Ep. 1 How to Get A Great All-Purpose Snare Drum Sound

[@mediator1049]

Recording engineer here just starting to play drums. This told me everything I needed to know. What you nailed, and a lot of people leave out is the WHY of everything. Fantastic!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Awesome! Yeah it's all about the WHY of these things - just like working on anything else, a guitar, a car, anything! Cheers :)

[@kkupsky6321]

Whoa there fellow. Everything is a strong word…. Depends on the situation and even the weather. You still have a bit yet* grasshopper. I disagree with a lot of this but live is different than gettin that good recording. And Christ shit please learn the songs and practice practice it takes years of ears and pitch them up for recording it gives more definitions between. He’s right for the most part. Over 20 years of “it’s low there” and mind yer resonant head. Live* sound isn’t the recording sound. Good drums help too. Wax? Wtf. Dude this is not everything. Ear training goes a long way. Good start here.

[@nathankleber9150]

@@kkupsky6321 thank goodness you cleared that up for everyone 🤣

[@drummachine5787]

@@kkupsky6321waxing the bearing edges is not a novel concept

[@Eurodrummer666]

7:37 This moment changed my drummer life forever.

[@5buddyro]

How to get a great all-purpose snare drum sound- Step 1: Buy a Ludwig Supraphonic. The end 😉

[@davidmcbrayer8286]

Phil Waldron absolutely! Or an acrolite

[@roybeckerman9253]

Phil Waldron 😃🥁👍🏿

[@ErnieIthier]

Or a Black Beauty 😎

[@jeffreyalgra4084]

😂

[@sebastianpaur]

@William Fotiou give me one 😂

[@BryceChristopherHodge]

Welp. I'm going to go home and completely retune my snare this eve. This is incredible.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Glad you enjoyed it! This stuff is definitely a process and deserves similar attention to what your playing receives. Time spent practicing drum tuning is a valuable thing.

[@codogma]

Awesome! Have fun with it :)

[@djmaxwellsmart]

I'm very new at drums, so this is great! Buzz and funky noise is my middle name...after following other snare tuning "guides". I especially like the in depth explanations. They make more sense than "just tighten the snare side as tight as you feel comfortable"

[@chickenbeforeegg]

Can we appreciate the snare catch at 0:32 was in time? LOL

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

It’s all in the editing 😉

[@earlsweezy3440]

holy crap 😂

[@thablicxbhaii2274]

Lol 😂😂

[@djentlover]

Holy mother of God, I just tried the measuring thing, the snare instantly got 110% tighter! My future drum recordings will sound so much better

[@matthewpayne9861]

Just "used the ruler" and changed my snare ribbon again and improvement made on both fronts! Drum less choked and I feel a little more confident in my ability to get a good snare sound!

[@jimoutlaw5649]

I just tried this method on a 1976 Acrolite I acquired in a bundled drum kit purchase at an estate sale. I disassembled it, cleaned it and the old heads and tuned it up using these instructions and I got to tell you it sounds great even with the old heads. I'm adopting this routine for all my other snares. Thanks for helping an old dog learn new tricks!

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

You didn't spring for new heads at that? Jc.

[@keithe.bilitsky833]

Thanks man. I've always tuned by ear. I must have done something right because other drummers would ask me to tune theirs. You just made me so much better. Thanks again!!!

[@toomdog]

So I've been playing drums for close to 20 years now, and I still come back and watch this every few months just to keep it fresh in my mind.

[@daifuku74]

Excellent video. I don't recall absolutely nobody else explaining the importance of the level for the bottom head and the consequences on the snare wires. Thank you sir!

[@geminiguy2001]

Who says you can't teach an old dog, new tricks? I'm an older musician and been playing drums and other percussion instruments my whole life. I thought I knew all there was to really know about changing drum heads because after a while, you just take this kind for granted. But you touched on some aspects of head replacement and tuning that I'd never thought much of. For example, your explanation of the straightening of the snare cord before replacing it (although I tend to use plastic strips more than cord). Excellent video, sir.

