Proper marching bass drum tuning helps to maintain a drum’s resonance and sound. Bass drums take a lot of abuse from unseen obstacles and the constant rigors of setting the drum down and lifting the drum up. Proper care, combined with proper tuning techniques, can ensure that your marching bass drum retains its excellent sound quality.
If you plan to replace bass drum heads, consider a double-ply REMO Smooth White™ model. This head is also available in single-ply but two layers provide more durability and a more focused tone.
Before attaching the drum heads, make sure all the screws inside the drum are tight. The eyebolts that connect the drum to the carrier have a tendency to loosen if not periodically checked. While you examine the inside screws, be sure to clean out any dirt that might have entered through the vent holes. Also, ensure that the bearing edge of the shell (where the drum head meets the shell) is still smooth and free of dirt and debris.
The most popular method of tuning bass drum heads involves the use of foam. Yamaha offers foam, known as the Sound Impact Strips™ (Model MA-200), in 15 ft. rolls. Using a pre-applied adhesive, you attach strips to either the inside or the outside of each head. The smaller the drum, the less foam you need.
Sound Impact Strips come with an instruction sheet that helps you to determine how much foam to use for each particular drum size. This is a guideline; feel free to experiment as you see fit. For a drier sound, use more foam. For a more resonant sound, use less. Be sure to apply an equal amount of foam — in the same location — on both heads of each drum.
Here are recommend sizes for the Sound Impact Strips.
Drum Strip Total per Size Length Drum
14″ 2 x 14″ 2′ 4″
16″ 2 x 15″ 2′ 6″
18″ 2 x 17″ 2′ 10″
20″ 2 x 18″ 3′ 0″
22″ 2 x 30″ 5′ 0″
24″ 2 x 38″ 6′ 4″
26″ 2 x 55″ 9′ 2″
28″ 2 x 58″ 9′ 8″
30″ 2 x 75″ 12′ 6″
32″ 2 x 100″ 16′ 8″
As an alternative to Sound Impact Strips, you can use generic weather-stripping-type foam. If you go this route, start with medium density foam. If you are inexperienced or do not know how much foam to use, apply it to the outside of the head after you put the head on the drum. Then, once you tune the drum to your liking, make a record of how much foam — and what type — you used for future head changes. At that time, you can put the foam on the inside of the heads. This approach gives a cleaner look to the drum and protects the foam from the player’s hand and the external environment.
If you chose to put foam on the outside of the drum head, make sure to leave one to two inches of space between the hoop of the drum head and the foam. This allows the head to rest properly on the bearing edge of the drum. You may want to use a spacer to apply the foam evenly around the head. Always make sure there is good contact between the foam and the head, otherwise the foam may fall off after the drum has been tuned.
Once you place the head placed on the bearing edge, you’re ready to set the bass drum hoop. Some hoops have an inside and an outside. Be sure to place the correct side of the hoop down on the head. On Yamaha 8200 Series Field-Corps Bass Drum hoops, the outside edge is curved and the inside edge is flat. If there are any colored strips on the rim, try to line the seams up under a claw or in an inconspicuous area.
Inspect each claw and tension rod before you put the hoop onto the drum. Replace any bent rods or splintering claws. There is a great deal of pressure placed on these parts when you tune the drum; if they are damaged or not working properly, tuning could become very difficult.
Make sure that each the tension rod is lubricated when you put it back on the drum. A little petroleum jelly or white lithium grease works well. Do not apply too much or it will pick up dirt that could get down into the tension casings and freeze up a tension rod. Also, make sure you use any needed washers between the tension rod and the claw. The rod will turn much easier with these in place. Now, just get the rods started all the way around the head. Once you have this, you will be able to put the drum onto the player and align the Yamaha logo drumhead.
Next, finger-tighten each of the rods around the drum. At this point, you are ready to use a drum key. Start with a crisscross method of tightening the tension rods. Use the same number of turns on each rod. Continue until you reach the desired pitch. Note that if the other drum head is currently off the drum, only tune the about half way. This helps to prevent the drum shell from going out-of-round — or warping — due to too much tension on one side.
Remember that the greater the tension on the drum head, the smaller the turns you should make. The goal is to have all the rods tuned to the same pitch. When fine-tuning the tension rods, it is often helpful to place a few fingers in the center of the head to help cut out overtones. When doing this, tap lightly next to each tension rod. Using one rod as a reference point, tune all other rods to the reference. Continue to use the criss-cross method. Repeat this process for the other drum head. Be sure both heads are tuned exactly the same. If you are replacing both heads together, you should wait until both are on the drum before you raise their pitch to the desired playing level.
When selecting intervals, use the following guideline: a major third for every two inches and a perfect fourth for four inches. A major third allows the sound of the bass drum section to open up. It provides a smooth flow from the tenor drums down into the lower range of the bass drums. If you choose to use the bottom drum as a “kick” drum, tune it as low as possible while still sounding good with some impact. If you have a young line or a smaller number of drums, it is best not to use the “kick” drum concept.
At the minimum, you should check the tuning on a weekly basis. Since the player strikes predominately on the right hand head, this side will go out of tune sooner than the left and will require additional attention. This is especially true with new drumheads.
Be aware of any stress on the tension rods or claws that indicate there is too much tension on the drum. For instance, look at the angle of the tension rod as it enters the claw. If that line is different from the line extending from the end of the claw into the casing, there is too much tension on that rod. If the end of the claw is bending back or opening up, this is also a sign of too much tension.
Check the rim to see if there is any bending outward and examine where the tension casing meets the drum shell. There should be no space between the casing and the shell. All of these point to too much tension being placed on the drum.
Spending the needed time with marching bass drum tuning and maintenance will save you anguish later. A well-tuned bass drum section will help support the low end of your marching band or indoor percussion ensemble and provide the needed foundation to your percussion section. The weekly upkeep by you and your students will extend the life of both the drum and the drum heads.
