7 Ways to Improve Your Drum Sound

As drummers, we know that quite a few factors contribute to the “sound” of our drum kits. The results are unique to your preferences and relative to your playing background and musical taste — no two kits sound the same. However, if you’ve found yourself longing for a better, more detailed, or more personalized sonic response from your drum set (like most of us have at one point or another), then you’re in luck! We’ll discuss seven different categories of various sonic influences, digging into the details of their benefits and providing some stellar options. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to spend a fortune to improve the tone of beginner and intermediate kits. A well-cared-for kit of nearly any caliber can sound really good with these improvements.

For this article, we’re only talking about ways to improve your sound. Tackling your drumming skills is an entirely separate subject and an article for a different day! Here are the topics we’ll explore:

ShellsDrumheadsCymbalsStrikingHardwareAccessoriesAuxiliary Percussion

Shells

There’s no doubt that the tone of your drum kit depends on a wide variety of factors, with the most foundational being the construction of your shells. You may have bought a shell pack in the past without considering the tonal qualities of its construction — and that’s perfectly okay! But manufacturers build different kits and individual drums with woods, metals, and engineered compounds to create certain tones. And the ones you’re rocking can greatly influence both your recorded and live sounds!

Even among wood kits, these tones can vary enormously. Darker woods like mahogany, walnut, and cherry come laden with low-frequency body and unbeatable sustain. Conversely, maple and birch kits bring more punch and articulate clarity. Even from there, the avenues of meticulous tonewood exploration continue to expand.

Maybe that wood snare isn’t snapping like you want it to — try a metal one! Snare drums of this realm are becoming increasingly popular in the drumming community due to their unapologetic cut and ultra-sensitive sonic response. For brighter tones, an aluminum or steel shell will do the trick. To get that beefier, almost wood-like tonality from your metal snare, bronze and copper alternatives will work perfectly.

If you’re finding that you just aren’t getting that huge, round, pure sound from your current shell configuration, then consider switching to acrylic drum shells. They’re incredibly strong and free of natural imperfections; acrylic shells venture into territories that wood and metal drums can’t. Famous examples like the Ludwig Vistalite and Pearl Crystal Beat drum kit series bring these elusive tones to fruition, and they just might be what your drum sound is calling for.

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Drumheads

What caps your shells is as important as what they’re made of, and sporting the right drumheads can make all the difference in nailing your ideal attack, response, and resonance. For the daily drummer, it’s generally understood and wise to swap out your batter heads every three to six months to maintain a solid, lively tone. It’s a case-by-case basis, so if you tend to play harder or more frequently, then you’ll be due for new heads a lot sooner than the casual player.

When it comes time for new heads, take a chance on a set designed to work harder for your tone than standard heads. For better focus or impact definition, try out heads with stripes, dots, or even multiple clear and coated plies to present new, dialed-in tones that offer better sustain for each drum. And for the snare, we’ve even got tune-up kits, complete with fresh snare strands to keep your backbeats sounding their best.

Snare Heads Compared | Can You Hear the Difference?

Not thrilled with how your miked bass drum sounds? Get your hands on a resonant head with a port hole to give your mic easier access to the low frequencies coming out of your kick drum. Some manufacturers, like Attack, even implement hybrid single- and double-ply bass drumheads designed to combine the open tone of a single-ply head with the tough, controlled nature of a double-ply one.

Now we’re onto something. But what if the heads aren’t the problem? Your drumhead tension could be contributing to a less-than-ideal sonic result. A quick fix for brightening up your tone or darkening things down would be to experiment with different tensions! Grab your drum key and start with subtle quarter rotations on each tension rod to find the right higher or lower pitch of each drum to match the energy of your mix precisely. For the snare, check out our video on getting a PHAT snare drum sound by only using your tuning key!

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Cymbals

Some of the most intriguing opportunities for crafting your unique sound come from the mesmerizing world of cymbals. With drums, you’ve got heads, hardware, and different tunings to sculpt the sound you want — cymbals are a different story. But just because they aren’t as straightforward to modify doesn’t mean they don’t offer an enormous range of tonal palettes!

Most cymbals you’ll find are made of brass or bronze, and the tonal results can be polarizing. While they’re more affordable, brass cymbals offer a lightness that may leave your crash or ride effects lacking in presence if you’re searching for a bigger sound. If that sounds like you, then look to bronze cymbals for a more traditional, luscious presence and sustain.

A cymbal’s metal composition is one piece of the equation, but the surface finishing of the cymbals in your setup can have just as significant of an impact. Brilliant finishes with heavy lathing combine for a brighter, more shimmery responsiveness that’s absolutely loaded with energy. On the other hand, cymbals with dark finishes, larger hammering, or raw and sand-blasted surfaces deliver a murkier and dryer tone that speaks its own unique language. Need the best of both? Go for a multi-zone cymbal.

Lastly, if the sustain monster terrorizes your tone, then cymbals with holes and cutouts are solid, quick-decaying solutions that keep the rhythms rolling!