[@Delicate_Elephant]

This is the best video on snare tuning I've ever seen. The explanation of problems you'll run into if you do X, Y, or Z throughout the video is sooooo valuable. Thank you!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks so much! We’re soon to release something far better. Stay tuned…

[@Romans219]

Learned all that on a Ludwig Supraphonic in the 4th grade. Thanks for enlightening anyone who needed a refresher course.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Man, sure wish they’d taught us *anything* about tuning in 4th grade. Had my 26 rudiments down by the end of the year but couldn’t have changed a snare side to save my life. Hopefully this series (up to 116 episodes now!) helps fill in the gaps and maybe blow some minds for people who received varying degrees of education when it comes to tuning. Cheers! -Ben

[@cactusstudiossouth]

I took a day and watched all of the videos on your Channel and am very impressed with your knowledge! I thought I was the only other drummer out there who got into the deep science of tuning! I started playing drums in 1968 when I was 12 years old! In 1971 I bought a brand new Double Bass Octoplus drum set with a Ludwig Supraphonic 400! Since that very day I've always used the Remo Ambassador Frosted Batter Head & Remo Resonant head with the Ludwig PAT. 2517124 Wires! I have since then downgraded the Octoplus set to a four-piece trap set but still use the Ludwig Supraphonic 400 and found myself in need of a second snare drum for backup now that I am in a performing band again! I purchased an East Rock snare drum from Amazon for $60 which also came with a Soft Case, Black Practice Pad Mat, Sticks & a Drum Key! The first thing I did was take the entire drum apart and snugup every bolt on the shell and lubricated all of the threads on the Tuning Screws, Internal Muffler and Throw Off! Next a Remo Ambassador Frosted Head on top pitched up high then searched worldwide and found the original Ludwig Vintage PAT. 2517124 Snare Wires along with new Strings from Guitar Center! The whole idea was to get this East Rock snare drum to sound exactly like my Ludwig Supraphonic 400! Unfortunately after all of my endeavors my experiment was a failure. When I hit the East Rock snare drum the Snares are still rattling! 😞

[@spencerchapman9508]

Holy moly! That snare sound at 12:46 - 12:50 sounds redonkulous!!!

[@Yankees121205]

20+ years of drumming, never knew the WHY, also never put in the time to know the why...eye/ear opening! TY

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

We’ve got literally hundreds of videos for YOU on this channel! Welcome!

[@themog4911]

I have only recently (2yrs ago) started playing drums. Tuning the drums was my biggest fear ... Not anymore! Thank you very much, for all the hard work you put in making these detailed videos :)

[@sinthiyamary6689]

Thnk u sir for this is very important for me .. I am from india and I am a drummer and preparing for grade 8. I didn't know this in 7 years of drums journey ... thnk u vry much

[@federicozanoni817]

I just like everything about this video: well shot, nice graphics and super helpful explanations! Can't wait for more content like this!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks so much, Federico! That means a lot to us. We look forward to sharing more every week! Are there any specific topics you'd like see us cover? We've got a nice queue of episodes lined up but we also want to make sure that we're addressing your needs and interests.

[@federicozanoni817]

You're welcome! I'd really like to see something about alternative sound sources (mallets, brushes, exc.) and the way they affect the vibe of the song you're playing. I have a question regarding this video: did you find an equal all-around height on the snare-side head by centering it on the drum? I tried to retune mine after watching this video, but noticed that the reso head looks a bit bigger than the drum itself, so that it tends to move off center while tightening the lugs. Plus the parts of the head right between the snare wires tend to have some wrinkles on them, even when tuned higher than the rest of the head; do you think this could be fixed?

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

We'll definitely be diving into alternative sound sources at some point! Regarding your question, the ruler was used strictly for height. The centering of the head is usually something we do by eye. The wrinkles you're referring to are likely near the snare beds (the dip in the bearing edge of the shell), This is completely normal. The head will have to form around these. Additional tension will help but also allowing it to sit should help the head reform to the shell. This process may differ a bit depending on the drum due to variations in bearing edge and snare bed design.The key is to not over-tension the snare side head in the beginning.

[@federicozanoni817]

Thank you so much for the explanation!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

You're quite welcome! We'll be doing couple videos on bearing edges and snare beds in the future where we'll dive even deeper into these topics and show some variations.

[@bacobill]

Thank you so much.. finally a logical teaching on tuning.. I learned much and I have been drumming for 53 years ;)

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Glad to hear that it was of value to you! Thanks for watching and be sure to keep an eye out for more videos every week. Cheers!

