Drummer's Review Guide To Snare Drum Tuning

In this special video we take a look at how we approach tuning for all of the snare drums we feature here at Drummers Review. Filmed at Middle Farm studio, July 2018. For more info, head over to www.drummersreview.com

[@Crazy3189]

Where has this channel been all my life.

[@DrummersReview]

Glad you like it! Thanks for watching / subscribing. Best wishes, DR

[@lukesuperflyjones]

same.

[@rhythmfield]

Ditto - good reviews - articulate, thoughtful, gets on with it

[@nathanrawlings5819]

I know!! So helpful :)

[@thebunkerrecordings]

Is it just me, or does Nolly have the world's most soothing voice? I could listen to him tune drums all day!

[@dogusyildiz]

Thanks for not fast forwarding the tuning parts and let us "hear" the tuning process. This helped a lot.

[@blakegowan6623]

Tuning drums is the Alchemy of the instrument. About 10,000 variations you can do it ....or more. I appreciate this method....because the snares in their videos always have zero muffling...and always sound incredible. I can spend hours trying to get a snare drum tuned right. Good to know there is a better way.

[@davidsuprenant893]

IVE BEEN PLAYING SINCE 1964 AND I can tell you sir this is the best tunning method I've ever watched.also be consistent with other snares you reveiw.Keep up the great job guys,can't wait for tom tunning.

[@DrummersReview]

Hi David, thanks for your kind and encouraging comments - much appreciated. Thank you for watching/ subscribing. Best wishes, DR

[@fitzeflinger]

"that's a very solid d here"

[@katielowen]

Haha I get it (erect male organ)

[@jonathanmillar]

This video is amazing, I've played drums for years and one thing I've never quite 'got' was where a 'low' or 'high' tuning was meant to be, if that makes sense. Finally having someone put this into numbers and context is amazing, really appreciate this

[@calebmooneyham287]

I love at 8:43 when the rim shot popped the glue of the new head and it stretched out a bit.

[@danielcontreras4333]

I didnt catch that! thats awesome

[@smoreshaunted]

Gonna tune my snare the right way today, thanks a ton Nolly! Also Nick makes that drum sound amazing!!

[@af7119]

This is exactly what I've been looking for since I was 16. I'm 40 now. Thank you DR!

[@manugentoodrums]

Thanks Nolly! you have been educating me for years!

[@jerryhall3604]

Well....I have no clue WHAT exactly it is that you said or did but, DANG...my snare FINALLY sounds GOOD. I have been able to get a somewhat good tone from my toms but never my snare. Thanks a million. I will DEFINITELY be looking for more videos from you.

[@Osoch]

I completely agree

[@rafaelhectorhoracioibarra826]

Very useful tutorial to snare drum tuning ! Thank you for sharing and cheers from Formosa Argentina !

[@AlessandroSpenga]

You con clearly hear the pitch going down after the first rimshot! BTW great video from a great engineer. I like that you chase for the right tone with the drum free to breathe. Most people only tune their drums on with one head muted. This is a better approach.

[@stephenlabarber2049]

Nice job . I love the reviews . I myself is very fussy about my snare drum sound. Got some tips today .

[@rsmittee]

Thank you! This is great info. Targeting the A for the reso head is key. I spent the afternoon tuning snare drums, and now I've got all five sounding amazing!

[@petarpavasovic6333]

Did he mean 440Hz A note or lower?

[@vincentquattrocchi7924]

​@@petarpavasovic6333440 A4 THATS THE 🔑 TO A GREAT SNARE SOUND WITH Sensitivity and crack.

[@kellykuzinskir5182]

That was an awesome tuning lesson.

[@lawlothegradiator7723]

This is a real teaching man thanks brother

[@drashdrums]

This and the Tom tuning video are so helpful. I hope you’ll add a kick drum episode.

[@MattHernandezDrums]

great video Nolly! I need that drum in my life! haha it sounds amazing!

[@muuriciodegollada3870]

Sounds phenomenal

[@roycox4415]

yes! please do a bass drum tuning video!!!

[@avramnovorra]

Now I know the pitches typically involved when you do low, mid and high tunings regardless of the drum, this is most useful.. Thanks for the guide! 😀

[@Andrew3154]

Love your reviews.

