How To Have Good Posture On The Drums
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- Опубліковано 18 чер 2024
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When it comes to finding proper posture behind the drumset, you might be thinking “just sit straight, dummy!” While drumming ergonomics is pretty simple, it isn’t always easy. A straight back is just one piece of the puzzle - good posture largely comes from how you set up the drumset.
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This is so important, yet so overlooked.. Thanks for sharing!
You're welcome, thanks for always commenting!
Sure thing.. always looking for inspiration and lessons to steal for my own channel ;-)
🙏 amen
Great info. I have back problems at 68 years old. I began playing drums again after a 50 year hiatus. Now my back and neck have arthritis. But I am so GLAD that I have been reunited with a pleasure in my life. I'll never get out of my basement (my wife won't throw me out no matter how bad I might play...... she got me a basic drum kit for Xmas in 2018 for me to enjoy), but I enjoy playing with music from my era that I can reasonably handle: Meloncamp, Petty, CCR, Van Morrison, good basic Rock. Your tips about Posture sound like my PT for my back. Poor posture just in general including forward head posture faults will wreak havoc. Believe me I know. If you want to see an interesting little video about posture, not to sound like a corn ball, watch the making of Downton Abbey. See what the actors had to do to improve and maintain that stalwart posture in the show... In fact that's why chairs with spindles were created to force you from slouching . Happy Drumming everybody. Be Safe.
I'm 5'6" and always struggle with snare height. When I have it where it is comfortable to play, I end up hitting my thigh as I hit the snare, which gets old pretty quickly. If i place it further away from me to avoid hitting my thigh, I can't reach the toms. When I lift the snare a little higher, every stroke ends up a rimshot. I've been playing around with snare position for 16 years now and still can't find a happy medium of comfort and playability. Maybe a 13" or 12" snare might do the trick, I just don't know.
I have the exact same problem
I play with my snare at the hight where I can play my back beats on the rim, and my fingers just barely touch my left thigh. I can keep my hand off my leg by slightly adjusting my stroke technique, and still play on the rim. Off the rim, there is no contact with the leg. If I'm at a gig, playing hella- forte, I tend let my fingers hit the thigh. I feel like it's a crutch for consistency, but it works for me.
I'm 5'4 lol I'm looking to get a smaller bass drum since I have the same issue
I have about same method but a bit higher. Snare drum almost flat just a very very lityle angle towards my body. When i place tip of stick centre head and shoulder of stick on the frim, like a rimshot. I have enought space for my hand. do not tough my legs when drumming. The slight angle keeps me from hitting the rim always. My leg position is almost like Jared. Slightly angled perhaps 100 to 110 degrees in stead of 90 to 95 degrees. My drum kit position is other than most drummers. Most drummers face the bass drum towards the audience. That way my body is angled way from the audience or i have to twist my body to have by body towards the audience. Therefor i twist my bass drum with an angle . When i set up the kit i sit with my front to the audience (and/or director and/or band members) than place my hi hat and bass drum pedal in the natural position of my feet and than build up the kit. I alwya have to see the director (no1), I for sure have to see my band members (no.2) of course i have to face the audience (no3) . So most ideal position is centre stage or having all band members and the director at my left side. If they have to place me such that all band / orchestra members are on my right i turn the drum kit and that may be 45 degrees or even more. Drummers easily watch over the small toms and the hi hat so ...that area is what most important for me to see director/bandmembers and audience. In that are between hi hat and medium rack tom i have no cymbals but often my notes so i can watch the notes and watch the audience/director/bandmembers without turning my body. Most cymbals are on my right side. On my left side is the percussion.
Not as tall as you brother but I wound up with bruises on my legs because of that very issue I feel your pain my brother they need to make big boy drums I'm just saying Keep On Truckin man
Jared thank you so much for taking the time in making and sending me this video. It shows me how much you and your Team cares for us students and primarily our health and safety. I might have been a little anal about this but I could not go on with the rest of the lessons until I got the proper alignment and posture. I have torn down the kit at least ten times as you recommend it until with are totally satisfied with the setup. I will say that now I am. A couple of tweets after watching the video and now I am ready to continue with the first five beats.
Short and sweet. Thanks for making this video I've been drumming for about 10 years and I never really thought about posture. This should help me out a lot!
Jared, your timing is perfect with this lesson! I just talked to my physical therapist today about not being able to play drums right now because of hand pain. Turns out it is being caused by bad posture that’s causing my neck to irritate the nerves that go down to my hands. Learning very quickly just how important posture is, and how much of your body it can effect!
Thank you so much for these videos, I'm a beginner (about 6 months) teaching myself with a background in piano. I've come to heavily rely on Drumeo videos for practice, tips, etc., and am currently going through the Best Beginner Book. Keep 'em coming!
How’s it been going?
Still playing?
Hi, 4 years later, how’s the drumming going?
Thanks for this. It might seem obvious, but having it explained so clearly is very helpful. I've started slouching at the studio kits I hire, and watching this leads me to believe it's because I'm not taking a few minutes just to reposition the kit elements. Thanks again 🙂
I love your videos man! Thank you!
