Tuning 101 - Revisited
Where to start?
Tuning is a hotly debated topic in the marching percussion world, and as the fall competitive season progresses we wanted to extend a hand with some tuning tips to help!
Before we get into specifics, there is one point that many people overlook when deciding a tuning scheme that is arguably more important than the scheme itself: You must remember the frequency range of the instruments. Think like an orchestra - the snares have the high frequencies/voice, the quads have the mid, and the bass have, well, the bass. When those ranges start to overlap is when you start to lose the specific voice within the ensemble, and it can become much more difficult to hear in the context of the full band. The characteristic sound of a full orchestra is something greater than the sum of its parts, and we can achieve the same effect with the drumline.
Universal Tips
The process of tuning any drum is fairly similar. A few principles can guide you through the process:
Keep the tension even around the head by increasing or decreasing the tension only in opposite tension rods (the 12 o’clock tension rod, then the 6 o’clock tension rod, 1 then 7, 2 then 8, etc).
Always keep the head “clear” - meaning that each tension rod is producing the same pitch all the way around the head.
Don’t forget that the key can turn to the left! Many people make the mistake of only adding tension to the head, and never taking any away. This can complicate the process greatly, and seriously reduce the life of the drumhead.
Your ears are the ultimate judge of the sound. Tuners and drum dials are wonderful tools to help us, but your ears ultimately should be your guide.
Keep those in mind as we go into some specifics. Let’s explore a little more in depth. Please remember that this is by no means the definitive guide for tuning marching percussion instruments - there is a lot of room for subjectivity, and this is simply our guide to what we have found to be the most effective tuning.
Snares
Many people work very hard to perfect their snare tuning. Trying to find the balance between full snare response while maintaining the crisp articulation can be maddening. Some things to remember:
A good range for the bottom head of a marching snare drum should be between a C and D. C# is the choice for many higher level groups, or D if you want to dry the sound up a little more.
The top head of the snare drum should be lower (yes, lower) than the bottom head. The exact amount matters less than making it feel good to play on. Some people swear by 1/2 step between the top and bottom heads, but that is very subjective.
Guts are a good thing! Think before clipping your guts - usually tuning the drum properly allows the resonance to give you the response you want without having to clip any guts. Make sure that the guts are tightened, and flush with the bottom head all the way across when the snares are on (not hanging loose OR being pulled upward past the bearing edge to the snare strainer.
Again, this is very subjective. However, it saves a ton of work and headache from constantly having to patch the bottom head and/or replace the guts. Ultimately the goal is to let the drum naturally resonate to produce the sound.
Recommended Snare Heads:
Evans - System Blue Hybrid (top head), MX5 (bottom head)
Remo - Black/White Max (top head), Falam II (bottom head)
Quads
Quad tuning can throw you for a loop if you are not careful. They go out of tune quickly when being heavily used, and can make your head spin with overtones while trying to keep them sounding pristine. Here’s some ideas that can help:
Tune your drums to specific pitches. This can be a little more difficult if you have no experience with ear training, but will get significantly easier with practice. Tuning apps are freely available, and most metronomes have a tuner built in. This also eliminates the guessing game of if the drums will sound “as good as they did the other day.”
The natural resonance of each drum differs because of the different sizes. This means that the pitches need to be a little spread out to get the best sound. For a 14” bottom drum an A is about the lowest pitch that can get resonance AND articulation. The range is between an A and a B. This pitch can vary depending on many factors, and is a lot to personal preference. The lower start gives more resonance and less articulation, and the higher start is the reverse.
Regardless of the note you start on, having a minor 3rd interval between the bottom two drums is preferable. This allows for a “dark” sound when playing double stops on those drums. Think of the intervals like a piano chord - spread out at the bottom, a little closer in the middle, and spread again at the top. Our recommendation for intervals is (from drum 4): m3, M2, m3. Starting from the pitch A on drum 4, this would make the drums A C D F (4 3 2 1).
The Spock drums are subjective. Having the highest drum the same pitch as the lowest drum helps keep it resonant while also maintaining the range of the instrument, but some preferences have them a little higher for the sharp sound.
Ultimately the best tuning for the quads is the one you like the best. Your ears are going to give you more information than any tuner will. Just remember to tune the entire head, not just the playing zones!
Recommended Quad Heads
Evans - Marching EC2
Remo - Emperor Clear Crimplock
Basses
Bass drum tuning is incredibly important - like the 2nd trumpet in a jazz band, the low voices help the higher voices project. Both heads should be the exact same pitch to avoid any “wobbly” sounds.
The bass voice should be a little more spread out than the quad voice - the frequencies get substantially harder to distinguish from each other at the lower range, so spreading out helps avoid a muddy sound.
To get a lot of projection from the bass sound, following the overtone series is a good place to start (for those of you who are not music nerds, you can read more about it here). This opens up the intervals but keeps them grouped in something familiar that allows them to project. If you have ever heard a bass line that had a ton of resonance and that “punchy” feel, even from a distance, chances are they used this style of tuning. A good range for the lowest pitched drum is usually between a C and an Eb. Then, the intervals are P5, P4, M3, m3. Starting on a D would make those pitches D A D F# A.
For bass lines that have only 4 bass drums, use the same tuning scheme as above but omit the top pitch. This would make your 4 bass pitches D A D F#
Tuners can help a lot for bass drums because the frequencies get so low it is hard to tell them apart - don’t be afraid to use them, but remember that your ear is still the judge.
Many bass lines today use foam on the inside of the drum - this helps reduce the ring of the drum and provide more articulation. A common method is to use 3M Hi-Strength 90 Spray Adhesive on the inside of the bass drum shell. Place the foam all the way around the shell on both sides, allowing for 1/4” of foam to extend beyond the bearing edge. This will allow the head to press into the foam very slightly as you increase the tension, as well as allowing you not to have to change the foam every time you change a head! The 3M spray is incredibly strong and durable, and can last a long time when applied properly.