Steve Maxwell Drum Tuning Video
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- čas přidán 26. 07. 2024
- I am often asked about how I do tuning and am long overdue with this video. So, with this video I will share my method with you and also down below have included some links so that you can hear the outcome of this method. As I mention in the video, there is no "right or wrong" for tuning. Everyone has their own method, and I am merely sharing what works for me. If it helps you, that's wonderful! As always, you can reach me at vintagedrums@aol.com and I would be happy to answer other questions for you. I don't get back into the You Tube channel that often so I may not see your comments here, so email me directly if any questions. Here are some links:
• New Ludwig Legacy Kit ...
• Video
• Steve Maxwell Vintage ...
• Art Blakey Pearl Drum ...
• Ludwig/WFL 22/13/16/5....
• Steve Maxwell Vintage ... - Zábava
In my 68 years of playing drums I can say this, if I had a nickel for every drum tuning method I have watch or read about I would be a wealthy man! Thanks Steve for your video on drum tuning, simple is always best. Rich
Excellent neutral approach explaining tuning methods and how you emphasized there is no right or wrong way. It's whatever sounds good to you and or the band and viewers. Thank you Steve for being open , honest, and professional.
Steve, your snare drum tuning is opposite to most other tuning videos on CZcams,
but you snare drums always sound better, so you must be right.
Your method certainly works great for my snares.
I wonder where the reverse method started.
Mr. Maxwell...thanks for all you do for the drumming community. You must have one heckuva busy day between two stores, sales, taking time to answer questions, the great videos you make, and who else knows what! ; ) Can't thank you enough and hope to meet you someday and see your store.
Russ Cashdollar
Ever since I was a teen in the early 90's, I always tuned the top head tighter than the bottom.
On my 14th birthday in Aug of 1990, I got a 1966 Slingerland drum set. The next year I switched to Evans drum heads. Rock Glass tom batter, and Resonant Glass on the bottom. Genera coated snare batter, and Rock Glass on the bass batter.
Adults used to compliment me on my drum sounds all the time.
These days I'm playing dw collectors, and am experimenting with the tighter bottom head. Not bad, but I may go back. I'm also using Ambassadors, but used Pinstripes and Emperors for a long time.
Thanks for the video!
I get many positive comments from my clients in regards to my drum sound. I’ve never tried tuning the res head lower! I’m intrigued by your theory and going to give it a go!!! Thanks!
Exactly the way my Dad taught me....ya, the fellow to the left of this comment in photo. Dig that kit from about 1936 or 38. Thanks Steve as always!
Thank you Steve. Great insight and a clear concise explanation.
Useful, simple explanation. It's funny to see all the people with advice on how to tune drums like, "this is how you do it...", etc. who don't agree on how do to it because either they don't know or there's such a subjective element to it that what sounds good to one person might not sound good to another. I'm sure that even some excellent drummers and engineers have no idea how, or couldn't explain it to you. The fact is, it's not an exact science, and tuning two heads that interact in complex ways is very different from tuning a violin or a guitare, but Steve is right here, lowering the bottom head in relation to the batter, to about aminor 3rd or a 4th below, does improve resonance (I've done the test on several instruments), provided you don't tighten the batter above the drum's natural tuning range and choke it. Even Ross Garfield, "drum doctor" agrees, for whatever that's worth... Looser heads generally resonate better. Tuning the two at the exact same pitch can also work, but it has to be exactly the same, otherwise you can get phase cancellation or nasty beating/overtones, it's just easier and more reliable to use this method. Plus, having a clear, precise note come out of a drum isn't necessarily what you wan't, especially if it clashes with whatever tonality a piece is in.
People should experiment anyway, that's the only way to really know. I remember watching a video with Bob Massenburg in the studio saying that most engineers record overheads on the drums wrong, and he began using a different method, with both mics slightly angled and equidistant from the bass and snare drum, just over the player's shoulders. Steve Albini too, changes his methods occasionally ... if even these two, who are some of the most experienced engineers recording, can admit that sometimes they change their minds on how to do things, then you should be wary of anyone declaring "this is the right way to do such and such...", etc.
