Ep. 27 How to Tune the Snare Side Drumhead

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The snare side head is quite often the most overlooked aspect of snare drum tuning. There are theories about cranking it up regardless of your preferred sound. There are theories about taping the snares to the head to control extraneous rattle. In these episode, we demonstrate the effect of various snare side tensions and discuss how they affect the performance of the drum.
Stay tuned (pun most definitely intended!) for part two of our snare side drumhead explorations next week as we keep the snare side head cranked up and review the effects as we alter the batter head.
Drum: 1970's 14x5" Ludwig Supraphonic (Chrome over Aluminum)
Batter: Evans G1 Coated
Snare Side: Evans Snare Side 300
Hosted by: Cody Rahn
Production: Ben O'Brien Smith @ Cadence Independent Media
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[@SoundsLikeADrum]

What's your approach to snare side tuning?

[@evangrover8414]

I am mainly a classical player. I generally tune my top head to somewhere around an a or b and the bottom head a 4th or 5th above that, depending on the drum and the heads I’m using. One interesting trick I learned from my teacher that plays in the Boston Symphony, hit the bottom head with a heat gun to shape the snare side head around your shell if you have a recessed snare bed. It makes edge response significantly better right away, instead of waiting for your head to shape its self due to tension and time.

[@matthewpaluch777]

For me it depends on these 3 factors; - metal or wood - calf or synthetic - depth of shell

[@ianisaacs2340]

Loving the 2 mil diplomat under a calftone (sorry for crossing brands purists) with the Vic Firth vintage snappy 20 strand on what turns out is a 1964 acrolite. I am told it has chrome over brass hoops, is this true? Is there any thing that can help remedy a out of round COB hoop or should I just replace them with reproduction hoops? Also what is your apoach to snare bed lugs? Lower pitch than rest of the lugs, or equal keeping the hoop more level? Thank you, for more interesting and useful episodes. Ian

[@CarlosMorales-hv9qn]

I am constantly exploring sound, even with single drum head, like your last video of concert toms and always try to be more musical, tuning to specific note each tom and bass drum with snare the relation of perfect fifth for give a sense of conclusión. I see the pitch relationship between the heads affect the sustain. I see in one of your videos the minor third or mayor third is very common for toms, in this sense the snare should be the same?. Also I have a question for you, between 10" 12" 16" toms what is the interval? . What is the note for each piece if I want to record a song in the key of D. Maybe is a topic for a new video tuning for a specific key.

[@joriskniep311]

Sounds Like A Drum I try not to choke it out, I feel the drum loses its color completely that way. I probably only give it a full turn or 1.5 turns.. on my 13” snare anyway.. maybe it’s a small snare thing

[@thealchemisttiger688]

For a beginner drummer finding this channel is like finding an unexplored gold mine, top notch channel, I always look forward to the next topic, cheers

[@bacobill]

Even to a 65 year old drummer this channel is indeed a gold mine.. the best

[@MichaelGile19]

100%

[@robertjohnston1813]

This has completely solved my snare drum tuning problem. I have always - like many people - always cranked the snare side head and then ended up with a choked drum with horrible overtones. I would then have to use muffling to try and achieve a good sound. What's more, all my snares pretty much sounded the same and lost their character.

[@mdlassel]

i have no idea what im doing i got an acoustic kit yesterday and tuning is hell thank you for this

[@HaloAdmiral]

You guys are a blessing to the drumming community. Best videos.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks so much for the kind words! -Ben

[@drummingdog5706]

This is the first demo ive seen where the snare side head is explained in detail. Everyone else kind of blows through that part. Thanks for taking the time to do that. Presentations are very good.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Glad it was helpful!

[@drummingdog5706]

To answer your initial question, i have usually run snare head tighter than batter, which is tuned med to med low. Never as tight as i could. Ive heard that a lot, even from instructors. I will experiment with your method. Again, thanks

[@liamcrittenden]

Bro thank you for making this. Everyone always rushes through the bottom head and wires, so I really appreciate you making a whole video on the bottom head

[@chrislikens2444]

This helped me solve my snare crisis. The ruler method is amazing also. I always followed the "crank the snareside head suuuuper tight "...and never could get a good sound. My drum actually sounds nice now. New Tom heads arriving Friday, I'll be binge watching your Tom videos.

