Drum Setup Instructions

Your drums should be set up to be comfortable to play.

Setting up your drums correctly will make them easy and comfortable to play, and help avoid the prospect of drums falling over after being hit. To set everything up right, make sure you have the proper stands and hardware. Your local drum shop can help you pick out sturdy equipment. After that, it’s simply a matter of placing the drums on properly, and ensuring they’re locked in place.

Things You'll Need

• Drum stands

Instructions

1. Extend the spurs (legs) of the bass drum so they touch the ground. The spurs hold the bass drum up and in position. You want the bass drum to be even on both sides, not tilted to one side. Once you find the correct position, tighten any bolts to ensure the spurs hold in place.

2. Attach the bass drum pedal to the playing side of the bass drum. The pedal will have an attachment device, such as a clamp, that will attach it to the rim of the bass drum. The pedal should be flat on the ground. It should strike the bass drum in the center of the drum head. Only the beater should hit the drum head. No other part of the bass drum pedal should hit or be touching the bass drum head.

3. Extend the legs of the snare drum stand. Spread them out as far as they’ll go. Tighten the bolt that holds these legs in place. Adjust the height of the stand as necessary, remembering to tighten the bolts when you’ve found the right position. Angle the drum basket (the area that holds the snare drum) as necessary for it to be at a comfortable angle to play.

4. Place the snare drum in the snare basket. Make sure none of the snare stand is pressing up against the bottom drum head, as this could damage the drum. Tighten the arms of the snare basket so they strongly grasp the snare drum.

5. Move the snare drum and the snare drum stand into a comfortable playing position for you. For most drummers, this means putting the snare drum very close to the bass drum, to the left of the bass drum pedal. You should be able to sit and play the bass drum and snare drum at the same time without having to reach too far.

6. Insert the tom arm into the mounting device on top of the bass drum. If you only have one tom, most drummers put that on the left side of the bass drum, right in front of the snare drum. Tighten the bolt on the tom mount to firmly hold the tom arm in place.

7. Attach the tom to the tom holder. Adjust the angle of the tom holder as necessary for it to be a comfortable angle to play. Raise or lower the tom arm until the tom is at the height that works best for you. Remember that you don’t want the bottom of the tom to be resting on the bass drum or any other part. It should be suspended in the air, so give at least a few centimeters of space between the bottom of the tom and the bass drum. If you have additional toms, repeat this process and remember to not let the toms be touching after they’re set up, as this can cause damage.

8. Extend the legs of the floor tom. Your floor tom will have three legs. Many drummers have the floor tom at a slightly lower height than the snare drum, but find the height that works best for you. One of the legs can be at a slightly different height if you want to angle the floor tom. Tighten the bolts to hold the legs firmly in place. Most drummers position the floor tom to the right of the bass drum pedal, in front of the bass drum. You should be able to sit and comfortably hit all the drums you’ve set up without having to reach too far or play any of the drums using incorrect wrist angles.

References

• Music Distributors Worldwide: Drum Set Instructions

Resources

• Drummer World