Short of a there being a hole in your drumhead, it can be tough to know when it’s time to replace it. Your heads will work their best when the tension on them is even. Over time, the head will stretch and weaken making it more likely to become dented and provide less rebound. Your ear will tell you if you aren’t getting the sound that you want, but here are some guidelines to help you determine when to change out your heads.
Look for dents in the head. When you remove it does it appear to be stretched out? When a head loses its elasticity from being stretched beyond its limits it will be difficult or impossible to tune. If you are having trouble tuning your drum at a low pitch it’s likely
that the head has been stretched. You can replace it, or tune to a
higher pitch.
In the case of coated heads, watch out for areas where the coating has begun to wear off. Without the coating, the head won’t produce the tone and overall character it originally had.
If you press (gently) on the middle of the head and it droops or is weaker than the areas around the rim, you probably need to change it out.
A dead or muffled sound that doesn’t improve with tuning efforts is also an indication that you need to replace the head. Resonant heads last longer than batters, but they do stretch over time and need replacing.
Factors that Affect the Life of Your Heads
- Snare batter heads typically go before others on your kit, simply due to the number of strokes they take compared to your toms.
- The more you play, the more you wear out your heads.
- Your stick level and angle of attack will affect the life of your drum heads. Brushes tend to wear down heads more than sticks.
- Some heads are more durable than others. Single ply heads may not last as long as 2 ply, but may have the sound you want. You may find yourself having to choose between feel and sound or durability when choosing your heads.
Industry Links
- Evans – When to Replace Your Drumheads
- Remo – Drum Maintenance Tips
- Aquarian – Drumhead Tips
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