[@KCElstun]

I learned about your basic approach to snare-side head tuning in the first video. I have been playing drums for fifty-five years and always tuned it as high as possible. It was how I was taught. After seeing the video I gave this technique a shot; what an enormous difference! Depth, fatness, control, all because of a simple change of approach. #olddogsnewtricks

[@michelschulze9531]

Best channel for drum related content :) enabled me to be excited about learning to tune the drums and stop beeing frustrated

[@saltysaltine]

I like my snare side to be a medium high tuning, it gives a really nice pop to the tone and I think it makes adjusting the overall sound of the drum easier during a session or gig. Playing with batter head tuning and wire tension gives loads of different sounds. Great channel!!

[@CaptainsOrders]

love the channel, and the info you provide. ive played my whole life but never really studied tuning. a great cliffs notes version for us impatient people

[@mrpants6370]

Super Helpful ! I really appreciate your method and dedication to sound(s). It is so important to understand how we get our sound from a drum and how and what to modify in this case. Keep up the excellent work !

[@wolverine114]

Honestly this channel rocks! Every tuning video out there is the same! “The top head, then the bottom head.. and you’re done!”. You guys actually break down so much and even talk about how the bottom/head tuning affects the over all sound. My tuning has gotten so much better because of you! THANKS

[@EverythingisFire]

What happened to that little visual effect when you strike the drum? Kinda miss it, haha.

[@paulbrown410]

Another very valuable tuning video. This has come at a perfect time for me as I have found myself more and more reliant on tuning aids such as the tune bot for my snare side heads. Definitely up for replacing a couple and seeing what I get sonically from a turn and a half. Thanks again!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Glad to hear it, Paul! Happy experimenting. Cheers! -Ben

[@michaeltorres1263]

Love the "previous tension" comparison to "new tension" is great!

[@JasonPinhay]

yeah, that was really helpful

[@guidorodriguez96]

I wish i had this video before. I always tuned the snare side pretty tight as a lot of KZbin videos recommend but wasn't until I tried lowering the snare side tension that I found the tone that I love. Great videos! Keep it up!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Glad to hear that this was a bit of an eye opener! Thanks for watching. Cheers! -Ben

[@RA2Music]

Great video as always. I have just completed a major overhaul of my ‘71 Supraphonic, so this comes at an auspicious time. I usually go with a medium to higher tuning range with the snare side a bit higher than the batter. But now I’m going play around a bit and see what comes out. Thanks for the info and inspiration. Looking forward to part 2.

[@Rockin_Ross]

Great points for sure. I was one of those "crank the bottom & tune the top" players. Now I think I'll play around with both sides and see what my drum tells me.

[@johnpborden]

Been playing for close to 45 years now. I find this channel extremely well done and full of great information. Nice job.

[@NoslenLRac]

Thanks for replying previous tunings next to new tubings, back to back. It’s easier to hear the differences instead of trying to go back and forth in the video.

[@devilononeshoulder]

I've seen some other comments wishing you would refer to frequency values and i agree with them, more and more people are using tuning aids to get their kit to perfect 3rds ect and i know personally i like to get my snare to a fundamental note that compliments my chosen tuning of the kit. Awesome channel, I've watched a heap of your vids. you guys are creating a very valuable resource for drummers and sound guys alike. Peace. from Australia.

[@michaeltorres1263]

Just wanna say, been watching your videos now for a few months. This channel is great 🐲

[@weeschwee]

As far as I'm concerned, this is one of the most important snare videos. This topic is not covered enough and if you look around the web, the general consensus (if there is one) is to crank the head. It's even worse when you consider everyone has a different opinion of what cranked is. I''ve saved this video to favorites so I can reference it anytime. I look forward to part 2. Awesome work!

[@secondsbeforelanding]

your attention to detail, is wonderful as usual. another great, informative video.

[@RBeeDrums]

Best tuning tutorials on KZbin. Please keep making this kinda f’in lit af content rn.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Much more in the way for 2019!

[@RogierRJDonker]

love this video! amazing difference between the sounds. thank you!