Awesome info! Thanks for sharing Steve!
+Charlie Contrino
Excellent! Thanks! Steve
This was great, Steve, thanks. Gotta say, I was skeptical of the snare drum, and I don't know the ratios, but the other day on a whim I dropped the tuning on the bottom snare head about a quarter turn (I was always told to tighten the bottom snare head as tight as it will go). Holy smoke! I can't believe how much fatter and LOUDER the drums sounds - too loud actually. I'm going to have to play with it a bit, what what a difference. Thanks again.
Interesting. I guess there are different approaches to tuning a snare drum. Joe Morello taught me to tune the batter head to the desired tension and then the resonant head a perfect 4th higher. The reso head would generally be quite tight, or as they say “tabletop tight.” I’ve found over the years and having owned dozens of snare drums that this always produced a great sound. Crisp and bright.
Best tuning video ever!
I’m so glad I stumbled upon you.
I found this very informative and useful. Thanks.
Cool. Feel helps me tune. Pushing in on the heads. And trial and error. Listening as well. It's very important what you said about tuning range. Smart! I've learned not to try to get a sound out of a drum if it doesn't have it.
Excellent Mike. Let me know how it goes.
Alot I agree with. have always tuned my toms that way but never got success with tuning snare that way. Struggle to get nice wire buzz with loose tensioned bottom head. very interesting and will keep experimenting for another 30 years, we always learn.
Wow, thankyou Steve, I have done it always the opposite way, I will definitely try this.
i purchased a bklyn bop kit from Maxwells I tuned it exactly how he instructed and it sounds amazing
This is gold!!!
Thank You, Mr. Maxwell
Love this site Ty Steve your the best!
Thank you so much!🙏
I tried this as after listening to a live recording of my kit, it sounded 'boingy' from the audience side but amazing from the stool.
I tune the toms / kick either same pitch or a 4th higher on the reso. Try tuning your reso a 4th lower!
Thanks Steve!
Great video
HE FINALLY DID IT!!!!!!! YES OMG
I gave this video the thumbs up number 440 :)
That is all sound advice. Thanks. Personally, I tune my drums to specific pitches all the time. If recording I'll tune to the key of the song being recorded. With new drums I go so far as to determine the pitch of the shell without any heads, then I tune both heads to that pitch. At that point the drum is as open and resonant as it is capable of. That is my starting point. Also, I use a Drum Dial for speed. I log the Drum Dial settings for all heads on the sets. When it's time to put on a new head all I have to do is dial in the head tension and that gets me to a hair close to the pitches I want. I also log specific tunings that I know will work in specific situations. I also frequently use a Resotune which is an amazing device that lets you quickly tune each lug to the exact same pitch. It's far more accurate than measuring head tension at the lugs, and a lot faster than doing it by ear.
I'll never forget it... I took my floor tom into a music store cause the salesman wanted to see my vintage Ludwig tom. I told him it was tuned to a "G" pitch. he did not believe me so he brought it over to the piano and played a "G" and then hit the drum. He said, "Damn, it really is tuned to a "G". he was amazed like he never heard of such a thing.
is there anywhere I could listen to a recording of yours?
Interesting. I play in purely acoustic situations and in situations where I'm closed mic'd. I have more than one kit and so maybe I'll tune one with the top heads higher and one with the bottom heads up a minor third (or so). Good information.
steve! If a bass drum or any other drum is a little oversized due to age (60's kit) will using the remos coated ambassador or vintage heads still sound good with it? or should I try the evans 360?
wisdom,,, truths
The Best
Hey Steve, Could you do a segment on Bass Drums regarding Port or No Port on the reso head? Also, I would appreciate your thoughts on using a Kick Port that can be placed in the port hole. Thanks!
What do you recommend for kind and brand of heads for a pearl hybrid fiberglass 2015 kit 24 16 13?
Thank you for all you do!
You love drums like I.
Tunning sounds great.
I was thinking you said you use the same ply heads for top/bottom.
is it better to use same ply usually I knew the reso would be thinner ply then the batter.
