Drumming For Beginners – Drum Tuning Tips
Well tuned drums are absolutely essential, if you want to sound good. The unfortunate fact is that many drummers don’t know how to tune their drums. Playing an out of tune instrument is really no fun, even a great drummer can sound terrible. In this article we’ll talk about why tuning is important and what techniques to use in order to tune your drums.
Let’s start with why – why is tuning so important? The answer to this question is rather simple. You will, of course, sound better. That is the number one reason. You will also get much more out of playing. Not to mention the prolonged life of your drums.
With the whys out of the way, let’s continue. What do you need to tune a drum? As far as tools go, you’ll only need a drum key. But you will also need a good ear and a bit of patience. It will take time to learn it, so remember – the more you do it, the better you will get.
When tuning you have to be careful. It is quite a delicate process. You have to know what you’re doing, because it’s pretty easy to permanently damage your instrument. Let’s take new drum heads, for example. Most beginners believe that when you first put on a new head, you must tension it down in order to seat it. But if you overdo it, you can easily damage it. If you do that, no amount of fine tuning will help you.
It is best to do it slowly, to break it in naturally. Learn the right techniques like the opposite lug tuning sequence. This is a method of tuning where you move back and forth and not around in a circle. This enables you to tighten the head more evenly.
Now, I won’t lie to you, tuning a drum set is not going to be learned overnight. But it’s definitely worth your time and with the right instructions it’s really not that difficult.
If you want more detailed instructions, take a look at how to tune drum set. Also see drum lessons for beginners.
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