[@rhythmfield]

Same here Bill - I’m at Year 50 on the drums and found this very useful

[@josephconyer2421]

Extremely helpful, and educational for me as a novice who hasn’t had any lessons. I’ve seen other tuning videos. None of which explain in this degree/depth. No encouragement required for my permanent subscriber status!! I’m here to stay. Thanks brothers! I don’t feel like I’m flying so blind in regards to tuning and look forward to learning a lot from this channel!!

[@KCElstun]

So... just got around to trying this method. I have always been a "tighten the reso head as tight a humanly possible" kind of guy, but the idea of eliminating the crap secondary snare-wire noises and controlling buzz interested me. Followed the instructions and found that after verifying the bottom hoop height at each lug was the same, the reso was waaaay looser than I was used to; Before it was 9.5 out of 10 and now I find it to be 5 or 6. Put on the batter and tensioned it up. Put the drum on its stand and hit it not knowing what to expect. Wow. Just... wow. Fatness bordering on obesity. I cranked it up a little higher than I normally would and got tone I like without losing any girth. Great vid, thank you!

[@p0tat0aim]

All i can say about that video is thank you... I´m currently writing a seminar paper about how the acustic drumset is built up and how it creates the sounds. This is video is such a good explanation of what i was reading about before, which i didn´t quite understand because of me not being an english person. But that video... For god sake... thank you for that explanation... I really needed that to fully understand how all this tuning and preparing of a snare or a drum in general works. Keep up mate!

[@donscott763]

Excellent instruction and delivery. Now my #1 drum channel!

[@Rickbluhm]

It's your ear that makes the difference! Talk to me drummers! There is a dissonance when stroking by each lug as opposed to what you said about the lugging pattern across the drum that throws me for a loop. Right? I do not have that ear and I have other things to work on than trying to develop my ear for this! Yes, you might say, "get over it", but there are different skill sets that we all have! But you have this brother! Please, let's make a video about someone who focuses on chops or groove or whatever but does not feel like we can do this. Honored to do it with you as I'm digging what you are saying.

[@RogerGlenn]

The most valuable part of this video is the section about the bottom (snare side) head. I've always cranked the hell out of my snare side heads and tuned it like I would any other head, but noticed the tension rods around the snare beds were turned several times more than the others. Never really thought anything about it until watching this video. So I took the heads off one of my favorite snares and realized the bottom hoop was now warped because I'd over-cranked those lugs around the snare beds. Great. Ordered a new bottom hoop. Replaced both heads. And did my best to install the bottom head+hoop using the ruler method explained around 7:30 in this video. Not sure if I did it right, but I at least made sure to turn ALL tension rods about THE SAME AMOUNT (regardless of pitch), then fine tuned a little as needed. Now my bottom heads are tight, but not ridiculously tight, and while the bottom head may not necessarily be in tune with itself, I now have way more sensitivity and responsiveness from the snares at both loose/tight strainer tensions, and at all tuning ranges (top head). This alone improved my snare sound dramatically! THANKS GUYS!

[@caster1877]

Dude you totally helped me understand how to get the sound I want and realize that I have been tuning do wrong

[@itsjoeredula7]

Just discovered your channel 5 months ago and this is now what I use as my manual for tuning. Awesome job sir!

[@johnsthelastword8014]

I have to laugh as I read in so many posts from different places around the web, when I see “ HELP MY DRUMS SOUND BAD!” or “I have to replace the _______, ______, OR SELL IT. I CANT GET IT TO SOUND GOOD!…”. I want to yell, GO TO ‘Sounds like a drum’ on KZbin!! You are the one guy that seems to have PUT IN THE TIME to REALLY experiment and find answers to problems that I didn’t know, that I DIDN’T KNOW!!! It seems that there are 2 different groups of drummers. One group struggles with “FINDING” a good sound, almost by accident. The 2nd group, that is made up by those who watch/ subscribe to THIS CHANNEL!! Luckily the 2nd group is helping to make the 1st group smaller! Question: I bought a set with a super long bass drum ( 20” x 22” WAY deeper than I would have picked if ordering). Knowing that the two heads HAVE to work together to create the “best” sound for the drum, I was a little bit leery about finding that spot. The concern that was even more glaring was, A MESH HEAD ON THE RESO SIDE ( I’m all about a reso without a port ) so what was I supposed to do with this!! And there’s a Beta mounted on a May System close to the batter head. The first time I sat down to play, I WAS REALLY SURPRISED. It’s not at all like the feel or sound of a bass drum without a front head. Way different IN A GOOD WAY. I think a lot of people would be interested in you doing a video about this, and hearing your take on this. The listening public would like to thank you and this channel. Keep it up!!

