It’s that time of year when you may start reflecting and considering a change in your head selection for the upcoming marching band season. While there is some variety in marching snare and bass drum heads, there is a large variety of tenor head options available for you to choose from. Hopefully this product breakdown will give you more insight into the most popular options, as well as how each option might work for you and the overall sound of your band. We have listed some of the more popular models from both Remo and Evans below with the characteristics of each listed.

Remo Marching Tenor Heads

1. Remo Pinstripe Clear:**popular model**
   • Sound: Clear and controlled sound with internal dampening process.
   • Projection: Outstanding attack, clear projection.
   • Durability: Very durable, suitable for high-tension tuning.
   • Materials: Made from two 7-mil Mylar plies with a dampening agent. 14 mil total
2. Remo Emperor Clear:**popular model**
   • Sound: Provides bright and open tones with plenty of sustain.
   • Projection: Increased volume and overall projection
   • Durability: Good durability, although not as robust as the Pinstripe.
   • Materials: 2-ply 7.5mil clear film, 15mil total.
3. Remo Emperor Renaissance:**popular model**
   • Sound: Warm tone with controlled sustain
   • Projection: Clear articulation yet controlled and refined.
   • Durability: Durable, but does require more frequent tuning.
   • Materials: 2-ply of 7.5mil proprietary texture coating, 15mil total
4. Remo Emperor Suede:
   • Sound: Warm tone and big sound.
   • Projection: Maximum articulation.
   • Usage: Durable and useful outdoors.
   • Materials: 2-ply of 7.5 mil proprietary Suede textured film, 15mil total
5. Remo Emperor Smooth White:
   • Sound: Bright tone and clear attack.
   • Projection: One of the more articulate and highest projecting models.
   • Usage: Preferred for outdoor performances due to its projection.
   • Materials: 2-ply of 7.5 Smooth White Film, 15mil total

Evans Marching Tenor Heads

1. Evans TCX:**popular model**
   • Sound: Full, Rich tonal spectrum with enhanced volume and clarity.
   • Projection: Increased projection and articulation.
   • Durability: Highly durable, suitable for high-tension tuning.
   • Material: 2-ply 7mil clear film, 14mil total
2. Evans Marching EC2S:**popular model**
   • Sound: Focused Sound
   • Projection: Controlled overtones that help give clear articulation
   • Durability: Highly durable with the extra SST controls, similar to Remo Pinstripe.
   • Materials: 2-ply 7mil clear film with SST tone control, 14mil total
3. Evans MX Frost:
   • Sound: Warm Resonance and Tone
   • Projection: Highest Projection amongst Evans heads
   • Durability: Highly durable, suitable for high-tension tuning.
   • Materials: 2-ply 7mil clear frosted film, 14mil total
4. Evans MX White:
   • Sound: Warm Tone with Focused Sustain
   • Projection: Firm Projection and Defined Attack
   • Durability: Highly durable, suitable for high-tension tuning.
   • Materials: 2-ply 7.5mil White film, 15mil total
5. Evans MX Black:
   • Sound: Bright Attack with very open sound
   • Projection: Higher Level of Projection than the MX White with more resonance than an EC2S.
   • Durability: Highly durable, suitable for high-tension tuning.
   • Materials: 2ply 7.5mil black film, 15mil total.

Which one is right for me?

Ultimately, you will need to consider the type of music you are using in your show, strength of players, number of musicians on the field, performance venues, amongst other things, when picking out the head you want to use in marching band on your tenors. In general if you have a larger line and a larger band you may need to consider something that will give you the fullest sounds and maximum projection or something like the Remo Emperor Suede, Remo Emperor Clear or the Evans TCX. If you are still unsure and durability is more important to you for budgetary reasons then either the Remo Pinstripe or Evans Marching EC2S would be the top choice and two of the most popular models for marching tenors.

If you have specific questions or need advice in finding the right sound for you, give us a call at (317) 813-2070, or email us at chops@chopspercussion.com!

The IPA (Indiana Percussion Association) State Finals at The Hulman Center (Indiana State University) will require an outside warm-up next weekend. Those groups who have performed in Dayton for WGI Championships or participate in circuits in warmer regions of the country know this is a normal process. The outside extended warm-up can be very beneficial to preparing for the large arena environment. But for those who have not gone through that process before, here are some tips to make sure the experience is smooth and beneficial for everyone.

• KEEP A VERY CLOSE EYE ON THE WEATHER. Be prepared for cold, rain, wind and heat.
• Take jackets and coats to warm-up. Have a parent push around a large plastic trash can for the kids to ditch their jackets as they enter the arena. They might not need them, but it’s better to be prepared. Standing in a parking lot freezing before your final performance isn’t going to help you have a relaxed, confident performance.
• Be prepared to change on the bus. If you aren’t showing up in uniform, don’t plan to go inside to change. This may be a possibility, but it is usually much easier and quicker to take turns changing on the bus.
• Have plenty of plastic tarps. We all hope for perfect weather conditions on contest days, especially when the warm-up is outside, but that isn’t always the case and it’s best to prepare for inclement weather. Don’t just bring a couple huge tarps to park the equipment under. Bring smaller tarps that can stay over the electronics carts while rolling from warm-up to the arena.
• Have plenty of bungee cords. You’ll need those tarps strapped down if it’s windy!
• If it looks to be sunny and warm, make sure to bring water. An hour in the sun, on asphalt, can wear the students down quickly.
• If having your electronics on during warm-up is important to you, TAKE A GENERATOR. There might be power available in the warm-up lot, but don’t plan for it.
• Keep electronics dry at all costs!
• Be aware of the Inclement Weather/Tent Schedule and use your time in the tent if you have any concerns about the weather. This includes very cold and/or windy conditions.
• Finally, directors and staff – Since this is only the time for everyone at this venue, get there early and take the time to walk the flow in and out of the arena so you’re familiar with it. Also, allow enough time for your student performers to go in and watch a couple groups so they can get the feel for the arena, along with the on-and-off-the-floor flow.

