Drumhead Buying Guide
In truth, nothing affects the kits sound more than a proper drumhead, and many inexperienced drummers buy cheap heads because they’re not aware of this simple fact. There are certain drumheads which will help a drum sound more genre specific if that’s your preference. Conversely, there are also specific drumheads allowing a kit to produce a more versatile sound so you can blend in with multiple musical genres. Drumheads can also assist a drummer in creating a signature sound by controlling the amount of resonance generated as well as molding the character of your kit.
Calfskin vs. Plastic
Drumheads were originally made from thinly stretched animal skin but in the 1950’s, plastic drumheads debuted. Plastic quickly became the preferred head among drummers because they’re inexpensive and require less maintenance.
Although calfskin heads are still made today, they’re extremely expensive and require constant attention. These heads react to the environment around them so if you’re gigging in a very humid climate, the head will be become floppy and need constant tightening.
Modern calfskin drumheads are mainly used by a small percentage of orchestral percussionists. The other material used to make drumheads is Kevlar which is extremely thick and usually only found on marching drums.
Thickness
Drumheads come in an almost limitless range of thickness. Thicker ply plastic is often more durable but can sound “choked”. Thinner heads usually have an open sound with a lot of ring but aren’t durable enough for styles such as rock or metal. Drumheads will either have one or two layers of plastic and are labeled single or 2-ply. 2-ply heads are extremely durable but some can sound short and choppy.
Drumhead Use
All drumheads are either batter heads or resonant heads.
Batter Drumheads
Batter drumheads are mounted on the playing side of the drum and the heads actually struck by the stick. These are often thicker because they need to stand up to consistent drum playing.
Resonant Drumheads
Sometimes called snare-side heads, resonant drumheads are never struck with the stick and are mounted on the non-playing side of the drum. These heads are often quite thin for resonance.
Coatings
Clear
Clear drumheads don’t have a coating and deliver a very pure tone. These are commonly used for bass drum and tom heads.
Coated
Coated heads have a white-textured surface to give them a bit more articulation and character. Snare heads are almost always coated to produce a crisp sound; jazz drummers frequently use these heads on their toms and bass drums as well.
Hazy/Frosted
Frosted or “hazy” heads have a light, airy quality. They have a very light coating which doesn’t have as much personality as a coated head.
Smooth White
These are white heads without a textured coating and have a slightly warmer sound than clear heads.
Ebony
Ebony drumheads are black in color and usually darker in sound. These heads don’t have a coating and are often used for the front of the bass drum.
Fake Calfskin
There are types of drumheads made to sound and look like calfskin. The most popular of these are Remo’s Fibreskyn which are mainly used for concert bass drums.
Kevlar
These heads are very thick and should only be used on marching snare drums.
Renaissance
Made by Remo, these heads are often used for orchestral snare drums and timpani. They are similar to hazy heads but have a more refined look and sound.
Drumhead Types
It’s important to note each drum type uses a different type of head. Snare heads are very distinct from bass drumheads and both of these are different from tom heads. It’s important to measure the diameter of your drum shells to determine what size drumhead is needed. Also, drums will require both a batter and resonant drumhead.
Snare Batter
Most snare batter heads have a 14 inch diameter and are coated to produce a crisp sound. Some have a reinforced center dot which will bolster the impact location on the head which is why they’re often called “power dot” drumheads.
You also need to consider whether or not you use brushes when choosing a snare head. Jazz drummers who frequently use brushes will want a heavily coated head with no obstructions for a nice sound. Even single-ply snare heads are designed to be very durable so you don’t necessarily need to have a 2-ply head. However, it’s a good idea for heavy hitters or metal drummers.
Snare Resonant (Snare Side Heads)
The resonant drumhead of the snare drum is very important because it interacts with the actual wire or cable snare to create the snare sound. These are usually the thinnest heads in a kit as they need to produce a lot of vibrations to activate the snares; they’re usually clear to allow the snares personality to speak freely. These heads are the most complicated to change if they break, so use caution when tuning and never set your snare down on top of anything other than a snare stand.
Tom Batter
Tom-Tom batter heads give a drum set its overall tone and pitch. These heads are typically clear for rock and coated for jazz. Single-ply heads have a bit more tone but manufacturers are constantly improving 2-ply heads which produce nice tone. Some tom batter heads have muting devices built right into the head, saving the drummer from having to use tape or gel muting.
Tom Resonant
Tom resonant heads are very thin, offering an extremely pure sound. They’re almost always clear and usually labeled “resonant heads.”
Bass Drum Batter
Bass heads are often sold as a system or package with appropriately matching front and batter heads. The bass drum batter head is often the thickest head in the entire kit and delivers a thick, punchy bass sound. Jazz drummers will usually use a coated head thin enough to create an open sound while rock drummers often use a thick head with built-in muting and sometimes a power dot or double-braced impact zone.
Bass Drum Resonant (Front)
Front bass heads are situated at the kits front and center. This is the head facing the audience and usually where the band’s name or the kits brand is written. Front bass heads are thinner than batter heads and usually have a small or large hole to allow for adjustment of any internal muting device such as a pillow. Many studio engineers prefer a small hole in the front head for microphone placement.
Drumhead Features
There are many newer drumheads offering features which limit the amount of extra work and maintenance required to create the sound you want.
Muting
Some bass and tom heads have built-in muting so there’s no need for external muting with tape or gel.
Power Dot
This is a reinforced area on certain drumheads which prevents breakage due to repeated playing in the same spot.
Reverse Dot
These heads have the reinforced dot on the underside of the head so it doesn’t interfere with the heads playing surface.
Vent Holes
Drumheads labeled “dry” will often have precisely drilled venting holes in the head which create a very dry sound. Some bass resonant drumheads also have a pre-drilled microphone hole.
Colors
Some drumheads are available in different colors and this is usually for aesthetic purposes only. I myself have a set of bright red drumheads that I keep around for playing Halloween gigs.
Brand Name
The three main companies making quality drumheads are Aquarian, Evans, and Remo. These companies all make several different models of heads which vary in features and thickness. For some specific recommendations please refer to my list of best drumheads.
Price/Value
Drumheads are relatively inexpensive as opposed to other components like cymbals and hardware. The heads with extra features often cost a little more but worth the price if they capture the sound you want. Compared to cheaply made options, quality drumheads won’t break as often. It’s best to pay a little more to purchase a quality drumhead made by Aquarian, Evans, or Remo.