Craft · 6 pages · 12 min

Why tightening a head raises the pitch

Tightening a drumhead raises its tension, so the membrane springs back faster and the pitch goes up.

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From the opening

Tightening a head increases the pull across the membrane, and a tighter membrane returns toward flat faster after a strike. Faster vibration is a higher pitch, which is why turning the tension rods up makes the drum speak higher. The opening covers more tension means a faster return, the rods add pull at the rim, and head weight and size also count.

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Inside

More tension means a faster return
The rods add pull at the rim
Head weight and size also count
Uneven turns wrinkle the head
Where the idea stops applying
A distinction worth keeping

Sources

Membrane pitch and tension
Drum lug tuning

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Why tightening a head raises the pitch

From the opening

Inside

Sources

Also on the desk