Issue #12___\__\__\__\__\__________/__/__/__/__/ December 97 THE TEMPO DISPATCH FREE Newsletter For Drummers and Drumming Enthusiasts Copyright Bill Powelson 1997 all rights reserved. ___/__/__/__/__/__________\__\__\__\__\___ 'IT'S ALL ABOUT DRUMS' Tips * Tricks * Hints * Ads * Freebies * Lessons * Gigs? NOW 1,200 SUBSCRIBERS!!! ___________________________________________________ "THE TEMPO DISPATCH" is a FREE publication *** Originating From *** BILL POWELSON'S SCHOOL OF DRUMS on the web Where the Drum Lessons are FREE! http://www.catalog.com/drummers/bphome01 E-MAIL: powelson@america.com ___________________________________________________ The focus and intent of this publication is to unite, enlighten, instruct and entertain all the percussion enthusiasts of the Internet. If you wish to receive NO further issues, simply reply to the address at the top of this message and type "REMOVE" on the subject line or body of the message. Your address will be removed immediately. ___________________________________________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS What is in this issue? Contents: 1. Feature Article: Tuning Tips 2. Humorous Story of the Month 3. Land of Lost URLS 4. Musicians Wanted (Free service) 5. Advertisements ________________________________________________________ FEATURE ARTICLE *** Tuning Tips *** It is that time of year again and many of you will hopefully be surprised to find the drumset of your dreams under the tree on Christmas morning. It only seems appropriate that this months feature article should offer a few tips to help get them tuned to perfection. I contend that even the cheapest drums may be tuned to your satisfaction. The secret is in knowing how to get the sound that you want. When tuning a drumset, you must know what tones you are looking for and how to pull those tones from each drum. I have assembled the following pointers to help you do just that. Look closely at your snare drum and try to decide exactly what factors most effect the tonal quality. LUG SCREWS OR TENSION RODS: Notice the 'square headed screws' around the top and bottom rims of the Drum. We call these ‘tension rods' or 'lug screws'. We may tighten or loosen these screws with a tool called a drum key. A drum key can be purchased at any music store for a dollar or two. Most new drum sets are shipped with one or more drum keys. Adjustments to the tension rods with a drum key will effect the tension on the Drumhead. A tight Drumhead will produce more bounce for the Drumsticks and a higher pitch, whereas less tension on the head will produce the opposite. A little experimentation will help you decide which you personally prefer. Be cautious when adjusting the lug screws around any drumhead so as not to warp either the drumhead or the rim. Do not over-tighten one screw while leaving another very loose. It is best to tighten the lug screws in a diagonal crisscross pattern around the head. Cautiously turn each tension screw an equal number of turns until you have achieved the desired amount of tension. SNARES: Now turn your snare drum over and look at the strands of wire underneath. We call these wires ‘snares'. The ‘snares' produce the ‘snap' sound and give the ‘snare' drum its name. Without these ‘snares' your drum will sound like a tom tom. The snare wires are usually connected on one side of the drum with a screw apparatus and a flip lever. The flip lever on most drums is usually designed to release the snares quickly, so that tom effects can be an tonal option. The screw apparatus called the ‘strainer' may be tightened to place the desired amount of tension on the snares. This will require some experimentation before you will discover the exact tone you prefer. After tuning both heads and adjusting the Strainer you may find that your Snare Drum still emits undesirable 'ring' or 'overtone' when struck a glancing blow with a drumstick. Too much vibration in the 'batter' (top) head will often cause this overtone, and some type of muffling device may be necessary. THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO MUFFLE A DRUM: INTERNAL TONE CONTROL (MUFFLER): A drum muffler is simply a screw device that places a felt pad against the batter head inside the drum. The muffler is usually equipped with a flip lever or turn screw that allows for easy external adjustment. Most snare drums come from the factory with a muffler installed, but almost any music store will install one for twenty or thirty dollars (per drum). Again it is up to you to decide whether you like your drum with or without a muffler. DEAD RINGERS: Dead Ringers are thin ovals usually made of mylar. They may be laid on top of a drum. These mylar ovals will help control unwanted vibrations in the outer perimeter of the drum head. I think 'Dead Ringer' is a brand name. There are other similar devices made by different companies that serve the same purpose just as well. MAKESHIFT MUFFLERS: Many drummers over the years have come up with their own methods of controlling unwanted ring or overtones. One method is to simply place a solid object, like a wallet on the batter head. This works, if you can get the wallet to remain stationary while playing. It is also quite common to stretch strips of cloth across and beneath the head, between