Are you having trouble setting up your drums? Does it seem like something is off when you play the drum set? Do you want to play more accurately, faster, and with more power on the drum kit?
This article will provide you with a step-by-step approach to setting up your drums like a pro, which will allow you to play effortlessly around the kit.
This discussion will focus on a each part of the drum set and provide images to assist you in getting each element of your kit put into the ideal location that works best for you. Below is a video that explains each of these concepts so you can see it done step-by-step.
Here is the video.
Here we go....
Throne
The first thing to set up is the drum throne or seat, as this is the command center for the drum set. The goal is to set up everything so it can be played with ease without reaching too far or contorting your body.
The throne is easy to put together, as it will come out of the box in two parts, the bass and seat. Simply connect the bass and seat top. Then adjust the throne to a height that allows you to sit comfortably. Sitting on your throne, the top of your legs should slant slightly toward your knees. This should not be extreme, but natural with your feet on the floor.
Bass Drum
Next, set up the kick or bass drum. My rule for this is to bring the bass to you; so, you do not adjust where you are seated. On the bass drum, there are spurs that are used to elevate or drop the front of the bass drum. There are some different approaches to this, but the best rule of thumb is to avoid extremes. I like to think of the bass drum angle as similar to any other drum (this is adjusted using the spurs/feet). The beater should hit the drum just beyond the point where it is vertical. See image below for bass drum placement.
Snare Drum
This is the true center of the drum set. The snare drum will serve as the nucleus of the set, backbeat of grooves, and starting point for most drum fills. The snare should be centered between your legs (keep your foot on the bass pedal while doing this). Be sure to check the drum angle, as this should fairly flat, but have a slight angle toward your body. See image for proper angle.
Hi-Hat
To complete the core of the drum set, place the hi-hat to the left of the snare. Note: If you're left handed this will be on the right hand side. This should be placed where your left foot can comfortably sit on top of the pedal and not get in the way of the base of the snare stand (the snare stand should be adjusted to accommodate the hi-hat and bass pedals).
The height of the hi-hat is very important. Even with my own students there is a good deal of variety, but in all cases it needs to be at a comfortable height that allows you to play easily with the bead of the stick and shaft of the stick, as both these sounds will be important for drum grooves. A way that I like to set the hi-hat is to place my right hand over my left (keeping the left hand over the snare). Keeping my wrist straight and maintaining good form, where ever my stick bead is naturally placed is the ideal hi-hat height. This is demonstrated in the image to the left.
In addition, the angle of the hi-hat will need to be adjusted so the cymbals are slightly angled (this is very slight) toward you, but you will also need to ensure that you get a solid “chick” sound when using your foot. The angle is adjusted using the screw on the hi-hat base (this is something that you will need to experiment with depending on your hi-hats, the stand, and so on).
Ride
There are some different thoughts on how to set up the ride cymbals, but my approach is to place the ride in a location that is natural. A quick way to do this is by extending your right hand to where you believe the ride should be (left for lefties), but be sure to keep your arm relaxed with a straight wrist, bend at the elbow, and relaxed at your shoulder.
With my drum students, I recommend using a 4 piece kit, which allows the ride cymbal to sit in a comfortable location that promotes good technique. Basically, the ride is positioned to the right of the rack/high tom and above the bass drum. The height should be even with the rack tom and you should be able to reach the bell and "sweet spot" of the ride cymbal. See image to the right.
Rack/High Tom(s)
The rack/high tom should be at a slight angle, about 15 to 30 degrees. This allows you to keep your technique good when you play the drum. The most common mistake I see with the rack/high tom is the angle of the drum being too extreme. If you keep the drum angle natural when you bring your hands to the drum, then it will be easy to play, preserve the heads, and sound awesome everytime. See image below.
Floor/Low Tom
The floor tom should be placed to your right (left for lefties) and be positioned at the same angle as the snare drum. Except the floor/low tom will sit to the right of your leg. Likewise, the height of the floor tom is usually the same as the snare drum. A good way to check the floor/low tom is to put your right hand over the drum and your technique should not change when placing your stick at the center of the drum. Plus, your body should not have to shift when playing the right hand on the floor/low tom. Of course, you will have to twist a little when playing both hands on the floor/low tom, but if you set it up correctly it will be minimal. See floor/low tom placement above.
Crash Cymbal(s)
The crash cymbal(s) are usually set up at a height that is between shoulder and eye level. The most common location for a crash cymbal is between the hi-hat and rack/high tom. Of course, if you have additional cymbals they can be placed in various locations, but they should always be easy to reach and not too high. In addition, crash cymbals should be angled slightly toward you, which will allow you to easily play it with the bead or side of the stick.
What Really Matters
In the end, your drums and cymbals should be set up in a way that is comfortable to you, ensures good technique, supports quality sounds, and feels good when you play. Once you have been playing drums for a while you will start to make adjustments to you kit to play stronger, faster, and better. I hope this helps you get your drums set up to maximize your playing and as always, keep drumming.
GET MORE
For more drum grooves, check out Tactical Drumming: Groove Survival Guide, which will show you a number of shuffle variations and other grooves. This can be found at https://tacticaldrumming.com or on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3Qr56pN
By John Owens, Ph.D (Author, Drummer Educator). For John's bio go to https://tacticaldrumming.com.
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