Drum Heads

Just like the shells they’re attached to, drum heads are designed for a variety of tones and playing styles. Of course, you’ll want to make sure you’re buying heads for the right type of drum — a bass-drum head, for instance, will not fit your snare. Next, you’ll want to make sure you’re buying the right size of heads for your particular shells. Finally, you can consider the finer details like materials, coatings, thickness and even color.

There’s no universal answer, but it ultimately depends how often you play, how hard you hit the drums and how many imperfections you’re willing to live with. A touring drummer in a metal band might change their batter heads every other week, but a basement-studio hobbyist or student might be fine for six months or even a year-plus. It’s also worth noting that batter heads, or the heads that are struck, wear out much faster than resonant heads.

It’s time to consider replacement when you start to notice “pitting” (small divots or dents in the drum head); when the drum is constantly going out of tune; or when it starts to sound dull and lifeless.

Measure the outer diameter of the drum shell from bearing edge to bearing edge (hardware excluded).

This is 100% down to taste and application. Clear heads are considered brighter and more open, with longer sustain and a sharper attack, which makes them the standard choice for toms and bass drums in rock, metal, funk and pop — and the most common choice for snare-side heads (found on the bottom of snare drums) and resonant tom heads. You’ll often see coated heads described as darker, warmer and more textured. They also handle brushes well, making them a staple of jazz drumming.

Generally speaking, due to their thickness and strength, double-ply drum heads offer more control and shorter sustain, as well as impressive durability. The increased mass of these heads naturally creates an overall thicker, punchier tone that hard-hitting drummers in high-volume genres like rock and metal appreciate. But does that mean they’re better? Not necessarily. Depending on your playing style and the music itself, you might still prefer the brightness, increased resonance and sustain, and sensitive response of single-ply heads.

Yes! Whether you’re a complete beginner or looking to sharpen your skills, Music & Arts has the perfect drum instructor ready to guide you. As the nation’s #1 lessons program with 250 locations, we make it easy to find drum lessons near you. Get started today on our Lessons page.