Drum tuning notes chart: what note to tune each tom, snare and kick
Updated · Fernhart Labs
Short answer
A common starting point for toms tuned for maximum resonance is 10" on D3 (147 Hz), 12" on B2 (123 Hz), 14" on G2 (98 Hz) and 16" on D2 (73 Hz), from the tuning guide published by Overtone Labs. Most 14" snares sound good with a fundamental between E3 and A♯3 (165–233 Hz).
These are starting points, not rules: tune each drum up or down until it rings well, then space the toms by an interval you like, often a fourth or a third.
Tom notes by size
The note of a drum is its fundamental: the pitch you hear when you tap the centre lightly and let both heads ring. The published figures are for maximum resonance with the top and bottom heads at the same pitch.
| Tom | Starting note | Note (Hz) | Lug pitch, both heads equal (×1.75) | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8" | F3 | 175 Hz | 306 Hz | Estimate (extrapolated) |
| 10" | D3 | 147 Hz | 257 Hz | Published starting point |
| 12" | B2 | 123 Hz | 216 Hz | Published starting point |
| 13" | A2 | 110 Hz | 193 Hz | Estimate (interpolated) |
| 14" | G2 | 98 Hz | 172 Hz | Published starting point |
| 15" | F2 | 85 Hz | 148 Hz | Estimate (interpolated) |
| 16" | D2 | 73 Hz | 128 Hz | Published starting point |
| 18" | A1 | 55 Hz | 96 Hz | Estimate (extrapolated) |
Published rows: Overtone Labs tuning guide (maximum resonance, both heads equal). Other sizes are interpolated in pitch between the published rows, or extrapolated beyond them, by Lugline's kit planner; treat them as estimates. Lug pitch is what you hear tapping about an inch (2–3 cm) in front of a tension rod with the other head muted, and it rings higher than the drum's note: the guide puts it at 1.75 times the note when both heads are equal.
Snare and kick
| Drum | Starting note | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| 14" snare | E3 to A♯3 (165–233 Hz); middle G3 (196 Hz) | Published range |
| 18" kick | about 66 Hz (near C2) | Estimate: no published table by size |
| 20" kick | about 58 Hz (near A♯1) | Estimate: no published table by size |
| 22" kick | about 52 Hz (near G♯1) | Estimate: no published table by size |
| 24" kick | about 47 Hz (near F♯1) | Estimate: no published table by size |
The snare range is the published one; where you sit in it is taste (higher for a crisp crack, lower for a fatter sound). No published table gives kick notes by size, so the kick values are estimates that scale with diameter. Kicks are usually tuned by feel and by how much the head is muffled.
Spacing the toms: fourths or thirds
Toms that step down by an even interval sound like a melody around the kit. The intervals drummers use most are the perfect fourth (5 semitones), the major third (4) and the minor third (3). Starting from a 10" tom on D3:
| Spacing | Tom 1 | Tom 2 | Tom 3 | Tom 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fourths | D3 (146.8 Hz) | A2 (110.0 Hz) | E2 (82.4 Hz) | B1 (61.7 Hz) |
| Major thirds | D3 (146.8 Hz) | A♯2 (116.5 Hz) | F♯2 (92.5 Hz) | D2 (73.4 Hz) |
| Minor thirds | D3 (146.8 Hz) | B2 (123.5 Hz) | G♯2 (103.8 Hz) | F2 (87.3 Hz) |
The published maximum-resonance notes are not evenly spaced (D3 to B2 is a minor third, B2 to G2 a major third, G2 to D2 a fourth), so choose between "each drum at its most resonant" and "even steps". Two things to avoid: a gap of an octave or more between neighbouring toms, which sounds like a missing drum, and a tom within a semitone of the snare, which blurs into it.
Top and bottom heads
The relation between the heads changes the sound as much as the note does. The same tuning guide gives three starting points, as multiples of the drum's note. For a 12" tom on B2 (123.5 Hz):
| Heads | Top (batter) lugs | Bottom (resonant) lugs | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equal | 1.75 × note = 216 Hz | 1.75 × note = 216 Hz | Longest sustain, maximum resonance |
| Bottom higher | 1.5 × note = 185 Hz | 1.85 × note = 228 Hz | Slight downward pitch bend, a little shorter |
| Bottom much higher | 1.4 × note = 173 Hz | 2.0 × note = 247 Hz | Punchier, shorter note |
The guide itself says these are starting points that may need fine-tuning by ear.
Why your drum may not land on the chart
- Shells and heads differ. Depth, shell material, bearing edges and head type all move the pitch where a drum sounds best.
- Lug pitch is not the note. Tapping near a rod gives a higher pitch than the centre. Compare lug readings with lug targets, and the centre with the note.
- Drum heads are inharmonic. A drum's overtones are not whole-number multiples of the fundamental (for an ideal membrane the first one is about 1.59 times it), so a tuner made for strings can jump between the fundamental and an overtone. Read the note from a light tap in the centre, after the first instant of the hit.
- A hard hit bends the pitch up for a moment as the head stretches; light, even taps read more steadily.
Questions
What note should a 10 inch tom be tuned to?
A common starting point is D3, about 147 Hz, for maximum resonance with both heads equal (Overtone Labs tuning guide). Tune up or down from there until the drum rings well with the rest of the kit.
What note should a 12 inch tom be tuned to?
Around B2, about 123 Hz, as a maximum-resonance starting point. If you space toms evenly, it may sit a third or a fourth below your 10" tom instead.
What note should a 14 or 16 inch floor tom be?
Around G2 (98 Hz) for a 14" and D2 (73 Hz) for a 16", from the same published table. An 18" floor tom has no published value; about A1 (55 Hz) is an extrapolated estimate.
What note should a snare drum be tuned to?
Most 14" snares sound good with a fundamental between E3 and A♯3 (about 165 to 233 Hz). The middle of that range, G3 (196 Hz), is a reasonable start.
What note should a kick drum be tuned to?
No published table gives kick notes by size. As estimates, about 58 Hz for a 20" and 52 Hz for a 22" are reasonable starting points; most drummers tune the kick by feel and muffling.
Should toms be tuned to a chord?
There is no rule. Even steps of a fourth or a third are the most common choices; some drummers prefer each drum at its own most resonant pitch, which gives uneven steps.
Why does tapping near a rod give a higher note than the centre?
Near the rim you excite the head differently and hear a higher pitch. Tuning guides give separate lug targets for this: about 1.75 times the drum's note when both heads are equal.
Lugline: Drum Tuner
Drum tuner that measures every lug and plans the whole kit.
Lugline plans a kit from your drum sizes using these figures (toms spaced by fourths or thirds, snare and kick starting notes) and shows the top and bottom lug targets for the head relation you choose. Then it listens to each drum: the note from a tap in the centre, and the pitch at every tension rod, telling you which rod to turn next. It can play each target note through the phone speaker.
Coming soon to Google Play In review at Google Play; the link appears here when it is live.
Sources
- Overtone Labs, Tune-Bot tuning guide (2012): maximum-resonance tom notes, snare range, lug multipliers tune-bot.com
- N. H. Fletcher and T. D. Rossing, The Physics of Musical Instruments, 2nd ed., Springer (1998): vibrating membranes and drum overtones
- Lugline kit planner (the interpolation, the kick estimates and the head-relation factors used in the tables above) Lugline