How do you put on and tune new heads?
Gavin Says:
I don't think I do anything so out of the norm.
I tune the bottom head first (ideally without the top head on). I put on the new head place the rim on and tighten the screws until they are finger tight. Then I use two drum keys at opposite points of the drum and start turning in small amounts. Then I move criss cross around the drum (always with 2 keys) and keep turning up a little at a time. I don't like the "tension watch" kind of things - I have used it and didn't like the results. Then I check the pitch just in front of each lug - but I push my finger into the middle of the head and that can help with eliminating some harmonics that are coming from other parts of the head and I can artificially raise the pitch so it's easier to hear a clear note by the lugs.
There's quite a bit of instinct going on because I've done this for so many years - I don't follow pitches from a piano/guitar or something. Once it's reasonably close I stretch the head by pushing my palm into the middle on the drum a couple of times - then I need to re-tune as the head settles in. That's about it.
The Bob Gatzen videos out there are really informative - and I like his advice about tuning.