[@Jetty-me6cw]

Again it seems that we are in total agreement with just about 90% of everything you went over today concerning tuning your snare. I also appreciate your humble approach no ego equals good teaching and patience typically in my experience equals experienced musician.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Yes! It’s all about setting ego aside and helping people improve, no matter what. So glad this is coming across!! :)

[@Nightstalker102]

This is definitely the best snare tuning video I've seen

[@glennedwardgo]

This is the OCD way of tuning drums. I love it! These tips are really detailed & helpful. Thanks for this.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

It’s all in the details! Be sure to watch the rest of the episodes so far. Lots of actionable advice and knowledge worth having. Cheers!

[@cocls]

This is really great. I think I just became better at tuning my snare from watching this. Made me understand some important concepts. I always seem to struggle with my snare (as all of us do), but I see now how I've been working against the drum in some ways.

[@beatcreatureonline]

Good information! Thanks for pulling it together. Tossing it out there if anyone is interested, I get inquiries of how often to change The snare side head and I like to do it every other time you replace the top. Happy drumming!

[@Democracy_Manifest]

Great channel. Absolutely no nonsense, over-branding, snake oil promos, long intros or irrelevant fluff. Keep it up!!!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks so much! We've got even more on our Patreon if you're interested!

[@hollassify]

I finally got my newish (3 weeks) metal snare tuned properly. this the best tuning video i have seen. Thx

[@ronbynum7304]

Excellent - particularly to note that the "snare" (resonant) head does indeed impact the overall sound of the "snare drum." I see and hear too many experts claiming otherwise. Convinced me to subscribe. Thanks!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Absolutely! All too often the resonant heads are ignored simply because they aren't seen nor are they struck, yet they have such a huge impact on the performance of the drum. Cheers! -Ben

[@psychicfury2851]

Yo, you’ve explained how to tune a drum better than anyone else on this platform, thanks, it helped so much

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks so much! We’ve got lots of videos covering a myriad of topics. New episodes are released every Tuesday at 12:30 Eastern.

[@jamesschrom317]

After all that you arrived at the perfect Hal Blaine sound.

[@brucemallatratt8426]

Great video. One thing no one seems to cover in regards to tuning is head choice, drum choice is getting the most rebound and ease of playing closed rolls.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

Not sure I want to rely on a head being cranked to get there, tho. I hear use pillows to play on. You'll get a tone out of anything after that.

[@ericessenberg3591]

So, just today I put my snare on our granite counter top snare side down and I started wrenching on the tension rods. I fussed endlessly until the hoop rested flat on the counter top. Then I put it on the stand and tuned the bottom up and down until I got a pleasing sound and adjusted the snare tension nicely. Boom,sounds good to me. 6 1/2 x 14 10 lug Acrolite reissue. Thanks

[@johnnyroastbeef84]

This guy definitely knows what time it is. Great info.

[@pumpdumpster]

This video gives a lot of usefull information on how to tune your snaredrum, even information I never heard of before. If you are a serious drummer, watch it. And like it.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Glad to hear that you found some value in it. Please share the videos and help spread the word about the channel to your fellow drummers. Thanks for your support!

[@mikejames-drummerreginacan1386]

Thanks so much.....I used some of your tips and got my 1979 Supraphonic sounding better than ever....keep up the good work.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Excellent! Glad to hear it.

[@shuggymilligan153]

That was a very though summary. I learned a lot by myself over the years and came to many of the same conclusions in tuning snare drum. But you had a few very nice tips a few things I hadn't considered.

[@paulnavara7127]

Great instruction on tuning a snare drum from start to finish. I can recommend this site to any of my students that need tips on how to do this the right way.

