Drum Tuning - Big Floor Toms (16" and 18")

#drumtuning #drumtutorial #tomtuning
As requested, here's a video demonstrating how I tune my floor toms. I'm a certified tuning fanatic, and have learned a lot of information about drum tuning over the course of my career. I have talked with many pro drummers and well known engineers and the information I have gotten is pretty consistent from all of them. I apologize for the blurry image of the tuning app. To clarify the tuning of each drum, the 13" top head is tuned to an E (165 hz), the bottom head to a G (196 hz). The 16" floor tom top head is tuned to a B (123.5 hz) the bottom head to a C# (138.5 hz). The 18" floor tom top head is tuned to a G (98 hz), the bottom head to an A (110 hz). The bottom head tuned higher helps control the sustain and helps to “throw the sound back up “ at you, aiding in recording and the projection of the sound. At minute 9:08 of the video, I meant to say there’s a third relationship between the two top heads, not between the top and bottom. These tunings work well for my particular drum kit. I play my drums wide open with no muffling, the sounds you hear when I'm playing the drums are not gated. Only minor EQ was used on the floor toms.

As stated in the video, always tune by ear first...that will help you acquire an ear for tuning. Once you arrive at a tuning you are happy with, if you want to muffle at this point, feel free...whatever gets the sound that is pleasing to your ear. Headphones are recommended when listening to this video. Any questions, hit me up in the comments. Thanks for watching!