Ep. 28 The Effects of Cranking the Snare Side Head

[@PennyLarson]

This video caused me to totally reexamine, and ultimately change, how I was tuning all of my snares. I grew up in drum and bugle corps, and our philosophy when it came to the bottom head was to crank it just about as much as we could. I'd continued that attitude long into my drum set playing without thinking too much about it. Thank you so much for opening my eyes when I didn't even realize they were closed.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

So glad to hear it! Thanks for taking the time to share that with us- we really appreciate it! -Ben

[@frankfertier34]

I have been playing since 1963, made a living out of it for more than fifty years, These videos are by far the most complete and musical ones ever. a great achievement. Kudos and parabens. hail Cody Rahn

[@bonzoleum]

This is an INCREDIBLY valuable video-thank you sincerely for posting it.

[@ae8713]

Bonzoleum I love all your drum teaching videos!

[@mirror1001]

I was not expecting to see Terry here!

[@jamesjameson3771]

Jesus, every one of your videos gives me an existential crisis. I wish that this channel had existed when I started playing! nothing was more frustrating than tuning for me. Naturally, I turned to the internet to help me tune my snare. Every forum said the same thing: "Just crank the snare-side". So, I did that, for YEARS. I put up with pitchy overtones, so many different heads, I even just bought a new snare altogether. I had this revelation by myself about a month before this video came out. Easily my favorite channel on youtube!

[@Klaus312]

james jameson same here

[@drewper73]

I wish that the internet had existed when I started playing! Never mind this KZbin channel. But seriously, I’m enjoying learning more about tuning my snare drum but having videos like this and all of the other great drumming videos would’ve been HUGE for me and my drummer friends when we were first starting. It would’ve been a big game-changer, but it’s better late than never as they say.

[@nightmareasmr92]

Honestly, the biggest thing is to NOT FEAR MESSING THE BANANAS OUT OF YOUR TUNING! ~ For me, for the Longest time, if I had something cool dialed in, I would just leave it and not touch a thing... hoping it would just stay like that forever. This was on a 1966 Blue Sparkle Ludwig Jazz Festival (which hilariously I sold to Tom Jones` drummer.} But the thing I learned with dealing with a 8 x 14 DW Brass snare is to just Dive the fk in and experiment. I mentioned once (here actually} that I wasn't sure what to make of it when I got it. I knew it was capable of some great tone, but it wasn't until I threw caution to the wind and went for it that it is now just a gorgeous sounding instrument. GO TEAM!

[@PabloJ1968]

I like your sober non/stupid-goofy approach. Very fluent with the delivery of the information. A lot of good information too. Cheers!

[@ricardolomeligomez3896]

This is one of the few channels in this big, strange world that I can confidently say I have never skipped thru the video at all. Soooo much quality and dense info with clear, concise explanation the whole way through. Binged 4 hours today. Now... To the shed with me!!!

[@gabrielnascimento1217]

Anyway tough, this series is teaching me more about tuning than everything that I ever seen Keep up the good work

[@SAHBfan]

This is currently my favourite channel on youtube, there is some excellent information here. The vast majority of 'how to tune your snare' vids (there are hundreds - thousands, maybe) just go on and on about how to go around the lugs in a star pattern to get the head even. That it.... What you are telling us about the relationship between the top and bottom head, the effects of different head tensions, how to get different sound is excellent. It is what I've been searching for for ages, really great stuff, thank you. Please keep it coming :)

[@_handsomedevilll]

Whys this not at 1M views this guys a genius

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks for watching! Be sure to share with your drummer friends.

[@tommonson3109]

This is one of the best channels you can turn to for solid advice in my opinion. I've played all over the country at large venues as well as tiny bars for over 20 years. I have always struggled with what I thought was a good sound out of my snare. Keep in mind what you're hearing behind the kit does not represent what it sounds like at the front of house. Countless hours of grief for no reason, when I would listen to an opening act that was using my kit it sounded amazing! Don't over criticize yourself or you will go nuts.

[@galenjacobs6005]

I’ve really grown to value and love these videos, the small details I continue to struggle with today as a 20+ year drummer. And tuning a snare is something I’ve always sucked at, so this is a huge help.

