Drum Tuning Frequency Calculator: Fundamental and Lug Pitches by Drum Size
Target frequencies for tuning drums with a tuner app or Tune-Bot: the recommended fundamental note for each tom, snare and kick size, the batter and resonant lug pitches for the resonance you want, snare-side and kick reso heads, and a kit in thirds, fourths or fifths so the toms sing together.
How it works
Fundamental = Tune-Bot's recommended note for the size (low, middle or top of its range; other sizes interpolated on a log scale) · tom lug pitches = fundamental × ratio: same 1.75/1.75, high resonance 1.5/1.85, medium 1.4/2.0, low 1.2/2.3 (batter/resonant) · snare-side lug = 1.5 × batter lug, at most 400 Hz · kick resonant lug = 1.5 × batter lug · kit: next tom = fundamental × 2^(semitones ÷ 12) · note = 69 + 12 log₂(f ÷ 440)
A drum with two heads has two kinds of pitch. The fundamental is the note of the whole drum, the low tone you hear when you hit the centre. The lug pitch is the higher tone you hear when you tap one head near a tension rod with the other head muted. You tune by making every lug on a head the same, then setting each head's lug pitch to the value that puts the fundamental on the note you want. The recommended fundamentals here come from Tune-Bot's tuning guide: about E3 to G♯3 for an 8″ tom, C3 to E3 for 10″, G2 to C3 for 12″, F2 to G♯2 for 13″, E2 to G2 for 14″, C2 to D2 for 16″, E3 to A♯3 for a 14″ snare and C1 to G1 for kicks from 24″ down to 18″. Within that range each shell has a sweet spot where it resonates most. Sizes between or beyond the chart are interpolated on a log scale. The lug pitches depend on how you set the two heads. With both heads at the same lug pitch, about 1.75 times the fundamental, the drum rings longest. Raising the resonant head and lowering the batter shortens the note: 1.5 and 1.85 times for high resonance, 1.4 and 2.0 for medium, 1.2 and 2.3 for a short, punchy tom. A snare's snare-side head is usually a fifth above the batter but kept at or below about 400 Hz, and a kick's resonant head is usually a fifth above its batter. Tuning toms a fourth apart (or a third with many toms, a fifth with two) makes fills sound like melody rather than random thuds. All of these are starting points: heads, shells and taste decide the final pitch.
Worked example
With the defaults: a 12 × 8″ rack tom, medium tuning, resonant head higher with medium resonance. Tune-Bot's 12″ range is G2 to C3 (98.0–130.8 Hz) and the medium setting uses B2, 123.5 Hz, one of its two most-used 12″ notes. Batter lug pitch = 1.4 × 123.5 = 172.9 Hz (F3 −17¢); resonant lug pitch = 2.0 × 123.5 = 246.9 Hz (B3). For a kit in fourths from a 16″ floor tom at 69.3 Hz (C♯2), the next toms are 92.5 Hz (F♯2, nearest 14″) and 123.5 Hz (B2, nearest 12″), then 164.8 Hz (E3, nearest 10″) and 220.0 Hz (A3, about a 6″ tom).
Frequently asked questions
What note should a 12 inch tom be tuned to?
Tune-Bot's kit charts put a 12″ tom between G2 (98 Hz) and C3 (130.8 Hz), most often A2 (110 Hz) or B2 (123.5 Hz). A 10″ sits around C3 to E3, a 14″ around E2 to G2 and a 16″ floor tom around C2 to D2.
What is the difference between the fundamental and the lug pitch?
The fundamental is the note of the whole drum when struck in the centre with both heads on. The lug pitch is the higher note of one head tapped near a tension rod with the other head muted. For toms the lug pitch is about 1.2 to 2.3 times the fundamental, depending on how the two heads are set.
Should the resonant head be higher or lower than the batter?
Both at the same lug pitch gives the most sustain. A higher resonant head gives a more controlled, shorter note with a slight downward pitch bend, which is common for recording; a higher batter head gives more attack. The bigger the difference between heads, the quicker the decay.
How should I tune the snare-side head?
Tune-Bot's starting point is a lug pitch about a fifth (1.5 times) above the batter lug, but no higher than about 400 Hz. For a snare tuned to G3 that is a 266 Hz batter and a 398 Hz snare-side head.
What interval should my toms be tuned in?
Perfect fourths are the classic choice for three or four toms. With many toms, major thirds keep the set within a usable range; with two or three, perfect fifths spread them further apart. Start from the lowest tom and go up.
Do I need a drum tuner?
No. Matching lugs by ear works, and a tuner app or Tune-Bot just makes it faster and repeatable. The numbers here are starting points; listen at playing volume and adjust to the shell's sweet spot.
Related calculators
Frequency targets are starting points from Tune-Bot's published tuning guide; heads, shells, hoops, rooms and taste vary, so tune by ear at playing volume.