Despite
their size, big drum sets are not really as intimidating as they might
seem. Even though they are large, they are also fairly simple. Perhaps
the most difficult thing associated with these larger sets is how
to tune them.
Tuning the bass drum section of big drum sets is not an awful lot
different from tuning any other kind of drum, but there are a few
noticeable differences that need to be paid attention to.
The first thing to remember when you are tuning a bass drum, is that
it is a hard thing to mess up too badly. Tightening things should
not fear you. In fact, if the heads are loose, they are likely to
sound worse than tight heads do.
Some big drum sets come with either a small pillow or some kind of
foam to be placed inside. If you don‘t have these things, you
can even throw a shirt or a towel in there. This is done to muffle
overtones. This type of muffling can be helpful, but it is not always
exactly necessary. Doing something as simple as tuning the batter
head and resonant head to different pitches also muffles the ring.
It is a given that you are likely going to need to do some tuning
with your big drum sets. When you do the tuning, you should always
pay careful attention to what you are doing. That way, if you do something
that does not sound right, you can always go back top where you were
and start over again.