How To Set Drums Up

Updated: November seventh, 2022

So you've made the spring and gotten yourself or – fifty-fifty improve – someone else a shiny new drum kit? That's neat but before the drumming fun begins, y'all nonetheless need to conform all those shells, stands, cymbals and pedals. And that can be confusing if y'all don't know how to set upwardly a drum set up.

Not to worry, though, it's not difficult and after you lot've washed information technology in one case, y'all'll get quicker at it every time. And I'm here to guide you through the kickoff setup process.

The article is arranged in steps and has pictures and videos supporting it, so all y'all have to do is follow forth as we set up your drum set together (at least digitally).

So permit's get to it…

(This is a gues post by Tom Warner, who is didactics drumming in Sheffield U.k.. You can find out more virtually him at the end of this article.)

1. Stool

Kickoff, fix your stool up. Ideally, you want to be loftier enough that you can sit up straight while maintaining a relaxed posture, with your legs slanted downwardly in front of you very slightly (almost 5 to ten degrees). Don't sit with your legs too flat, or knees higher than thighs.

I like to tell my students: ''Knees below thighs, your stool'southward the right size. Thighs beneath knees, adjust your seat please.''

Make certain your lower back is supported and that your legs tin can move freely around. You can adjust the top of the stool either through a sliding shaft or a threaded shaft, both fixed in place by a wing nut at its base. Some cheaper stools volition secure with a bolt and nut and accept four holes in the shaft for various heights. (I recommend spending at least $50 on a drum throne as this will last – cheaper ones volition well-nigh likely demand replacing later on a few months use.)

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2. Kick Pulsate

Next up is the centerpiece of your kit, the kick drum. Whether you are right or left handed/footed will dictate where the kick goes and how information technology angles.

There are a couple of different angles you tin have with your kicking; either direct in front of you, or slightly angled away from yous.

Brand sure that when positioning the legs, they are at a slight angle pointing away from you but not direct downwardly or likewise far forward; you lot don't want the beat out resting on the flooring!

Next, attach your kick pedal (these are my favorite pedals) to the hoop. Whether it is a metal or wooden hoop, the clamp will fit, so there are no worries near compatibility.

Once the pedal is on, sit down at the boot and make certain you tin can see your toes over your knee. This is the appropriate distance for y'all to sit down for the best control over the pedal and is too best for your posture.

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3. Snare

The snare (my favorites are here) should sit down between your legs, to either the correct or left of the kick pedal depending on your orientation.

Make sure at that place is enough distance between your thigh and the side of the snare; information technology's very abrasive using the kick drum with a slice of metal rubbing against your leg!

Position the snare to be close enough to the kicking hoop without it touching just go out enough room in example the stand up moves. You don't desire to have your snare catching a lovely wooden hoop and causing damage either.

The angle of the snare is up to you, some people like to have it facing away from them, some like information technology facing towards them and some like it to be flat. Endeavor whatsoever of these positions and option the one y'all find most comfortable, at that place are no incorrect answers, just as long you are comfortable.

The height of the snare is also down to personal preference; endeavour to make information technology level with your thigh height or about a centimetre higher. Too depression and you lot'll smack your leg, too high and y'all'll catch the rim.

4. Howdy Hat

The hi hat pedal should sit under your other foot comfortably (the foot not on the boot). Try to bending the pedal and then it faces slightly outwards and away from you lot.

When attaching the how-do-you-do hats (you guessed it – I have favorites here as well) to the clutch, unscrew the showtime nut and take one felt off. The order on the thread of the clutch should exist roughly: nut – felt – felt – nut.

Place the summit hi hat so the convex role of the how-do-you-do lid (called the bell) points towards the fly nut on the hullo hat, and so supersede the felt and nut in that lodge. The hi hat should exist sandwiched between the two felts and held in place with the 2 nuts.

At present slide the clutch with the hi lid down the spoke (the long, thin pole coming out of the tiptop of your hi hat stand) and, before adjusting the clutch, brand sure the acme is correct for you lot.

Adjust the top of the hi hats and so they are effectually 8 inches higher than the snare. This is a good starting position to make sure you lot take plenty of room to manoeuvre. Once you accept a good height, tighten the fly nut on the stand support.

Now push your foot down on the pedal a tiny fleck to drib the spoke. Tighten the clutch wing nut and release your pes. This is how you prepare open hi hats. Adjust this and then that the hi hats stay open by about 1-2 centimetres, or a finger tip.

5. Toms

There are a few dissimilar types of toms, merely the most common are mounted racks and costless standing.

Free standing toms will sit on a snare stand and be positioned next to the kick pulsate – but college and angled towards you at a steeper degree. Mounted toms will be placed on a tom holder and residuum on top of the kick drum.

Now, the tom holder will accept either spokes for the toms to rest on, or holes for a separate tom mount to slot into. Whichever one you lot have they are very easy to set:

Slide the tom into the tom mountain, then the mount into the holder which rests in the kick drum. Tighten everything upwardly and see if it is comfy. Naturally, the toms need to be college than the snare to begin with just angle them to make certain you lot can't grab the rims.

