I use three devices, my drum key, my ears and a Tama tension watch, the third is only to get the job over with quicker so I can get on with Playing my drums ! To clarify some misinformation here on this thread I'm a Dw collectors series owner the shells are indeed timbre matched with a shell note stamped inside the shell. this is only for the purpose of matching the shells together not to tune the drums to that note or that range. John Goodman does this with the shell not built up or with no hardware mounted to the shell the pitch of the shell rises once it is built up, John Goodman has shown this a million times on his Dw videos. I have always been, not pleasantly surprised how many drummer that can't tune their drums ! I have played almost my entire life so I've burnt the midnight oil to learn how to tune, but I also went through 7 years of school band with a very good band director whom was also a drummer/ horn player.

Yeah. Mike curato made a dumb statement...on a vintage drum forum nonetheless. His drums are mediocre, and a lot of people don't care for them.

I have the same issue as you. Sometimes the overtones makes me think a lug is lower, when its higher. Or the opposite. Using something to help aid in the process helps me nail it perfectly. There is still a bit of experimenting even when the numbers are perfect.

Sounds like maybe I should try a device of some sort. But without an I phone handy what device would be comparable?

I have another question to throw into the mix here. If you are doing a complete change of heads, top and bottom on your toms, do you try to tune to that particular note with the top head before putting on the bottom head? I appreciate all the responses on this thread. I took a many year hiatus from playing, and now that I'm revved up about playing again, things that seemed to come easy before, have proven more elusive this time around...including tuning them the way I want to hear them. This forum has really helped to "light that fire" to get back into playing more often.

-Jeff

Jeff with new heads make sure to over tension them at first to stretch them out so they will stay in tune. This is seating in the head or breaking in the head. then de tune the head again and then re tune to the sound your after. Yes since you are with new heads on the kit, tune one head at a time.

I've installed idrumtech today and tested against my Rogers drums.

I'm happy with my ears condition - lugs were tuned already close or very close to their pitch without tuner

What is useful in this tool is constant tone generator, it went much faster to get the drum to correct tone.

You could try tune-bot. They have them at the GC near me.

Not necessarily. The two heads together will play a role in the final note. It all depends on how you tune your toms. I like my resonant heads a little higher than my batter heads.

Check out: http://www.tune-bot.com/drum-tuning.html.

It's a great resource to learn how to calculate your head tensions based on the indivual head frequencies.

I prefer to put my reso head on first. I guess it's just habit and means I don't have to flip the drum back over for final fine tuning haha

I use this website to find the fundament frequencies for every note: http://www.phy.mtu.edu/~suits/notefreqs.html

Somebody posted a tuning chart that gives you a range of what range drums generally sit within. Although, I have some drums that like to be a little out of that chart.

I have some suggestions for guys that are having difficulty identifying the fundamental tone of the drum at each tension rod. That can be very difficult as there are a lot of harmonic overtones to deal with.

1.) when tapping at each rod location, place your index finger of the other hand lightly in the center of the head. That will remove a lot of overtones and is a technique a lot of guys use.

2.) instead of a stick use a mallet like a tympani or marimba mallet. This will not excite as many overtones as a wood or plastic tipped stick.

3.) Use your index finger instead of a stick for the same reason as number 2.

4.) Try playing a "rim shot" with your finger at each tension rod. I am not sure why this works but this and number 3 above are my preferred method. I just find it is much faster for me to not even bother with a stick.

5.) This is a little harder to explain, but place your index finger firmly on the head an inch or so from the tension rod then "flip" or "squeak" your finger off the head. This will generally produce the fundamental tone for you.

I hope this helps.