Help with tap test for heads

Hey! I wasn't entirely sure if this was the right section for this topic but anyway

I was hoping could someone tell me about the tap test I just got new heads n havent put them on yet probably wont till about Monday.

What is the tap test?
Why should I do it?
What am I listening for?
How do I do it?

Please help guys/girls!

-Jeff
 
You could do it before you buy your heads. Take them out of their boxes and tap the head really gentle in the middle - if you hear a tone, your head is fine. If you can't get a smooth tone out of the head, the head is probably dead. This is most common with 2 ply heads.

That is what I've heard, but I might be completely wrong.

If you've already purchased the head, the best you can do is really to put them on, tune them up and play your drums. If they sound good, you've succeeded :)
 
What he said, it can certainly help pick better heads, but I've found that when you tune up high it probably matters less. I've had a couple of heads with giant dents and messed up collars, but once they get tuned up high enough, those problems go away. If you tune JAW, head deformities probably factor into the sound more, so the tap test is more important.
 
I've never done a tap test. They're meant to sound good at tension, not flopping around.

As some ad for some drum head brand said, you don't judge a guitar string on how it sounds OFF of a guitar, do you?
 
I've never done a tap test. They're meant to sound good at tension, not flopping around.

As some ad for some drum head brand said, you don't judge a guitar string on how it sounds OFF of a guitar, do you?

It's been saving me from extra return trips to the drum shops to return dead heads. I'm talking about Evans G2 heads here. If the procedure works, don't knock it.

To tell you the truth, I've never done a tap test to a string. I'll have to tell my girlfriend about it, she's the guitarist. ;)

Dennis
 
If the procedure works, don't knock it.

I've always thought it does.

I have no doubt that some heads sound more lively than others when tap tested. I need no convincing that one head can be tonally different than another head just like it. I don't understand the science behind this, but I do know that I've never bought a "dead" drum head and I've always put it down to the fact that I tap test every one and grab the one that I like the sound of best.....even if that test is done when the head is off the drum.
 
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