[@vintagemxer9165]

"Too much promotion of resonance" that's a phrase worth remembering. And the finished product was really revealing. Very informative. Snare tuning seems to be the biggest mystery in drum tuning.

[@iluzjonista]

That last two snare sounds is basically all my snares since early 2000s, that is since I started playing drums and until I watched your video on tuning the snare side to a ruler and letting it settle for wires properly. I know you tried your best to make the most out of the cranked up bottom head, but really there is no getting back for me to that sound once I figured out how to keep bottom nice and resonant thanks to you. Big kudos guys.

[@nqbraun]

very educational, one of the best on u-tube cuts through all the unnecessary garbage.

[@RA2Music]

You guys have really opened my eyes to the incredible number of variables to tuning, especially my snares. I am trying out many of you schemes to see how they sound to my ears. It’s been a fun experiment so far and the sounds I’m getting are some of the best ever. Thanks for the great information, keep it up, please.

[@Mieczu_DRUMS]

Best drum channel on KZbin!

[@mreigenberg]

I've been drumming 35 years. As long as I've had any understanding of tuning, I've had it fed to me about the snare side being freakishly tight. I'm really glad I ran across this. I think you may have relieved my snare tuning nightmares. I love the sound of a nice open, responsive snare but never nailed down the tuning (stick response and resonance has been "Bla" at best). I think this may have helped me a lot. Thank you.

[@Jrenglehorn]

8:29 is every single Junior High and High School snare drum.

[@graytss]

Jrenglehorn not at my school lol! My band teacher keeps em at high tuning!

[@aristotle5698]

I tune em up. As a student I’m given complete control over the sound of the kit

[@bakihanma545]

true tho

[@ihaballam4086]

For me this episode is a revelation. It made me retune my whole arsenal. It would be even more informative if you quantify using a tune-bot. For me I took the snare side from 400Hz to 340Hz and for a batter head tuned at 270Hz. (These values are individus lug values). The results are amazing. With a Tune-bot you can get a consistent over and over again. Please consider using in your episodes. Thanks for all your outstanding efforts and super valuable information.

[@TheCarelessAquarius]

The point I think he is trying to convey is that you really don’t need all the gadgets. Just a tuning key and some time to experiment. You know what sounds good to your ears, go with your gut I promise you, you will get comfortable and be tuning your drums like a pro in no time.

[@andyxprophet]

Your opening was so true. All I heard when I first started was to immediately crank the bottom head. It was never even a thought to keep it somewhat loose. I may have some stuff to try here.

[@michaelciccaglione3921]

Excellent knowledge and great teacher. Keep it up, brother. You are lighting the darkness.

[@zachalderson5608]

You where literally reading my mind with all of what you said. Thanks a million for this video.

[@djbuzzword]

What a fantastic video. Thank you so much! The sound at 8:20 is the ugly one I've tried to get away from on many occasions. You've made me realize I have been neglecting the interaction of the two heads and tuning the bottom head tight as standard when I shouldn't be. Thanks again, have subscribed!

[@elliebean1118]

Before clicking on this, “you already do this and know what it does, why are you clicking this vid” BECAUSE I ALWAYS WATCH THIS CHANNEL, GO AWAY BRAIN

[@MrTwister3356]

I think that in the end, it usually boils down to personal preference and what a person is seeking to obtain sound/tone-wise from the drum...it helps to know what you're doing however and how tension of the reso, snare wire and batter will affect the final outcome...so your video helps to understand these variances. I personally like my reso cranked and will tailor my final sound with the batter and snare wire tension....die cast hoop on top and 3MM triple flange hoop on the bottom with a 42 strand wire....on a 14"X6.5" cherrywood stave snare drum...she cracks!!...thanks for the comprehensive video...great as always!!

[@6832jack]

Could you tap the bottom head just to give a general reference of pitch?

[@alfred-mi2wt]

I dig that crisp sound that the bell brass snares have. Soon that will be my next snare.

[@jonambiz]

I’ve never heard anybody tune a metal snare to sound that good. Anybody I’ve ever seen use metal snare have always used tons of dampening techniques, tape, rings, etc. Good stuff!!!

[@CRC780]

Good call Terry! Incredibly informative! Thankyou so much!

[@rolandgriesmann6688]

Short and concise, excellently explained ! GREAT 🥁🥁🥁 !!!

