FUQ (eff -yu - cue) - FAQ's with an EDGE

Tagged As: How To Tune A Snare Drum

Question:
I've tried over and over. I can not tune my stinkin snare. I do fine on my toms, but my snare sucks!! what am I to do? I have read all the web sites so dont tell me to fuck off and go read em.

Answer:
What kind of sound are you trying to get? What size and material drum are you using? These two questions will likely tell us the problem, I have a feeling. The basics: 1. Get the heads seated and in tune with themselves. If you can do toms, this is easy. You want every lugs perfectly even. As James Blades would say no heterogeneous beats. Do this wthout snares. If you lightly touch the center of the head with the pad of a finger, you dampen most of the overtones, making this process easier for less developed ears. 2. For most situations, get the batter head tuned to where you like the feel of it, and the pitch is what you like. Tune the snare head at least a minor third higher than the batter head. This is easy because the head is thinner. For more snare response, tune higher; for more depth and body, tune closer to the batter, but keep a minimum of a minor third difference. (A minor third is the interval between the opening notes of ) 3. Add the snares. Attach them so that you can get a full range of sounds with the snares engaged between choking the snare head (so tight response is lost), and no snares (not enough tension to touch the head. With the snares ON, add tension until you get the desired wetness/dryness you're looking for. Be sure the snares a completely straight across the head, and not angled in any way. 4. Evaluate. What do you like or disilike about the sounds of this setup? Too high? Back off some tension on the batter head. Not enough depth? Back off the snare head a bit. Too ringy? Change batter heads to something thicker or premuffled. Not enough snare response? Thinner snare head. You have to know what you dislike about the drum's sound for us to be able to further help you. It may be simply that the drum you're using is incapable of producing the sound you want it to, which was the reason for my original questions.