Drum Positioning

Cody Suit

Cody Suit

likes Fast/Heavy music
Soooo i've been drumming for 14 years now on and off and i just realized that my drum teacher way back when i started never taught me proper positioning of my drums. i see alot of drummers in the same genre with their snares flat. i have my kit really low.

im just wondering if i could get more out of playing by maybe raising my drums a bit or moving closer or angling them different. so that i can still play the same hard stuff but maybe use less energy to do it. i remember seeing a video on youtube but i never watched it.

would anyone have any links or anything?

ps. im gonna do a forum search right after i post this cuz i forgot.

thanks
 
Well... I don't think there is a "best" way to set them up.

Do what's comfortable for you. Move 'em around and see if you like something else better.

I wouldn't be surprised if they end up close to the way you have them now. If you've been playing that way for 14 years your body will naturally play better that way.

-C
 
The best advice I can give is to mess around with your set up. If you're comfortable with your set up now, leave it like that. The reason your teacher never taught you the "right" way is because everyone's is different. It's like recording, do what feels/ sounds right to you. I hope that makes you a bit more comfortable.
 
One thing i do when i change my setup every once in a while is I grab my drumsticks, close my eyes and try to hit the drum where my arm is more confortable to do so. I open my eyes, and I adjust accordingly.

You'd be surprised how effective it can be.
 
I recently played a show with another band whos drummer sets everything flat. And I mean flat parallel with the floor. This cat might as well have used a freaking level to set his shit up. Every cymbal, tom, snare, etc was flat. But the dude rocks. I could never play that way, but it worked for him. I personally like everything angled towards me. Just do whats comfortable and what works.
 
I just played a show and used the headlining band's kit, his was kinda weird. He had the snare, rack tom, and floor tom not only flat, but on the same level, and he had the ride really low but all the other cymbals really high. It was weird, but it worked for him.
On the other hand, I usually have my snare kinda high and tilted, rack tom barely above that, also tilted, and my floor tom slightly lower than the snare, tilted in. Ride as low as possibly, a crash right above that, another crash right above the rack tom, and the hi-hat as low as possible to the snare.
 
Find what works for you

Advances in drum technology have really changed since you started playing. It really is a great time for us drummers, b/c the set up options are much better now. Every drummer should experiment with different set ups to find what works best for them.

Take in account your height, arm length, the size of your feet and hands, what type of shoes you wear when playing, Type of sticks you prefer, whether you use your wrists or arms more… etc.

I’m writing this assuming it’s a four or five piece kit with a single bass drum pedal. Double bass drum players can learn from this too, but the hats will have to be further from your sweet spot.

I suggest you clear everything away from you and start with the just the drum throne (or drum stool). Set the height of the seat so that you are most comfortable. Some experts suggest adjusting the seat so your knees are slightly below the height of your waist. Start there and see how it feels, then adjust accordingly.

Then raise your feet slightly off the floor and see if you can easily balance yourself on your tail bone. You might need to slide forward and balance on the edge of your seat. You might need to slide back to the center of the seat. Again, find what's best for you. I think it's CRITICAL to find a good balance point -- there are instances where both your feet will be in this position - opening the hi-hat and releasing off the bass drum pedal at the same time.

Make a note of where your feet are at rest. Then bring in your bass drum and hihat pedals and place them where your feet where. Be sure to leave enough room for a snare between your legs.

You might need to make minor adjustments to your seat again because now your feet are higher as they rest on the pedals. Also, some drummers are more comfortable with their legs at a "V", others like to sit with their legs facing more forward. Find what works for you.

Once you find your balance, grab a pair of sticks and "air drum" a bit. Now raise both feet again as you air drum. Did you lose your balance? Readjust your seating to where you can do both without falling over.

Once you've established your balance, bring in the snare. Make sure your legs are not rubbing against the sides of the snare. Move the hihat out a bit if you need more room. Now it's time to determine your snare positioning.

It really depends on many factors, so it's critical to EXPERIMENT with placement. Do you play matched grip? Traditional? Palms down? Thumbs up? Do you attack at an angle or straight on? Do have long arms? Do you favor the center, or top of the drum, or the area closer to you? Do you rest your upper arms at your side? These are some of the things to consider when experimenting.

You also need to consider the nature of the snare and how you execute your stroke. A 14"x7” snare with wood hoops and loose 1-ply heads needs to be attacked one way, while a 13"x3” piccolo with die-cast hoops and tight 2-ply heads needs a different attack.

Try the snare drum flat at first and play for a few minutes – hard and soft, singles, doubles, rimshots, etc. Now angle it toward you and play some more. Now angle it away from you. Now add bass drum and hihat to the beats. Try each angle higher and lower. What's easier for you? What sounds better? Did you notice it was easier to play rolls one way, but the back beat rim-shot worked a lot better the other way? Here's where you decide the type of music you'll be playing and which angle/height is best suited for it.