[@tillsommerdrums]

I have always been a "just tune till it sounds good, don't bother with the notes" guy. Then I ran into massive sound problems with a Sonor Designer birch snare that I had acquired. I was totally at the end of my knowledge so I finally decided to try this method. OH MY GOD I HAVE BEEN MISSING OUT ! Turns out the main problem was that, what I thought was a tight reso head, was rather loose. I had it tuned to an F# so I still had one and a half notes to go, to get to the A. That basically made the snare sound so so much better, it is unbelievable. Now it actually sounds like the money it is worth. Tomorrow I will try it on my other snares and see if I like them even more Thanks so much for the in depth explanation !

[@mjm5081]

Sounds great at all three tunings!

[@danknittel1250]

What an amazing video! Thanks for this. Love the channel! =)

[@DrummersReview]

Hi Dan, thanks for your comments. Thank you for watching/subscribing. Best wishes, DR

[@keithmacmillan185]

Hello fellas. Excellent video very clear and informative, as was the tom tuning vid. I can only find the tom tuning information on thee website though, the page for the snare tuning info seems to have crashed.

[@DirtyJobsGuy1]

Yet another great video! I will be trying these techniques out today!

[@lanceprenc]

Great vid! Do you find leaving the reso head and drifting pitch on the batter is fine? Trying to match the difference with the reso can sometimes get hairy with tension. Broken reso skins a few times haha but I guess other factors come into play when using such high tensions on thin ply heads too

[@stabzatvisionz]

Top notch tutorial.. thanks a ton

[@nickrobinson2276]

Love it! A Tom tuning video would be awesome also

[@jobelewis6416]

Nick Robinson his tom tuning methods are interesting, and always sound amazing

[@davidstoleson792]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5LGcmqsrsZ3l8k

[@chucko5006]

Thanks for a great video Nolly! Discovered it by accident today and I now have the pleasure of going back and watching all your other ones. What pitch pipe app are you using? Thanks from a drummer who has been drumming for 39 years and who still loves learning about his instrument.

[@fridaydrums572]

love that the label on the mic stand says "kick out"

[@ronaldzeoli7528]

Great video

[@Prodrummer1603]

Use this method myself. Love the sound it produces. Find it interesting that just two semitones higher or lower can change the whole character of a snare drum. The difference between C and D is quiet drastic.

[@djentlover]

So true. That's why I prefer frequency number instead of note. I rarely drift under C or over D, almost always the sweet spot for me is around C#

[@Prodrummer1603]

​@@djentlover Adam Nolly said that Periphery (Matt Halpern) uses E. I found it a little bit high, but one semi tone down (D#) sounds really nice. Just to clarify: E Sounds great but because my Coverband plays different Styles of Rock (Oldies, Classic Rock, Punk) I prefer a Snare Sound that is a little Bit more versatile. E-Tuning or higher has this Cracky Sound that does Not Work in those older Styles.

[@luketorkingtondrums]

Hey Nolly. I have the written guide on the website for toms, but do you have a similar written guide for the snare drum tuning? If so, can you provide a link please?

[@weeschwee]

Any videos on how you tune the resonant head specifically? The snare beds seem to make tuning challenging.

[@edkriegedrumming]

do you also add/remove a whole tone per diameter inch for the snare-side head, or do you like it at an A regardless? thanks for the videos.

[@joonaskinnunen5518]

Great vid! Btw, have I missed it or is the yamaha snare giveaway winner going to be announced soon? Thx!

[@lukesuperflyjones]

Also I love the lamp

[@chrisdful]

hi great tutorial which pitch-pipe app do you use?

[@robinjensen3672]

Pro tip for you Nolly...When you work on the resonant side with the snarewires on...Loosen the wires and put a stick under the wires cross the drum...This way you don't have to hold them up with your hand...😎

[@jeremystig98]

I didn't try a lot of methods yet, but this is working out really good. I tuned a Ludwig Supraphonic with a used Ambassador and a cheap birch snare with a heavily used Remo UK drumhead. Both sound very good now, especially in D and E Tuning. Didn't try F# because cranked is not my thing.

[@djentlover]

Fellow supraphonic owner here. Try C#. Something magical happens with a supraphonic when the batter is at that. It's a pleasant snappy and punchy quality, hard to describe.

[@The-CHVPTERS]

D 147hz??? and F#185 ?

[@vincentquattrocchi7924]

​​@@The-CHVPTERSD is 294 HZ AT LUG Frequency. F NOTE IS 349 HZ AT LUG The frequency.

[@Jarhead6820]

I really enjoy watching your video’s! I am looking for a 6,7 or 8 piece set good for rock and metal under 1,000 and good heads for metal as well that are really fast and punchy. Do you guy’s have any suggestions?