the rim and the shell of the drum. The main problem with this idea is that the cloth strips can't be quickly removed. DRUMHEAD QUALITY & VARIABLES: If you are still dissatisfied with your tone at this point, you should look at the batter head (top). Batter heads are manufactured at varied thicknesses or weights ranging from thin to thick. Thin heads are designed for very light, snappy, crisp tonal qualities but have a tendency to break under heavy use. Thick drumheads will withstand a great deal of punishment but some tonal quality will be sacrificed. The choice is yours. You may need to experiment with several brands and types before deciding which works best for you. TUNING THE TOMS Now that you have your snare drum tuned to perfection, we will tune the remainder of the set. Begin with the smallest tom . . .it will often be situated directly next to and a little above or even flush with the Snare. This should be your highest pitched tom since it is the smallest. The larger toms should be graduated in both tone and size in clockwise fashion, around you. When tuning your toms, try first to imagine all the tones you want. Then seek to achieve those tones. Remember that tight heads produce higher tones and loose heads produce lower ones. You may wish to experiment with combinations of tight top heads, loose bottoms for one effect or vice versa for the opposite. Some drummers choose to eliminate the bottom tom heads completely. Search for the sound that you like. Drum mufflers will help eliminate any undesirable ‘ring' or 'overtones' in your toms. Many high tech solutions to tom tone have appeared on the market in recent years. Experiment with some of the following options: 1. Black Dot: This is a tom head designed with a double thickness of head material in the center of the drum. The double thickness tends to eliminate some 'overtones' and enhance the life of the head. 2. Pinstripe: Pinstripe heads have a double thickness of head material around the outer perimeter of the drum where most overtones occur. I prefer this type of head. 3. Hydraulic: Hydraulic heads involve the sandwiching of an oily substance between two thicknesses of head material. Many drummers swear by them. The overtones are greatly reduced and the heads are very durable. My opinion is that they do not project very well in a large room. The tone tends to fall flat a short distance from the drum. Microphones can solve that problem though. BASS DRUM If you like your bass drum loud and ringing, that is easy! Simply tighten both heads down and do not try to muffle them. ACHIEVE A SOLID 'THUD' EFFECT THESE WAYS:: 1. Place a 6" x 26" piece of cloth (felt is suggested) between the drumhead and shell of your bass all the way across the drum. You may even choose to cover the entire circular area with thin cloth. Remove the drum rim and head, place the cloth over the hole, then replace the head and rim. Pull them to the desired tension. Finally, trim away the ragged edges of cloth. 2. Many drummers prefer to eliminate the front head and rim entirely and place different articles of padding inside the Drum (pillows, foam rubber, etc.) until the desired muffle has been achieved. 3. Other drummers may choose to cut a 14" hole in the exact center of the front drum head. Doing so will allow easy placement of padding materials while keeping the front head in tack . . . CUTTING THE HOLE: You should be warned that bass heads can get expensive! Cutting a hole in a perfectly good drum head seems almost like a sin. One slip of the knife and it can be like tossing a $20 bill into the trash. So, be careful! Don't attempt doing it if you are going to cry over less than perfect results. If you are under 14 years of age, I would suggest that you get an adult to help you with the cutting project. HOW TO DO IT: Trick #1: I use a 14" Hi-Hat cymbal to lay out the circle in the exact center of the bass head, then cut the hole with a utility or carpet knife. It is best to remove the head from the drum before performing this delicate operation. The knife may seem to have a mind of its own. It is VERY easy to slip, resulting in a jagged and ugly cut that you may be forced to live with. Trick #2: This ingenious idea was written up in Modern Drummer magazine a few months back. I think it is a terrific tip but I haven't tried it yet. Procure a large mouth can, such as a very large (empty) 39 ounce coffee or fruit can. Any metal can 10" to 14" in diameter should do. 1. Use the can to lay out a circle in the exact center of the head. 2. Heat the can on the kitchen stove until it is quite hot. 3. Using heavy cooking mittens or pot holders, place the hot can over the circle and let it melt through the head material. *** BE CAREFUL!!! *** IF YOU ARE UNDER 14 YEARS OF AGE, GET AN ADULT TO HELP! I haven't tried this yet but I love the idea. It may be the best way to do the job. ADD YEARS TO YOUR BASS DRUM HEADS TIP : Place a small patch of duct tape at the point where the Bass Drum Beater Ball contacts the head. This will have little effect on the tone but will inhibit wear on the head, prolong its life and save money. ROOM ACOUSTICS: It is amazing how surroundings effect tone of a drum set. Porous cloth items like curtains, carpeting and bedding materials all absorb