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suggested notes for tuning


hammsterstyle

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well... i'm still trying to get my drums tuned decently. the problem is that i'm so new to drums, i don't know what pitches to tune to. all i need is someone to to give me the right ballpark, and i can take it from there? can anyone help me with this? i understand that tuning is a matter of preference, but i have no clue. and i am afraid of over-tightening my drums. i have a pearl export select:

 

5.5 x 14 snare - want a tight sound, similar to what mike portnoy tunes to

 

22" x 16" bass

12" x 10" and 13" x 11" toms

16" x 16" floor tom

 

i would greatly appreciate any help!

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Start at the floor tom and tune up to each tom in order of size. It is easier to tune up than down. Don't forget when you tune to a certain drummers sound you are tuning to a produced perfect sound which may be hard to reproduce in the real world

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take off the heads, hold the drum by the mounting hardware in your hand, and hit the shell with a mallet, bass drum beater, or whatever. the musical note (or pitch) that this creates will be the fundemental pitch of the shell; also the lowest note that the drum can be tuned to. (if you can't seem to find the note, get a guitarist or pianist to help you out.)

 

after you do this, put on the bottom head an do the "seating" process (see pro. sound's tuning bible). tune the bottom head to the lowest pitch it can; also known as the fundemental pitch of the shell (the same note that you found when hitting the shell). then repeat the process with the top head, tuning it to that same note. this will give you the maximum tone availible from a given drum. from this point, you can raise the pitch of the drum by tightening the BOTTOM head in small increments.

 

hope this helps. keep in mind that all of the above is generally used for toms and floor toms. againl, see pro. sound's tuning bible. i forgot his website though.

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