Is that something you do by feel or are you aiming for a specific interval when you say “a little more than a half tone up”?I use the same method, but tune the reso a little more than a 1/2 tone up.
Living in NYC, and also being a former employee of DCI Music Video (now called Hudson Music), I've had the tremendous privilege of being in the same room with virtually all of the great drummers while they played their instrument. I even stood in the live room during recording sessions with Steve Gadd, Steve Smith, Billy Cobham, Max Roach, Dave Weckl, Omar Hakim, and numerous others.
Throughout these unique experiences, one drummer's sound has stood out to me above the rest, and that drummer is Simon Phillips. From just 10 feet away, his toms (as well as the rest of the kit) sound so clear and musical that it's almost unbelievable. The sheer beauty of the sound hits you even before the beauty of what he's actually playing hits you. It's remarkable.
After having that experience with Simon a number of times, I investigated his tuning method and discovered that he tunes the top head and the bottom head to identical pitches. So needless to say, that's how I've tuned ever since.
The great thing is that Simon has successfully played almost every style of music at the very top of the game: rock with The Who, metal with Judas Priest, pop with Toto, jazz fusion with Hiromi, and so on. To me, that's evidence that this straightforward way of tuning works across genres.
Yes, the times I've met him he has always been extremely nice with a funny sense of humor.He is one of the greats. Seems like a really down to Earth dude as well.
I either do as Simon Phillips does or have the reso head a little above the batter, depending on the sound I'm after.After having that experience with Simon a number of times, I investigated his tuning method and discovered that he tunes the top head and the bottom head to identical pitches. So needless to say, that's how I've tuned ever since.
I think that's the single most common mistake drummers make when tuning - too low, and too muffled. In the studio, that's great - do what you wanna. But if you want a drum to be heard and project any tone in a live environment, you have to tune up.Specifically, I believe the drums were just tuned far too low. They got lost in the overall rumble of the band.
It’s not the only wayAs for the folks who don't understand why one would muffle one head to tune, it's the only real way to isolate what each head is doing, down to the individual lug.
That's probably true - I learned to tune the way I do long before any of those tools came along.It’s not the only way
You can use a drum dial, tune-bot or especially a resotune. If you tune both the same for max sustain it’s not a much of a problem. But if you tune your reso tighter to control overtones you get an entirely different fundamental pitch than either head will be by itself.
I always find that putting the drum on rug or a pillow doesnt tell me the actual sound im tuning to. i always tune my toms mounted by ear.
Seems funny to mute one head while tuning the other as when you actually play the drums you are gonna hear both heads (and how they interact).
It gets you to base camp, with each head properly tuned and each tension rod tightened evenly. Very hard to do that on the stand with both heads interacting with each other.I always find that putting the drum on rug or a pillow doesnt tell me the actual sound im tuning to.
I can honestly say there is no way i will rememebr for the next time how the drum sounds on a pillow vs on a mount. I cant see any benefit from tuning on a pillow.The purpose of it is to clearly hear the pitch of the head you're trying to get in tune with itself.
If you know how you like a drum tuned, it's a good idea to know how you got it that way, rather than starting from scratch every time you change a head.
You can do this by knowing the pitch of each head which gives you that desired end result. And muffling one head while tuning the other is logical.
So, you have to tune it twice? just mount it and tune it once, no one is listenting close enough live to tell the difference. Does anyone really appraoch a drummer with a good sound and ask if they used the pillow method to tune? that would be a first I think. Im going to replace my floor tom head soon and ill hand tighten, press to crack the glue and seat it, and tune it once. I know ill get the reply "that works for you" but honestly, that woork for everyone.It gets you to base camp, with each head properly tuned and each tension rod tightened evenly. Very hard to do that on the stand with both heads interacting with each other.
I will check the pitch and overall sound of the drum once it is in mounted position.
I can honestly say there is no way i will rememebr for the next time how the drum sounds on a pillow vs on a mount. I cant see any benefit from tuning on a pillow.
So, you have to tune it twice? just mount it and tune it once, no one is listenting close enough live to tell the difference. Does anyone really appraoch a drummer with a good sound and ask if they used the pillow method to tune? that would be a first I think. Im going to replace my floor tom head soon and ill hand tighten, press to crack the glue and seat it, and tune it once. I know ill get the reply "that works for you" but honestly, that woork for everyone.