How To Tune A Snare Drum With Attack Heads

You've got a great new set of Attack heads for your snare, and you need to know how to tune a snare drum with Attack heads. Read on and find out what you need to know.

You will need:

• Snare drum including shell, strainer and lugs
• Set of Attack brand drum heads, top and bottom
• drum key

1. Stretch the head. The top head will need to be seated, that is to say stretched, so that it can then be tuned. Using the drum key and turning each tension rod only perhaps a half turn at a time, slowly increase the tension on the head until it is quite high. let the drum stand for a few moments. There may be noises coming from the head, but not to worry. This is normal. As drum expert Tomas Howie tells us, "Heads will loosen up naturally as you play them: doing this now will minimize loosening in the future, helping the head stay in tune."
2. Tune the upper head. With the head seated, you will want to release all the tension and start from scratch. Again, tighten each rod in small increments. Don't try to tune one to a high tension with the others slack;  it will cause problems. The pitch of the snare will be higher than your toms, and you should get a good crisp snap when you hit the head.
3. Tune the bottom head. The bottom head is tuned the same way, but because it isn't struck with the drum sticks, it doesn't have to be as high. Experiment with the tuning until the two heads sound the best together to your ears.

With these tips, you should be pounding away on your drum set in no time!