Thank you! My back always hurts really bad while playing the drums, im watching this right before playing, i hope this works!!
Great information. Thanks for sharing.
Loved the gas and brake pedal and the steering wheel comparison! Never looked at it that way earlier
So informative! Thanks for sharing!
You're awesome, thank you so so so much for your new video. I'm a very fan of yours
Thank you for making this immensly important video! The sitting position is probably one of the most overlooked topics about drumming...
I tell my students exactly what Jared stated here - so thanks Jared for proving me right! 😉
Man it's so important cuz everything else falls apart if you don't get this right from the jump
Hi Jared! Thanks for this quick lesson. I'm having trouble figuring out how to correctly position my feet in order to gain speed with the double bass. Could you share your experience with that?
THANKS I really appreciate the advice
Oh, Jared thank you so much. I really needed it this teaching. I felt that I couldn't go any further without the proper alignment. I had major lumbar surgery two years ago, so comfort is a must for me if I want to continue having fun with my kit and you guys. I am investing on a bycle type of Tron next week. Any recommendations that it wont break the bank. LOL. By the way are those timbales on your left side. Again, Jared, thank you so much for taking time to send me this vedio. it means the world to me.
Always apprecative,
With Love and Peace,
\
Juan
Thank you man.. .now i can feel already the music a hundred percent then I feel that im a better drummer
When I first started to learn to play about a month or so, my back hurt badly. Thank you for the tip.
My biggest hurdle was getting tense while playing from being anxious....and my butt and legs would go numb. I switched from a bysycle type throne to a round one. It helped. It's a round Roc n Soc....great throne.
What was it about switching throne styles that helped? I still struggle with getting tense, especially when I hit a coordination challenge. A huge part of my practice has become breathing and relaxing through challenging parts.
I"ve been struggling with getting comfortable behind my kit really in the last year. I injured my right shoulder badly. I can still play well and controlled as no one should be using their shoulders while playing.....But, getting around the kit ergonomically has been a struggle. I feel either too far left or right of my snare. Maybe it's just in my head because I was used to a low seat. I've had to lift the seat to get to my cymbals limiting shoulder movement. This video is helpful in that your legs are basically at a 90-degree angle. Anyone else feel like you just can't get comfortable sometimes, or is it me??
Im struuuuuuuugglin hard AF with this right now. I was thrown off a boat and hit water at like 50mph. Thought I broke all my ribs on left side. Ever since then I feel like my hips are crooked and skewed. Because of it, I feel like I truly don't even know how to set up anymore. Snare height, throne height, hats,... pedal angle. Have mad knee and wrist pain. Everything I hit I can feel the vibration go straight into my bones. Even my damn kick pedal....sigh. Been playing 20 years, its been beyond dishearteningly frustrating. 😢
Your video was so helpful..
Setting up my toms is the biggest struggle for me..
Its takes me so long to position them in a comfortable way.
We play a lot of grunge and Nu metal, and my right leg has a lot of work to do; quick doubles and syncopation/off beats. I found that I tended to lean too much of my body weight over my right leg inadvertently. When I made an effort to consciously centre, and actually contract my left glutes to bring me over - it was amazing! My right leg felt like a weight had been lifted off of it - freer and quicker! Probably didn't look any different, but a huge difference. And leaning back slightly to extend my elbows for snare fills really helps too. Posture is a dynamic thing as well.
Starting to really work on my pedal sweet spot consistency as well as throne height. I'm 6'2" so it's been and still is a pain finding a comfortable height and leg angle but this vid def helped clarify a couples things!!
Great advice, sitting near on the edge of the throne pushes your hips forward. This keeps your back more upright and prevents slouching 🙂
Hi!
How do you adjust your hihat height, compared to your body, your snare drum?
Thanks for the great videos (even a French guy can make progress)
Jared forgot to mentioned that my biggest struggle still setting up the H-Hat pedal. I noticed yours is a little in, then the Kik Pedal. Its easier for me to setup both pedals after the tron. Then setup the Base drum and then the sanre. I also noticed your snare drum leaning some towards you. Its there a particular reason for this? Anyhow thank you for all your help.
Juan
Thank you!
Thanks for the short video. Too many :40 long on this topic. Short and sweet!
I'm 42, and after playing guitar, bass, and piano for the last 20 years, I think it's time to take on the drums! I had no idea how important posture and set up is. Just after about half hour of playing, my right knee is in alot of pain. I don't have any knee injuries, and I don't plan on getting one from drumming!
I've tried countless adjustments, throne hight, distance to kick pedals, angle of kick relative to the rest of the kit, etc. It's an Alesis Command Mesh, got it on a killer sale! The adjustments really are endless, and it plays awsomly with Superior Drummer 2. Just can't seem to get the setup quite right. If anyone has any thoughts on that, I'd really appreciate it!
thank you much man
Hi Jared, I have a question about the kind of throne to use. What's the best to prevent injuries: a throne with a seat that swivels your under body? Or a throne with a fixed seat where you need to swivel your upper body? when playing around the kit.