Now it’s time to bring in the ride cymbal. Set the ride in a spot that’s most convenient, depending on the amount of toms you’ll be adding later. If it’s a four-piece kit, start with the ride low and close in. For kits with five or more toms, the ride will have to move a bit. I usually set the ride up high in these situations, which also helps you see the other players when on stage.

Once the ride is in place, play a beat using all four limbs. Close your eyes and observe how it feels. Switch between hihat and ride and pay attention to the shift in balance. It’s also a good idea to use a metronome to check your timing and groove when moving between the two.

ALWAYS keep checking your posture and balance!!! Are you slouching to play a fast single roll? If you are, then raise the snare! You get the idea...

Once you have these key elements in place, apply these tips to setting up the toms... sorry, I'm running out of time here.

Good luck! I hope this info helps you on your way.
 
zacanger said:
I usually have my snare kinda high and tilted, rack tom barely above that, also tilted, and my floor tom slightly lower than the snare, tilted in. Ride as low as possibly, a crash right above that, another crash right above the rack tom, and the hi-hat as low as possible to the snare.
Click to expand...

This sounds like the way I go. Balances the kit nicely when tracking, and feels comfortable.

I have 2 more cymbals. 1 to the left of the rack tom, between the HH and other left crash, the other placed above the floor tom - out just a bit. Everything symmetrical (sp?)

-LIMiT
 
LIMiT said:
This sounds like the way I go. Balances the kit nicely when tracking, and feels comfortable.

I have 2 more cymbals. 1 to the left of the rack tom, between the HH and other left crash, the other placed above the floor tom - out just a bit. Everything symmetrical (sp?)

-LIMiT
Click to expand...

Yeah. Well, my kit's actually a seven piece (five toms), but I usually don't use three of them. I just don't need that many. But I used to usually use a Yamaha 4-piece with three crashes, a splash, a ride, and a china cymbal. I prefer my new simple setup, though I wish the drums were something better than old Tama Swingstars... haha.
 
I like my snare set up about the same level as my lap. That way, I have a good reference point to get a consistent rim shot (especially when I start to get tired).

My floor tom sits about the same height as the snare. Ride cymbal sits barely above the floor tom. My hats have been creeping higher and higher over the years. Crash cymbals and toms sit as low as possible (although my crash cymbals have been creeping up again, too).

FWIW, my rack/mounted toms sit offset from the kick a bit, to make it a little more ergonomically sound. On one kit, I accomplish this with a rack; on the other, the tom sits in a snare stand.

My drummer tilts his snare AWAY from him a bit. I thought it was really weird.
 
I have Long Limb, Short Torso syndrome.

My drums have to be 2' in front of me and tipped at an angle or I'll break a stick every 4 hits of solid rim. My stool has to be up high, too.
 
ez_willis said:
My stool has to be up high, too.
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You know, this reminds me of something else. Your environment affects how you play, too.

When I got my first kit, I didn't have a proper drum throne. Rather, I had to use a very very low bar style stool. My kit was a 4 piece jammed in a corner with about 7 cymbals in front of me. These cymbals each had their own stand (I hadn't discovered clamps yet, if they even existed), so I got very, very good at playing really low with cymbals almost in my face. I also had an old strap drive pedal that was extremely sluggish, so I learned to compensate for that and become quite fast (I still prefer strap drive to this day, in fact).

When I would go out and play at school and whatnot, I had all sorts of problems playing in open space, because the cymbals would always be too far away and the throne wouldn't go low enough. Plus, I had to deal with the "inferior" feel of a "better" kick pedal.

Today I'm better at it, but I still struggle when I have to play on someone else's kit because I've gotten so used to my own.
 
EZ- I call it a drum stool too - or throne. Either way it just struck me funny.

Eraos- yeah Steve Smith also said as his playing has evolved, he has been tilting the snare away from him too. I'm assuming it's especially suited for traditional grip.

BTW- Keith Carlock is a freakin' monster on the kit!!!

Ultimately, it's essential to choose a good seat FIRST and to set it up best for you individually. Just think of getting into someone's car and trying to drive it w/o readjusting the seat, mirrors, etc.

Footwear also plays a big role here, for me at least. - Every type of shoe, sneaker, boot - even playing barefoot -- it all "feels" different and I try to adjust my seat height and/or distance accordingly.

Let's face it, many drummers end up with wrist and back problems later in life, so get it set up right beforehand so you can avoid those types of injuries.

Cheers, Rez
 
I have to play barefoot.

And my snare stand doesn't seem like it will adjust low enough. It's a cheapy POS. Again, long-limb syndrome.
 
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