Changing & Tuning Your Snare Drum Heads

[Pelleman666]

Sorry, didn't hear that you said how the resonant head was supposed to be tuned, my mistake, just reeally tired right now:p

[Pelleman666]

God! Wtf's up with that annoying depressing background music?

Otherwise.. A Pretty informative video, but I though you'd tell me how the resonant head was supposed to be tuned too, if it's supposed to be the same as the top, or one octave up or whatever:p

[fouellet1701]

He says to set the pitch of the bottom head slightly higher than the top, yet it sounds the exact opposite when he taps on the heads! Then at the end he says he raised the pitch of the top slightly higher...

[fillecool2]

Dude, my guitars is much easier to tune!

[rocou]

PLEASE my snare is ressonating like hell, and i dont know how to tune it up to have more dry sound...if anyone have some tip, or something please respond...thanx

[kakushi27]

lol tention knob

[yousagayfish]

I dont use a star pattern at all,

I dont suggest doing it and makeing two different sounds per star due to confusion P:

I fine tune and make ALL the parts of the drum by the screws sound the same

[allmetaliswelcome]

if you want to replace the stock heads on your set, but you don't have much money than what head is the most important to change for changing the sound: the batter or the resonant?

[DrumsonSALE]

@allmetaliswelcome

By far it would be the batter head for the toms and bass drum - The resonant head is important but not as crucial if it is old (as long as it is not worn out)

For a snare drum, both heads are as important - I actually changed a bottom head on a snare the other day and it made a world of difference, even with a heavily worn-in batter head.

[bealed15]

@glimpus yeah but that makes it easier to rip a hole in

[FlyingFinnishman]

If I order a snare drum head from a music store, do I get it as it appears @ 1:38?

[TheReverend777]

@FlyingFinnishman I believe that is an Evans Genera HD Dry snare drum head. so if you buy that one, yes it will.

[NJW3]

Does tightening the lugs closest to the wires also eliminate excess buzzing? And, do wire markings on the bottom head mean the wires are too tight?

[DrumsonSALE]

@NJW3 Loosening the wires acts a bit like a snare bed; the slack in the head makes the head a bit softer at that spot and reduces the snare buzz a bit... The wires will always put marks on the head over time, but extreme tension on the snare wires will push them into the head and create "dents" with the wires.

[Eurodrummer666]

At 0:33 you change tension of the wires while they are engaged, normally, this is bad for the resonant head because it "mashes" them... This should be done while wires are disengaged. But your video is interesting.

[DrumsonSALE]

@Eurodrummer666 - Good point, but I disagree... The only way to find the tensioning "sweet spot" is to play the drum with the snares engaged and change the tension until you have the snare response dialed in - There are several throw-offs that actually have "stops" on the lever that give you multiple tension settings; this is the same as turning the knob. Really, you only mash the snares at extreme tensions, which I don't recommend anyway because it completely chokes out the snare sound.

[tinx0777]

a question. why should the drumheads logo should be between the tensions rods?? does it affect in any way the sound of the snare???

[DrumsonSALE]

No, it does not really matter - it's just so it looks neat...

[tinx0777]

@DrumsonSALE oh then ok, thanks ^_^

[glimpus]

Honestly, I tune my snare as tight as possible. It sounds great.

[sg1414]

thank you, this was really helpful

[RadioJack]

You don't even have to have the head in tune that perfectly to get a Genera Dry head to sound good. lol.

[TheAirsoftcrazy]

You dont have to remove the snares. Just put your drum stick across the head so it stays there and holds up the snare!

[DrumsonSALE]

You can do that, but i wouldn't recommend it... You run the risk of bending up the snares and you have to struggle to pull the head out - so you're not really saving any effort either... and besides, with a new head on the bottom you still have to re-adjust the snares anyway...

[jennafan14]

hey. i got a new maple snare a pdp m5. and i'm having problems seating my batter head. one lug on the drum is like the head is so stretched like when i crank the head it doesnt even tension. but all the others are close to the rim like there suppose to be. i've heard people say something about stretching a head by putting pressure on the center of it and making it crack and stuff? what do you think because i do what you do and it didnt seat right

[DrumsonSALE]

When all else fails, pull the head off and start over...

