Tuning a snare in five minutes

Loosen every tension rod until finger tight, then seat the head with light palm pressure in the centre.

Working in a star pattern, take each rod a half turn at a time. Tap an inch in from each rod and listen — you are matching pitch all the way round, not chasing a note.

Tune the resonant head slightly higher than the batter for a crisp response, or match them for a fatter tone.

Finally, tension the snare wires just until the buzz tightens up. Too tight and the drum chokes; too loose and it rattles after every hit.

The full step-by-step with diagrams lives in the Drum Repair section.