[@ericgutierrez5568]

Thank you! Going to experiment with my snare drum, see if I can find a sweet spot. 🙏

[@mikicastelliti2641]

i love your channel , really cool arguments

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks! We're working to assist people with finding different sounds, become more confident in their abilities to achieve a given sound, and open the minds of drummers that may not have experimented as much with their sounds. Cheers! -Ben

[@alchemyRhythm]

Great vids guys, learnt a lot from this, cheers:)

[@sarojaband4664]

Nice overview! Important to note that there are different thickness/weights/textures to snare side heads too, ie 200, 300, and 500 weight, made by the various manufacturers. For orchestral/symphonic/quieter situations and lighter-mass snare drums, 200 weight gives incredible sensitivity. 300 is good for general purpose use. I prefer 500 weight snareside heads and bell brass snare wires on my personal #1 snare drum of all time-- an original 1987 TAMA Artwood 8x14 Birchwood snare with a 14-ply, 18mm thick shell. The power and sensitivity is unbelievable, and I've received compliments from several world-class musicians upon hearing. Keep up the good work!!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Yep, drumhead choice is a whole other thing. I’ll get into that one in the future. Cheers! -Ben

[@howardgreene8720]

After reading a Billy Ward interview, I started experimenting with different snare side tunings. Tuning the top head tight, and the snare side head medium can give a great combination of crack & depth. In my experience with my snares, this seems to work best with wood shell drums.

[@sirdrum-a-lot]

Maybe your 'medium' is as tight as the head should normally be?

[@blubu68]

I like the lowest tension, so much for cranking the bottom head.

[@BrianTCarter]

Love your videos! I have a 12” Gretsch Blackhawk and was experimenting dropping the bottom head today. Gonna see how far I can go while enjoying the sound. I figure there’s less tension on the shell, makes for a more resonant Drum.... maybe not as choked, which seems important for a small drum.

[@ThePhantomTerror]

Very helpful video!

[@GlitchComputer]

This was sooooo helpful!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Glad to hear it! You'll probably enjoy Ep. 28 as well then. Cheers! -Ben

[@scottlucas6025]

Great Video, Thank You. Now I have to get my M Birch snare sorted, that will not be easy LOL. At least I will know what to do now thanks to your teaching : )

[@1ntuition662]

Quality information.

[@jimbonito9810]

Thank you

[@Reeftanknology]

Very useful as usual..............thanks!

[@omnarco]

this dude rules! spot on info

[@rasmusherskind8419]

This channel is outstanding in every way!! Thanks a bunch from Denmark. Have you guys done a video exploring the differences between 2 mil, 3 mil and 5 mil snare reso heads? Or how about shallow toms versus deep toms? Say for instance 12x8 vs 12x10. Power toms dominated the 80’s, but today many drummers are put off by them. A comparo and deep dive would be excellent!! All the best :)

[@Seventh0ne07]

I really vastly enjoy your videos and the professionalism and knowledge behnd them. The only thing I am missing in each video is the side to side comparison of the different sounds rather then manually having to find and skip to a certain stage of the video where the previous example was shown. Would be fab if you could change this in future videos. Apart from that: brilliant work guys :)

[@samondrums4337]

In late, thanks for these!

[@peluodw13]

Thanks for the spanish translation!!🎉🎉 I need all of your videos in spanish!!😂😂 Thank you! ❤

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

I wish we had the means to translate our videos but any captions/translations are auto generated.

[@GuitarHeroIsShit]

Thanks for the info, snare tuning is the bane of my existence. I'm also interested in what different heads will do to the sound of the snare and how it'll influence the tuning, but while there's a lot of comparison videos on KZbin, there's not many useful ones imo. I've been using an Emperor X batter for years because I can absolutely let rip and it just never breaks, but I'm starting to feel I could get more life out of my Ludwig Black Magic if I compromised on durability with say, a standard Emperor or a Controlled Sound. My current reso head is a Black Suede Snare Side, which actually did a great job of minimising unwanted overtone compared to the clear (probably ambassador) head it came with. I'm wondering however, if going for a coated head is really holding the drum back in terms of overall tone and attack.

