Test your drum by hitting it with your sticks a few times to see whether or not the head needs to be tightened or loosened. Make sure the snare level is up and that they are held closely to the bottom head. Hit your drum with your stick a few times. Is the sound sharp and clean or hollow and dead? If the sound is very hollow and low, you need to tighten your drum. If the sound is really sharp, so sharp that it hurts your ears, you may need to loosen it.
Turn off the snares to tune the drum.
Pick one screw or rung from the circle of rungs around your drum head that you will tune first. You can put a rubber band on it, number it, whatever you want, as long as you know and will remember from which screw/rung you began to tighten your drum.
Insert the screw/rung you chose to start from into the hole in the drum key. If you are tightening, give it two or three turns to the right. If you are loosening, try two to the left. Do not test it right away.
Adjust the screw/rung directly across from the one you started with the same way as the last. Do not follow the circle around or your drum head will be uneven or become damaged. If you look at the drum like a clock, you will have now tightened, or loosened screws number twelve and six.
Adjust the screw at the three o'clock position using the same clock analogy. Next, do the nine o'clock position screw.
Keep alternating around your drum until you have adjusted all the screws.
Try out your drum by giving it a few good taps. Keep adjusting as necessary until you get that sound you seek.