Need help obtaining a "tribal"-ish drum sound

Hurgerburger Toadman

Junior Member
Howdy folks,
Long time lurker on this site, wondering if I can get some opinions today...

I'm going for a sort of tribal sound for a project I'm working on. Think kind of like a smaller, more organic film score drum kind of sound, more of a woody thud, but without drying out the overall tone toooo much...
All I've really used are coated G2s tuned rather openly in the past, so I've not much experience with different heads or tunings really...

Also, for what I'm working with, I can choose a kick and two toms from any of these sizes...
22x18, 20x16, 16x14, 14x12, 12x9, 10x8

Somewhat of an odd, specific question, but I figured I might get some direction on here rather than just breaking the bank trying different heads and dimensions...

Thanks!
 
Most people equate tribal sound with riding on a floor tom instead of a cymbal. I would keep using G2s those are great heads. Maybe add moongel to dampen the tone a little bit if its too muddy. Any of those drum sizes will work, just find which sounds best for the song.
 
Howdy folks,
Long time lurker on this site, wondering if I can get some opinions today...

I'm going for a sort of tribal sound for a project I'm working on. Think kind of like a smaller, more organic film score drum kind of sound, more of a woody thud, but without drying out the overall tone toooo much...
All I've really used are coated G2s tuned rather openly in the past, so I've not much experience with different heads or tunings really...

Also, for what I'm working with, I can choose a kick and two toms from any of these sizes...
22x18, 20x16, 16x14, 14x12, 12x9, 10x8

Somewhat of an odd, specific question, but I figured I might get some direction on here rather than just breaking the bank trying different heads and dimensions...

Thanks!


Large drums played with tympany mallets should work.You could also try building a Native American ceramonial drum with streatched rawhide heads.Something around 26" diameter or larger,and again using mallets ot beaters.

Steve B
 
I got a very nice "tribal sound" out of my Yamaha toms ( first Gigmaker then Stage Custom) by using Evans ec2 batter heads and tensioning them till the wrinkles are just out of the head and then maybee a quarter turn more ( goes from sprongy trampoline consistency to tribal sound in about a 1/8 turn )

I just had the reso heads slightly lower in tuning...again to just firm...you might need to tinker a bit...I get the reso heads just tight and in tune, then follow with the batters just slightly tighter.

Only issue you may get is symapthetic vibration on the snare wires..... I just tune the snare a touch higher if that happens ( I find its most common with the 12' tom with my 14x 6.5 snare)

hope that helps
 
G2s on the top and bottom did the trick nicely. The 12x9 sounds especially good, nice and focused without being too dry, probably gonna keep 2 plys on both sides from now on.
Mallets definitely round out the tone a lot too.
Ended up using an old basswood 20" sonor kick with stock heads that actually sounds surprisingly massive and thuddy if it's tensioned up right.

Thanks for the replies guys!
 
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