This is the most helpful video for tuning the drums. Coming from the guitar world, tuning drums is much more complex. This video and the drum dial helped me get my drums sounding so warm and clear.

I like to tune "by ear" and then use the drum dial to document successes after I'm happy with the sound I find. I also consider the pitch of the wooden shell and try to get my Reso head to agree with that.

one more question I just bought a Pearl Decade Maple 6 piece kit and I'll be running REMO Emperor Coated on Batter and and stock REMOUT Clear as Reso heads. Could you please share recommendations for the following •22x18 bass drum . 8x7 Tom •10x7 tom •12x8 tom •16x16 floor tom •14x5.5 snare drum Any help would be greatly appreciated

Hi Drum Dial, I just purchased a PDP Concept Maple 7 piece drum set. I was wondering if you could give me tuning recommendations for the following sizes. 18x22 Bass Drum with 10.5mm BDM, 7x8 tom, 8x10 tom, 9x12 tom, 12x14 Floor, 14x16 Floor and 5.5x14 snare. I typically use REMO Emperor Clear on batter and Clear Ambassadors on the bottom. Also, how much would tuning change if I went with coated on the batter? Thanks for any feed back you can provide...use Remo Controlled Sound batters on snare

What is the “chapstick” product used??

Hello, is it possible to adjust the conga with this method?

What would good numbers for Ludwig maple poplar 28x14 18x16 16x16 14x10 13x9 14x.6.5 402

I used to be same pitch top and bottom 24/7 for years and years. Discovered tuning bottom head a minor 3rd above batter has a very pleasing, rich sound - it's a bit more complex than same pitch tuning, but again more pleasing fuller sound (like tow voices singing together that blend well. I did not go back.

Salve.ho acquistato DRUMDIAL e nelle istruzioni viene indicata la frequenza per il TOM da 13"x11".... io ho una Ludwig classic maple con il TOM 13"x9".....in questo caso ,la frequenza di Accordatura, cambia? Dove posso trovare le frequenze per ogni " MISURA " dei TAMBURI "...???....GRAZIE.

Hello , which is the lowest possible snare tunning on a 14/5.5 with a drumdial Thank you.

Bass Drum: 22'' x 18'' Rack Tom 1: 10'' x 7'' Rack Tom 2: 12'' x 8'' Floor Tom: 16'' x 16'' Snare Drum: 14'' x 5.5'' Pearl Export azure daybreak model

Drum dial setting for Pearl export 20x 16 bass drums 10 x 7 tom tom 12 x 18 tom tom 14 x 14 floor tom 14 x 5.5 snare

Drumdial team is the Best!!

Hello ! What would you recommend to tune a Gretsch Catalina club snare 14/5,5 ? Remo coated ambassador Thanks you!!

TOP ! Many Thanks !! Best greetings from Austria in MiddleEurope 🥁 !!!

I like to tune the reso to a harmony note of the batter. Just above the batter

I always wondered why when tensioning a lug that the other side raised pitch. Im absolutely getting a drum dial this week!.

I bought the drum dial 20 years ago before youtube was popular and never really had this type of tutorial. I always tuned by toms around 70 but i always tuned the drum to the pitch of the shell so that the drums REALLY SING in live conditions. I use my stick to make the sound of the shell without heads on it. then keep that sound in mind when i tune my heads. My set sings!!!

any tuning suggestions for an Pacific Drums by DW Mini Timbale, Chrome Plated Steel, 4X8 with 2 ply REMO Emperors on batter and open on reso

This is such a great video! Thank you for going through the time to walk us through this!

Hi Drum Dial could you please recommend setting for a set of Yamaha Stage Custom Birch Fusion Kit. 10x7 and 12x8 rack toms, 14x13 floor and a 20x 17 bass drum. Also, recommended settings for a Mapex Black Panther 14x5 Razor snare and a Yamaha Stage Custom steel 14x7 snare. My toms have Remo Emporer Clear on top and Remo ambassadors clear on the bottom. I absolutely love your product by the way....my snares have remo stock heads on the bottom and Remo controlled sound heads coated on top

What is the ChapStick haha I didn't see a link in the description or hear you actually say what it's actually called other than chapstick

Is it to 75 on the drum dial for every drum and head no mater the size or is that just toms or specifically the 10 or 12 inch tom?

What was the lubricating ointment he used?

Steve, I defer to you on all things drums but on the snare side head I must ask, have you ever come across a player who really cranks up the snare side head resulting in a sound you like? All my favorite snare sounds come from players who tighten the snare reso to the limit even though very technical drum channel always say "You'll *choke the snare side if you tighten too much" but this is one case where I disagree. If you want a sweet crack with a short but high pitched sound you absolutely must crank the snare side head I've found, and if you go for a more moderate tension, as you suggest, I find that the snare note is longer and will never produce the "crack" of many of the best snares.

