Hey everybody,
This may be a stupid question, but does anyone out there tune their toms in a cetain key or to actual notes? For example, the band I'm in plays a lot of songs in E. I've been thinking that I might be able to tune my toms to that key?? So, the 10" tom would be tuned to E and the 12" would be tuned to D etc...
Does this even make sense? [img]redface.gif[/img] I know when I played in concert band in high school (a long time ago [img]frown.gif[/img] ) that we tuned timpanis that way based on the song. Obviously, there's no way to change the toms out mid set, but our vocals and harmonies seem to gravitate toward E.
Thanks for any insight.
I suggest tuning your toms in a way that gives you the best spread from high to low while achieving the best tone. It's all subjective really. Whatever you decide works for you is okay with me.
Personally, I have never tuned my drums to definites notes, but I have found that the intervals between the toms tend to be between a major third and perfect fourth.
I don't tune to a particular key, but I do tune my 3 toms to a 1, 5, 8 chord.
I would say to tune to where the drum resonates and sounds the best. I think that drums are more about punch, spread, and timbre, than actual notes. I leave the actual notes to guitarists... i prefer to tune to where the drum sounds the best as a DRUM. Usually it will be close to a nice sounding interval just because that is where the ear "wants" to hear it. Starting with a pitch that you like and then using a keyboard to get it close to an actual pitch so that you can tune the rest of your drums in reference to that first tom would work too. I have heard drums that are tuned to pitches and are spot as far as being really in tune with true notes; that being said, many times the drums sound like they are tuned out of their range and therefore don't sound like they should. I would leave the harmonics to melodic intrumentalists and focus primarily on getting a good DRUM sound, then worry about C-E-G, D-F-A, G-B-D'S and all that.
Unless you are playing in a band (i.e. Tool) where you have your snares off and your toms are a melodic part of the song, then i wouldn't worry too hard about it.
<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ December 13, 2005 12:27 AM: Message edited by: matricks ]</font>
Yeah, I have also found that there is a certain frequency or sweet spot where each drum will resonate beautifully, I guess from a physics standpoint this would be the 'resonant frequency'. However, this is usually quite a low tone even on small, say 8" drums, and sounds nice and powerful for rock, pop, and fusion music, but for jazz you would tune much higher, and strive for an intervalic relationship between your snare, toms and bass. A high pitch drum can be played at all dynamic levels. A low pitch drum will just die if played softly.
I attended a wonderful clinic yesterday by jazz master Billy Hart who was constantly tuning his drums throughout his opening solo performance (which sounded absolutely beautiful I might add!). When asked "Do you tune your drums to a certain notes?"
he responded;
"Yeah, that's right, ...intervals, I've been hearing this sound in my dreams for the last 40 years, like a reocurring dream - it might take a year to come back, it might take 5 years to come back. Now I'm getting closer to it"
...so thats something to think about [img]eek.gif[/img]
I don't know...I've had to retune my toms because the note was conflicting with the song. This is especially true with smaller toms. LD Guy, it's funny because I always tune my toms from the 12" down, and then up. The 12" is my middle point so I establish that first, especially with the room sound.
If you want to hear how important it is to tune your toms, just listen to the classic roto-tom part in the intro of "Time" by Pink Floyd. Granted, most toms don't have THAT much tone and pitch, but it's not far off.
Danny
Hmm. I wouldn't. What you really want is the natural tone of the drums, because that is always the best sound. Start with the lowest drum, and work upwards, always. There will be a sweet spot on every drum where it sings really well.
check this out - http://home.earthlink.net/~prof.sound/
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Like in concert band & some or much classical perc, that's a great example of the drums/perc [in this case roto-toms] playing a melodic part in this great popular AOR/rock tune ["Time"], because Mason's playing melodies over the key of the tune. Otherwise, though, I wouldn't necessarily tune to a specific key. [Besides, that might get you a little hung up perhaps later in the night] [img]wink.gif[/img] ...Originally posted by ladanny:
If you want to hear how important it is to tune your toms, just listen to the classic roto-tom part in the intro of "Time" by Pink Floyd. Granted, most toms don't have THAT much tone and pitch, but it's not far off.
...Unless you're on a USS-TitanniBoz mission [& have the extra time/$$$/help/resources to do so]...or, then again, you could just simply take up the standard-88-key [compact-by-comparison] electric piano/synth... [img]wink.gif[/img] j/k
<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ December 14, 2005 03:35 PM: Message edited by: got_a_match_grip? ]</font>
Thanks guys for all the responses. I've been travelling so I haven't been able to reply to any of your responses but this is a huge help!
I have been a "bottom up" tuner too but Danny has an interesting point about tuning from the middle. I'll have to try that. [img]tongue.gif[/img]
Thanks again!
Then again, ladanny has a point...in a session, you may run into a "conflicting pitch" going down permanently on disc/recording...it might be necessary to attempt to "tune to key"...
Hows that for a couple of bi-polar, vascillatory responses... [img]rolleyes.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/hmmm.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/thinking.gif[/img]
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