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Striking

Improvements to your drum sound can start in the hands, too. It’s essential to make sure that the type of drumsticks you’re using matches the style of music you’re playing. For instance, if you’re a metalhead, then a momentous 5B stick is probably the route to take. In contrast, jazz players will feel more comfortable and precise playing with extra-thin and nimble 7A drumsticks or brushes.

In addition to your drumsticks’ diameter, it’s important that their tips adequately accommodate your sound. Sticks with wood tips promise to extract a truly traditional tone from your snare, toms, and cymbals, while sticks with nylon tips nail tonal consistency and are more durable, too — which is good news for heavy-handed players!

Are your cymbal swells not washing with fluidity like they should? Keep a pair of soft felt-tip or yarn mallets in your arsenal to enhance those subtle rhythmic moments. Having multiple drumsticks on hand for different applications is a great way to sound your best for whatever may come your way — both onstage and in the studio.

Like your sticks and mallets, your bass drum beater plays an equally important role. If your kick pedal isn’t rebounding the way you’d like or sounds lackluster, then try experimenting with the many different types of bass drum beaters to find a sound more up your alley. We have tons to choose from!

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Hardware

Drum hardware works harder than most of us realize, so it can be easy to overlook the spots on your kit where a hardware upgrade would really make a difference. And there’s a lot to consider, too! The list is long: from replacing old and worn-out components to supplying add-on upgrades designed to promote proper tone and intonation . . . Here are some options to start!

Are you having to tune up a lot more than usual? It could be your tension rods. Luckily, we have a massive selection of steadfast tension rods in various lug counts to fit your drums, including the time-tested PDP True-Pitch rods. After even more tuning reassurance? Lock down your desired tuning with a set of Revolution T-Loks — it’ll be tough to catch your tension slipping then.

Let’s face it: playing cross-stick sounds better with die-cast hoops! But clearer rhythmizing around the edge of your drum is not the only perk of upgrading. Higher-quality drum hoops on all your shells provide better definition and focus while you play, keeping your drums and drumheads in top tonal condition.

Drum Hoops Explained

Strand adjustability and throw-off speed are completely variable from snare to snare. If you’ve got a clunky setup that’s difficult to adjust — or just plain uncomfortable — then look at some of our top-notch throw-off options. From the basics of tightening up your strands for reeling in that perfect snap to lightning-fast mechanisms that turn your snare into a solo-ready drum, it’s essential to count on your throw off.

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Accessories

Without having to make severe alterations to the instruments in your drum set, there are tons of drum kit accessories to help reduce overtones, purify playing response, and access new sounds.

If overtones aren’t your thing, then we’ve got a lot of tools that will help you keep them in check, such as drum gels and gaff tape that stick right to the top of your drumhead for instant dampening. Nonadhesive solutions range anywhere from subtle control ring sets and dampener clips to full-size rubber drum mutes for your drumheads and cymbals. Some drumheads even come with built-in dampeners! Whether you’re dialing in the perfect drumhead response for studio takes or just looking for a less burdensome option for practice and low-volume shows, there are options for every drummer.

Keeping with the theme of subtle refinement, it’s a smart call to ensure the smaller pieces of the puzzle perform as they should. Are you looking for more of that bright metallic snare tone? Choose between brass and copper end-plate wires, or experiment with different snare wire materials. Do you like to hammer on those cymbals? Upgrade to a set of thicker cymbal felts, and preserve the life of your effects!

For the curious drummer, drum triggers will unlock the door to a universe of creative percussive effects in both live and studio settings. Setups like the Evans Hybrid Sensory Percussion Sound System are perfect for the job.

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Auxiliary Percussion

The final consideration for improving your drum sound is adding some extra instruments to your percussive equation. Auxiliary percussion not only makes your kit more versatile, but it can also enhance different parts of it to better achieve genre-specific sounds. Check it out!

Try a hi-hat-mounted tambourine to jazz things up or give your grooves that old-school Motown vibe. Spice up your fills and salsa rhythms with a quality wood block or a cowbell, or look to a set of chimes to further explore your kit’s percussive potential in new and adventurous musical realms. No matter the direction you want to go, we’ve got the solutions for nearly anything your mind can drum up (literally!).

Another auxiliary instrument that could be integral to your configuration is a side snare drum (because no one can ever have too many snares). A second snare adorning your drum kit can have many benefits depending on where you place it. With a smaller-sized or pancake-style snare positioned on the opposing side of your hi-hat, you’ll have easy access to a new and shallow snare tone for accommodating different genres or simply providing exciting tonal alternatives to your primary snare. For larger setups, a bonus standard snare positioned out in your field of toms will keep you grounded without having to do an emergency 180-degree swivel to find the snare drum!

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Shop Drum Gear at Sweetwater Today!

The beautiful things about drumming are the endless combination of changes you can make to your tone, the physical improvements you can implement, and the tools you can use to curate a beat that’s uniquely you. And that’s a fact that transcends genre and experience-level barriers! We hope you’ve found these options informative for the sonic upkeep of your drum set. If you have any further questions or see a piece of gear that would be a perfect fit for your kit, then call up one of our fantastic Sweetwater Sales Engineers at (800) 222-4700.They’ll happily talk drums with you until the cows come home!
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