Drum Dial Tuning Chart
Tune each drum evenly · pick a drum, follow the star pattern, match the pitch
How to play
- Pick a drum, then tap the centre to hear its target pitch, or tap a lug to “ping” the head near it — every lug should ring at the same pitch when the head is even.
- Show tuning order lights the lugs in a criss-cross star pattern (opposite lugs in turn), never straight around — this keeps the head even as you bring it up to tension.
- A DrumDial reads the head’s timpanic pressure at each lug; matching the number all the way round guarantees even tension. The values here are typical starting points — always trust your ears and go for evenness first.
- Tune the batter (top) head to the target, then match or slightly offset the resonant (bottom) head. Vol sets volume.
To help you see and hear what is required when tuning a drum, this is a virtual drum tuning chart that will show you how to evenly tune any of your drums in your drum kit. It’s interactive; you can click on it with your mouse to move around the control options and hit tone and make adjustments until all lugs is tuned to match.
The segmented buttons on top are where you choose the drum you want to tune. There’s one button for each type of drum. Bass drums, toms, snare etc. Once you’ve chosen your drum, the interface are updated with some basic tuning tips, average DrumDial settings and target pitch for selected drum.
How to Use the Virtual Drum Tuning Chart
This is displayed in the center circle as the target note for the batter head. Tapping this plays the note so you know what it should of sound like. This gives you a point of reference to tell if the drum sounds higher or lower.
Those little buttons along the edge of the rim are like the lugs on the drum shell. Tap any of them and you will hear a brief ping similar to what would happen if you tapped the head close to the lug. On a properly-tuned drum, all of these lugs should sound the same. If not, then you’d go to that tension rod on an actual drum and adjust it to match.
This is difference you can really isolate in the widget. The widget has a tuning order button that will light up each lug in turn and show you how to tighten them in proper sequence. It lights them up in a criss-cross, star-like order. This is necessary because it maintains even tension on the head when you are pulling down on the rods. Tuning opposite lugs instead of circling the rim is always best practice to avoid uneven pressure and potential warping of the head which is why the visual guide is helpful.
This is normal range for the chosen drum. They are read from the DrumDial. In this case, they are the internal pressure of the drum head. So matching them at each lug mean the head is equally seated. But that’s only a starting point. Always go by what you hear as real pitch and sound quality of the instrument.
This guide also contains information regarding the advice to either match the resonant head or tune it a fraction lower for more of a pitch drop effect.
The volume slider in the lower right adjusts how loudly the pings and drum hits sounds. If you’re listening through headphones or practicing in a quiet room, drop the volume down. If you prefer a louder audio cue, bump the volume up.
Lastly, the full screen button will expand the widget out to fill the entire screen. It is handy if you have a small device or just want a bigger view of the lugs and drum head.
To add more information about interpreting what you see in the visualizations, there’s a help panel. To turn that on, click the How to play button. This will explain what all the elements mean: the resonant heads, the batter and the star pattern. Leave that up as you explore various drums to get a clearer sense of how the tuning works. Feel free to shut it down so that you have room for the drum visualization.
Pick out some other drums and listen to the difference in pitch from one end of the kit to the other. The high tom’s a lot sharper then the floor tom for example. With the tuning order animation, learn the star pattern in your head so when you do come to pick up your set of drum keys it’ll be second nature. Match the sound of the centre tone with the ping of each lug in your head and repeat this as often as possible. It will help tune your drums quicker and more accuratley in the future.
For those of you who do not own drums, this widget will give you an idea of how they work, without having to have any in front of you. For those of you that do have them, it’s an easy way to compare your ear to what should be there. It also lets you plan out how you might tune your kit next time around.
Feel free to change from one drum to another and play around with the ranges given here. Then start messing around with the control to become familiar with the thinking behind the tuning and the interface. Actually, it’s quite simple once you get the hang of it.