How to tune a drum, lug by lug
Updated · Fernhart Labs
Short answer
Seat the head, turn every tension rod finger-tight, then tighten them in a star (criss-cross) pattern by equal small turns until the drum reaches the note you want. Then mute the other head, tap about 1 inch (2–3 cm) in front of each rod and adjust the rods until every lug gives the same pitch. Do the other head the same way.
Even lugs are what make a drum ring cleanly with a steady pitch; the star pattern keeps the hoop level while you get there.
Tune a drum head in six steps
- Seat the head. Fit the hoop centred on the shell. Press the middle of the head firmly with your palm a few times so it settles over the bearing edge.
- Finger-tight. Turn every rod by hand until it just touches the hoop, so all of them start from the same point.
- Even turns in star order. With the drum key, turn each rod the same amount (half a turn to start, then less), crossing the drum in a star so the hoop stays level. The orders for 6, 8 and 10 lugs are below.
- Bring it up to the note. Tap the centre lightly and listen to the note (or read it on a tuner). Raise or lower every rod by the same small turn until you reach the note you want.
- Even out the lugs. Mute the other head (rest the drum on a towel, or a hand on the other head). Tap 2–3 cm in front of each rod and compare. Turn the rod that is furthest off first, a quarter turn or less, then tap again. Keep going until every lug gives the same pitch, then do the other head.
- Check and listen. Let both heads ring and tap the centre once more. If the note moved while you evened the lugs, raise or lower all rods by the same small amount and check the lugs again.
The star pattern for 6, 8 and 10 lugs
Number the rods clockwise from any one of them. Turn them in this order, always the same amount: 6 lugs: 1, 4, 2, 5, 3, 6. 8 lugs: 1, 5, 3, 7, 2, 6, 4, 8. 10 lugs: 1, 6, 3, 8, 5, 10, 2, 7, 4, 9. Each move crosses the drum to the opposite rod, then steps round, so tension rises evenly across the head.
In the diagrams, the numbers on the rods are the order to turn them.
How to hear the pitch at each lug
- Mute the head you are not tuning. The other head rings along and confuses the pitch at the lug. For the drum's overall note, let both heads ring.
- Tap lightly and evenly, with a stick or a finger, the same distance from every rod. A hard hit bends the pitch up for a moment as the head stretches.
- Compare lugs with each other, not with the drum's note: near the rim the head rings higher than at the centre.
- Keep the room quiet and, with a phone tuner, hold the phone still 30–60 cm from the head.
How much to turn
Small turns get there faster than big ones: a quarter turn or less once you are close, then tap again. How much the pitch moves per turn depends on the head, the drum and how tight it already is, so always re-check rather than counting turns. Turning one rod also nudges the pitch at its neighbours, so give the whole head a final pass once every lug looks right.
Snare drums
Tune the snare's batter head the same way. For the bottom (snare-side) head, turn the snare wires off while you even the lugs: buzzing wires hide the pitch. A 14" snare usually sounds good with a fundamental between E3 and A♯3 (see the drum tuning notes chart).
Questions
What is the star pattern for tuning drums?
Tightening rods in a criss-cross order, crossing to the opposite rod each time and then stepping round. For 8 lugs numbered clockwise: 1, 5, 3, 7, 2, 6, 4, 8. It keeps the hoop level so tension rises evenly.
How do I know when the lugs are even?
Tap lightly about 2–3 cm in front of each rod with the other head muted: when every lug gives the same pitch, the head is even. A tuner that reads lug pitch shows it exactly; Lugline counts a head as even when every lug is within ±15 cents of the others.
Should I tune both heads the same?
Equal heads give the longest sustain. Tuning the bottom head higher gives a slight downward pitch bend and a shorter note. Published starting points for each are in the drum tuning notes chart.
How much should I turn the drum key?
Half a turn per rod while bringing a new head up, then a quarter turn or less once you are close. Re-tap after every turn.
Why does my drum sound different when I hit it hard?
A hard hit stretches the head for a moment, so the pitch starts high and then settles. Tune with light, even taps.
Should the snare wires be on when tuning?
No. Turn them off while evening the lugs of the bottom head; they buzz and hide the pitch.
Lugline: Drum Tuner
Drum tuner that measures every lug and plans the whole kit.
Lugline shows a drum diagram with every tension rod: tap near a rod and it marks it green when even, red when sharp, blue when flat, with an arrow on the rod to turn next and roughly how far. It has the same six-step guide with the star order, keeps a history of each drum's tuning, and works offline.
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): lug pitch and the method of evening lugs tune-bot.com
- Lugline's tuning guide and star-order rule (the orders above are generated by the same rule) Lugline