[@tombrenes2411]

Awesome content Great hard work Changing heads and snares will give you more better options

[@peteyaskovic5567]

I love the content in your lessons. I played around with my 70s Ludwig LM400 and found loosening the snare side head about a half turn down from table tight excited the shell a lot more, loosened up the feel on the batter and took out a lot of overtones. Thanks for posting this, exactly what I needed for the studio!

[@SidLaw500]

Cody, you're the best, thanks! Comprehensive, worth watching twice.

[@PRJohnnyT]

Love the no eq, no effects and no muffling on your recordings. Saw your last video, very interesting. I still have to say that at least for my snares, the resonant head tuned low does not sound good at all. I achieve my favourite snare sound by cranking the reso head and having a mid tuning batter head. Keep up the vids! They are very interesting!

[@SteveStockmalMusic]

Just a thought, I’d love to see a back-to-back of all the sounds at the end of the video. Thanks again for all the great info and experimenting. :)

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

We’ve started including those more and more in this season and do even more with comparisons on our Patreon. Cheers! -Ben

[@SteveStockmalMusic]

Cool man, thanks !!!!

[@EarthtonesCymbals]

You are well spoken and quite knowledgeable. Best wishes!

[@DennisJohnsonDrummer]

The most important head is the one that actually touches the snares that give the drum the sound. Makes perfect sense but people don't realize this and hardly ever tough the snare side head for fear of breaking it due to the thickness. Thanks for posting. In the marching arena we almost always crank BOTH heads because this is the current sound of choice.

[@ryanchristianson4609]

I watched this video and promptly went to my beautiful 7 piece maple drum set and de-tuned every resonant head within reach. lol. I appreciate the articulate display of knowledge, and it was fun to focus on getting a completely different sound from each drum. Very inspiring, and that's the beauty of drums and drumming... subjectivity. I've become really good at obtaining a very consistent tone, by tuning the same way all of time, but switching things up and finding new sounds is something I need to do more of, so thank you for that.

[@travisrichmond5912]

I love this channel so much

[@chrisiorio5278]

WOW! So helpful! This really is both an art and science !

[@gamesmcphilson6712]

You're doing Gods work here. I was obsessed with idea of 400Hz lugs for the snare side.... My dads closet acrolite taught me a lesson about that idea.... could never figure out why i was getting the crazy snare buzz and odd ring when hitting off center.

[@LightPilotDarkForest]

what hrtz are you tuning the snare side now?

[@paulbrown410]

Thanks for this guys, great conclusion to the previous snare side video, the guidance from which has improved the sound of my snares no end. Biggest thumbs up yet!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

You're quite welcome! Glad to hear it. -Ben

[@DoeTheJane]

My jaw kind of dropped to the floor when I heard the difference in the end. I need to try this on my snare ASAP!

[@DrGray_Drummer]

I love the sound of the snare side cranked on the Supraphonic. To be honest, I like the Supra at just about any tuning

[@r.a.8590]

Good video, and what an excellent drum.

[@bacobill]

I wish you were around when I was a young drummer.. I was just shooting in the dark when it came to tuning.. I never took lessons so I never learned even a fraction of what you show here.. Thank you as always.. baco

[@GordonBagshaw-GBEnglishClass]

Cody, that was beautiful. I am going to play with this and see what happens. thanks

[@secondsbeforelanding]

Well, its Tuesday, and that must mean, another entertaining and informative video from Sounds Like A Drum. Great Job guys !

[@ABLO_dnb]

Loved the steer into the skid analogy 👍

[@weeschwee]

Another video saved to favorites for reference. Fantastic job again!

[@daneeehhhh]

TL;DR 9:19 ---> LOSEN THAT SNARE HEAD Couldn't agree more, you are opening my eyes and ears every day. Loving these videos a lot. EDIT: Will we ever see you play an entire drumset?

