You can't tune a guitar but you can tune a fish

 

I don't tune drums but i pick drums on the key of the song, and generally, by ear. Microtonal changes and slight variations are more interesting IMO.

 

Tuned drums? Here is an example. Also a little ear training lesson for those who like.
"Write down the notes the kick plays in the chorus"

 

Haze, thank you for this gem that transcends the format of a forum post.

 

The kick's main body frequency is usually the lowest frequency in the entire music and usually not heard in terms of pitch. The pitch detection range for the ear is higher than the kick's main body frequency. It is technically distinguishable, but the ear usually doesn't consider the sound of the main body of the kick as an influential pitch.
But if you want your music to be free from equalization and compression problems later on, you'd better consider some settings for the kick sound.

 

if the kick or snare sounds off, i dont waste time to tune it, i just look for another one that fits better

 

Almost all pop songs are done in a single key, and all you need to do is find a note that is used a lot in your song and set the kick's main frequency to it.

 

If you're able to discern a pitch when a kick is played in a track, that's more likely a specific sound design choice (like in hardcore or gabber) rather than a general production requirement in pop music. And if the kick is perceived as having a pitch, it's a good idea to dynamically accommodate it within the track, otherwise, it may end up sounding like a constant pedal note (which might be a cool arrangement idea but it's definitely not usual).

That’s why I don’t really get why people treat drum tuning as some kind of standardized and almost indispensable requirement. Sometimes it’s a good idea, sometimes it’s not. Tuning a kick might make it sound better, or it might completely ruin it. Honestly, the last thing a listener will notice is whether your kick is technically ‘in key’. Such a silly way of frying neurons...

 

Last edited: May 20, 2025

Taking in consideration the producer got some basic music theory knowledge, if he can't tell if the kick is on key or not, the average listener for sure can't do it. I never ever listened to person saying that a record sucks because the drums are off the key.

Take in consideration a live performance, where dozens of songs of different keys are played on the same drumkit. It's impossible to change the key of the drums for adapting it for each song played, but you can tune the drums to sound harmonic on the drumkit itself(for example, toms) and follow your life.

 

Yeah, in pop music the kick is probably the last element anyone would seriously expect to be "in key." Not because they shouldn’t be, but because it's simply not a technical necessity (unlike vocals or a guitar, where pitch accuracy is fundamental). With kicks, it's more about the vibe and how they sit in the mix. Outside of tuned drums, idiophones, and mallet percussion, most percussive instruments are inherently transient and textural by nature. That’s their role: to drive, to punctuate, to shape energy. Not necessarily to sing in tune. That’s why the whole “in key” argument feels a bit nonsensical to me. And, as you pointed out, live performances only make it more obvious how fabricated this so-called “issue” really is.

 

We could always assume that a live song played with a real drum kit and an electronic record are not one and the same :D

A lot of people synthesize every element of their song, and if this is the case, you absolutely can make sure every element is, to the best of your ability in key.

I feel like when this is done, the final product does sound better than if some parts are ignored. It feels like each element is a part of a greater whole, rather than some random sounds pieced together, to me anyway.

 

If you try doing too much of this stuff, there is a good chance you might get tuned up by the drummer.