In this 2 part article, I'm going to detail some general guidelines to help you select the right drumheads that will match your specific requirements.
Drumheads are one of the most critical elements of your drum. The type of drumhead that you select will determine the overall sound that your drum will produce. By installing a new drumhead, you can bring a drum "back to life" by adding tone and projection that were lost by using a worn, worn-out head. You can also improve the sound of a less expensive drum by replacing its stock head with a new, professional-quality one.
Prior to the mid 1950s, drumheads were made of animal hides, like calfskin. This totally changed when the DuPont Company created a polyester film they called Mylar. By using this plastic film instead of an animal skin, drumhead manufacturers such as Remo and Evans made incredible sonic options possible for drummers while adding consistency in quality and tone that wasn't previously possible. With calfskin heads, drummers had to deal with the frequent need to re-tune their drums due to weather and temperature fluctuations. Plastic drumheads pretty much eliminated this challenge.
Today, plastic drumheads are utilized not just on drum sets but also on timpani, marching drums, and timbales, as well as hand drums like congas, bongos, djembes, darbukas, frame drums, surdos, pandeiros, doumbeks, tambourines, and caixas.
# of Plies
The first thing to choose when selecting heads for your drum set is head weight. Single-ply heads offer a lively sound with longer resonance and sustain, while 2-ply heads yield a darker, thicker sound with increased durability. If you're a heavy hitter and want a lower, more controlled tone out of your drum, you may want to go with a two-ply drumhead. If you're a finessed player and want to hear more overtones, you might use a single-ply drumhead.
(NOTE: There are variations to this approach. For instance, you might play heavy rock but prefer the sound that a single-ply head produces. I personally use single-ply drumhead and hit pretty hard - which means that I need to switch my drumheads more frequently than if I was using 2-ply drumheads.)
Other types of drumheads include:
Dot - This drumhead features an additional dot-shaped ply (approximate diameter 5") in the middle. The dot can give you the durability of a two-ply drumhead, but with a sound more like that of a single-ply head because only 1 layer of plastic sits on the drum's bearing edge. Drumhead manufacturers like Remo, Evans, Aquarian, Ludwig, and Attack all offer their own versions of a drumhead featuring a reinforcement dot.
Three-ply - Aquarian recently launched a three-ply drumhead for players who require the ultimate in durability. Obviously, this head produces an extremely dark and lower fundamental pitch.
Next week in Part Two, I'll go over drumhead muffling, coating, and bottom heads. In the meantime, should you have any questions or need specific feedback regarding your drumhead decisions or dilemmas, feel free to reach out. I'm always here to help!
Drumheads are one of the most critical elements of your drum. The type of drumhead that you select will determine the overall sound that your drum will produce. By installing a new drumhead, you can bring a drum "back to life" by adding tone and projection that were lost by using a worn, worn-out head. You can also improve the sound of a less expensive drum by replacing its stock head with a new, professional-quality one.
Prior to the mid 1950s, drumheads were made of animal hides, like calfskin. This totally changed when the DuPont Company created a polyester film they called Mylar. By using this plastic film instead of an animal skin, drumhead manufacturers such as Remo and Evans made incredible sonic options possible for drummers while adding consistency in quality and tone that wasn't previously possible. With calfskin heads, drummers had to deal with the frequent need to re-tune their drums due to weather and temperature fluctuations. Plastic drumheads pretty much eliminated this challenge.
Today, plastic drumheads are utilized not just on drum sets but also on timpani, marching drums, and timbales, as well as hand drums like congas, bongos, djembes, darbukas, frame drums, surdos, pandeiros, doumbeks, tambourines, and caixas.
# of Plies
The first thing to choose when selecting heads for your drum set is head weight. Single-ply heads offer a lively sound with longer resonance and sustain, while 2-ply heads yield a darker, thicker sound with increased durability. If you're a heavy hitter and want a lower, more controlled tone out of your drum, you may want to go with a two-ply drumhead. If you're a finessed player and want to hear more overtones, you might use a single-ply drumhead.
(NOTE: There are variations to this approach. For instance, you might play heavy rock but prefer the sound that a single-ply head produces. I personally use single-ply drumhead and hit pretty hard - which means that I need to switch my drumheads more frequently than if I was using 2-ply drumheads.)
Other types of drumheads include:
Dot - This drumhead features an additional dot-shaped ply (approximate diameter 5") in the middle. The dot can give you the durability of a two-ply drumhead, but with a sound more like that of a single-ply head because only 1 layer of plastic sits on the drum's bearing edge. Drumhead manufacturers like Remo, Evans, Aquarian, Ludwig, and Attack all offer their own versions of a drumhead featuring a reinforcement dot.
Three-ply - Aquarian recently launched a three-ply drumhead for players who require the ultimate in durability. Obviously, this head produces an extremely dark and lower fundamental pitch.
Next week in Part Two, I'll go over drumhead muffling, coating, and bottom heads. In the meantime, should you have any questions or need specific feedback regarding your drumhead decisions or dilemmas, feel free to reach out. I'm always here to help!
About the Author:
Vic Salazar is the owner of Vic's Drum Shop, an internationally renowned drum and percussion retailer in Chicago, IL. The vast knowledge of drum gear that he's accumulated over his 40 year career has made Vic a valuable resource for beginning drummers, drumming hobbyists, professional drummers, and many of the world's premier drum superstars.