Make sure the head has not pulled apart from it's glue-ring. Also make sure all the tension rods/lugs are threaded properly and are not too long. Put a little grease or machine oil on the tension rods so they move smoothly. Make sure the head rests on the shell and can spin smoothly - same for the rim on the head (without the rods in) - if the head/rim doesn't, then something may be bent or bad...

[DrumsonSALE]

Overall, I think just starting over will help you make sure that something isn't wrong - or at least pinpoint what is!

[jennafan14]

@DrumsonSALE yea i figured out the head got stretched out,., i'm getting new ones today so i'll try it again.

[jennafan14]

thanks for your help. i just cant see why that lug got off

[moeller505]

okay thanks, but my snare got a terrible, metallic sustain when i use my head old head which is a UX remo head, i got with the set. i've heard people say that UX heads is i bit like the ambassador heads, so right now i have a powerstroke 3 on with a damping ring inside, and that sounds ok. so i dont really wont to buy a ambassador because i'm afraid of it would sound terrible, but i dont now the difference between a UX head and ambassador ??

[DrumsonSALE]

A UX head (or UX Ambassador head) is the same as and American made Remo Ambassador... maybe just a little bit lesser quality, but it's the same style head.

[moeller505]

i have a sonor snare, i dont really now which drum heads a shall choose ??

[DrumsonSALE]

There are dozens of options, but here is what i would pick...

For the bottom head I would choose either a Remo Ambassador or Evans Hazy 300 - a good medium weight head bottom head.

For the top I would decide on a single or double ply head - Single ply is more responsive, but double is more durable. (Single ply would be an Evans G1 or Remo Ambassador; Double ply would be an Evans G2 or a Remo Emperor)

There are lots of other heads beyond that, but that what i would start with.

[jennafan14]

@moeller505 i got a g2 batter head. and i didnt like it, i'd try a evans genera hd dry

[zenwolf1993]

are Evans drum heads better than remo's? that drum has a fuller sound than mine.

[DrumsonSALE]

It's just preference really...

The tone is due to the style of head and also the drum itself. There are 100's of variations in a snare drum that can alter the tone.

[drumtilludrop610]

@zenwolf1993 i prefer evans because they are typically warmer and fuller (although remo does have some warm heads) but they both have their ups and downs and they both have many different classes of heads which have different resonance and sustain characteristics (evans has a wider variety). Overall its preference

[ThankYou4TheRice]

this is the only snare tuning video ive seen that actually helps

today is my first time tuning a bottom snare and ive been messin with it for hours

[DrumsonSALE]

...let me know if you have any questions and I'll try and help!

[LeftHandedPandas]

would a remo COATED ambassador be bad for a resonant side on a snare?

[DrumsonSALE]

Yes - that's the completely wrong head. That would be a batter (top) head.

You need a head specifically marked "Snare" side - These are about half as thick as a top head and are needed to make the snares vibrate properly.

[drumtilludrop610]

@LeftHandedPandas a coated head on the resonant side would dampen and make the sound very fat (which i do like) so it depends on the sound you want (tuning and muffling also play big parts in that)

[DanNinjaMan]

Is there a point to lining up the logo or is that purely for aesthetics?

[DrumsonSALE]

Mostly it's just for looks - But I do use it as a guide so that when I but the drum on the stand it will always position my throw-off where i want it... and also, when your kit is set-up poorly it just makes it look like you don't know what you are doing at all!

[bat830]

hey bruised eye sockets, get a single ply head for the bottom and grease or de-rust your tension rods. rusty tention rods dont allow you to tighten your heads

[cellularman99]

i have done everything you said to do on this but i still keep getting that annoying buzzy sound

[DrumsonSALE]

It could be due to the quality/condition of the snares... Are they bent in any way or do they lie perfectly flat? It could also be the edge of the drum shell. On drums without a snare bed (a dip in the shell where the snares lay) I have had better luck using cord instead of plastic straps to mount the snares - they conform to the edge better and let the snares lay flat.

