Drum Tuning - Notes, Pitches, Intervals

[Codeseven]

Thanks Bad. Sorry, I'm still learning this stuff, what do you mean by an 'Octave' apart?

Nevermind, Google is my friend "Octave is the interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency."

[BadAstronaut]

example .. 10 tuned to a high E .. 14 tuned to low E

I tune my 12 an octave apart from my 16 when not using my 14 ..otherwise I use 4ths between 12,14,16

[Codeseven]

example .. 10 tuned to a high E .. 14 tuned to low E

I tune my 12 an octave apart from my 16 when not using my 14 ..otherwise I use 4ths between 12,14,16

Thanks

[carl62]

For an EXCELLENT reference on tuning, check out www.sticksandstaves.com. This has everything you need for tuning your drums to pitches condensed into one small page.

[Mike St.Clair]

I'm guessing a pitch pipe would be a good reference.

[BadAstronaut]

^ what was your post about TheNewGuy? .. Professor-Bad is still here .. haha.

[BadAstronaut]

^ ahh .. yeah I tune a bit sharp myself .. I didn't think anyone cared about minute details .. it's really personal preference how you tune .. after playing they'll de-tune slightly back to the normal pitch .. ie .. say B tuned on the sharp side goes back to B but not a flat B.

[BadAstronaut]

Do you tune both heads sharp or just the batters?

Do you actually tune your 16" up 1 semi tone or just very sharp?

The drum size vs amount of semi tone increase is an interesting detail and I still don't understand all the why's and how's of it. I can understand that striking the batter very soft to very loud that there is an increase in pitch (you say overall pitch)

Both tuned a tad sharp.

I tune my 16 with both heads at a sharp B specific pitch .. when struck shell produces a C# overall pitch.

6-14 inch shells go up in pitch 3-4 notes overall pitch .. 15 and larger go up 1-2 notes overall pitch .. all depending on shell thickness, bearing edge, heads .. etc etc ..

[nils]

I tune my 12 an octave apart from my 16 when not using my 14 ..otherwise I use 4ths between 12,14,16

I usually tune only a fifth between 12 and 16 and roughly thirds, if it is a row like 10-12-14-16. This way you can always find fifth, which provide a differential note of an octave below the lower note involved if hitting two drums at once while leaving one out in the middle. Like a power chord for drums.

[Securitron-X]

I have my toms tuned around a Cmaj9 at the moment. So:
16" C
14" E
13" G
12" B
10" D

[livingstone]

Both tuned a tad sharp.

I tune my 16 with both heads at a sharp B specific pitch .. when struck shell produces a C# overall pitch.

6-14 inch shells go up in pitch 3-4 notes overall pitch .. 15 and larger go up 1-2 notes overall pitch .. all depending on shell thickness, bearing edge, heads .. etc etc ..

When you tune like this, are you basing the note of the head on the sound when you tap near each lug? I.e, for your 16" do you tap at each lug and make the note at each lug a b#?

[drummaman1]

what's with all the "A#s and D#'s?? I find it funny. Bb and Eb respectively. I've spent more time with brass/woodwind players (more flats) than string players (more sharps)

You can call them whatever you want, it's more typical to call those two specific notes by their flat name than by their sharp. I don't know why, unless you're playing a song in F# Major. And us drummers, we know a thing or two about F# Major, do we, fellas???

....fellas??? Hello??

As of late, the last two kits I purchased were 10-12-16 toms. Perfect 4ths are very difficult to get because of the diameter difference between the 12 and the 16. Either one will be tuned too low past its range (12) or one will be too high (16) Because of this configuration I now tune the three drums to Perfect 5ths. Sometimes, it just doesnt work out, the 16 is too high still. To remedy that, I will tune the 10 and 12 a 4th apart, no specific note, whichever note it happens to resonate well in. The 16 is a Major 6th to a minor 7th lower than the 12. It's a little odd, but each drum is essentially in its own range. If I add a 14 or 18 I will most likely tune to 4ths again. If I get both a 14 and an 18, three floor toms...I'm going Pentatonic!!!