[@Brosenbrose]

Thank you thank you thank you! I've been waiting for this one. Super informative, but I wish you guys got into specific pitches instead of counting turns. A few months ago I started using an app on my phone called Drumtune Pro and it's actually really good for measuring the pitch of your batter, reso, and fundamental. It has a lug mode so you can tune all lugs to the same exact pitch. It also suggests pitches for toms, depending on size and how many you're using. Its a neat app. I recommend it. It's like $8. Anyways, the one problem with this app is tuning the snare side head. Once you get above ~350Hz the readings start to become inconsistent and less precise. So I have to use my ear, which is a good thing, but it also becomes more of a guessing game. Right now I use 2 different snares; a chrome 5 1/2 x14 and a wood 5x14 and I usually (try to) tune both to either G or G#, or somewhere in between. For a G# tuning the app says to tune my snare side head anywhere from 399Hz-438Hz depending on the amount of resonance I'm going for. The problem I'm having (and I just put two brand new Evans 300 snare side heads on both drums last month) is I worry that I may be over-tightening one or both of these snare side heads because I've heard that going above 400Hz is getting close to the limit. But I don't know how to tell whether or not I actually am choking it. I keep my snare wires nice and loose, so that is never an issue. And of course Ive checked my bearing edges, made sure the shells and hoops are still in round and level and everything looks good. Thank you for providing an example of a nice resonant tuning and a somewhat choked tuning. That helps me to understand what to listen for. But I still have to ask; is there a for-sure way to know if I've over-tightened/choked my snare side head? Or do I just have to make that judgement call myself based on what I hear as far as how the heads are interacting with one another? Also, do you guys ever mess with these drum tuning devices? What's your feeling on them? I really like being able to get exact and specific with my tuning. For example, these days I'm tuning my toms like this: 10" C3 / 12" A2 / 14" F2. And the relationship between batter and reso is identical for all three toms. My kit is really sounding better than ever and I'm still just getting started! After decades of playing, and because of the tuning app as well as this channel, I'm finally going deep into the whole process of learning how to properly tune my drums and exploring all sound options that are available to me. That's a major reason why this channel is my new favorite drum channel on YT. Lots of inspiration, advice, and encouragement to experiment to be found here. Keep up the great work!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Hey there! Thanks for the kind words, glad this has been useful :) regarding tuning devices, I’ve never used them at all and probably won’t just because I’ve been going by ear for so long. Tuning devices also can’t take into account the acoustic properties of a room or the behavior of certain microphones. Likewise, aiming for certain pitches of one or both heads also doesn’t enter my mind much because a tuning scheme that works on one drum may not work on another with different edges or shell construction, so again I just follow my ears. With regard to choking snare side heads, I use the tone (or lack there of) that I hear when striking the center of the batter head to tell me if the snareside is working or not. Drums like a bell brass or craviotto can handle a higher tension on the snareside than an old Ludwig Pioneer or something because of their specific construction, so the ear is the only way to really tell if you’re getting the best out of the drum :) - Cody

[@Brosenbrose]

Ok that all makes sense to me. The drum that more often seems choked to me is the wood one (Sonor Force 2001), it probably can't handle the tension. And again, you showed perfectly in the video how the heads were resonating nicely, then you raised the snare side higher, and the drum lost a LOT of tone, but it still sounded okay with the snare wires engaged. That's basically how my Sonor sounds now. So now I know what to listen for regarding choking and I'm ready to experiment some more. Thanks again for everything! The information, the inspiration, it's invaluable.

[@camdendebruin6667]

More helpfull than drumeo lmao

[@bitomorais]

Drumeo says "i have a fucking good snare and tune snare side like rock. works on it. And it looks right for me" hahahah sad

[@jasdog]

I hate drumeo so much

[@blackasthesky]

Almost always

[@camdendebruin6667]

@@blackasthesky I remember when drumeo proposed cranking the bottom head as a cure-all

[@MeshuggahFan-iy6tb]

Right? No pretentious chop fest while talking in circles and trashing any form of music that isn’t some weird jazz fusion/Avant-garde elevator music. Just good, honest information from good honest people

[@walterscogginsakathesilver6246]

I dig it🏴‍☠️🫵🤘❤️🦊🔥♠️🏴‍☠️

[@RorRiiZzLE]

Your half turn up plus maybe a little lower on the batter by a very little bit is a real similar sound to what I get with my snare. Nice

[@bertweyeb]

Very useful vids! Always seem to struggle to really find the 'perfect' snare sound for me! Maybe a small tip, it's cool that you can tune a Ludwig supraphonic, but a lot of people don't have 'high end' snares/drums. Would be nice if you also showed these tips on for example a pearl export!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks for the kind words! Honestly the tips would all be the same regardless of the quality/design of a snare. I tune Gretsch Catalina’s and Craviotto’s with the same method, but using my ear as much as possible to guide me :) - Cody

[@cymbalspecialist]