[@warrenoids]

Static Airsoft A pdp concept birch with Evans hydraulics and Ec resonant.

[@djabthrash]

04:08 such great advice

[@deafcon310]

Im a tuning noob so this might be dumb. Is the fundamental pitch tuned to an A or is the lug tightness tuned to an A? also A2, A3, A4?

[@RazeTheWeak]

Nolly, what note recommendation would you give for a 13 inch snare? I usually tune the resonant head to a G on my 14s. Maybe an A would work on the resonant head? Or should I go higher.

[@lukebogartmix]

If you're going for a mid-tuning general use snare sound id do G to an A on the reso, and then a D to an E on the batter head.

[@rammstein1985234]

Sorry for the stupid question but what octave is the A? I ask because I have a tunebot. Is it A3 or A4? Thank you for the video.

[@thirdborn56]

which pitch pipe app do you use?

[@joaoldmedeiros]

he makes this look so easy

[@junkawakami3193]

well, duh

[@bigdaddyjoblivion]

Do you the same thing for all diameter snare drums or do you start higher? For example, a 13 inch starting at Bb or a B?

[@joc.barreto]

Amazing low tuning sound. How did you tune the resonant head on this one? Do you have a particular note? Like G or an A? Amazing!!

[@warrenoids]

As stated in the intro, the resonant head is tuned to an A.

[@baliaka_drums]

Thanks Nolly 👍🏼

[@hogblockula9335]

I know you've done a similiar thing on your Creative Live class (which i've bought and it's amazing), but maybe you'd consider doing a full series on drum recording and tuning for dummies? :)

[@hogblockula9335]

awesome video btw

[@BeatsAndMeats]

Search URM Ultimate Drum Production

[@hogblockula9335]

>implying i haven't seen seen all of the livestreams and haven't cried myself to sleep not being able to afford it

[@BeatsAndMeats]

Bummer, cuz it's incredible!!! I'll give you one free tip: Telefunken M80-sh on snare drum... You're welcome.

[@hogblockula9335]

I actually know about that one, Matt suggests it everywhere hahah

[@julianrudalldrums]

What is the app that you've used on the phone please?

[@DZNTZ]

The drum sounds great, but.... The method needs some clarification. Tune the reso to A - An A4? That would be so tight it’d make tabletops look squishy. A3? That’s really low, so doesn’t fit the description of ‘tight’. Seems like half the comments are asking the same thing one way or another - Which A? At the lugs? In the center? Help us out Nolly!

[@davidtavaresrosa6326]

i believe he means an A4 at the resonant side lugs

[@DZNTZ]

David Tavares Rosa I guess he must... That’s craaaazy tight for a reso head. Listening with headphones, you can hear the snare wire sound is not great - at low tuning the snares sound sloppy, the reso head is too tight and it’s just bouncing the wires around. At the high tuning it sounds pretty good, but super dry (as you’d expect with BOTH heads that tight!). This might be a “safe” way to demo a snare, despite the low tuning not sounding ideal, but it’s not letting the drum tone come through. At 440hz a reso head is no longer functioning as a drum head, it’s choked to death. You’re going to go crazy trying to get a good snare wire sound as well. A more usable range for me would be: F#-G for reso head (370-390hz) B-D for batter head (250-300hz) This will give you a great snare wire response, let the shell be heard, and feel good to play.

[@vincentquattrocchi7924]

​ @DZNTZ No, you want your snare to sound like a wet paper bag... 380-400 HZ Is the ticket to wake up a good quality drum.

[@rhythmfield]

You were actually turning to a high harmonic. Your ‘pitch pipe’ is matching an upper partial, not the fundamental tone of the drum. This is completely fine of course, I happen to tune drums on the same principle. Those upper harmonics are much easier to hear and tune accurately. And what’s the main goal anyway? To make the drums sound great. We aren’t tuning a violin or a cello to an accurate A440 or what have you. Great tuning method, relatable for me and you throw in lots of good little tips. Thank you.

[@CheapDrumsGuy]

You know, we've never heard from Nick...... not a word! I wonder if he sits back and thinks to himself, I'm just the muscle here, they're just using me for my talent behind the kit- why aren't I allowed to talk? ...... It would be interesting to see him actually say something about a kit he's playing along with Nolly and Matt.

[@paulrevelli]

It does beg the question: When you adjust the batter should you also make changes to the snare side? I've always left the snare side alone when changing the pitch of the top head, but have been reassessing that approach of late. Seems like the tone of the snare drum depends on the relationship between the top and snare side, much like a tom. You can very easily choke out a snare drum if the snare side is too tight. By the way, those Yamaha Recording Customs in the background...beautiful!

[@djentlover]

I have done a lot of testing. The reso at A is really a great spot. It allows for velvety snare wire sound and a most importantly, a short punch at the 200 region. If you go lower with the reso, you get more sustainy 200 region. I don't really like that, but maybe some do.

[@djevlhelvete]

So what reso head did you use here? You never mentioned it.

[@kevinkraftable]

nolly used to have a page somewhere that had snares and their tunings like he has for the toms and different sizes. i cant find it though. anyone else know?

[@Customwinder1]

Kenny Sharrets has tuning intervals on his channel 👍

[@adamjg4352]

Which pitch pipe app do you use?

[@neorich05com]

Dont forget to stretch the batter head when you first it put on, only when new though

[@zaksmith9274]

This method is brilliant, but it works a lot better when your hoops aren’t oval shaped😂😂😂 I’ll be trying it again once I get Halpern’s new Pearl snare!

[@St_Mindless]

Re tuned my Mapex Warbird. All I did was completely loosen it. Turn all lugs 1½ turns. Sounds good 🤣🤣

[@Enigmadibs]

Didn't expect shorts

[@WesHampson]

Tight Snare Gang rules this earth.

[@MaxMiller614]

Man, I am a huge Chris Adler fan. I start by tuning the drum as high as I can to stretch it, and then dialing it back slightly until I find the sweet spot. I do this but backwards and it's always served me well

[@ehav]

Is the snare side A3 or A4?

[@DSharon3]

So, you don't appear to change the tuning of the snare-side head, as you modify the batter. Why is that? The drum still sounds great, but I'm just curious. Thanks, and I love the videos you all produce. Some of the very best ones I've seen and (sadly) I spend hours watching different "demo" and educational videos. Keep up the great work!

[@lukebogartmix]

The tension of the snare side head isn't very important, as it is very muffled and the sound is heavily affected by the snare wires anyways. Just keeping the resonant head high allows a consistent attack/sensitivity of the snare wires no matter what tuning. However, you can adjust if you're after a certain sound!

[@nialldunsmore8336]

I'm way too late to this, but is the bottom head tuned to an A3 (220hz) or an A4 (440hz)?

[@joeakaradej8666]

A4 440Hz which is higher than recommended frequency on tune bot website (not to go over 400Hz). To my ear, tuning reso head to A4 is really great. 😊

[@CaptainBlueSam]

Anyone know what pitch pipe app he used?

[@pontoonhaakon]

Find out?

[@roybeckerman9253]

Batter side looser than the resonant head , or vice versa. ?

[@osnad]

Isn't an A3 for a reso head too low? One time you said that you tune it really, really high, up to the point where trying to bend the head with your finger won't work, but right now it sits even below your "low" tuning of the batter head.

[@lukebogartmix]

It's an octave above the batter. Assuming you went by the sound of the pitch pipe in the video, it's an octave above that.

[@osnad]

Oh, you're probably right. It's difficult to hear though. I was of course referring to the pitch pipe as you can't clearly hear the note of the reso head. Maybe a little comment about that would have made it clear. Nolly does the same thing then when tuning to a high F#, but it's more audible there.

[@voivodOfficial]

What app is he using????

[@JesterMasque]

The video: full of drum knowledge The thumbnail: VSAUCE!! Nolly here..

[@palomar2285]

The snare drum doesn't sound bad, but I'm still puzzled about the technique used to tune it. On the one hand I was convinced that the only membranophone with a precise note was the timpani, and on the other hand, even if I would admit that a snare drum can have a precise note, I find it very difficult to recognise the note emitted by the tuner in the snare drum itself. But I probably have a bad ear ... Also, and even if this were possible, I am puzzled by the idea of simply tuning a drum on a certain note, as if getting a certain note was a sufficient factor to say that the drum sounds good. The response of the head, the sound obtained by playing complex and fast rhythmic figures (or even just a quick double strokes roll), the integration of the drum into a complete set are all factors that should be considered carefully to say whether a drum is well tuned or not.

[@12pale]

F# or C#?

[@marioreese4907]

good to see, how fast you hear the tones on tuninglugs and turn them..for beginners it is too fast...which tone from attack to sustain do i have to take? or: where do i have to listen to? ping pomg päm...starcross...blabla...got me?

[@toddcapiton6285]

Yeah this is the toughest part. Your ears play tricks on you. Especially when you smoking the pitch pipe!

