I’ve had a lot of snare drums over the years and played hundreds of gigs and receive lots of compliments on snare drums. But I haven’t received as many compliments on a single drum as I’ve received for my Ludwig Supraphonic. When it’s all about something that you’ve spent so much time perfecting, it means a lot that someone else appreciates the results.
Lately I’ve been gigging with a Ludwig 14 x 6 1/2 Supraphonic snare drum. With the case, it was almost $700. It was worth every penny and sounds great for the rock and blues gigs on my calendar. Plus, it really feels good that I’m not the only one who thinks so.
It usually goes something like, “Hey! That snare drum sounds great!” I know that it sounds simple, but all of the effort and all the years of learning how to tune a drum, finding the right drum, choosing the right head, and playing at the right places in the songs all come together when someone feels like they have to say something about it. Not much can beat that.
Now it has me thinking about all that goes into making a snare drum sound really good.
What’s the best size?
The Ludwig Supraphonic snare drum comes in both the 14 x 6 1/2 and a 14 x 5 dimensions. I went with the 14 x 6 1/2 because I already have a Pearl Sensitone 10 lug 14 x 5“ steel drum. For my collection it made sense to get the 6 1/2 inch deep Supraphonic because I didn’t have a deep steel drum for rock and blues gigs.
I’m sure the 5 inch is a great sounding drum. It probably sounds amazing for jazz, pop, and really any style of music, for that matter. Honestly, I would use it on most of my recordings as it has been used on some of the most popular recorded songs in popular music.
Does the tuning matter?
Tuning always matters. Whether you tune the drum for a high-pitched crack or a low punch, the tuning is where the relationship with your drum starts. That might sound a little weird, but we’re serious about drums. You know what I mean.
My drum is currently tuned with the batter head not too high and the snare-side head cranked. This approach works great for deep drums because it provides some punch without losing the depth of the drum. It’s also influenced by the way John Bonham tuned his drums.
The diagram below shows the order in which the tension rods should be tightened. Since each tension rod affects the opposite and nearby rods, it’s important to keep track of where you are in the process. Additionally, you’ll find that tuning a drum well requires constant checking of the pitch of the drum closest to each lug.
Related: How to Tune a Drum Set Like a Pro
1. Tightening of the tension rods.
Once the drum head is in place and the tension rods are finger tight all around, you’re ready to start tuning. Turn each rod a half turn or so, and be aware that about half way through the rods, they may require you to re tighten them to finger tight before giving it a half turn with the drum key.
2. Initial tuning of the drum head.
Tuning the drum follows the same tension rod order as the tightening step. The difference in this step is that you’ll need to place your finger in the center of the drum. This helps isolate the pitch of the drum head closest to each tension rod. Check the pitch near each tension rod by tapping near the rod about an inch or more away from the rim.
Make adjustments to bring the pitches close to one another. Minor adjustments and constant checking on the impact of each turn are critical to success. Also, feel the tension of the rod to determine how much to turn the drum key. The looser the rod, the more you can turn it.
3. Fine tuning the drum.
Compare the pitches of the drum head near each tension rod. Start by comparing opposite tension rods. If those areas are different, raise or lower depending on your ultimate goal. Remember, make small adjustments on each rod because all ten combined can raise the pitch of the drum a lot.
The next areas of concern are the tension rods on either side each rod because they, too, can affect the tuning. I’m sure there’s an exact science to this part, but I just go with my ear and my gut. I try to balance the nearby tension rods before becoming too aggressive. Sometimes I have to do the opposite.
Every drum and head are a little different, so trust your ears and make small adjustments with all of these factors in mind. You might be amazed at what your ears can do after years of experience with this process.
4. Maintaining the drum tuning
New drum heads need to seat – to find their resting place in relation to bearing edge and the rim. They also tend to stretch a bit, so a new head can take some time to maintain. That’s why I recommend putting on new heads before a practice session or a rehearsal. If you play with a band that can afford long sound checks, that works too.
As you play a finely tuned head, you’ll have to keep checking the tuning close to tension rods. Make adjustments gradually until the head finds a place and holds its tuning.