The pitch (perceived note) of the bottom head is less relevant than it's actual tension. With the snares laying across the surface of the bottom head, the "note" becomes mute, yet the tension has an important affect on both how the snares respond and the reflective resonance of the batter head. In other words, a less tight bottom head will typically move more when the top head is struck, producing more snare vibration, and sometimes create that terrible slapback snare sound, where the wires respond after the bottom head moves. Conversely, an overly tensioned bottom head will produce less snare sound, simply because it moves less. I think a more important aspect which you might have included in the demonstration above would be to show the relative pitches between top and bottom heads. Tensioning drums, particularly snare drums, is both simple and complex. And having a target feel and tone in mind is best at the outset. From there, with a fair amount of understanding of how drum sounds are produced, one has a better chance of reaching said target. With a snare we are not only dealing with pitches and feel, but the snare response. Understanding how bottom head tension affects the movement of air and how the wires create their sound is an important part. People ought to discover how good quality snare wires can make a huge difference in the tone of the snare sound and allowing "air" into the tone. Such as Canopus wires.

[@antoinebouyeux2781]

Great video, thank you. It made me think about trying to put a coated reso head on a snare drum. I know it might seem crazy to some drummers but hey, what if the result is interesting ? Also, really thin heads don't have coating I believe, so that might be a problem. But for the sake of trying something new and since you can be in touch with Evans, why not give it a shot ? I'd like to do it myself to be sure it's not gonna sound like crap but I wouldn't have any other use for a 14 in G1 coated.

[@kevinkraftable]

it would be cool if you tried using the idrumtune pro app and posted a video. also what kind of tuning am i looking for if i want my snare to sound like Periphery's snare?

[@ACLOCKWORKDRUMMER]

THE BEST DAMN DRUM GEAR CHANNEL ON THE PLANET.. tight and for buzz I loosen the 4 lugs near the snare beds.peace greg venuto

[@dwayneroseborough4403]

How do you tackle the wrinkling you get in the snare side head around the snare bed when bringing up the tension of a new head. This is what I've done. Bring up the lugs just so all the wrinkles are gone everywhere except at the snare bed. Then I used a hair dryer to shrink the wrinkles out at the snare bed area. Then continue tuning the head.

[@ashwinprasanna8257]

Hi Cody, love the videos. I really need a snare side head diagnosis for a recording project I am trying to finish: I have a DW Edge snare drum (metal bearing edges on both sides) that is 10+ years old, and recently replaced the hoops. The last snare side drum head on it, which was a few months old, was very tilted, even though it felt like I was tensioning each rod evenly. I was getting some decent snare sounds, but after watching this video I became convinced that I had to get a new snare side head and level it. But now the tension either is or really feels wildly uneven, so much so that I'm afraid that the crackling head will break -- but it is level on the drum. Any suggestions?

[@SoundcastStudios]

bottom head lowest tension 2:25 higher: 4:00, 5:35, highest: 8:02

[@dustinkirker5622]

I have a blue olive acrolite that i just put new wires on. I think i may try tuning the reso head a good medium and see if it fixes my overtone problem. What do u think @Soundslikeadrum?

[@alanross2876]

Thanks for the video. Do you ever use a tune bot digital tuner? Do you think there are benefits to being aware of the frequency of certain tunings?

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Hey there! I don't use one and haven't ever, but I can imagine that they could be useful in situations where you're required to replicate a suuuuper specific sound over and over. - Cody

[@chrispaul8050]

Hi, thanks for this video. However it would have been really useful to give a short demo of the sound of the reso head at each tuning that you did

[@Juniscrazy]

Great videos man

[@ACLOCKWORKDRUMMER]

shoutout to you on my new vid {rant 2}!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks so much! -Ben

[@2dollarcrew]

Should you tune one head first while the other is on or does that not matter? I never know which side should be adjusted first

[@Glock_Nico]

I was once told by a famous boutique snare drum maker that you can't tune a snare by the bottom head. I lost all faith in him from that point forward.

