Single V.S. Double Ply – When do you use one over the other?
Introduction
This is one question that many drummers face often, should I use double or single ply drum heads? It is a very good question that can be confusing, but has a straightforward way to figure it out. Just knowing what styles of music that you are going to play is enough, usually, to know the answer. Some players still might not know what to use, even if they know what styles they want to play. So, if you need some help figuring out which to use, go on down and see what would be the best option for you and your drumming needs.
Single Ply Drum Heads
Single ply drum heads are very versatile. They are made of one ply of Mylar plastic and they can be played in many genres and styles of drumming. They come in many different types and are used by many of the best drummers. There are many reasons why many of the top players use them, being resonance, sound, and the feel when playing them, etc. So let’s get into some more detail about single ply heads and why you might want to play them over double ply heads. Single ply drum heads are thin heads that allow for a great vibration and sound transfer throughout the drum head. This leads to a wide open sound. Since they are thinner heads, they are also less dampened than double ply heads. This causes the single ply heads to produce more overtones and ring out for longer than double ply heads. Many people want this sound, it can be desirable for some genres. One major example is jazz music. In a lot of jazz music, all of the drums are tuned very high and are expected to ring out and have overtones. Single ply heads are able to fulfill the needs and expectations for the sound that a jazz drum kit will usually have. They also have their own unique feeling when you strike them. The heads are sensitive and are very bouncy because of the one ply construction. Small and very soft strokes will be discernable at a wide range of dynamics. This is another great perk and reason to choose a single ply head. Jazz isn’t a very heavy or hard hitting style of drumming, so the less durable heads won’t be a cause for concern. Another style to use single ply drum heads for is funk. Many funk drummers tune their snares very high to achieve a very loud crack when they hit it and for ease of use while playing. Single ply heads are a great choice for this because they can typically tune up higher, and tend to sound better than double ply heads when tuned up high. Old school funk drummers from the 70’s would often really muffle their drums, but still needed the response of single ply heads to play their intricate patterns, so single ply heads were a great choice. Funk drums aren’t incredibly heavy either, so the single ply heads can withstand the playing through many sessions. Another place where single ply heads are a great choice, is in Latin and Afro-Cuban drumming. That is for the same reasons as jazz and funk, mostly wide open drum sounds and intricate patterns that need to be played up to speed with sensitivity. One oddball style that has some use of single ply heads is death metal. Some death metal drummers actually prefer to use single ply drum heads for their snare drums. This is because of the sound they can achieve. They like to crank the head up real tight and get a very fast and responsive drum that lends itself well to fast and technical music. This is why a lot of jazz and funk drummers use them. The main point really is that single ply drum heads are a great choice for lighter music mainly and for any style with high tuned drums. One downside to single ply heads though, is that they can be relatively weak and prone to denting because of there only being one ply. Now, for the aforementioned styles (except death metal) this is not a major cause for concern because most drummers that play these styles don’t smash their kits. Some jazz drummers did hit hard though, like Elvin Jones and Tony Williams later on in his career. They both used single ply heads throughout their careers, even through the heavy hitting. So even though single ply heads have less material than double ply heads, they are still durable and can withstand a beating. Single ply drum heads are a great choice for lighter styles of music and are a good general drum head that can fit in almost every drumming style. Really heavy hitters will not get good usage out of them, but other players will love single ply heads for almost all, if not all, of their drumming needs.
Double Ply Drum Heads
The main difference between double ply and single ply heads is that double ply heads are created with two ply’s of Mylar plastic and single ply heads are only made of one. This means that double ply heads should have double the durability of a single ply head. In my experience, double ply heads are for sure more durable and dent resistant, but they do sound dead after a while from regular playing, just like single ply heads. They are less likely to break than a single ply head, but are not invincible. The two plies allow the heads to be tuned to lower pitches more accurately and allow for greater tuning stability at those pitches. Since double ply drum heads are more durable, they are often used in heavier genres of music. Examples are rock, metal, and even pop music. The heavy hitting in rock and metal almost always requires double ply heads in order to be played frequently. A lot of rock and metal bands also tune their drums relatively low, so double ply heads help to keep the low pitch through the heavy playing. Double ply heads aren’t really able to be tuned as high as single ply heads. That doesn’t mean that they can’t be tuned up though. They can still be high pitched, just not as easily as single ply heads can be, and the tuning won’t be very stable at high pitches when compared to single ply heads in the same pitch range. Double ply heads are also more dampened because of their added weight. This allows for the lower tunings to have less overtones and have a more centered and focused sound. Some brands even put oil in between the two layers of plastic to reduce overtones and dampen the heads even more. These kinds of heads were a really good option for many 80’s rock and metal drummers and are still used today, even in modern marching bands. Some pop drumming is also a great place for double ply drum heads. Many drummers hit very hard for live pop shows and want to look theatrical while they’re playing. So the double ply heads are a great option for the excessive power. A lot of pop music also has low tuned drums, especially toms and bass drums. This is another instance where double ply heads would be a better option than single ply. One type of player that would benefit from using double ply heads over single ply heads is beginners. Since double ply heads are more durable, they can withstand the playing of a less experienced player and are able to last while they learn how to play and control their dynamics. Overall, double ply drum heads are a great option for hard hitting drummers that want their heads to last through powerful playing, for drummers that want low tuned drums, and for beginner drummers.
Overview / Conclusion
The main points to take away are, double ply heads are more durable, are better with handling lower tunings, and suit hard hitting drumming better than single ply drum heads. Single ply heads are typically less durable and more dent prone, they are better with handling higher tunings, and suit styles that hit less hard. This is a very easy and simple way to remember which drum head type to pick next time you are shopping for drum heads. I hope that this helped you figure out which heads to purchase for your drum kit. Thank you for taking the time to read this article and have a great day.
-Jonathan (Owner of DrumProductReviews.com)