sound before it gets to your ears. These items can result in a tremendous deadening of tone. On the other hand, if your drum room is the garage with multiple hard surfaces, the tones will bounce and reverberate almost endlessly. TRY THIS EXPERIMENT! This little experiment will help you learn to live with some undesirable tone . . . Take your snare drum from room to room. Tap the head with a drumstick in each new situation. Take it outside and notice the tonal changes. You will discover that the drum will sound a little different in each new environment. In a real world, traveling from one gig to another, it just isn't feasible to make each playing environment suitable for your critical ear. Your drums will always take on different tones depending on the acoustics of the situation you are in. You just won't have control over each and every environment. It is best to find a good room in your home where the acoustics are maximized, tune your drums there, then leave them alone if you move the set to another location. If you are still unsatisfied with your tone at this point, check around and listen to other drummers until you find one who has the sound that you like. Then ask him how he gets it. That is precisely the way I acquired most of these tricks that I am sharing with you now! Good luck! HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL OF YOU! HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR! ________________________________________________________ |________________________________________________________| HUMOROUS STORY OF THE MONTH Supposedly a true story... Scene: A court room in Oklahoma where a person is on trial for murder. There is strong evidence indicating guilt; however, there is no corpse. In the defense's closing statement the lawyer, knowing that his client is guilty and that it looks like he'll probably be convicted, resorts to a clever trick. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I have a surprise for you all," the lawyer says as he looks at his watch. "Within 1 minute, the person presumed dead in this case will walk into this court room," he says and he looks toward the courtroom door. The jury, somewhat stunned, all look on eagerly. A minute passes. Nothing happens. Finally the lawyer says: "Actually, I made up the previous statement. But you all looked on with anticipation. I, therefore, put it to you that there is reasonable doubt in this case as to whether anyone was killed and insist that you return a verdict of not guilty." The jury, clearly confused, retires to deliberate. A few minutes later, the jury returns and a representative pronounces a verdict of guilty. "But how?" inquires the lawyer. "You must have had some doubt; I saw all of you stare at the door." Answers the representative: "Oh, we did look. But your client didn't." ________________________________________________________ |________________________________________________________| *** DRUMMER WANTED *** (FREE SERVICE) ********************** NOTICE: If you have knowledge of job openings anywhere in the World (Male or Female), let us know. Job opening announcements will always be free! ________________________________________________________ |_________________*** ADVERTISEMENTS ***_________________| NEW BIZ-OP: BUY/SELL DRUMS +249,999 OTHER PRODUCTS AT 30% to 50% OFF!!! http://www.catalog.com/drummers/5000.html OR E-Mail: powelson@america.com (mention 5000) NOTICE: ANYONE WHO BUYS INTO THE ABOVE BIZ-OP WILL RECEIVE THE ENTIRE HOMESTUDY COURSE FOR FREE! ___________________________________________________ AD #1: LEARN TO PLAY DRUMS AT HOME !!! $35.00 US CASH, CC, CHECK or M.O Bill Powelson's HOMESTUDY PACKAGE Includes *ALL* of the following . . . * ENTIRE COURSE IN DRUMSET TECHNIQUES! (30 interactive lessons with sounds & images). * E-mail Book & Biz-Op: 'Old Drums Into New Money'. 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(5) 10 word lines/$5.00 (US) per insertion 4 MONTHS OF ADVERTISING $20.00 4th insertion FREE! ____________________________________________________ |____________________________________________________| THE LAND OF LOST URLS 'Webpages that are buried on the bottom of the search engine dog pile.' _________________________________________________ TALKING DRUMS!?!? High-Tech Talking Drums with foot-action pitch change! Check 'em out at: http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/1179/brad.html _________________________________________________ KEITH'S KORNER DRUM SHOP BUY! SELL! TRADE! BARTER! Drums & Accessories http://www.catalog.com/drummers/drumsale/drumset.html (Keith Burgess) hitide1846@aol.com ________________________________________________________ |________________________________________________________| *** ANNOUNCEMENTS *** (FREE SERVICE) TALKING DRUMS!?!? High-Tech Talking Drums with foot-action pitch change! 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Send an E-mail enquiry to: powelson@america.com, to get details on how to pay instantly, electronically. ___________________________________________________ TO PURCHASE ANY OF THE DRUM SCHOOL PRODUCTS WITH MASTER CARD OR VISA NOW, GO TO . . . https://www.realtimecommerce.com/powelson/ ___________________________________________________ END OF TEMPO DISPATCH #12 December, 1997