[@mmeehan121]

Fantastic! Your approach makes so much sense to me. Finally, my snare sounds the way I want it to sound! Thanks Cody.

[@tomhennessey4945]

The snare side head levelling with a ruler is very interesting! Must try this myself

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Detailed walkthrough here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rIqymqB9grpskKs

[@hotwheelz20072]

Never thought about the snare side being level! Great content!

[@domithedrumster]

best snare tuning video I saw on youtube, great job and thanks

[@DirectCurrent4u]

This method works really well with my Dyna Sonic Snare Drum. Sounds very crisp!!! Thanks for sharing...

[@chromaticswing9199]

Top notch. Fantastic explanation, slick production, and a freaking beast of a video. Thank you all so much for being on KZbin.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks for your kind words! We'd greatly appreciate it if you shared this video/our channel with your drummer friends and help us spread the word. Cheers!

[@bikebuilder8567]

Been watching snare set up videos for weeks. And this one was the best I've seen. Great job"!!

[@okachobi]

Depending on the head you choose, you'll find that it may detune very quickly when its new. I've found that if you tune them higher than you would prefer, then allow 24 hours for the glue to crack and the heads to seat, and then retune them to your liking you'll have less issues of detuning while you are playing. I don't recommend this for the resonant snare heads though.

[@mikekelly7679]

My first drum clinic was in high school band. One of the "Ludwig" family men came to do the clinic. When he talked about "setting" the head was more aggressive than your method. He put his knee and full body weight on the center of the head. I've been doing that ever since. This was back in 1968. The heads are tuff it can stand more than a little push of your hand.

[@AquaAnim]

Never understood why people try and argue. If you don’t like the method, then use yours. Seems to work great for me. There seems to be a lot of “it has to be this way” going on. Can’t understand it at all. Thanks for the great tips fellas!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Agreed! We're presenting methods that have consistently yielded excellent results for us over the years but we don't claim that any of these methods represent "the only way" to do something. Cheers!

[@ccandrew111]

I agree, there’s plenty of methods out there and it’s a case of whichever suits you. I have a Yamaha birch custom snare that has loctite on the lugs. Makes finger tightening properly virtually impossible so I just use one of those torque keys to get a starting point. And because I suck at tuning by ear I’ve recently acquired a tune bot

[@AquaAnim]

ccandrew111 Yup! Whatever gets you the sound you want! Thats what should matter, the sound.

[@baterizmo]

Greatest drum channel ever...found it thanks to DrumGab...great interview btw. Thanks a lot guys. Keep going

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks so much! Glad you found us. Cheers!

[@commanderxbox3602]

I’ve been trying to get my snare to sound how I want it this was so much help

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Glad to hear it! We’ve got lots more for you!

[@bradyoung1052]

There's so many great little tips in this episode

[@kristinemacdougall]

thank you so much! I bought some evans 360 heads and have had a crappy getting this drum back in shape.You and your camera and music guys rock! you all are as smooth as silk and with you simple instruction got my snare sounding awesome.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

Evan's sound dead compared to Remo. Jmo. Ambassadors. I only use the gel heads on cheap kicks to kill the bad funky overtones

[@ablack923]

Just what i needed. The video production and info explained is the best I've seen in a while.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Glad to hear it! Thanks so much for the kind words.

[@mufasers]

Using a mallet...this is a great idea! 👍

[@NuDrums]

Just tried this method for my custom Acrolite, and boy howdy does it sound nice now! I basically tuned my resonant side up until it choked, then backed it off until I obtained a nice resonant note. Then I adjusted the batter head a little tighter than usual, and adjusted it to control attack. When totally equalled out, I found it has a nice *WHAP* so it now. Checking with pitch, it also ended up being the same interval between the heads as my preferred studio tuning, around a major third (B resonant, G batter). My only suggestion is that you guys include some more musical notes when mentioning your tuning, as it really helps us audiophiles hone in on a specific pitch to really replicate what you guys are doing. Awesome as always!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Awesome! So glad it worked! We've definitely been including pitch references in more recent videos, had no idea that it would benefit people so much :)

[@GamingDrummer89]

Great choice of drum! I love my '76 Supraphonic and I even kept the original heads, snares and one of the butt plate screws as keepsakes after changing those out with new ones! Really, it's a great all-purpose drum so you'll get a great all-purpose sound most of the time as long as you tune it carefully like you did here (unless you need something crazy high or crazy fat sounding, in which cases a smaller or bigger drum is the solution)!