[@8020drummer]

Wait - aren’t you the bassist for periphery?

[@austingoodrich1468]

When we're talking about tuning the reso head to an A, are we talking like 440 hz? That's seems super high.

[@petarpavasovic6333]

What did he mean tho? Did you find out?

[@austingoodrich1468]

@@petarpavasovic6333 I do believe it is tuning the snare side head to an A at 440. I recently bought a new snare and suddenly that doesn't seem that insanely tight anymore. Trying to get my old snare to 440 would result in breaking the head lol

[@petarpavasovic6333]

@@austingoodrich1468 Thanks!

[@AnimaniaDrumsJey]

Hi vsauce Michael here!

[@RazeTheWeak]

Nolly, when you tune batter I can see that you aren’t muting the reso. Are you technically tuning the whole drum to a note, or are you only tuning the batter specifically?

[@GrahamScanlonDrums]

Nolly (and a lot of studios/drummers) will tune to an interval rather than a specific matched note. In this video, we see he is tuning the reso to a high A, and then for the batter, he first tunes to a C. This would be a 6th degree interval (root + 6th note of major scale). Next he tunes the batter to a D, which is a perfect 5th when paired with an A. Lastly, he tunes it to F#, which is a minor 3rd interval with the reso. Because of this, it's like the snare drum is playing a chord rather than a single tone, though there is a very singular dominant note coming from the batter.

[@RazeTheWeak]

Graham Scanlon Drums - Tried tuning my reso to an A. Was super tight. I think an A is 440hz but my tunebot recommendations say nothing over 400. Just seemed way too tight and choked. But it sounds great here.

[@justinsteyn4861]

Is the reso head being tuned to an A3 or an A4?

[@vincentquattrocchi7924]

A4. 440 HZ.

You can put your phone onto the head, it will resonate? Rick Beato trick

[@osnad]

Bass Drum Tuning next, please!

[@roycox4415]

would love to see that also!!!

[@xxtheswagger8xx263]

What about the resonance head?

[@junkawakami3193]

tune it like fourth-fifth (5 or 7 semitones) above the batter head

[@jamesearlstewart]

What about 2 ply on a 14?

[@JM-co6rf]

Man. Songwriting is hard.

[@DirtyJobsGuy1]

Fantastic! Do you think in the future you could post what the tension is while using The Drum Dial? I like to see what a F# is for tension on a snare drum for instance.

[@DrummersReview]

Michael Rowe yes of course. Best wishes, DR

[@toddcapiton6285]

I use a drum dial now, saves so much time, but you still have to fine tune it. BUT, watch the instructional videos. They do almost same thing - bring head up slowly, making sure all lugs are very close in tension at each “tuning level” before moving on to next level. It’s harder to stabilize a bad lug when it’s very far off from all the others. This channel rules, by far best drum sounds.

[@e.p.5075]

Ele desafina a caixa completamente e depois quer aplicar uma frequência? 😁

[@aristotle5698]

When you find out this soft spoken man was the bassist for one of the heaviest bands ever

[@antonioluca6060]

And the guitarist of the band has said that the bassist plays better the guitar than the band guitarists..

[@PLDrums1]

Whoa... you can hear it drop out of tune quite a lot around the 8:43 mark when he plays rimshots.

[@RichmondVillanueva]

Where's Matt?

[@blakedmc1989HD]

@13:45 it's my lowest pitch on tha snare lol

[@fabian515]

Forgot the resohead?

[@haekalbadjeber988]

Man was the best guitarist in periphery, man played bass in periphery and now schooling us drummers on how to tune our snare, next thing you know nolly will conduct an orchestra and run for prime minister of england 😂😂😂

[@Rturner201]

I assume you mean A4 for the reso

[@Rturner201]

I use a Tune Bot and they recomend to not go over 400 hz. Should I just go to 440 hz?

[@RazeTheWeak]

Rturner201 - I was actually wondering the same thing. When I looked up A4, it said 440hz. I remember tunebot saying nothing over 400hz. Have you experimented with this at all?

[@Rturner201]

@@RazeTheWeak Yes completely choked over 400. After listening to the pitch pipe it sounds more like A3. Seems low but I'll have to give it a try.

[@vincentquattrocchi7924]

​@@Rturner201wrong. A4 440 REALLY WAKES UP A SNARE👍

[@Assimilator702]

I don’t agree with your choice to not use your fingers for initial rod tightening. You need to get in there and feel the tension which will bring the head to zero much quicker.