Simple Snare Drum Tuning Method

We know, drum tuning is really tough! There are so many gadgets out there and things to help you but with such a subjective thing like tuning a drum, everyone has their own preferences and ways to accomplish their goal. But for the drummer starting out, that can equal complete chaos! With a guitar or bass you can simply use a tuner and you're good to go, but not with a drum. Do you want a fat sound, a deep snare sound, high and crisp - there are too many options and it all comes down to what you want to achieve with the sound of that specific drum.

So we created this video to help you! Maybe having a simple baseline will help get you to where you can make changes to get the specific sound you want. Our goal here is to show a very very simple way to setup your snare with new heads, no tuning helper, and honestly not even having to tune it if you do this well. Get some heads and a drum key and try it out. Feel free to make some changes to this method to make it work specifically for you and your sound!

This method works best on a 6.5x14 or 8x14 but it will get you close on other snare drums too. Try it with a 5x14 and add another quarter turn to the batter head.

Here are some helpful links for some of the products we believe in and constantly use at the shop. Vertical Drum Co is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases:
Revolution Drum Key (our absolute favorite) - https://amzn.to/4fuiceZ
Evans Magnetic Drum Key - https://amzn.to/49QBvOb

Vertical Drum Co is a semi-custom drum company from Springfield, OR. Our goal is to make drums that create the sounds churches are looking for. We make versatile drums designed for specific sounds so that you can use our products at church, in the studio, or at any sort of gig that requires phenomenal sound.

We started during the pandemic and have learned a lot along the way. It’s been amazing to see so many incredible worship drummers put their confidence in our products and trust us with their sound! We’re truly humbled to see our products on so many tours, records, and at tons of incredible churches around the world. Thank you!

And thank you for checking out our Youtube channel. We usually focus our efforts on building top-notch stuff but we know you want to hear it and see it too. Hopefully our Youtube channel shows off our products in a way that makes sense for you and helps you research your purchase before buying. We also really want to help educate drummers on tuning and how to achieve the sounds they want.

Check out our website at https://verticaldrumco.com