Any reason why you like even ply heads for both top/bottom?
I was thinking that would make more sense? Easier to tune or no difference or I dunno where I’m goin with this here.
It can be quite scientific if you let it.
Sweet spot is so true on a drum.
very true.. I play festivals a lot and the backline kits are so detuned that it hurts to play
Some drums actually want to sing at very specific frequencies. I'm in the process of re-heading my Tama®/Hoshino® New Imperialstar™ kit, and the IMT08A add-on rack tom doesn't put out until I bring the heads up to G3 (~204 Hz) on account of shell volume and vent size; same is true of the IMT10A and IMT12A at lower specific pitches, but the IMF16A will put out from F1 (~ 43 Hz) and hit peak around C2 (65 Hz). All are slated for Evans®/D'Addario® EC2S coated batters and Remo® clear Diplomat resonants; they can tune for best sustain.
The IMS145 (14"x5") snare drum, which has no snare bed (a common issue to Tama standard-model snare drums), will need a different snare release from the stock MUS65A, which binds the flesh hoops short of max supported tension for the lugs, and possibly a stouter reso than the Remo® SA-0114-00 3-mil hazy (will the SE-0114-00 5-mil hazy be sufficient?). As of 15 January 2016 it packs an Evans®/D'Addario® B14HD batter and should handle the same vendor's TT14RGL as a reso if necessary.
The drum that has presented no pitch problem with new heads is the IMB22F kick, which packs an Evans®/D'Addario® BD22EMADHW 2-ply/20-mil clear batter and a Tama®-branded Remo® ES-1022-00 10-mil Ebony resonant (Hoshino Gakki P/N BH22B).
Hi Steve! Is a one turn a full revolution of the drum key or is it a half?
Agree
Great video. I used to tune my jazz kit this way, but moved toward the Bonham sound, which I've gotten tired of lately. I just might go back!
Why do people always look for this guy or that guys sound? Make your own sound. Everything else is done to death.
This is the only way I have ever known how to.
I want to hear your snares which have the reso tuned lower than the batter... I've never heard this sound good.... I agree on the toms part, but in my experience if the snare head isn't tuned damn tight, it will be buzzy and have poor sensitivity.
I've never been able to get an even decent snare sound if my snare reso head isn't cranked up almost as tight as it can go. In my experience, if the bottom snare head isnt cranked, you get this loose, terrible rumble sound with way too much wire buzz and ring.
+AdrianTheDrummer Actually the tighter the res head the more snare response you will get. You need to cut the outside snare wires,, they are the most buzzy. You should tey getting a tunebot, you can tune very easily to intervals and the ring sounds good. People often mute their snares because the ring is full of crappy overtones.
Actually this method worked for me on a birch Yamaha kit. Which up until today I hated.
@Steve Great video! Always interesting to see how other people tune their drums, especially someone with experience such as yourself. I am intrigued by this concept of which head is tuned higher than the other, specifically for the idea of optimal acoustic projection. It's hard not to think of John Bonham when having this discussion, considering that so many people (even non-drummers) love his drum sound, both live and in the studio, and his tuning method was based purely on the fact that he couldn't rely on recording technology to capture his sound...It had to come from the drums live, as was probably the case of any professional drummer back in the day. It's interesting to me because his drum tech, Jeff Ocheltree, has an instructional video discussing the drums, hardware, tuning and mic setup John Bonham frequently used. I'm not sure if you've seen this video, but it is available here: czcams.com/video/_mrNjz_U0ZM/video.html. Anyways, the reason I'm bringing this up is because Jeff mentions John's methodology of tuning the drums as they "did in the big band and swing era," which could be synonymous with your statement that the way you tune is based on tuning methodologies from the 40s and 50s. However, Bonham tuned his bottom heads higher, for the exact reason that they projected more to the audience. So, it seems we have a bit of a conflict here, at least in terms of historical accuracy: one person is saying they used to tune their top heads higher back in the day; the other is saying the opposite. I'm not saying that anyone is right or wrong, just curious on your thoughts here. I've spent about 20 years exploring drum tuning and my sound, and it's funny because I always used to tune my bottom heads super tight, and when I would tune my top head higher by accident, I tended to like the sound better. I know there's no right or wrong, and it's a completely personal thing. Thanks for the video and information!
