How do you tune a marching snare drum?

Question

my yamaha just came via UPS. i tightened the head on top but that's all i did. do i tighten the one on the bottom? how much do i tighten it on top?

thanks

Answer 1

Hey aren't you a motocrosser too?? You do have to tune both heads but the tension totally depends on the tone you are after. You just have to play around until you get the right sound. For marching snare you will need the batter head fairly tight to get proper bounce for press rolls, etc. The main thing is to be sure the lugs are all equal in tension. I always release the snare for this part. Hit the drum head a few inches from each lug all the way around the head and make sure each lug is tightened the same amount (should sound the same at each lug). Another option is one of the drum tuning "torque wrenches". One secret for using those, you have to make sure metal to metal resistance isn't causing a false reading. To fix this remove each lug one at a time and put some type of oil like 3 in 1 or a product called "lug lube" on it. Also another old pro trick, get a small amount of Vaseline on your finger and run it around the inside of the head where it makes contact with the drum shell. This will make the drum easier to tune and won't go out of tune as easily. Good luck man, drum tuning can drive a sane person crazy.