[BruisedEyeSockets]

I don't have the throwoff knob thing. I broke the bottom head, bought a new one, and can't get the snare tight. Can somebody help?

[DrumsonSALE]

The throwoff should have some sort of lever & tension knob - If not, than parts are missing.

[920connor]

If you have a 14.5 snare drum head do you have to buy a 14.5 drum head or can you buy a 15

[DrumsonSALE]

You likely have a 14" head - When you measure a drum you want to measure just the drum shell - do not include the rims in the measurement... The easy way to measure is across the opposite lugs just inside the rim.

[xbulldog12x]

@920connor there is no such thing as a 14.5

you most likely measured it wrong. its either a 14 in drum or 15 in drum

[kc5tng]

@920connor - They dont make a 14.5 snare drum head. When snare drums are listed in size ...what the numbers mean is: 5 1/2 x 14 equals 5 1/2 " in depth and 14" in diameter. Some may list their sizes as 5.5 x 14 or 6.5 x 14.. the small number refers to the depth of the drum which has nothing to do with the drum head size. the drum diameters are always listed in even numbers.

[darthtatr92]

what kind of drum head do you need on the bottom?

[DrumsonSALE]

You do need to use a "snare side" head - These are thinner than a batter (top) head and will let the snares vibrate freely.

[jerma7x]

It's called a hazy

[cbddrummer]

i'm doing this right now put i can't get my snares on my drum please spend me a message and give me a hint or 2

[FunDude15XD]

idk how to fix it but i suggest for u to go to guitar center or anyplace that sells drum kits to help u fix it

[pablitoTV]

when you change the Batter head, Do u have to change the resonant as well?? coz i did change my batter head and then i started to get some weird rings which i didnt have b4 i change my drum head

[DrumsonSALE]

You don't have to change both heads... As long as the bottom head is in good shape. The ring may be just that you have a more resonant (ringy) batter head than before.

[gtarace09]

I changed my head on the snare drum myself the first time today, but it sounds just like another snare with a very slight actual snare tone. I don't know what to do...it actually kind of sounds like a marching snare...which while cool. Is not what I want. What did I do wrong?

[DrumsonSALE]

Did you change the top, bottom or both heads?

It could be a few things...

1) Bottom head is too loose / too low of a pitch

2) The snares are pulled too tight or are miss-aligned and are not touching the bottom head - the snares should lay flat across the head

3) Bottom head it too thick: I have had many people come in with top/batter heads on the bottom of their snare drum. The bottom head is a special head that is extra thin - check the is says "snare" or "snare side" on the logo on the head

[DrumsonSALE]

No, not at all. Usually you don't need to change bottom heads nearly as often as top heads - but it does need dome periodically. Usually once the drum starts to seem dull or not tune up the way I want (even after changing the top head) I'll tackle the changing the bottom

[stef28rojas]

(YAY)

[MrKilltastic]

how do i keep my snares from rattling when i hit the batter head

[boket5u]

tighten the snares

[DrumsonSALE]

You will want to tighten the snares a bit, but not too much - You will always have the snares rattle a bit. You will also want to make sure the bottom head has tension on it as well - If it is too loose and you start to tighten the snares, you will loose all the snare sound.

[GrizzlyGUL]

can some1 help me plz, i tuned my snare and i cant quite get the snares on right. I dont kno how tight its supposed to be, this is the 2nd time i tuned my snare in like 2 years and im clueless, plz sum1 help cuz rite now it sounds really bad

[boket5u]

you should tune your snare way more often than that, atleast once a week in most cases. message me or get on myspace and show me pictures of this, i can help

[DrumsonSALE]

Just follow the video and keep trying - You're not going to hurt anything, and you can always loosen the heads and start over. Remember three things 1) Tension the rods evenly & little by little around the head 2) Tighten the bottom head a bit higher than the top 3) Don't tighten the snares too tight & 4) Take your time and don't force anything!