Everything on the tom mount and holder is to hold something else in place, and then take a dabble effectually with the wing nuts and sliders to run into what each ane does; this is the best way to acquire. Finally, make sure your tom vanquish does not hit your snare rim, so position the drums appropriately.

Your floor tom may also be one of two types; mounted or legged. A mounted flooring tom will elementary have a tom mount that sits in a clamp (which may or may non demand to be bought) which likewise clamps to a cymbal stand.

A legged flooring tom has three legs, that slot into three leg holders at the lesser of the crush. The feet of the legs should exist pointed down from hither, and then the majority of the beat out is in a higher place the legs. To adjust the height, simply loosen the legs and lift the floor tom through them (best to do this ane leg at a time) and make certain they are all level.

The flooring tom should be the same height as your snare. And so to bending the floor tom, driblet a single leg until it faces towards or away from y'all, whichever yous adopt. Of form, you lot can leave it flat, which for the sake of the tone is usually best.

vi. Cymbals

Finally, your cymbal setup is important equally these can cause the almost obvious drummer injuries such as catching fingers and knuckles.

Set up up your ride first, this volition exist the heaviest 1. The cymbal stand volition take a wing nut, then 2 felts, then a plastic base. Similar the hi hats, the cymbals residual betwixt the felts, bell pointed up, and sitting on the plastic base. Tighten information technology up with the wing nut and position it.

Your ride should start by going either adjacent to your floor tom or in front of information technology. This is for ease of admission to it.  Don't let it overhang your floor tom also much, simply don't have information technology too far away either. But over the flooring tom rim to start with is best.

You lot want information technology to be loftier enough to not catch the floor tom, just low enough that you can rest your arm past your side comfortably without holding information technology upward to reach the top of the ride. As well, you lot may angle it towards yous a trivial if you wish, or once more, have it flat.

Your crashes will be the highest point on the kit. Brand certain they are positioned to exist at least a total stick height away from the centre of the toms with the stick pointing straight upwardly, but also that you can stretch your arm nigh all the fashion and grab them with your fingers.

Again, you are free to bending them towards you lot or flat. Angling them away from you is washed by some professionals, but when starting out, earlier you've learned to transfer energy through a strike properly like they have, you tin do more damage to the cymbals this mode, so attempt to go along them angled in or apartment.

7. Total Kit Examination

Now that the kit is set up, have a go!

If anything feels uncomfortable, readjust it. If you catch your sticks on rim, you may need to bending the rims down a footling more than. If anything moves, tighten it up.

Maintaining your setup is like shooting fish in a barrel, and ofttimes enough you don't need to do anything once you've properly tightened all your nuts and wings.

eight. Making Your Drum Kit Sound Astonishing

Since the platonic setup doesn't equal ideal sound, let me terminate this article by explaining a quick and easy way to seriously upgrade your drum kit's sound by nothing other than tuning it correct.

A nice and piece of cake way to melody your kit is using your drum central and going by position, yous don't even need a musically trained ear for this.

Loosen every tension rod on the drum until it wobbles (if it's a scrap stiff, just make certain the rod caput is no longer on the hoop). Then tighten them all to be finger tight, no more than or less. The rod heads should now be on the hoop but not tight.

Adjacent, use the drum key to position the tension rods so the flat head (the bit you're turning) of the drum fundamental is angled flat against the rim. Move to the tension rod direct reverse the one you but tuned, then move clockwise to the next, and across to the next, and then on, in a star shape until yous have turned them all.

Now from the first tension rod, tighten xc degrees at a fourth dimension moving in the star design until you accept a tone y'all want. Tip: if y'all don't want also much ring, stick three small bunched pieces of duct record along the top of the skin, and you'll finish up with cipher but tone.

Do this for every pulsate. The top head is the ane you will be hitting. The bottom head is known every bit the resonant head. This gives you the warmth and tone of the crush. To get the maximum dynamic from the shell, practice the same for the reso caput, but tighten information technology two turns above your concoction head (tiptop caput).

Any Questions?

So that's my take on how to set upwards a drum set every bit a beginner. Again, this may seem like a dreadfully long process initially, simply I tin can assure y'all it becomes very like shooting fish in a barrel once you've done information technology yourself once.

And once you're finished, it's time to go the best drummer you tin can be.

Likewise Read:Best Shoes For Drumming

Also Read: Best Kicking Drum Mics

Then requite it a go and let me know if you have whatsoever questions. I reply every single one of them!

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About Tom Warner

Tom Warner is a drum tutor, working in a studio in Sheffield, Southward Yorkshire. He is currently studying for a Masters in Creative Practice, analysing the furnishings of drumming and rhythm on the brain in an effort to control and develop malfunctioning neurons, and potentially cure neuropsychiatric weather. The written report also involves the regeneration of tissue harm using daze wave therapy generated through drumming. He also delivers loftier quality pulsate lessons to students in the surrounding areas.

Source: https://www.kickstartyourdrumming.com/how-to-set-up-a-drum-set/

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