[@jamesnortonofficial1566]

I just crank it tight and it sounds 😎

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Nice! Have you watched this episode? Ep. 28 The Effects of Cranking the Snare Side Head kzbin.info/www/bejne/g6DVpmWrr7F1bKs

[@andrewlau2939]

So is it normal for the tension rods by the snare beds to be screwed in deeper than the rest of the sides? I tune by notes and get mine to a G#. I notice that those sides are need to be screwerd in deeper to match the notes of the rest of the drum

[@CodyCarpSwag]

How about a video on the different types of drums that change the sound, rather than just heads. like depth of snares and type of wood/metal

[@shadowlandstudios86]

I have an annoying metallic ‘squeel’ at the end of each hit on my Acrolite, it is driving me nuts. It goes away with muffling on the batter, but I don’t want to have to do that if I can help it. I’ve been trying various levels of tuning on both my snare side and batter heads but nothing seems to work.

[@jna3341]

Are you going to do videos on snare wires aswell? Like how many strands affects the sound and whatnot.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Hey there! Not sure when, but we are definitely going to address everything we can about snare wires in a future video. - Cody

[@lawnboy0713]

I need help!! When I try to tune my DW Performance snare side head, I'm getting massive wrinkles around the snare bed at low tuning. The lugs around the wrinkles have much lower pitch than other lugs, and so I have to tune everything up. The only way I can even things out (i.e., get the head in tune with itself) is to tune everything higher to stretch the wrinkles and adjust lugs to one another. Then my drum sounds choked. Ehhhhhhh.

[@Martin-kn6vc]

Would it be safe to assume that, as a general rule, the higher the pitch of the batter head, the higher the pitch needs to be of the resonant head in order for both heads to create a bigger tone/note? Would the opposite be true for lower tunings so that a lower resonant side head would be needed for a lower tuned batter (within reason due to the smaller tuning range of resonant head and not creating weird overtones)? I hope that makes sense. Another really informative video! Looking forward to part 2 where my question might be answered there!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Hey there! I don't want to go as far as to call it a safe assumption since every drum has a certain degree of it's own personality that will effect things differently, but in general I do agree that when it comes to promoting the tone of the batter head for larger tone, bringing the reso up similarly will be a good place to start. Having said that, I've found that with some drums (I'm thinking right now of the toms on a friend's 60's Ludwigs), they really respond best with the reso's up significantly higher than I would have expected, regardless of where the batter head is living pitch-wise. With snares I think the heads-working-together thing is more important since you have the variable of the wires in the mix as well, so things can get a little more narrow in terms of what will work well and what won't. The next video is gonna address some of what your'e talking about :) - Cody

[@ajh21313]

Is it possible to re-heat (low temp) snare heads to re-gain some of the sound as if it were new again, while off the drum?

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Honestly I have no idea - It's fair to say that any time you apply heat to a plastic surface you're going to change the structure of it, so no matter what happens it's gonna sound different than it did before and also different than a fresh head. I'd probably just go for replacing it :) - Cody

[@jamesadams7131]

So I have noticed when I have my snare side that low (not cranked ) I have a harder time eliminating snare buzz when I hit my toms. Really don't want to change tom tuning, do you have any suggestions?

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Hey there! I do have one suggestion, though with a resonant snare comes at least a little excess buzz no matter what... Try this: decrease the tension on the 4 lugs next to the wires on either side by 1/4 turn or so and increase the remaining 6 by the same amount. You'll have to loosen the tension on the snare mechanism a little bit because the wires will now be tighter after you do this. I also do this when I'm feeling that the drum isn't giving me the articulation i want at the pitch I need. Hope that helps! - Cody

[@federicozanoni817]

Thanks for the video, super useful as all the previous ones! One thing I realized I didn't get from your first video is about the snare side head's leveling: do you bring the hoop down by tightening the lugs where the hoop looks higher? I noticed my snare's bottom hoop is always higher on one side than the other (or is it the head that's not leveled to the hoop?), but bringing it down would obviously affect the head's tuning in the corresponding area

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Hey there! You’ve got the right idea - you can loosen the ones where it’s too low or tighten the ones where it’s too high. It will effect the overall tuning of the head if it’s already been tensioned with the hoop unlevel but it’s still a worthwhile experiment, and next time you change the head you can keep it level from the start :) -Cody

[@federicozanoni817]

Thanks for the tip, Cody! So, It might occur that even though the lugs look equally finger tight before tuning, they are instead at a different distance (and pitch) from the drum, right? And is it possible that in order to match in pitch, the lugs force the hoop not to be leveled?

