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Buying and Tuning Drums

There are three main categories of drum equipment;
~ Budget drum sets
~ Semi-pro drum equipment

~ Pro merchandise.

If you are looking to buy a starter kit, then consideration to quality is important. The semi-pro kits are improving all the time. The pro kit is naturally the most expensive, generally made from maple or birch. Some manufacturers, such as Tama, Pearl, DW and Mapex are introducing stunning finishes using unusual and exotic woods, eg bubinga, mahogany and oak are also used but are much less common. It's always a good idea to try before buying!

New Drums
It's always best to buy a quality branded drum kit. Brands include DW, Yamaha, Pearl, Mapex, Tama, Premier, Ludwig, Sonor, Pacific and Gretsch. The cheapest brands at the bottom end of the market are best avoided, even for children.

Used Drums
If you seek the advice of an experienced drummer and reputable drum dealer, then the chances are you will be armed with the advice you need to go out and make a great buy. You will get a lot more for your money buying second hand.
We can give advice to all enrolled students and help them to

find the right kit.

Electric Drums
Electronic kits have come a long way since the 80's. They allow you to play with headphones and are virtually silent. Electronic drumkit brands include Roland and Yamaha. Prices start from about £500.

Again, stay clear of budget brands!

Tuning Drums
Now you've got drums you'll need to learn to tune them! Drum set tuning is the process of tensioning drumheads on a drum to produce a pleasing drum tone. A drummer tunes the drums using a drum key, a small, square socket-wrench that fits over the tension rods. Drum tuning styles and techniques vary between different drums, music genres and the preferences of drummers. In addition to tuning drums, drummers often treat drums with muffling material to alter the drum sound.

Tom Toms

Tuning toms is the act of ensuring that the tensions on the individual batter and resonant heads on each drum are consistent and deliver a clear tone and the heads deliver the desired fundamental pitch when struck.

The relationships between the batter head and resonant head provide a
sound character suitable for your intended use; and that the relationships between individual drums and the overall drumset provide a logical and pleasant sounding combination.

When tuning a drum, know that the top (batter) head controls attack and ring, while the bottom head controls resonance, sustain, overtones, and timbre.

Snare drum

The thin, sensitive bottom (resonant) head is generally tuned looser than the batter head. The resonant head tensioning is adjusted to allow the snares to sit into the snare beds; and treatment or muffling may be applied to the drum head to control overtones.

Bass or Kick drum

The resonant (front) head is usually looser than the batter head and is mainly responsible for the fundamental, audible tone of the drum;
The resonant head can have a small (approx 6") offset hole to allow for air pressure escape and for the insertion of a microphone;

Some drummers use some kind of treatment inside the drum (such as a pillow, towel, etc.) or one of the many head variations and appliqués to control overtones, this could be that a drummer fills up his kick drum with materials to absorb the sound, or that the batter head has a ring of foam on it or perhaps a kick pad placed on the batter head.

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