The trouble with tom is...

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Permalink Reply by Terence Mark Frensham-Page on April 26, 2009 at 12:40

Hi Si,
tuning drums is very personal,every drummer has his/her own idea of the sound they like.
There are many factors to consider;
size of shell
number of lugs
batter head
reso head.

How the drum is mounted should not affect the sound, it's the tuning that is paramount,
here is a rough guide:
1) remove batter and reso heads,check the bearing edges of the drum.
2) replace reso head first,make sure it is seated squarely,put on the hoop and tighten each lug finger-tight.
3) with a drum key,select one lug and give it two turns clockwise,then do the same to the lug directly opposite the one you chose to start with,repeat in this criss-cross fashion until all lugs have been turned twice.
4) using a stick, lightly tap the reso head at each lug point,about 1" away from the rim,listen for an even tone around the whole skin, adjust as necessary to get the same note at each lug point.
5) repeat step 3 and 4 until you get the sound you like from the resonant head,this defines the 'decay' of the drum
6)turn over the drum and place it on the throne or a cushion to dampen out it's sound.
7) put on the batter head and repeat the process as for the reso head.This defines the 'attack' of the drum.
8) mount up the tom and give it a few hits,see how it sounds to you. Add the moongel squares and experiment with the tuning some more,I am sure you will get the sound you are looking for. This tuning method applies to all toms,bass and snare drum and may take a while to 'master' it, but it's worth learning. An excellent looking kit badly tuned is just badly tuned,but an excellent kit tuned nicely is an excellent kit indeed!
Good luck and happy drumming!!

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