[@daneeehhhh]

Very interesting approach here. Some of the snare sound gurus made me err towards always cranking the reso side so that it doesn't... resonate, duh. But I see where you're going with this, awesome!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

They're not wrong, it's just a different sound. Always good to have a variety of options up your sleeve and worth experimenting to see what works best with a particular drum. Cheers!

[@roybeckerman9253]

This channel and Steve Maxwell , both recommend to have the snare side , a little looser. So many others, suggest a very tight snare side. I tend to agree with the looser settings.

[@roccorodriguez6653]

This man is stone cold. Didn’t even crack a wrinkle at “snare butt plate”

[@music9556]

hes just being profesional

[@xs10tl1]

Or when "you get your fresh head out of the box".

[@roccorodriguez6653]

xs10tl1 oh man... I think we’ve been trolled

[@batacoPANTERAabbott]

I guess he isn't 16 years old anymore, that's why.

[@roccorodriguez6653]

Salomon Bataco Right... I forgot old people have no sense of humor... Thanks for clarifying

[@odysseasg3896]

However every drummer has his/her own sound that wants to have. And it's very difficult to find a perfect snare for that sound. So it would be a challenge to you but many of your subscribers would love to see a video presentation with a wide variety of snares and their own special sound! Keep up the hard work 🤘

[@arjento2.0]

the broad sound is still awesome thanks this helped LOADS

[@chubbydexter7987]

Loved the rancid logo you slapped on there lol! Great insights fabulous video, keep them coming. We greatly appreciate your help!

[@johncollins5552]

I am a fan of using two matching,small drumkeys , 1 in each hand gets tuning done in half the time, plus when you lose one, and you will, you won't be stuck!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

That’s how I tend to tune as well though we figured we’d go with a single key for this demonstration. -Ben

[@rhythmfield]

When reskinning my whole drum set,I use a cordless Black & Decker drill with drumkey bit. Must be done in a very caring way and carefully, and of course once the bolt top touches the hoop, fine-tuning is done by hand. This saves me so much time.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

Put the damn thing on all your car keys. This way, when you go to the music store. You ALWAYS have one. I keep sticks I like in there, too.

[@NoslenLRac]

Just bought 2 new drums and starting with these videos again for a refresher. But, looking to experiment more with these 2.

[@michaelgalindo6752]

Holy high quality production and editing I'm glad I found your channel!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks so much! Help us spread the word. Cheers! -Ben

[@joebisbey4521]

I’ve started watching your videos recently and I’m enjoying them. In each I’ve seen, the first time you hit the snare I’m instantly moved by it. “THAT’s what a snare sounds like.” So I sought out this particular demo. Everything I’ve done for years and years is right in line with what you demonstrate. I have an acrolite that’s at least 30 years old, and sadly it’s getting out of round, as evidenced by the violence required to get a new head on it and maybe it’s time to get another. It’s just not making that smooth resonance and I’m continuously using eq notches and de-essers to tame the wonky ring I get now. I congratulate you on your fine examples of the proper characteristic sound of a drum.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks for the kind words! Definitely consider taking the shell to a skilled drum restoration shop/drum builder to get it looked at. A dented/out of round Acrolite is a relatively easy fix and it’s nice to not have to retire a drum if you don’t need to. Cheers!

[@joebisbey4521]

Sounds Like A Drum wow! That’s really nice advice; my knee jerk feeling is that it wouldn’t be worth it overall and I do have significant attachment to this drum as it was my instrument for beginning 6th grade band in the 1980’s. Several years back I replaced all the bow tie lugs with matched originals and this would just be another chapter in its dare I say storied history. You have renewed my faith in its usefulness and potential.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

@@joebisbey4521 ah, you just want an excuse to go buy a new DW kit, lol.

