all of the videos for fixing it or how to put together one and it still wont come back and when it does it hits my foot.... i hve to pull my pedal back alot and it slaides back up and it wont move!!! HELP ME!!!!

[drumnbass00]

Have you tried dampener rings? Moon-Gels? external muffler? there are lots of methods on dampening your drum. whether it's duck-tape (not recommended) or a new drum head, it all depends on what works for you and your drum set.

[zZmekmekZzDrummerzZ]

No... I dont really know what that is... but i just think that I will use duct tape...... Ive seen a lot of perfessionals with duct tape so I dont think that I will buy any e-rings... maybe moon gel.... If I can Find it.

[stupidplants]

MOON-GELS are great

[nirvanacrazy23]

the evans e-rings are good.. especially on snare drums, they get rid of all the horrible ringing overtones.

[Lili0000007]

I JUST CANT TUNE MY DRUMS!i dont know if is because of the drum heads or what!! HELP!

[bobgatzen]

Put a few hours aside and watch all the videos on the channel.

Also, spend time experimenting with different tunings on the toms...if you can get your toms in tune the rest of the kit is cake!

[1Co118]

Very good tip. That way, you're not always stretching the head until in wears out or breaks. Thanks for the advice :)

[bobgatzen]

Your  welcome

[borishog]

THANKS MATE

[KarlovackoFan]

Hi Bob!I have one question for you;I want to buy a custom handcrafted drums and I want from them big and fat sound with great projection and I want to know is combination of BUBINGA and OAK (5 ply bubinga and 3 ply oak on toms and 6 ply bubinga and 4ply oak on bass) is the best combination for sound that I want?or maybe only bubinga...

Thanks

[5kyler]

hahahahah THATS IT!!!!! MR ROGERS! you have this way of explaining things that is so funny. thanks for the videos.

[bobgatzen]

Thanks again

[WalruswasPaul88]

i also wanted to say i got a newer snare drum well i bought it brand new and now all of a sudden the snare strainer tension knob wont turn at all any ideas i have traveled with it lately playing shows but always took good care of it(its my baby) just asking for help thanks

idk maybe the knob got bent or something but im taking it in to my local music store to see what they can do when i go to pick up new Cases!!! for an upcoming tour woot! im excited but thanks have a great day!

[bobgatzen]

Hard to respond without hands-on. Let's see what your dealer suggests

[WalruswasPaul88]

hey bob just wanted to say i been watching a lot of your videos on here and i really dig them

thanks for all the help

Jason : )

[bobgatzen]

Thanks Jason... means a lot to me

[Dannysuess]

Thanks Bob! My joice just got a little bit easier! :-)

Its the bottom end I am looking and going for! Hope my new set works out. Thanks again! You are the best!! :-)

BTW nice hat!!!

[bobgatzen]

Your very welcome!I appreciate that

[Dannysuess]

Hi Bob,

I saw that you are using short stack toms.

I am thinking of buying short stacks, too but I am not sure whether to keep the floor toms at basic sizes because of the bottom end or take them short stack. The sizes would be 14X7 and 16X8 for the floor toms.

I have already made up my mind about the rack toms. Sizes are 8X4, 10X5,5 and 12X6.

Maybe you can give advise on the floor toms because I am not sure of the short stack floors will project aswell as the regular sized ones.

[bobgatzen]

Yes I have used 8" depths but these days I'm drawn to more low frequency content in 11x14 & 13X16". Good luck with you journey!

[splokotong123456]

hey bob how can overcome overtones haha and what is the best drum heads that i can use?

[bobgatzen]

You gotta try the EC-2's with the new EC-resos. Here is a comment from fellow tuber.

"Hello Mr. Bob Gatzen,

As per your advice I bought the EC2's, Emad's front and back and what you advised for the snare, and WOW what a difference they made. I kept my original resonant heads from Mapex on the toms, but the new heads really made a change in how easy these drums tune up for me now.

I just want to thank you for your advice and wish you the best for the future!"

.

[shannyfanny46]

hahaha, i just realized my dad did this shoot. i recognize his voice in the mr. rodgers thing.

[bobgatzen]

Who's your dad? John?

[shannyfanny46]

haha yeah. i was watching your video and i heard the singing and i thought it sound SOO familiar, and then i remembered he did that shoot and it all clicked.

[flesongo]

hey bob what snare drum head do you think will sound better in a Gretsch catalina maple?

thanx

[bobgatzen]

If your not sure what your after sound wise the best bet is The Evans PowerCenter-RD with the Hazy 300 snare. This delivers a good all-around sound for many styles of performance

[forgodsake47]

oH bob u clown

[bobgatzen]

Can't take ourselves too seriously can we?

[gothickid13]

i dont get it

[bobgatzen]

The analogy is how we naturally" center" a hat of our head to centering a drumhead to the bearing edges of the drum. It's "feel" we all know.

[gothickid13]

thx man i actually understand tht

[AlchemicalAscendancy]

That was AWESOME!

Great analogy!

I wish I would have seen that 10 years ago!

[bobgatzen]

ooooo I like to hear that kind of stuff... thanks!

[AlchemicalAscendancy]

Thanks for all the Tips!

[owaaaa984]

thnx again bob, i also wantd to ask u, wats ur opinion on drum racks? do u think they r worth there weight?

[bobgatzen]

The advantages with rack systems is ease and consistency in set-up. It's almost impossible to duplicate your set up when place individual stands on the floor. I think most drummers agree that "stand" set-up's make the kit feel a little bit different each time you move and re-set. Hey.... that can be inspiring or totally frustrating.

[asdithgedf]

i wish i had a rack for my set. one im too lazy to buy one and i have alot of cymbals stands. so what i did since i found an old peiceof carpet was set my drum up the way i always like them. then i took a sharpy and marked around each stand and around the legs of them floor toms. it looks kinda funny but i get a very consistent set up.

[owaaaa984]

Great job man, ur a genious wen it cums to playing and tuning. u hav so mny little tips that help so much. im getting a tama superstar, which has shorter toms for more attack and punch. so i was wondering, if im looking for a loud snare, agressive toms, and a low bass drum with medium resonance, wat kind of evans heads wud u reccomend?

[bobgatzen]

Well thank you for those kind words! This one easy...

Toms-EC-2 clear batter/EC-reso

BD-EMAD 2 & Emad Reso

Snr- ECS-RG or ST-Dry with Hazy 300 snare

[owaaaa984]

THANK U.

[krazykoolkid]

wow haha this is quite genius. makes me understand things better.

[Foodylox]

You are a good man. This is just the kind of info I've been after. These clips are now favourites and I'll be referring to them often. Cheers! :-)

[holynuts55]

oh bob you make your vids such in a cool way that makes them even better to watch

[drumsnworship]

Thank you so much for making this available on the Net. I was writing an article on drum tuning and have referenced these video clips. I have also picked up some good tips from watching these clips. Keep on doing what you're doing! Thanks!

[bobgatzen]

Thank you!

[drummersamnesialol]

thanks bob gatzen the funny drummer who makes funny jokes even though i dont get them

[SoWletRain]

nice example using the hat

[brianthedrummer]

i just got your video bob. Wow, i have a lot to learn. Most impressive. i was disappointed that you did not cover tools like the drum dial. I would of also liked to learn how to tune my new DW kit to pitch. Suggestions?

[mattGamer]

Awesome. No one taught me this before. Really nice tutorials, man.

[bobgatzen]

Thanks for those kind words!

[ibz11]

Nice analogy Bob!

[JoelKinsley22]

HAHAHHA...good advise, but really really cheesy!

[2006man]

WOW! Good example using cap for example of the drumhead tunnig.