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Yes, this is a thing that can happen, but the nice thing about thin snareside heads is that if you level it with a ruler and tension it up (with a new head that is), the head will stretch and the tension will self-even to a certain degree and become more in-tune across the head. I like to defer to the ruler when installing a new head and then even out pitches (if necessary) a little later.

[@federicozanoni817]

Thank you so much!

[@margovallen]

I've always tuned the batter head in an 'approximate' med-high pitch.. and match the snare head pitch to the batter head. Then, tweak the batter head to taste. If either head is tighter, I prefer it be the batter head. Otherwise--- seems to give the 'choke' effect if the snare head is quite a bit tighter than the batter head.

[@tendingtropic7778]

general question: is the reso/snare side head most often tuned higher (more tension) than the batter head?

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

It's often tuned higher in pitch but not necessarily tension. Because the reso head is a fraction of the thickness of the average batter head, it takes significantly less tension to get it to the same pitch.

[@brent3760]

I have a 71 5 by 14 supra 🤙🥁

[@grandentrance7270]

HOW MANY KEY TURNS WOULD U SAY A MED-HIGH ON THE BATTER IS? ONE FULL TURN?

[@KM-px8cs]

Do you use a ruler every time you tune a head? :O

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

No, I just do that for snareside heads either when putting on a fresh one or if I feel like It’s not giving me the sensitivity I’m after 👍🏻 -Cody

[@kevinmccloskey3818]

do y'all think that a couple month old snare side head that has been tuned pretty tight can be repurposed toward this kind of looser tuning, or is this an experiment to try next time I switch heads?

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Hey there! You can always experiment and see what you can get out of what you’re already using but a new snareside is for sure gonna give you a more pleasant result for this sort of thing. You won’t hurt the one you have by going down a bit though, always worth a try :) - cody

[@tracktuary]

Did you hit the snare side in isolation anywhere in this one? Do you happen to know about what pitch you find is the "golden zone?" I know it varies drum to drum (and head to head). I used to crank to an A, but have been more around G-G# lately.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Yeah you’re right, it really varies. I honestly don’t check the pitch of the snare side much (though perhaps I should) as much as I check the tension by pressing lightly on it. I have a sense of how tight it should feel to the touch. I’ve noticed that depending on the lug count and bearing edge different drums will make differing pitches at what I perceive to be the same tension to the touch which is a whole other thing too... might spend some time today actually checking out what my pitch range actually is :) -Cody

[@tracktuary]

Thanks, Cody. Another thing I hear a lot deals with tuning heads to specific intervals. You see "tune your snare side a fifth higher than batter." Does it really matter the specific interval of two heads when the fundamental of the drum is something different? If the batter is C and the snare side is G, the drum is going to fall around an F/F#. I've actually found it nicer to have the overtones of the batter head be complementary to the fundamental of the drum. If I can get the fundamental to a G with the batter at a D, that 4th sounds pretty darn nice.

[@Magnus--Johansson]

@@tracktuary -- Interesting, Pete. Can you provide octave numbers? Is it C4, G4 and F4/F#4? The fundamental of the drum, is that the tone of the shell?

[@tracktuary]

I'm not 100% sure I'm right on the specific octave numbers. I think for lug pitches of the head, I was saying C4, G4, and F4 as you noted. When I talk about "fundamental," I mean the resulting pitch that the two heads create together when striking the head dead center (i.e., the result of how you tensioned each side). I think in that case, it may be G3. If your batter lug pitches are at D4 to get the fundamental to a G, they are actually a fifth above that (I said fourth before, which is just the inversion if putting things relative to the D). Either way, Ds and Gs sound good with one another.

[@Magnus--Johansson]

@@tracktuary -- Many thanks, Pete, for your detailed answer. I believe you are right about the tone relations: a snare head and a batter head both tuned to D4 off-center give together a G3 (i.e. a fifth below) from the batter head center. I recently tuned a 14x6.5 inch snare drum to E4 off-center and got A3 from the batter head center.

[@tastyslopsicle2162]

I got a wild idea for a video. Using powerstroke 3's as tom resonant heads. People use them for bass drum reso heads, how would they translate for a tom? The perfect 80s tom sound? Lets see.

[@Assimilator702]

TastySlopsicle PS3 chokes a tom too much. Better to stick with a clear Ambassador or G1

[@tastyslopsicle2162]

I know it wouldn't sound optimal, but I'd really like to hear what it sounds like at all. I've never seen anybody try this or talk about trying it. And I'm not about to go out and buy some to test it myself.

