Drum Heads: Understand the logic behind the drums membranes and how to use them properly
by Drummers Art Guides
In simple words, the membrane (or drum head) is that part of the drums that you hit, that thin layer that enclose the open cylinder (shell). Usually, they are separated in the Batter (top) and Resonant (bottom) head. Depending on the way you use the drum heads, it can influence the overall sound of each drum.
Batter Head
-
The thicker, warmer sound and shorter note.
-
The thinner, brighter sound and longer sustain. ​​
Resonant Head
-
The thicker, more sustain.
-
The thinner, brighter note and less sustain. ​
Clear/Uncoated
These are the transparent drumheads and, different from the coated, they don't have any covering. The clear membrane, in musical terms, produces a louder tone, with higher sustain. Also, they have a brighter sound with limited control. In most of the cases, this type of membranes is preferred for the resonant side of the drum.
Coated
The coated drumheads are commonly used, especially on the snare drums. These are like clear drumheads with a cover of a white/black rough material that produces a dry feeling and a thicker membrane. Most of the time, they have a white or black color, but some companies had developed a translucent appearance (but the texture is the same). In musical terms, because of its thickness, this type of drumhead produce a warmer sound, with a short sustain.
Single Ply
To understand the Single and Double-ply, you should know that drum heads are made of a mylar layer (plastic compound). Taking this into account, the Single Ply, consist of ONE mylar layer. That means that it is thin, and that's why it produces a bright sound. Its only drawback: Durability. If you are a hard hitter probably you shouldn't use this drumhead as the batter head, it would not survive the first week. However, they could work perfectly as resonant heads, producing, besides the brightness, less sustain. (It can be either Coated or Clear Single Ply)
Double Ply
The Double Ply is much more resistant than the single-ply. It consists of two layers of mylar, making the membrane thicker, producing a fat and short sustain sound, plus a greater attack. They are powerful compared to the Single Ply and are perfect for batter heads when the performer is a hard hitter.
​​
Besides Single and Double Ply, is common to find drum heads with more mylar layers. Hence, you could find, Triple Ply, Quadruple Ply, etc.