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks for the kind words! And yeah, eventually there will be kit stuff :) - Cody

[@toddrogers490]

Really like your teaching, you make so much sense. Save me a lot of frustration in why I am doing things wrong.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Awesome! Glad it's helpful :) -Cody

[@RorRiiZzLE]

Okay, so what you did around 2:35 is basically what I have going on my snare, but I finally learned my lesson about wanting a deeper tone and keeping the snare side too tight. So I basically have mine (snare strings released) sounding like a medium toned timbale or something like that, similar to what you have at 2:35, just a lower pitch, but I definitely needed to loosen the snare side to do what I wanted because it needed to breathe a lot more. In the end, I was actually able to tune down the snare side head to let more air flow inside and resonate, but then I was able to tune up the batter head a little bit just to even out the tone and then like you said, I ended up putting some dampening on to tame a lot of the overtones because I kinda like that timbale like sound with snares lol it’s funky. But I still get tons of overtones on anything toned below like medium-high, maybe cause I still haven’t upgraded my first snare, but it’s not like it’s that old only like two years and I take care of it and I like it’s crack. (Not a real crack, cracking sound, you know what I mean) And yeah, I’m surprised I’ve had no noise complaints yet because also as you said, mine gives off this gunshot sound rather easily. I’ve tried to get that for a long time, I’ve heard some drummers have it over the years, but I could never really get it, but finally, I got it. Also, I like my wires to be articulate, but not so tight that they turn on from basically every other drum, so what I went with, along with the tuning I just described, was a pair of Twisted 20’s, so it’s actually 40 strand coiled by twos and they pick up the articulation without needing to be real tight or tight at all really. They really don’t do too much extra snare response unless they’re super loose and just dropping off the snare side head basically. So everything together really has gotten me more towards the sound I want. I can only imagine what everything will sound like once I get a snare to overtake the maple decade one that came with the kit.

[@funkdrummer]

Being a southerner from Louisiana and currently living in New Orleans, the way to get that buzzy snare sound for brass bands/Dixieland tunes is achieved multiple ways. My favorite was the method given by my private instructor in college. He said to tune the drum to sound how you like it and then back one of the batter head tension rods all the way out.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

There are definitely a variety of ways. With regards to backing out a tension rod all the way, this will have different effects depending on the number of lugs and the type of hoops. -Ben

[@aphexon.]

Been watching sins show one, Not a young guy, but I said yes to play drums in a project, Iam a bass player, this have helped me grow so quicly, thank you... Not the drumming ofc, but i can easely make any drum sound pretty good :) thank you!

[@EyesoreJr]

I agree with some others that I wish this stuff were around when I first started playing. You can learn something from every video eve if it’s not what you like. Case in point, I learned how the bottom head relates to the top head better even or your final outcome sound wasn’t something I would like. It sounded a little sloppy to me. I LOVE Stewart Copeland’s snare sound on Zenyatta Mondatta! Crisp, fast attack, resonant but quick decay.

[@jeremyschneider9531]

Late comment here. You guys make such amazing content to help us really understand this stuff! One more thing that would help me a lot is to show us the pitch relationship between the top and bottom heads at these various points. Not necessarily with extra gear for a precise frequency, just an edge tap with the other head muffled. That's much easier, IMHO, to replicate or shoot for than terms like "table top tight" or "I can press my finger into it". My 2 cents, thanks!

[@af7119]

Thanks for making this quality content for us. You also seem like a really nice person.

[@russellsdrumsandeverythingelse]

I find a tight bottom head , medium tuning on top and easy on the spring tension with a dry head and vent holes works for me . Thanks for the lesson .

[@abdullamuijrers2305]

This channel is incredible! Loving the content! Well done!

[@john_doing]

Hi Cody! Great videos man!! Very inspiring for me when I’m stuck on a drum sound

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Glad to hear it, John! -Ben

[@stuckondrumsssss1968]

Thank you for the video! Can’t wait to try these tuning techniques.

[@owentetley8351]

Once again, SLAD saves me from putting a sledgehammer through a drum because of my own failings, snare sounds like snare again, thank you.

[@longfade]

Really illuminating - another great video!

[@bobweber4140]

Another great lesson thankyou

[@zenoncastro1809]

Thank you again for addressing the many ways one can accidentally strip the drum of its tonal integrity

[@paulkennedy4920]

Your channel is a godsend for drummers like me that can't stop tinkering with their drums, so thank you! I have two questions that I probably know the answer to, but I'm going to ask anyway. 1. I am a victim of all of those "tabletop tight" snare tuning videos, but now I am a believer (thanks to your vids) that there is a better way. My question is, if I simply start from scratch with the reso that's on there, will that matter, or do I need to replace it for maximum effect? I'm guessing I do, but really don't want to if I dont have to. 2. Would you recommend going a little tighter on reso heads for deeper snares.... 6.5, 8, etc? I ask because it seems to me anyway, that my deeper snares resonate a little better when the reso is tighter. There is a little more distance between batter and reso, so that's the reason for asking. Any help or feedback is appreciated.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Hey there! 1 - You don't expressly HAVE to replace it, but if your snareside is well stretched, the quality of sound from reducing the tension will be diminished. You'll still get the effect, but it won't be quite as dramatic and the snare wires may choke the sound because of the loss of resonance from the stretching. 2 - For me, it's not specific to a certain size of drum with regards to how i tension the snareside head - it's more of a matter of the type of drum (material) and the nature of the bearing edge. As a general rule (with exceptions here and there of course), the rounder the edge, the sooner it will choke as you raise the tension. This is why drums like the N&C or Keplinger from our Snare Spotlight videos can take a very high snareside head tension and still feel warm and articulate under the stick. The sharper edge does little to suppress the movement and overtones of the head, so it can still do its thing even when tightened to the limit. The fun of all of this is that every drum is different and there are no hard and fast rules, so you can get to know each one and find their individual personalities one by one :) Hope that helps! - Cody

[@Assimilator702]

Paul Kennedy Must buy a Remo Ambassador Hazy and you’ll have the best reso on your snare. I have SEVERAL Tama snare drums which all ship with Evans heads. The Evans just don’t have the depth of sound and texture that a Remo head has. With that said......if I have to use one Evans head on a snare it will be a G1 on the batter. But I MUST have a Remo Ambassador Hazy on the reso side.

[@michaelbruhl4425]

@@Assimilator702 ...that's very, very true !!!

[@justinlee2268]

I use an acrolite with the resonant head really tight. My batter head is fairly tight. I guess I grew accustomed to Alex Van Halen’s sound when I started drumming and it stuck. I just adjust the snare wires here and there. Warning:I have to buy batter heads more often,but excellent rimshots.

[@U2WB]

Supraphonic snare drums can be tensioned extremely high, and that has been part of a specific sound inherent to the funk music of certain decades. I prefer mine on the high side but not to where it sounds like a timbale. I like to be up in Buddy Rich’s 70s / 80s region, before he went back to using he Radio Kings. All of my snares are tuned around the same tension, as I am of the school that considers it “tensioning”, not “tuning.” My reasoning is that all of my snare drums should feel the same and thus the heads should be at about the same tension for ideal and appropriate rebound for my style of playing. I thus choose drums which sound best when tensioned that way. They may not be at the same pitch, but they feel the same when I play them, which is of more importance to me. I always tune my batter head a perfect 4th lower than my snare side head - this is the technique taught to me by Joe Morello, and it has worked for every drum I’ve ever owned. Having said all that, EXCELLENT video, as always. Thanks !

[@butchcassidy3373]

Man I love your comment. Joe, imo was the best drummer ever. Would have loved to have taken lessons from him. I started back drumming after a forty year hiatus. I could use some lessons but living in rural Alabama makes that a challenge. Lol

[@ziccuj]

Really helpful, thanks a lot man!

[@nathan512]

Thank you so much for sharing your tuning knowledge!

[@adamkess1]

Yo Cody!! I picked this video at random and found my old Cornball Cohort. Nice job brutha!!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Ha! Bro that’s hilarious :) hope you’re well! 🤘🏻😎

[@1life2pono]

Another fantastic and very helpful video! Thanks guys!

[@gmoney1592]

Great stuff as always . These videos answer a lot of questions. And give a lot of good info. Thx and keep them coming !!!!

[@68PieceDrumKit]

Always enjoy your videos. Straight forward talk and informative. Your videos I watch from start to finish. 🥁

[@michaeltorres1263]

Wow! The piece you found important in this experiment (high snare-side and low batter) is a problem that i would have with my metal snare drum and I couldn't figure out why. Thank you!!!!!

[@SKragseth]

Dealing with this right now, got to re-tune tonight. Thanks for this man!

[@texxred3657]

like how you describe sounds and strange tones that are difficult to describe

[@lancelefevre351]

Just went and grabbed my pearl snare and tuned the snare side down lower than what I normally would and wow it sounds great. I use a Remo ebony snare head for that dark kinda punchy snare sound and Evans ec2 Tom heads to give my toms some clear cutting tone. I like the dichotomy of the bright toms and throaty snare. Reminds me of the way Danny Carry’s drums sounded on the aenima album, mostly “push it.”

[@cjr1971]

I think it’s what works for you and your situation. The drums shells themselves and Ofcourse heads and how you tune them. It helps to have perfect or near perfect pitch does help. If you can tune a guitar you can tune a drum. Just have to find the sweet spot. Just takes time. I find best way for me is equal tension on BOTH sides. Cant go wrong.

[@paulsartorello836]

I just came across this video.. you got the sound I have on my supra, same vintage. Took me a few years to get it, but I had Paice and Bonham as influencers! I find most people have their snare wires too tight. I jam a lot on different drums. Great content!

[@ben_ide]

Great information. Many thanks.

[@ronniek7748]

Thanks so much for a very informative video! Great job.

[@dalesdrumchannelzero1802]

Love this channel and all the good info you're putting out there! I am now a subscriber.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks for the support! -Ben

Your videos are awesome, guys!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks for the support! -Ben

[@kenpoels]

Great video guys !

[@jimphayre]

I used a similar metal snare drum with my Ludwig set back in the mid 80's and always found it to be tinny with way too much ringing - regardless of how much dampening/moon gel I used. While your tips on adjusting this snare drum were helpful, it still left me feeling metal snares do not give as clean a sound as wood. But of course, that is why snares come in all types and sizes. Thanks for posting though!

[@shaderbytes]

i have a mapex black panthr sledge hammer 14x6.5 brass , and a brass pearl picallo , 13x3 .. they sound awesome .. much better than any wood snare ;)

[@federruchi6147]

Love my snare side super tight. I always strive for a danny Carey snare type sound. Super open and high tuned most of the time. Also love some high overtones, which is part of that sound

[@simonlyne8783]

Really helpful series.

[@jonathanrenner277]

i always circle back to this video. my studio snare is sounding like im hitting a box and its been frustrating to figure out the tuning. i have a recently new snare side head, but i never table top tune it. decided on new batter head and snare wires (they're pretty beat up) and plan to start from the ground up on tuning. 🤘💚🥁

[@dopeydad1221]

Excellent video, clearly presented and demonstrated. And I am definitely going to use "steer into the skid"... subscribed

[@m.vonhollen6673]

Politely... you know that some DrumDial numbers would make all of this so easy to recreate, discuss and modify. I've got 82 on top right now and I'm going to go check the hottom.

[@Eurodrummer666]

Even with the weirdest settings, this snare still sounds so good!

[@rondeangelis7384]

Great paet 2 Casey. I landed on a Benny greb snare tips using 2 closest lugs on batter which was pretty impressive.. great job casey

[@mediumstudio]

2nd tuning - both heads cranked - sounds perfect to me ...

[@fiskfisk33]

I mean, kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJaWp2tqob6miJo yes!

[@grumpydrummer8960]

I had recently obtained a Sonor Force 3007 . It was in good condition shell wise.However the snare side was so cranked down the bottom shell rim was almost in line/ paralell with the steel rim.

[@Masomlejn]

thanks for this video!

[@BeardedDrums]

Great vid, loving the content your putting out 👊💯

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks so much! -Ben

[@mattycspeaks]

Dude, great channel!

[@GamingDrummer89]

This video is one of the most insightful that I've seen, and I love the depth of content on your channel as a whole! If I had to add one thing to this video, it'd be the somewhat cliche idea that there's always a trade-off with tuning. With the snare side tuned more moderately, you get less overtones (especially from the snares) and a more consistent response across the head from the snares while also getting a narrower sound with more of a "crack" to it. With the snare side tuned higher, you get a lot of excess snare response and weird zinging overtones, but you also get a wider, more complex "pop" to the sound. I prefer the wider pop, so I have to use some level of dampening on the batter head and keep the snares somewhat loose so as to not have that annoying little "zing" at the trailing end of the sound.