[mikecelone]

i recently changed the bottom snare head. I put a remo coated on and it sounds terrible, completely dead. What am i doing wrong??

[DrumsonSALE]

You want to put the coated head on the top of the drum - This head is way too thick for the bottom head of a snare drum. The bottom head is designated as a "snare" head is usually about half the thickness of the top head - this allows the snares to vibrate properly.

[vilhelm60]

lol XD

[EvanDrumm]

Good vid,

The heads I use are, Evans G1 Coated, over Remo Ambassador

[fernetsrumom]

I using that same drumheads, but not that same snare drum :-)

[OptimusRhyme90]

I tried to tune the top head higher than the bottom head. It gave me one of the most beautiful snare sounds I've ever heard. The top in a C and the bottom in an A.

[DrumsonSALE]

You can certainly get good results with a tighter top head - This will give you a bit flatter snare sound and a little more of a "honk" tom sound to the drum. As usual it's all personal preference and the only way to find what you like best is to experiment!

[AKRedden]

Bob Gatzen tunes his snare in the same fashion.

Top C and the bottom A.

I agree.

You get one of the best snare sounds with this tuning.

[CarlSundstrom3]

nahh booys, Aquarian is where it's at

[joshtheff]

oh my gosh. freakin EVANS ec2.

[flemmage]

do you measure the diameter of the head by the whole head when it's been removed or just the bit that's showing when it's installed? basically do you count the rim?

[DrumsonSALE]

The head size is determined by the size of drum it goes on. To find this out, measure the size of just the shell - do no include the hardware. The measurement from inside the drum rim is also accurate - You will almost end up with an even number - 12", 14", 16" etc... The only odd sizes are 13" & 15" - Bass drums are always even numbers (18", 20", 22") - Snares are usually 14" - sometimes 13" or smaller.

[flemmage]

alright, thanks a lot! you give such good advice!

[777MuDvAyNe777]

i've got remo now

[777MuDvAyNe777]

Thanks ¯\(°_o)/¯

[777MuDvAyNe777]

I'm replacingg all of my heads.Shoul i get Remo or Evans or ?

[DrumsonSALE]

It's just a matter of preference - and all the companies make similar styles of heads - But I tend to prefer Evans due to their quality and consistancy.

[zakkydude654]

remo toms, evans snare

[jale987]

remo my friend

[Truballa1010]

well the evans genera G2 and the Remo Weatherking emperor are the same thing

[Danny19921125]

evans EC2 for snare and tom, and EMAD2 for bass

[theworldofrocknroll]

my snare sounds pretty ok butt wen i hit my toms the wires buzz how can i reduce this so its not very noticible

[Sc0ttPrian]

duct tape.

haha just kidding, things happen personally i ignore all that and things sound fine, try tuning the toms differently.

[spideynok]

thnx a lot man

[nowadazeband]

really good video

[andyb616]

The best video for tuning a snare on youtube!

thanks!

[theAyax]

hey, that butt thing got stuck, i cant move it. What can i do?

[DrumsonSALE]

Worst case it may need replaced - You could try oiling the bolts or using some WD-40 to loosen things up. Just remember to work out the bolts slowly so nothing breaks off.

[theAyax]

thanks man, ive just fixed following your advice.

[PhobiaNZ]

Hey, I have trouble tuning my snare...

every time i hit it now it has a long hollow sound and ringing and im am starting to get furious. sounds likes a dying animal any idea how to fix?

[DrumsonSALE]

You couls have the snares too tight - Or possible the bottom head is too thick. I had a fellow bring in a snare drum in this week and the bottom head was actually a top tom head. This is way too thick to vibrate properly and you end up with a tom sound. I would also suggest loosening both heads and starting over from scratch - this will give you a clean slate to work with.

[DSTaylor69]

So in your opinion you use the same principles on the snare as a tom, to match or go higher in pitch on the bottom...

[DrumsonSALE]

I start with the same pitch for both heads - I like to tune the top heads a little lower than the bottom for a deeper "Rock" sound.

[SouthParkfann65]

thnx i'll do this

[KILLERBANG69]

thanx for this video!!!! this is very helpful!!!

[ballisticnovacannon]

when you are buying new drum heads, should you always buy heads for both the bottom and top heads? what kind of drum heads do you buy for the bottom?

[DrumsonSALE]

You do not usually have to change the bottom heads every time you change the top - I usuall change them about one a year (maybe longer) - The top heads you change whenever they wear out, but the since you don't play on the bottoms they are not subject to the same abuse, but the they do eventually stretch out and/or lose tone.

[quickxstar]

thank you for that...that was very helpful, i had the basics of snare tuning..like tightening the rods 1 by 1 in a criss cross motion, i wasn't aware however that if you loosen the rods either side of the snare it reduced the snare buzz...Thanks again

[Ntla062]

what do you do to a tom when you just put a new head on? what do you suggest?

[DrumsonSALE]

For a tom you can generally follow the same instructions as changing heads & tuning a snare drum.

[drumfreak12345]

how do i get a tighter sound on my snare?

[DrumsonSALE]

By tighter I assume you mean higher pitch and/or crisper... The basics are:

* Tune the top head to a fairly high pitch

* Tune the bottom head to a pitch a bit higher than the top

* Tighten the snares a little tighter than normal

Now, there are limitations to every drum, and don't tighten thingg so tight that you'll need a pipewrench to get them apart, but those points are the general rule of thumb

[09162383648]

on toms,wat sound u can get if the bottom head is low & top head is hi?or bottom head is hi,&top head is low

[DrumsonSALE]

Generally speaking, when both heads are tuned the same you get a long, open, resonant tone. When you lower the pitch of the top head, the pitch the drum will get a dryer, fatter sound. If you lower the bottom head, the pitch will drop a bit, but you will have a slightly more resonant tone.

[DrumsonSALE]

That said, differences in heads, shells, rims all affect the tone and this is just a generalization, but the best thing to do is experiment with one drum until you find a sound you like and apply that tuning to the other toms.

[09162383648]

then what do you prefer,?and wat am i gonna do if i want to get the,you know,, the toommm... sound.

[DrumsonSALE]

We are working on a video for seting up the rest of your kit.

The classic deep rock sound comes from having the top head a bit lower than the bottom. Also, tale one tension rod and tune it 1 turn (or so) lower than the rest - this will give you that slight pitch drop at the end of the note.

[09162383648]

wat i ask,earlier,is about toms. and also,in sound,wat is the dif,between a wood and a metal shell snare.

[archetypesweden3]

If you've ever heard The wicker man by iron maiden, i want to know how to tune my snare, to get that snare sound. First of all, has he removed the snares on the bottom head?

[DrumsonSALE]

First, I would never expect to be able to completely match the sound of a recorded drum - Such things as compression, EQ, & mic placement can drasticly alter the sound of a recorded drum.

[DrumsonSALE]

That said, I would start with a metal shell drum and tune the top head to match the pitch you hear in the song. Then tune the bottom head to a pitch slightly higher than the top - This will give you a good crisp snare sound, And remeber, don't tighten the snares too tight.

[dadudeondrumz]

Same here..........I still get that annoying buzz though. What is up with that?

[DrumsonSALE]

You should still have a little bit of buzz - That is what gives you a good crisp snare sound. If the snares are too tight you get a choked sound. If the snares are buzzing when you hit one of your toms, it is because the pitch of the tom is close to the same pitch of the bottom snare head. You can either retune the bottom snare head to a different pitch and/or re-tune the tom. I am working on a set of videos for drum set assembly as well as drum set tuning and head changing due out in 2008.

[dadudeondrumz]

Ok. Thanks again for the help.

[pingyao]

Great lecture! I appreciate that. Were it not for you, I almost used an ax to put an end to my cheap snare drum that sounds like hammering tin cans. Thanks a lot.

[Ntla062]

lol