Wow, there is a lot of debate about this one on the drum forums. Based on my experience as a music composition major and after talking to several professional and conservatory-trained drummers, I think I finally have a solid answer when people ask me if drums are pitched.
Drums are usually tuned to specific pitches, called the target pitch. However, other factors such as having a top and bottom drumhead, tension screws, and nodal points give most drums a non-discernable pitch.
Now, with that being said, drums are still considered “non-pitched” instruments, meaning that they are not going to carry the melody of a song. Drums are rhythmic instruments, so driving the beat of a tune is their main function. This doesn’t mean they aren’t “musical” instruments by nature, it just means their job is a little different than the strings, piano, or other melodic instruments.
And, of course, there are many exceptions to every rule of music…this is probably why there doesn’t seem to be a consensus in the drum forums.
This article will mainly focus on drum set drums since I think that’s mostly what people are asking about, but I’ll mention the orchestral equivalents in case people are interested.
To What Pitches Are Drums Tuned?
If possible, try tuning your drum set so that it is in the same or similar key as the song you are recording. If that’s not possible, then just tune to a key that isn’t too likely to clash with most songs. The most important thing is to make sure your drums are in tune with each other.
A lot of music is written in C major, G Major or D Major…so tuning to either of those will sound fine for most tracks.
Let’s say you decide to tune to F Major ( a good key for blues,) then it’s just a matter of working your way up from low to high. Start by tuning the bass drum to F and the snare drum to C (with the bottom head tuned to the A below that.) Then tune the toms to pitches closely related to their size…maybe put the floor tom on G and the high tom on E. It shouldn’t matter too much as long as they follow an F Major scale…even if you skip some notes.
For tom-toms, many drummers will tune the bottom head tighter than the top head in order to create a slight pitch bend up when hit…it’s slight but would be noticeable if done the other way around, creating a pitch bend down.
Why Do Drums Have Different Pitches?
Drums have different pitches due to their varying sizes, drumheads, and the material that they are constructed from. Musically, these differences are needed to create the desired effects like the bass drum emphasizing beats 1 and 3 and the snare drum emphasizing beats 2 and 4.
Aside from their different sizes making them sound different, there is a musical reason for drums to have different pitches…variety in sound.
The bass drum is needed (especially before modern microphoning and recording techniques) to emphasize the first and third beat of each bar and the snare is needed to emphasize beats two and four.
Tom-toms are used in a slightly melodic fashion since there are 2 – 4 of them on most drum sets and they are pitched quite differently, making them great for flourishes and fills.
The various drums that make up a modern drum set or percussion section of an orchestra are decedents of much older, traditional instruments. Their different sizes were needed to add variety and interest to the music they are used for. If all drums were the same size they would sound too similar, meaning individual instruments wouldn’t stand out.
A percussion section (or drum set) is designed like any other section of the orchestra…you have instruments from low to high. These instruments allow you to layer up sounds and still sound cohesive with each other.
Why Would I Want To Change The Pitch Of My Drums?
Even though drums are considered non-pitched, they still carry enough of a tone that they can sound out of tune on some tracks. A few things can make this happen, if the target pitches of the drums are dissonant to the main pitches of the song (the key,) or if the drums aren’t properly tuned to each other.
Professional drummers will go through a multi-stepped process of tuning.
- First – They will make sure the entire drum head is in tune with itself by tapping near each tension rod and tightening or loosening as needed.
- Second – They will make sure that the top drum head is in tune with the bottom drum head if there is one. Usually, this means tuning the bottom head slightly lower than the top head. For instance, if the top head of the snare is tuned to a C, try tuning the bottom head to the A below.
- Third – They will make sure that each drum is in tune with the other drums. If the kick drum is tuned to target an F, then they will likely tune the top snare head to the fifth above that…a C, and then tune the toms various pitches around that. Almost like building a chord or scale as they go from low to high drums.
Getting proficient at tuning your drums can also make you stand out as a professional too. It can open up new ways for your drumming to stand out.
Drummers like Terry Bozzio and Stewart Copland as well as singer Prince all tuned their drums to match the key of their music tracks and some drummers like Alan White would experiment with ways to change the pitch of drums on the fly while playing.
Basically…If you’re a drummer that plays well who is competing for track clicks with the guy that also plays well but also does some eclectic things, then you may be doing yourself a disservice by not learning how to tune your drum.
Curious about some other drum topics? Check these out: