Tuning incorrectly can leave your tenor drums sounding bad.
The marching tenors play an important part in a marching band. Because tenors are drums, people sometimes don't put as much importance on tuning as they would, say, a saxophone or trumpet. However, tuning is very important. Drums are one of the instruments most commonly heard from a distance in a marching band. Poor tuning will make them stand out in a bad way.
General Technique
Be sure to keep up the tuning techniques you would use with any drum. Always alternate which tension rod you tune. Thus, tune the one located at 6:00, then the one at 12:00, then the one at 3:00 and so on. When tuning each tension rod, only turn it halfway before moving onto the next one. If you tighten one tension rod several turns or tighten several in a row that are on the same side of the drum, you could severely damage the rim and the drum. Generally, tenor drums are tuned very tightly, but not all the way. Make sure you can still get a clear sound when each drum is played.
Tuning Order
Marching tenor drums are typically in sets of four or five drums. When tuning, first tune the lowest one and then go from there, ascending in order. After tuning a drum, hit the drum multiple times and compare it to the previous drums you've tuned. Once you've tuned all the tenor drums in the set, hit each one in ascending and descending order to make sure they sound good together. You don't want dissonant sounds. After listening to how they all sound you might have to adjust the tuning on some drums.
Compare to Other Tenor Sets
Typically there are multiple tenor players in a marching band drum section. After you've finished tuning a set of tenor drums, compare how they sound to the other sets after they've been tuned too. Do they match or do they clash? If they clash, adjust the tuning on the tenor drums that don't sound as good as the best ones. Generally, tenor drum sets should match the tuning of the other sets. If the tuning doesn't match, that could cause an uneven sound in the drum section.
Tuning and Drumhead Maintenance
Tenor drums can take a beating during a performance from the loud, occasionally aggressive playing involved in drumline playing. That's why your tenor drums will need to be tuned often. Get in the habit of tuning them before every practice or performance, and they'll sound that much better. Likewise, tenor drumheads can wear out quickly, so also get in the habit of changing heads regularly. Have plenty of replacements available in the event that a tenor head breaks, which can happen. You don't want breaks to happen, especially in the middle of a performance, so change your heads often.
