Drumheads

What types of drumheads are there, and what are they made of?

Here you will find our large selection of drumheads. The most sold in the world is undoubtedly the Remo drumhead, but Evans drumheads are also popular choices.

You can see for each variant whether the desired drumheads are in stock or not. If they are in stock, we can deliver your drumhead from day to day.

Is your drumhead worn or perhaps even completely broken? Or do you need to change drumheads to improve the sound of your drums? At SoundStoreXL we offer a wide selection of drumheads, which you can find here. It is important to choose the right drumhead, as it has a significant impact on the sound of the drum, and you can read more here about what types of drumheads are available.

Drumheads are made from different materials and come in various sizes and especially thicknesses. Moreover, the biggest and most visible difference between them is their surface. Some drumheads are made of clear transparent film (they are called clear), while others are surface-treated, making them white and rough (they are called coated). Different drumheads are needed because the requirements vary from one music genre to another. Coated drumheads provide a warm and focused sound, while clear drumheads offer a more powerful and open sound.

You need two drumheads for your drum: a resonant head on the bottom of the drum and a batter head, which as the name suggests, is the head you strike. Typically, double-ply heads are used as batter heads, while single-ply heads are used as both batter and resonant heads. When choosing the number of plies in your drumhead, it also matters what music genre you are playing on the drums. For example, rock drummers often use double-ply heads as batter heads on their drums, while a jazz drummer will use a single-ply head.

Which drumhead should I choose?

The choice of drumhead material depends on many factors, such as what type of drums you have, what music you play, and what sound you want from your drums. Feel free to contact one of our drum experts for assistance in choosing drumheads and drumsticks.

How often should I change drumheads?

Drumheads should be changed as needed, which can be a broad concept. It depends on how often you play the drums and how you do it. It also depends on how much each drum is used; for example, many change the snare drumhead more often, as it is typically used more than the other drums. If drumming is your hobby, you might wait a couple of years before changing the head, but if you play often, the drumheads should also be changed more frequently. Professional drummers can change drumheads up to 10 times a year. One should not wait until the drumhead actually tears before replacing it. Over time, it will lose some of its tone, so it can be worth changing it out, as it will improve the sound of the drum. A good indication of a worn head is dents in the head and lack of coating.

SoundStoreXL has a large selection of bass drumheads, snare drumheads, tom drumheads and skins for percussion - find them all here in our webshop and contact us if you need help choosing skins for drums.

Buy drumheads at SoundStoreXL and get a price match if you find the product cheaper

How to change drumheads?

Drumheads are incredibly simple to remove, but can be a whole science to reattach and get a well-sounding drum. When removing, all tension screws on the drum are loosened and the head is removed.

When attaching a new drumhead, you first finger-tighten all tension screws and only then do you use the drum key. When tuning drums, the concept and goal is that the drumhead has the exact same tuning and tension from each tension screw. This can be easier said than done, as a drummer has to use their ear and listen for pitch at the edge of the drum, to see if each tension screw is tightened 100% the same. Many use a method where they first tune the tension screws half to a full turn around, diagonally on the drum all the way around. When all tension screws have gotten 2-3 turns, you start listening from each tension screw and match the pitch of each tension screw. A good trick can be to place a finger in the middle of the drum, which highlights overtones in the drum that are easier to hear. Practice makes perfect - good luck.

Tuning the snare drum:

Tuning the toms: