Things you will need:
Snare Drum
Drum Key
Drumsticks
Tuning your snare drum is a very important part of getting the maximum sound and life out of your snare drum and drum heads. If your snare drum is not tuned, your drum kit could sound muddy and dull. Also, without regularly tuning your drums, your drum heads are more likely to become damaged, and you will be back in the store buying new drum heads faster then you can say “is this drum out of tune.” This article will help you tune your snare drum , but remember that tuning your drums is very personal, and only by trail and error will you find the right pitch for you.
- Tune the top head first. Turn each lug clockwise with your fingers until the lugs are finger tight, increasing the tension of the head. This will create the starting point from which we can begin to truly tighten the head. Using a drum key you can begin placing the initial tension on each lug of 1 full turn of the drum key. Tune one lug, and then tune the lug on its opposite side (180 degrees). Continue around until you have turned each lug 1 full turn. The drum will tune better if you do not tune these lugs in a circular sequence. Then you can adjust the pitch by following the same 180-degree circular motion but instead doing ¼ turns of the drum key until you have reached the desired pitch. Test the pitch of each lug when finished by lightly tapping with a drum stick about 1 inch away from the lug on the drumhead. You will want to tap opposites, like the diagram above, making sure you are tapping the same distance from the lug as the first tap. Be sure that when you tap in front of each lug, they all have the same sound.
- An easy way of getting all the lugs to same tension is to use an Evans Torque Drum Key which will put the exact same amount of torque or resistance on each lug for faster more accurate tuning, For $19 dollars its hard to find a more useful drum tool.
- Repeat the sequence on the bottom head. Be careful not to tune too high, because the heads have a tendency to break easily. Some people prefer to tune the top and bottom heads to the same pitch for greater resonance. This can be controlled by tuning the bottom head slightly higher (tighter) in pitch to taste until the desired amount of resonance is achieved.
- Test the pitch of each lug when finished, lightly playing about 1 inch away from the lug. Use a drumstick for this part.
- Make sure all the lugs have equal pitch. Now, your drum is tuned.