How to Set Up a Floor Tom

One element of preparing a drum kit to be played is to set up a floor tom. The floor tom is, as it's name implies, positioned on the floor. However, the drum itself does not sit on the floor. It has 3 legs which hold it in place and lift it off the floor that are attached as described here.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Ensure you have 3 legs to attach to the floor tom.

2. Notice there are 3 chrome attachments on the side of the floor tom which have a hole and a tightening mechanism (also known as a T-rod).

3. Turn the floor tom on its side.

4. Pick up 1 leg and insert it into the attachment's hole on the floor tom.

5. Tighten the clamp to hold the leg in place. It can be adjusted later as you fine tune your drum kit setup.

6. Rotate the drum to the next attachment and repeat Steps 4 and 5.

7. Do the same thing for the third and final leg.

8. Stand the drum up, and then make the necessary adjustments for the legs by loosening the clamp and pulling the leg up or down to the desired level.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure the clamps are tightened to prevent the drum from collapsing on the legs during play.
• The end result should be a floor tom securely sitting on its legs with a slight tilt. The floor toms are usually positioned to the drummer's right when playing a drum kit.