Good luck to everyone performing in the IPA State Championships this weekend!

Time to rehash another blog post that is very relevant this time of year! With concert season in full swing, we thought this would be a quick reminder on things you can check out on your snare drum if you are having issues. There are some common maintenance issues that will arise over time with relation to your concert snare drum. While most of these are fairly simple we have tried to highlight issues that can be taken care of by you with little knowledge of percussion repair.

Cleaning: Wipe down each drum with a soft cloth, including the hardware and the shell. If there is extreme dirt or grime, you can use denatured alcohol diluted in water. If you have anything that is extremely sticky use a small amount of valve oil. In both cases, put the product on the cloth instead of spraying directly on the drum.

Parts Inspection: Do a visual inspection for any missing or broken parts that may need replaced. Some common parts missing or broken include the following:

• Bent Tension Rods
• Damaged Tension Posts or Tubes
• Bent Strainer from overtightening snare strands
• Bent or out of Round Rims
• Inspect the bearing edges when heads are off for any damage

Head Replacement: Changing the heads on a concert snare drum that is used regularly should happen about once a year. Over time the head will get stretched so far that it will not hold tuning for long even if tuned daily. If the head is dented, ripped, or severely scratched consider replacing the heads. While changing a drum head is a fairly easy task, when you have to do it quickly and on your own there are a few things to consider.

• Use two drum keys in a cross pattern to quickly remove the head.
• Keep the tension rods attached to the rim.
• Quickly remove any debris from the rim.
• Take your time to make sure the head is seated properly on the bearing edge.
• Finger tighten in a cross pattern and then using a drum key in the cross pattern.
• Placing a finger in the center of the head can help you determine when the head is ready to tune.

Suggested Heads : For a clear and crisp sound we recommended using the following on most concert specific snare drums.

Batter Heads – Remo Ambassador Renaissance/Remo Diplomat Renaissance/Evans Strata 1000/Evans Strata 1000 Staccato
Resonant Heads – Remo Diplomat Hazy/Remo Renaissance Snare Side/Evans Orchestral 200/Evans Orchestral 300

Snare Strand (Wires) Detach: A common issue on a snare drum is for the snare strand to become detached or become loose even with the strainer working properly.

• Remove any old string or nylon strip and attach new ones.
• Let some tension out of the strainer knob to allow for adjusting later on.
• Attach the butt-side first being sure to center the strands from side to side.
• Attach the throw-off side with it in the “ON” position. Make sure it is tight but leave some room for adjustment.

Damaged or Bent Shell: Inspect the shell for and damage. Metallic shells with dents can often be put back into round by a repair technician.

If you continue to find issue with the way your concert snare drum is performing or sounding after going through these common tips, feel free to give us a call and we talk help diagnose the problem.

Common Timpani Issues

With contest season in full swing, you may start to notice some issues with your timpani. Timpani are one of the more misunderstood percussion instruments with regards to function and reparability, but knowing some common issues that occur can give you a better understanding of what to check.

Issue #1 – The Pedals Slip (Won’t stay in position)

When the pedal on timpani is not holding either in the high or low position it is more often than not related to the range of the drums.  Over time, the heads continue to stretch and can cause the drums to become out of range and thus not allowing spring and head to be balanced with tension.  This is the first thing to check if you have pedal issues.  You should check that the lowest note on each drum is correct as seen below:

If the pedal slips forward from the lowest position, it likely means that the drum is too low and needs to be brought up to the correct low note.  Holding the pedal in the heel down (low position) make small adjustments to each tension rod until you have the lowest note.

If the pedal is moving back from the upper position, it likely means you need to add a little bit of tension to the spring.  However, it is important to check the low note and make sure you have this first.  If the low note is correct, adjust the spring.

Issue #2 – The Pedal is Hard to Move or is Stuck

This can be caused by many things, but the first thing to check is that nothing appears to be broken or snapped as this can cause things to stop working completely.  More than likely, the balance between the head and spring are not correct so checking these first is a good idea.  Other things to check would be the braking systems being to tight and thus not allowing the pedals to move freely.  On Ludwig drums this can be found under the pedal while on Yamaha drums this is often found near the center under the bowl.

Issue #3 – The Drums Won’t Stay in Tune

If you are having issues with the drums constantly going low after tuning them up it likely means you are in need of a head change.  Timpani heads should be changed every one to two years depending on your daily usage.

If you just changed the heads recently and they just don’t sound great or don’t seem to hold a pitch well they likely need to be cleared and tuned up by a professional.  Since the process of clearing and getting timpani in tune with themselves can be tricky it is best to have someone familiar with the process check out the drums.

If you notice something that is not listed here, it is likely something that will need to be inspected and serviced by a professional repair technician. You may find yourself understanding what the cause of the issue may be but not confident in fixing the issue.  Give us a call at 317-813-2070 and we can make a visit to your school to ensure your timpani are in top working condition.