Also Steve, the philosophy of tuning the snare, only, at a fourth from each head, and use the " hear comes the bride" as the key??
Are you implying you tune your SNARE drums this way or are we just talking about toms and kick? I've never heard advice to tune the snare reso looser than the batter. Seems like you'd get crappier snare response and sensitivity that way.
that snare drum looks beautiful! what is it?
+dududu My bet is '20s Leedy in Peacock wrap. Just guessing though.
@Stevo Reno
Bonzo actually used the opposite technique. His resonant heads were tuned several steps higher than the batter. Search for Jeff Ocheltree's video on this subject. He uses bonzos actually kit and seeing as how he was john's drum tech he would know what was used.
+icetech6 John Bonham aka Bonzo
Bonham was, other than in the early days, a miced drummer. This is talking about a tuning method for drummers who don't mic their kits.
99% of people today actually tunes bottom head higher for the note to bend down and some tune heads same pitch for dryer tone.
+Sinan Kececi Same pitch gives loads of sustain
+Jan Dries what I mean by dry is less overtones by the way
Sinan Kececi Ok but that's a wrong usage of the word dry ;)
I mean when the batter head is saggy it is not fun to play
I tune the same way.
16 thumbs down on the video? probably 16 persons working for Drumdial!
Thanks! Can’t please everyone of course, but over 600 people found it helpful and only 16 didn’t. And of course, we’re not saying that any one method is ‘right’ and all else is ‘wrong’. I just share what works for me and if it is helpful to people that’s great.
What I don't understand and never understood after playing professionally for many years and teaching as well is that I always hear conflicting opinions on tuning. Here is another example. You say you tune the top head tighter than the bottom. Others have said the tuning should be the opposite (bottom head tighter than top) and the last person of knowledge I asked who is a drummer and sound engineer said the top and bottom heads should be tuned the same. Also you mentioned the big band era nd how they tuned and I just watched a video of Jeff Olcheltree describing how John Bonham's drums were tuned like the way they tuned in the big band era with the top head looser than the bottom head. Jeff has been a dru teach for great drummers like Bonham, Billy Cobham, etc....so I'm surprised you and him seem to be saying the complete opposite thing about big band drum tuning. I do like that you said it is an opinion. I think it gets even more confusing (drum tuning) when you have variations in the thickness of heads. One question: when you say top head "tighter" than the bottom head are you actually talking about the tightness of the head or pitch?
Steve Percoco
That's because no one know how to actually tune drums accurately. They are subject to "folk tuning". It's like how people used to tune string instruments before there were tuning forks. But drums, especially two headed drums, are much harder to tune than strings, so even in this day and age, even high end pros still don't know how to tune. And I have come up against huge resistance when telling people this, because seasoned pros with lots of skill at drumming cannot be told anything. But i know how to tune drums, I studied tabla under a master, and he would not settle for anything but extremely precise tuning. And tabla is very hard to tune.
I took my skill from tabla tuning and applied it to kit drums, and with electronic tuners like the tunebot, I can tune accurately to clear defined notes. Again, tuning to notes is tricky, but when in tune with other instruments, it sounds so much better IMO. Some people say "well buddy rich never had a tuner". Yeah, and Einstein never had a computer. Doesn't mean he wouldn't have done much better with one.
Looks like Steve is talking purely about resonance for the bottom head and he's talking about just the tension. I was taught this same method of tuning, you tune by ear and try to get thirds or fifths across the kit letting your ear be the judge.
this is again "folk tuning". the reason people teach this way is because they dont know any better. imagine if timpani players tuned like this. yes 2 headed drums are much harder to tune, but with electronic tuners it has become a piece of cake. the problen is people are set in their ways, and dont know what they want. what good is an interval like a third or fifth if you dont know the note on either end?
