Free Drum Tuning Calculator
Choose your drum sizes and tuning style to get practical starting frequencies for batter and resonant heads.
Built for drummers who want a fast, simple way to plan their kit tuning before reaching for a drum key.
Your Kit
Controls
Tuning Character
Deeper, warmer, shorter sustain — rock, heavier pop, fat studio sounds
Balanced, versatile, general purpose — pop, covers, rehearsal, live work
Brighter, more open, more articulation — funk, disco, jazzier pop
Customize resonant head relationships per drum
Tuning Results
Adjust drums or tuning character to instantly update targets.
| Drum | Fundamental | Batter Head | Resonant Head |
|---|---|---|---|
22" Kick | A1|55 Hz | 63 Hz | 66 Hz |
14" Snare | G3|200 Hz | 290 Hz | 330 Hz |
10" Rack Tom | C#3|140 Hz | 189 Hz | 203 Hz |
12" Rack Tom | A#2|115 Hz | 155 Hz | 167 Hz |
16" Floor Tom | D#2|80 Hz | 104 Hz | 112 Hz |
22" Kick
Balanced all-round setting
14" Snare
Balanced all-round setting
10" Rack Tom
Balanced all-round setting
12" Rack Tom
Balanced all-round setting
16" Floor Tom
Balanced all-round setting
How this drum tuning calculator works
Drum-Tuning.com uses drum size, drum type and tuning character to suggest practical starting frequencies for each drum. The calculator estimates a fundamental pitch for the drum, then provides batter and resonant head targets that you can use with a frequency tuner or by ear.
Low, medium and high tuning
- Low: Lower tunings usually sound deeper, warmer and shorter. They can work well for rock, heavier pop and fat studio sounds.
- Medium: Medium tuning is a balanced starting point for most drummers. It is useful for covers, rehearsals, live work and general-purpose kits.
- High: Higher tunings usually sound brighter, more open and more articulate. They can work well for funk, disco, jazz-influenced pop and situations where the drums need to speak clearly.
Batter vs resonant head
The batter head is the head you strike. The resonant head is the lower head that helps control sustain, pitch movement and tone. Tuning the resonant head slightly higher than the batter head is a common starting point for toms, but there is no single correct setting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tuning Guides
In-depth guides covering drum tuning frequencies, head relationships, and a printable chart.
Drum Tuning Frequency Guide
Complete Hz reference for kick, snare and toms — with a summary table of every drum type and size.
Kick Drum Frequencies
Bass drum tuning for 18–24 inch kick drums. Low, Medium and High starting points with batter and front head targets.
Snare Drum Frequencies
Snare tuning for 13 and 14 inch snare drums. Includes batter and resonant head targets with genre guide.
Tom Frequencies
Rack tom and floor tom tuning for every common size. Includes calculator and frequency tables.
Batter vs Resonant Head
How to tune both drum heads relative to each other — with multipliers, examples, and FAQs.
Drum Tuning Chart
Printable frequency reference covering every drum size and tuning character at a glance.