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20 useful tips on how to tune a drum kit as a pro.

1. Use candle wax

Take the old head off. Wipe the dust and debris off the bearing edge. Wax the edge with a little candle wax for a tight seal.

2. Tension evenly

Ensure a new head is tensioned evenly, otherwise it will be pulled unequally, get distorted and you wont get a clean sound.

3. Use your fingers

Take up all the slack by turning the tension rod to ‘finger tight’ – when the head of the tuning rod makes contact with the metal rim.

4. One rod = one turn

Now increase tension by systematically applying a single turn to each rod, criss-crossing diagonally around the drum.

5. Use your fist!

Press down on the centre with your fist to make sure the head is properly stretched and ‘seated’.

6. And wait for the ‘crack’…

Continue until the head is board tight. The cracking sound is just the glue settling, and it’s important to hear this.

7. Slack evenly

Now you can slacken the head back off – again take care to do this evenly

8. Fine tun

At last you’re ready for fine tuning. Take the head back up, evenly all around – criss-crossing diagonally again.

9. One rod = one turn (again)

Make sure that each rod gets the same number of full, half or quarter turns.

10. Fine, fine tune

Tap lightly an inch so in from each tension rod. Make fine adjustments until the pitch is the same all around the head.

11. Tune up not down

It makes things easier to get the tuning right if you always tune up to the note than down to the note.

12. Use the guitar method

Quickly dip below the note and then zip back up to it so you hear the note rise to the required pitch.

13. Use your finger

Put your finger lightly on the centre of the head to dampen the overtones and you’ll hear the pitch better.

14. Write numbers…

…around the edge of the head next to the tuning rods to make the order of tuning easier, particularly on a 10-lug drum.

15. Tune the bottom first

Most drummers tend to tune the bottom resonant head first – go with the flow.

16. Bottom = tone, top = feel

Many drummers say they tune the bottom head for tone and the top head for feel.

17. Choose an option

There are three tuning possibilities: top and bottom same pitch; bottom head higher; bottom head lower.

18. High tune for projection

Some drummers claim that tuning the bottom head of your toms a little higher than the top increases projection.

19. Down tune for funk

When you have got the heads evenly tuned, try tuning down one of the tension rods by a quarter turn for a funkier sound.

20. And stay out of trouble

This should reduce the decay of the drum making it a more controlled sound. It may also eliminate troublesome overtones.

[to know more about drums visit www.musicradar.com/tuition/drums]