It sounds like you want to argue about this subject, which I am not in the mood for. I'm merely explaining to you what Steve already has said in his video. He's not trying to tune to specific notes, he's using tension and his feel for his baseline sound/tone. He literally states his tuning methods are something along the lines of "1 full turn on the bottom head and 1.5 turns on the top". The reason he leaves the bottom loose is for better projection.
I'm not going to argue with you about the merit of tuning to notes or knowing what note you're tuning to. That's inconsequential to the point of this video as was basically stated at the beginning. What I will say is even with "folk tuning", people still sing intervals of what they're trying to tune to. More often than not, they come out as either thirds or fifths of some note that felt good to the ear. I do know how to tune to notes, but this isn't a discussion of what I know or don't know.
thats the point. no one who cant tune to notes can claim they know how to tune. its one thing to know how and say you dont like it, but to dismiss it without knowing is the definition of ignorance. the ear is important, but only if you have a solid reference. to maximize the musicality of drums, you need to understand how to tune accurately with a reference. the older guys who have spent their whole lives chasing their tail trying to tune usually dismiss electronic tuners because they make someone like me who has only been playing a few years a much better tuner, and that doesnt sit well with them.
Man I wish you were a little closer to Phoenix!
Someone speaking some sense.
This is what I call "folk tuning" which has no real reference or scientific basis, and is just passed down from teacher to student. Thankfully electronic tuners have emerged, and I can tune a drum better than anybody I have ever heard that doesn't use one. On the one hand the ear is a very important tool to use, but you can't use your ear accurately without a reference, which the tunebot or apps do. You ear cannot discern notes well at all from a two headed drum, because of the clashing overtones. So you end up playing whackamole and people spend their whole lives trying to learn the art of tuning.
I learned basically overnight. That's says nothing about me, just the technology that is available, which has demystified tuning and made it a million times easier.
it's very difficult to get seasoned drummers to accept this, because they have spent so much time of their lives tuning, and come up with some lackluster crude method that works but is nothing special.
Ele Rubenstein
touche
Fuck off, please.
Yeah..."crude methods" worked just find for Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, Bonham, and EVERYONE before those devices came out, so your theory goes right out the window.
Ryan Sargent
Yeah, and US mail worked fine for Lincoln before the internet, so the theory that the internet has made communications better and made snail mail look crude is out the window as well.
I am an audio engineer as well as a drummer and multi instrumentalist/composer and student of two radically different music theory systems, one being western harmony, as well as psychoacoustics, and there are very few things that you can pin down as sounding universally good to the human ear. But one very solid thing that is universal to basically any system is the concept of solid musical intervals. The kits of krupa, rich, et all were tuned to ugly musical intervals, both between drums and between heads of each drum, the reason being is that is is basically impossible to tune a two headed drum to solid musical pitches even if you have perfect pitch or a reference tone, because of the complex interactions between vibration modes of the membranes, which was made even more difficult by the inconsistencies of animal skin.
But now with plastic heads that hold tuning and electronic tuners, it is finally possible to make drums sound much more musical rather than just flat staccato untuned percussion.
I play my precisely tuned kit for people (non-drummers who don't have a bias) and they universally say they sound better than most kits. It's basically the difference between playing an untuned guitar vs a tuned guitar.. yes, you can get some cool percussive sounds and effects from an untuned guitar, but when it's nice and in tune at least with itself, it is much more pleasing to the ear.
Of course purists who have done something a certain way will always be resistant to change, but I think we can agree email is better than snail mail for communication.
You are honestly saying that Bonham's kit sounds ugly? Go fuck yourself, you theory oriented piece of music excrement.
I tried this as after listening to a live recording of my kit, it sounded 'boingy' from the audience side but amazing from the stool.
I tune the toms / kick either same pitch or a 4th higher on the reso. Try tuning your reso a 4th lower!
I tried this as after listening to a live recording of my kit, it sounded 'boingy' from the audience side but amazing from the stool.
I tune the toms / kick either same pitch or a 4th higher on the reso. Try tuning your reso a 4th lower!