Troy's Drum Tips for Young Drummers: Drum Tips - More on Tuning The Snare Drum

Troy's Drum Tips for Young Drummers: Drum Tips - More on Tuning The Snare Drum: "Drum Tips - More on Tuning The Snare Drum
In the truely 'artistic' sense, there is no right or wrong way to tune a snare drum. However, there are some consistent elements of tuning that will make it easier to get the sounds you want out of your snare drum instead of being stuck with a drum sound that you don't like.

For those of you who are frustrated with the current sound you're getting from your snare drum the following steps should help maintain equal tension between the lugs and ultimately get the sound your looking for from your snare drum.

Start with New Heads
It is best to start with new heads - can't get a good sound with those old, worn out, beat up, crusty heads. Spend a few bucks and get yourself new heads. Especially think about replacing the heads before any big show or recording session. Your audience, bandmates, and engineers will thank you! Personally, I prefer the old standard Remo Weather King Ambassador Coated Batter for the top head and something very thin, like the Remo Diplomat on the bottom or snare side.

Check the Bearing Edges
Take the old heads off your drum and place the shell on a smooth surface (a glass tabletop is best) to inspect the 'bearing edges'. The 'batter side' (top) edge should rest flat against the surface of the table. On the 'snare side' bottom you should see slight dips in the bottom bearing edge where the snares meet the shell. This is normal, this is called the snare bed and it helps the snares have a nice tight fit against the bottom head.

Beware - Any warping or chips in the bearing edges may cause very strange and inconsitent sounds and make it very difficult to control the sound. If there are problems consult your nearest drum shop about having the bearing edges re-cut. This is a job best left to the pro's who have the right tools to make it quick and perfect.

Once you've got nice clean, pefectly"