There are several methods available to deepen the sounds of your drums. Tuning can certainly make your drums sound lower, but changing the drum heads may provide you with the deep, rich sound you are looking for. Drummers use a tuning key to loosen and tighten the tension in the drum heads. By doing this, they are able to achieve generally high or low sounds. While you can't tune a drum to a specific pitch, it is possible to get a general tuning of the drum by listening closely.
Preparing to tune your drum heads requires determining the precise sound you want to get out of your drums. If you only want to change the pitch of the drum to get a lower sound, you can simply apply proper tuning methods to lower the pitch of the drum. However, if you are looking for a lower and thicker sounding drum pitch, you will need to consider purchasing additional drum heads. Listen to recordings of drum players and find a sound you like. This will help you adjust the drum to your needs.
Tune the top and bottom heads by dividing the drum into eight equal parts as if you were preparing to slice a pizza. The drum will have eight tuning pegs located around the top, so this will not require much effort. Start with any peg and turn it a quarter of a turn with your tuning peg key. Then jump to the peg on the opposite side and do the same. Continue this process until the entire drum has been tuned to the general pitch you want. Tap in the center of the drum to determine the pitch.
Tap near each peg on the drum and listen to the pitch. When tapping, use the area directly in front of the tuning peg. If both pitches match on opposite sides of the drum, move to the next peg to the right. If they don't match, continue to adjust the tuning until each side sounds the same. These minor adjustments will help to ensure the entire drum is tuned evenly and will help to give you an even and consistent sound across the drum. Make sure to do this with both the top and bottom heads.
Rather than using a standard drum head, you can purchase oil filled drum heads. These drum heads install just like any other drum head, but they are filled with a small membrane of oil that slows the vibration, creating a more robust sound. You can choose from varying thicknesses of drum heads. You should choose a drum head based on how penetrating you want the drum to be and how deep you want the sound. The smaller drum heads will provide a thinner sound, while the thicker ones will provide a rich and full sound.
Preparation
Preparing to tune your drum heads requires determining the precise sound you want to get out of your drums. If you only want to change the pitch of the drum to get a lower sound, you can simply apply proper tuning methods to lower the pitch of the drum. However, if you are looking for a lower and thicker sounding drum pitch, you will need to consider purchasing additional drum heads. Listen to recordings of drum players and find a sound you like. This will help you adjust the drum to your needs.
Figure Eight
Tune the top and bottom heads by dividing the drum into eight equal parts as if you were preparing to slice a pizza. The drum will have eight tuning pegs located around the top, so this will not require much effort. Start with any peg and turn it a quarter of a turn with your tuning peg key. Then jump to the peg on the opposite side and do the same. Continue this process until the entire drum has been tuned to the general pitch you want. Tap in the center of the drum to determine the pitch.
Fine Tuning
Tap near each peg on the drum and listen to the pitch. When tapping, use the area directly in front of the tuning peg. If both pitches match on opposite sides of the drum, move to the next peg to the right. If they don't match, continue to adjust the tuning until each side sounds the same. These minor adjustments will help to ensure the entire drum is tuned evenly and will help to give you an even and consistent sound across the drum. Make sure to do this with both the top and bottom heads.
Head Choice
Rather than using a standard drum head, you can purchase oil filled drum heads. These drum heads install just like any other drum head, but they are filled with a small membrane of oil that slows the vibration, creating a more robust sound. You can choose from varying thicknesses of drum heads. You should choose a drum head based on how penetrating you want the drum to be and how deep you want the sound. The smaller drum heads will provide a thinner sound, while the thicker ones will provide a rich and full sound.
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