[@rhythmista7707]

@@tastyslopsicle2162As a drum tech and drummer, what I'd recommend for a typical 80s sound , you might want to try Remo's CS BLACK DOT CLEAR heads, or the quintessential 80s drum head, Remo's pinstripe clear head, or, for a warmer sound, coated pinstripe. , Oh yeah, and tons of gated reverb....😂

[@tastyslopsicle2162]

Rhythmista I’m talking about the reso head though. I’ve tried CS and pinstripes batter side before but I’m curious what a power stroke 3 would sound like on the reso head of a tom, which I’ve never ever seen anyone try.

[@SAHBfan]

TastySlopsicle - years ago I spoke to a local drummer who owned a drum store. I was buying thin reso heads for my toms. He showed me his kit (an awesome sky blue Slingerland kit with about eight toms ) and he had pin stripes on the bottom. I had seen this guy on stage with Eric Bell from Thin Lizzy, so he was a pro player with a pretty good reputation - and his kit did sound very good. I didn't take the hint and stuck with thin heads, but maybe he was on to something. I now play vintage jazz and have been looking into early 30s kits. Before the modern Tom Toms arrived in the 1940s, the Toms often had goat or pig skins tacked onto the bottom. Pig skin is thicker than calf (which is thick enough) and then they would varnish it, sometimes, to stop humidity affecting it so much. Sorry to ramble, but the point is, there was a trend years ago for really thick skins on the bottom of the toms.

[@beatskeys1223]

5:51 Quagmire: giggity

[@SpittinSquirell]

Around 9:10 you mention that the snare side head should be between "finger tight and a turn and a half at most". Now that is a turn and a half from the key on each lug? Because that seems really loose to me.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Yep, I’m indicating one complete turn plus a half (once the lugs are all finger tight). It doesn’t seem like that much but it will get it fairly high (just not choked). Cody

[@Wyatt-Barton]

ah your name is Cody, I had named you drumthony

[@23ograin53]

I'm puzzled by people saying crank the bottom "as high as it will go", because it seems no matter how high I go, there's still plenty more I could go even after 4-5 full turns above finger tight.

[@hombreenojado]

Yeesh. I've got ringing harmonics driving me crazy. Can't get rid of them.

[@FrancisFleuronas]

Huh, I never knew that medium/low snare side head was my preference

[@isaacisback8786]

Personally, I don't have a method ; I just try. And it works.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Whatever works for you! Hopefully this video illustrated the behavior of the drum at various snare side tensions and inspired you to further experiment. -Ben

[@isaacisback8786]

Absolutely !

[@ravmedic852]

This Boy looks like young Lars Urlich xD

[@petespencer-smith5059]

"Last night a youtube video saved my snare sounds life" or was it "last night a DJ saved my life"?

[@yuriselukoff]

This video is an eye-opener. I was tought to always crank up the bottom head as tight as possible, by 3 different teachers, like it’s a religion or something. And now it’s like a whole world of alternative tuning has opened up to me.

[@1122stardust]

Me personally the snares are a little loose when he liked it. You shouldn't hear any extra snare buzz sustain at the end. Snares should silence after each stroke.

[@allancueto22]

How to choose the right snare side head? 🤔

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Really can't go wrong with a 3mil snare side. 2mil is excellent for more soft and subtle playing if that's what you're doing 100% of the time. 5mil is if you're swinging hard 100% of the time or want a darker/drier tone at medium dynamics. We'll be including this as part of our comparison series in the future. -Ben

[@donbelle7171]

What c414 ?? Let talk notes

[@Woddy52]

Laber, Laber, ... Laber !

[@Eurodrummer666]

2 people disliked the video? Seriously??

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

🤷🏼‍♂️

[@fastfiddler1625]

Jesus Jones. I have been hating HATING my snare. It's a beginner kit. But ever since I put a nicer head on it, I would get this post hit harmonic buzz in the snare wires. Every single video emphasizes how tight you want the snare side head to be. So I'd try tighter, a little looser. Nothing. Tried tape on the SNARE head. Nothing. Got new wires. Nope. Got a new snare head. Nope. Only in this video did I get an idea of what tight means... And it's nowhere near as tight as I thought it should be. I started with finger snug and went quarter turns from there. Maybe this drum is special and likes it a lot looser. But it sounds MILES better now.