Sensei master…what levels should I tune a Ludwig Black Beauty Snare Drum 14 by 8 for metal?? Thank you in advance..🙏🏻🫡

My drum dial live in my gig case. Wonderful thing when setting up in a loud venue to make sure my sound is consistent from gig to gig. I have both my heads the same pitch by the way.

do you also tune batter and reso head to the same pitch for the "power-tom" (2" deeper than traditional?

Whenever I loosen a lug(s) - I have always pushed in the center of the head to make sure the head goes a loose as the lug. Is that not required? thanks for the video.

You are the first person I have heard say to adjust the others rather than attack the one. I have been chasing my tail for a few months and couldn't figure out why I sucked at tuning. I figured this out on my own recently and am glad I discovered the correct path but damn this could have saved me some time lol. Thanks for validating my inexperienced technique.

What should I tune a DW Steel Snare 14 x 8? Thanks in advance master!🔒

I am a guitar player and novice drummer and audio engineer. I have always tuned drums for any drummers I play with. They have all said, how does a guitar player know how to tune drums? lololol It's about presenting the best possible sound for every instrument especially before recording. I learned even more watching this video. Thanks so much!

Does this work with remos silent stroke mesh heads?

What should I tune a DW Design Series Acrylic??? 22 by 18 16 by 14 10 by 8 12 by 9 Thanks in advance! 🔥

thanks man! amaizing stuff

I have a DW design series acrylic kit. my acrylic tom doesnt seem to have a shell note. Is there a way?

This could have been a 10 second video. Skip to 2:55

Good video but how do we determine the ideal tone for each individual drum to aim at ('0' as my drum shop guy calls it)? You chose 75 but wont that differ from drum to drum and with different head types? Also, that same guy explains it as a chord: reso - drum - batter in that order where reso is the highest pitch and batter the lowest but I never hear anyone else explain it that way. What are your thoughts?

I’ve always done higher reso. Just bought a new kit that will be here in a couple days. I’m going to try same pitch for batter and reso.

Now a curve ball! I’ve just purchased a set of Low Volume heads (Remo silent stroke and an Evan’s DbOne snare) any tips for tuning. I’m reckoning that tuning the reso head will be more important to get the note right due to the mesh surface of the batter?

If a Tom is at 70...will the digital and analog drumdial read the same 70...it should l think😊

DRUMDIALS are the Best..😊

Wonderful video! I agree with everything you do. I personally prefer the B - higher pitched reso tuning for my style of light jazz playing. Many years ago, I learned that rubbing the drawer runners in furniture with candle wax was a fantastic wood lube that was better than bar soap or any kind of petroleum base lube. I've used this on my drum bearing edges lightly when replacing heads. Also, I use a teflon base lube on the lug screws so there is no friction with steel-on-steel. This makes the initial finger tightening so much easier with maximum feedback and knowing that the head tension is actually what I feel instead of the friction of the bearing edge or lug screws.

How do you know what value on the dial corresponds to which pitch? Thanks.

Great information here! Thanks!

Hello great DrumDial. Pls can you tell me tension for low, mid and high tun? I have DW Design Toms 10x8 and 12x9 Stand tom 16x14 Bas 22x18 Using a Remo Powerstroke 3 Thnk you.

What program is that on the laptop behind the drum at the 3:37 time mark?

I was able to tune my 10” and 12” toms to a tension of 76 and 75 respectively as recommended by drum dial. I then checked the pitch and I was able to make very fine small adjustments (as they were very very close to my desired key pitch) doing so evenly with two drum keys on opposite lugs simultaneously to get it to a perfect “A”for the 12 inch Tom and a perfect “D” for the 10 inch Tom - (using a tuner app on my iphone) this being a one-fourth pitch apart - great- love the full sweet even tonal sound this achieved - all of which was my goal and feel proud of this accomplishment and deeper understanding of my drum’s sound and how to tune them right - no when I strike them with the stick they make that beautiful “OM” pleasant in tune sound that I wanted. Now I’m going to tune my 14 inch floor Tom and 20” Bass drum both to tension of 74 on the drum dial tensionometer, and then do any fine tune and tweaks, using both keys at the same time on each opposite lug. At first, as I was learning, I was chasing the pitch around each lug as one did affect the other, but then learned how to do it, and then used two keys at once to even everything up and and get it right. This all works well as each drum is 2 inches apart and width, respectively to each other. Thanks Drum Dial team for all your help. - Laurence

Pls any sugest for: low, mid end high tension. Dw 14 × 6.5 Collector ( Chery/Mahogany) Thnk you wm!

You know…I’ve always known you should tune opposing lugs (star pattern was how I learned), but never knew why. Thanks for this!