[@Oneness100]

Things to do before you start. Make sure the bearing edge AND the hoops are perfectly round and flat. Also, it's a good idea to make sure the bearing edge doesn't have any issues. As far as using beeswax, people use that on wood shells more than metal. If they arent perfectly round and flat, it will be difficult to impossible to get good tuning. Rims often go out of round either from the factory, or with those that play hard and play lots of rim shots. I know the Ludwig Supraphonic snare drum Is one of the most popular snare drums, I have found they don't have a very good bearing edge and this goes for other metal snare drums with a bent over bearing edge. Some might be better than others, but it's hard to get them to have a perfect bearing edge. And since the shell is a thin metal, they are more susceptible to going out of round.

[@Zigroyd]

Ooooff now that sounds like a drum!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Sergio Cheers! Wait until you hear the ultra-low tuning in the Three Sounds, One Drum episode!

[@VojtechRozsival]

Great vid and great tips! One of the best for snare tuning I have seen so far (and there were quite many...) Will humbly add few tips of my own: - get 2 drum keys, tuning is more than twice faster and the tension is distributed more evenly on the head - pressure on the head is especially needed with Remo heads due to the resin they use for the head bed. You can hear significant cracks of it while doing it. Do not be scared to do it. (Simon Phillips used to jump on his bass drum head, look it up on YT) After many years I have found out 2 things I really like on my cheap (literally, it was for for some $80 new when I bought it back in the days) birch Sonor Sonic Plus. (I have beech enforcement rings made there by Hallvad and changed the plastic throw off to a metal one). I got great sounding snare drum for less than $200 (you really do not need the Supraphonic ;o)): - I prefer textile (nothing that can stretch ofc) straps over the strings for snares. Easier to keep snares straight and imho it is more sensitive than the string. - Wooden hoops add another dimension to the sound. I use Hallvad beech one with inlaid dural circle so I have the warmth of the wood and the hoop will not get destroyed over time from rim shots, which still sound metal-ish.

[@marcus_mayhem]

I really appreciate all the hard work you put into your videos!!! Thank you so very!!!

[@langlinaiseiou]

This dude knows his stuff. I've been working at a drum shop for almost a decade and he's brought up some things I wouldn't have thought to do. Highly recommend this channel! Also, he cheated because it's impossible for a 70's supra to sound bad!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Hahahah, yeah man you're right about that :) They're really something special. Glad you dug it!

[@mikeljitbahadoer145]

we have to help them get along, epic

[@norskov]

Fantastic approach and perfectly in depth explanation !

[@katzbach8387]

Thank you guys for the Vid. To me, it seems like it would make more sense to show, at least a apart of the tuning itself. To beginners it it is often hard to hear the difference in pitch an therefore tune it evenly. So it would be of help to be able to follow you through this process. Great channel and i have subscribed immediately. Looking forward to go through the epdisodes you have posted already

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

That's definitely a good point. We may do a "101" level tuning video in the future that follows through the process in realtime so that viewers can here exactly what we're hearing and understand why we're making those adjustments.

[@wade123davis]

Katzbach purchase yourself a drum tention tuner and use that for a while until your ears become trained.

[@rogerrabbit2902]

wade123davis good tip. Seen a lot of similar comments on KZbin drum tuning videos. I guess I'll really need to get one of those

[@myrealfakename6068]

7:15 timestamp Wow, you have aged extremely well. 😉 I've really enjoyed your insights here. This is the first video of yours I've seen. Can't wait to come back and watch/learn more.

[@samuelthorn408]

I got my cheap-o Tama Imperialstar snare sounding like a beast from this video! Thanks a bunch!

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

I have a kick I was given foc. I like it more than my Ludwig 26 inch. It's more controlled. I never had my hands on the snare but the kick is one of the best I've ever heard at the size and price point, especially.

[@1okanaganguy]

I drum because I'm a bassist. Your vid is inspiring and encourages me to practice them more. Thanks for that. (edge of the drum...you mean, the bearing edge?)

[@Glock_Nico]

Good to see someone else using the bottom head to tune the drum. I was told by a relatively well know drum maker, who's full of himself and thinks he's god's gift to all things drum, that "you can't tune a snare with the bottom head." His method is to crank the bottom head up and only tune the top. Good for him, but don't be an ass about what works for me.

[@roodmood1]

That dude is a troll of the worst kind. Not sure how tall he is but it seems like Napoleon complex. Ill never buy his stuff because of his attitude.