If you have an old head that’s difficult to fine tune, try loosening the tension rods back to finger tight and starting over. This doesn’t always work, but it could get you through the next twenty playing hours before you buy a new drum head.
Which drum heads work the best?
Different brands have worked for me with varying degrees of success. For snare drum heads, Remo and Aquarian have been my favorite. I like the coating on the Aquarian heads for brushes, and the thicknesses of the Remo heads for their control without compromising ressonance.
I currently have a Remo Controlled Sound Reverse Dot Coated head on my Ludwig Supraphonic. This head works for me because the reverse dot adds some thickness in the center, cutting down on potentially harsh overtones.
Regardless of which I head choose, the ability to balance the resonance of the head and the definition of the attack is key to my sound. Some of the thicker heads, for example, cut out the ring closer to the edge of the drum that the Ludwig Supraphonic is so know for. For some drums, this might be desriable – not for my Supraphonic.
If I’m buying a head for my Pearl Maple free-floater, Aquarian has been a better choice. But drum heads change so much. There’s always a brand with a new style or modification to an old design. Don’t like the drum head options? Wait. Something new will come out.
As long as my Supraphonic makes me think of Alex Van Halen or John Bonham when I play it, I’m happy.
Is there a difference among the different metals?
The three most common snare drum metals are aluminum, steel, and brass. Each type brings a different attack, volume, and tone. This often means that one drum will be better than another for different styles of music or in different venues.
My first snare drum was a 14 inch Ludwig Acrolite. This aluminum drum was great for schlepping to school in fourth grade. Little did I know, drummers like Steve Gadd and Kenny Aronoff were using Acrolites on tracks for what have become legendary tunes.
The nice thing about aluminum drums is the strong attack with a dry finish. I don’t have an aluminum drum anymore, but I could see one on my wishlist in the near future.
Brass drums are perhaps the most desirable because they boast a strong attack with dark tones and plenty of low end. The Black Beauty is a brass version of the Ludwig Supraphonic. It’s more expensive than the steel drum, and worth it if you have it in your budget.
I bought the steel Supraphonic because steel drums are known for their ability to compete against loud guitars amps. That John Bonham snare drum sound has also been on my wishlist since about sixth grade when I first paid attention to the drums on Led Zeppelin IV.
Another factor that can impact the drum sound is the way the drum is made. The shells are often either hammered or seamless. The hammered shells are often more controllable in terms of volume because the airflow in the drum is impeded by the variations in the surface. Since the airflow affects volume, these drums are often quieter than seamless shell construction.
This is anything but an exhaustive explanation of materials used to make snare drums. We didn’t even talk about different woods or rims. It can go way deep when you unpack all of the possibilities. I just wanted to mention a bit about why I chose the steel drum and some of the other related options. I’ll write about rims in the near future.
Does it require any dampening?
Sometimes I throw my wallet on the drum, and that works great for the gig. I usually have a couple packs of Moongels on hand for dampening. Most of the time, I use one Moongel. Sometimes it’s two.
It all depends on what kind of drum head you are using and the sound you want to achieve. I like a little low mid ring in my snare, so the Moongels do the trick. If you are looking for a dry sound, buy a head that provides a dry sound. I prefer to have the options as to how wet or dry my snare drum sounds.
You don’t even need to buy Moongels. Use tape or cut a ring out of an old drum head. These are old tricks that work great. When I was 12 years old and had no money, I used duct tape rolled so the sticky was on the outside. Those were basically Moongels long before Moongels were a thing.
I still use Moongels because they’re easy to move, add, or take away. Plus, I don’t mind investing a little time and money into a good sound.
Will it work for many styles of music?
If you have the money to buy one drum and you play a variety of styles and venues, go with the 14 x 5 Ludwig Supraphonic. You can play any style, anywhere, and sound great!
I have five snare drums that I use for various settings, but I have used a 14×5 steel or maple drum more than any other dimension. Although my currently workhorse is a 14 x 6 1/2, we all go through phases. This time next year, I could be playing a brass piccolo free-floater with a medium-low tuning to get that Jeff Porcaro sound.