How to Properly Tune Pearl Drums
- 1). Loosen all the lug nuts on both sides of a drum with a drum key so that the head rests on the rim with no tension.
- 2). Tighten all the lug nuts on the top and bottom of the drum using your fingers to get a light even tension all the way around.
- 3). Tighten the lug nuts with the drum key, one half turn at a time. Work around the drum in a star pattern, tightening one lug nut, then the one opposite from it across the drum head. Repeat this pattern two or three times until the drum head begins to resonate when hit with a mallet or drum stick.
- 4). Press your fist down in the center of the drum head firmly and look for any wrinkles by watching the reflection of light on the surface of the head. Tighten the lug nut closest to any wrinkles one quarter turn at a time until there are no wrinkles visible around the head.
- 5). Tap the drum head with a drum stick or mallet near each lug nut and listen to the tone it produces. If you notice any areas of the drum head where the pitch is different than the rest, carefully tighten or loosen the lug nut closest to that area while tapping the head until it matches the the pitch of the rest of the drum. You may continue to tune the drum to a higher pitch by repeating this process until you reach the desired tone. The final pitch of the drum is determined by taste and musical style.
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