[@richardbartolo2890]

When you are installing the snares, After making sure the snare bed is level, Where do you suggest the throw off adjustment (Spinning Knob) should be set to ? In other words, Your Ludwig throw off has a knurled knob that you turn to adjust the snares to get them close to and/or further away from the snare bed. Where would you place that snare adjustment just before installing the snares ? Should the knob be turned back and set loose, Say backed off all the way ? or half way ? Is there a standard setting (low or high from the snare bed) for the throw off when installing the snares ? I guess what I am asking is what kind of snare throw off adjustment do you Start with before installing the snares. High, low or in the middle ? Good job on the video, You covered the bases and got right down to it with out a lot of non essential information. I hope this question doesn't seem nit picky. But when I install snares that seems to be my issue. I know every snare drum can act & set up differently and each can present its own issues.

[@jcw91371]

I like to use a mallet to get the fundamental note of the shell before I mount and tune the heads. You have to remove all of the hardware to get the purest note, but you only have to do it one time. If the drum is well-built and in round, it should be fairly easy to discern that note, match it to a chromatic tuner, and tune the equivalent on the batter head. You can use the equivalent on the resonant side, though you may have to crank it quite a bit to hit the octave. If it's too much, shoot for a complimentary harmony note instead. I do this every time I get a new drum, and I'll mark the chosen notes on the inside of the shell( small, near the bearing edge )with a Sharpie. Happy tuning and tunes!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

We plan to talk about this in a future video. Cheers! -Ben

[@mickywatnots3700]

Usually folks that cant be assed to tune these 400 snare drums just go with the obligatory "just crank the fckr up, that's what they like" approach what a waste of a great drum!. Great content again, very informative. I have learnt something.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

1st thing I always have to do at any chain music store is unchoke the snare heads. Jmo. Always have a drum key on car key ring :) and your own sticks. Lol

[@kkupsky6321]

Appreciate your example. I’m keepin my maple drums and vistalite snare. Sometimes acrylic I dunno. Good show

[@prosam]

Best tuning video on youtube. There I called it.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks so much!

[@officialkaifeck]

This helped us alot getting right snare-tunings for our first album! Thanks alot!

[@rakejas]

Love that you give a raw, unprocessed sound from ear height... As close to what we hear when tuning as I can find in KZbin. Could you make a vud where you tune as here, play it raw with a kit, then play it as would sound through some compression and reverb and such. That'll give newer drummer confidence that the way they hear it when tuning will sound much different through a PA or through recording. Thanks.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks so much for the kind words! Glad to hear that you're enjoying the series. We definitely plan to make a video along those lines in the future. Cheers! -Ben

[@Kiekhaefer6]

Thanks. That was probably the best explanation for snare tuning I've seen on YT. Gonna try that ruler thing too. Also I wasn't aware of damaging the bottom head through incorrect tensioning.

[@ancientskies8408]

Here is a Tip if you're in a pinch and don't have a mallet to pull out the low ends for tuning the batter side. You can take cymbal felts and put the tip of your drum stick in the center. Voila makeshift mallet. Yes depending on your stick model this may not work but its worth a shot. P.S. You can do this with both sticks to get a great soft cymbal swell on the fly.

[@gregwilliams2764]

I learned a thing or two about the snare side do's and don'ts. I've never leveled my bottom rim not straightened snare string. Thanks

[@AceRazor]

I'd want this guy as my tech. Legit knowledge and attention to the supremely important details when it comes to heads and shells. #ThatsWhatSheSaid

[@clintdufour8371]

Lots of good info here that I was needing to know. Thanks for the good vid with time taken to explain thoroughly.

[@lsnb1106]

Sitting here wishing I had a timpani mallet for tuning, then realized I could just take my kick pedal mallet off and use that hah. Great video

[@simonbarth110]

100% genius thank you!

[@DZNTZ]

If you’d like to have a “tuning mallet” you can make a pair for under $2 - wood dowel of your choice, a couple of bouncy balls (get a 5 pack at the dollar store). Drill hole in bouncy ball, little bit of glue (don’t even need it really), insert dowel. Done.

[@NacekO]

Best snare drum tuning video by a mile :D Awesome. Thank you so much.