Nice kit
Thanks for sharing. I probably have to readjust my kit. My body aches after playing around my neck and shoulders area. I thought it was something else. Maybe adjusting the cymbals too.
Thank you for this video! I´m playing drums daily since 2 months and now I feel a little pain in my back, caused by a bad posture..
Two things really get to me when I drum. I find if I'm really try to play quickly or using all my limbs, I lean back! Also, I can never get my snare in a spot where I came easily hit rim and snare shots easily. Maybe it's because my kit is electric? Thanks for the video as always, Jared!
Thanks, helpful. I struggle a bit with how high the toms are positioned above the snare...will try to sit a bit higher.
Great video,as always! My biggest problem when setting up drums has and will always be getting my double bass pedal and my hihat positioned in a way,that doesn't make me play somewhat uncomfortable. Its always either squeezing the snare between my legs or having the hihat a little too far away from me...
THIS.
www.amazon.com/Gibraltar-9707ML-UA-Adjust-Moveable-Hi-Hat/dp/B005SUW9G0
Do you seat in a way you don't need your feet to be touching the ground/pedals to keep your balance? I feel if I move both feet up i tend to fall with me face down on the snare.
Thank you so much, very helpful! Found this video right before my 50th anniversary as a drummer 😅
Hi thanks for the vid! My question is, where should my feet rest? like ankle/heels on the start of the pedal? or Complete feet on the pedal? (but hits already press the pedals) I a m a bit confuse and hovering them its really tiring
Thanks a lot. And by the way can you tell me how to arrange the toms and hihat's space between sides?!
Hello Jared, thanks for this video. My greatest problem is slouching over an locking up in legs and forearms. Thanks.
Hey j . Love what u do n how u do it . T.y.
Agree about throne height. If I sit too long forward, it gets difficult to control the pedals. So I move back and forth on the stool untill the pedals feels most controlable. I am 6 feet 3, and if the highhat is at the right distance to my right arm, it is too close for my left foot. So I do not have a symmetrical distance to highhat and bassdrum! Any suggestions?
Thanks for the video! My biggest struggle is that I cannot find pose to find balance on my throne to be able playing both pedals without heels on the floor
My biggest problem is the hight of my drum throne. If it's too low, then i cannot keep balance with my heels up without burying the beater into the drumhead, and i don't want that to happen. when I set the throne higher, my heels are in the air and in that case my back starts hurting after half an hour of playing in such manner. so, for me it's quite hard to find that proper hight. I'm still experimenting with that.
I'll try to increase my throne height since I'm having problems with my bass foot. I'm using an electric kit with the bass drum being only a pedal (hence, without the kick tower) and it's making me hard to play the bass drum. Hope this solves my aching knee problem when I play longer drum sessions. Thanks.
Well, crap, I've been sitting twisted for like 14 years. fml. I know what I'm working on tomorrow 😑
Bruhh u gotta check the hispital. That shit could be serious...
I would say that snaredrum height depends on the manner of sticks holding. In case of German grip it's more comfortable to set the one lower than if you use French grip. I usually set snare a bit lower than Jared.
I've started getting pain in my left shoulder muscle. I'm unsure what I'm doing wrong, but it's obviously something with the snare position. Is it too high? Too low? It doesn't feel weird when I'm playing and it hurts only afterward. Any ideas or suggestions for what I should try to change?
I think that this has to be thought of when buying a drum set too, this came into play with my gig kit which has a 14” rack tom and a 24” kick... I can’t exactly position the tom how I would like it to be and therefore am stretching a bit for it.... I wish I’d known this before I bought it.
Throne height seems like such a negligible thing, but it can really effect your playing. If your thighs are not angled slightly down you’ll have to use more of your quad muscles to lift your leg every time you you kick the bass drum. You’ll also be much more likely to bury the beater into the head, which really doesn’t sound as good as an open bass drum strike. If you’re not balanced well you could be using your hi hat foot to balance your body while you playing fast kick pattern with the other foot which will have a negative effect on your four way independence and on how you maneuver around the kit. I know from experience because I was playing withy throne too low throne for a long time and as soon as I started paying more attention to how I was balanced, I realized I was suddenly doing a lot more high hat splashes with my left foot while my right was playing the groove, because I didn’t need that foot planted to keep me secure anymore. My double bass patterns became much more steady and I found I had much more stamina and less back pain.
Nice video! Could you do one of these quick-tips video for EAR PROTECTION? I use some standard ones which are usually used in construction (the ones with a rubber end in both ends and a rope that connects them), but I’m really afraid of getting tinnitus or hearing loss. Thanks in advance!
Mati Macek I do the same then wear a pair of Vic Firth noise canceling headphones over the ear plugs. Don’t over think it mate.
But you loose a lot of sound quality and if I put those on above my normal earplugs it hurts my ears!
I've had the basic Vic firth noice cancelling headphones for like 6 years now and they are still pretty solid. I always practice using those with apple earbuds under them. Been practicing like that for a long time now
Best thing I've ever found for drum practice is my wife's Bose Quietcomfort noise cancelling headphones (noise cancelling turned on). Obviously these are not cheap, but they are so damn good. They really reduce the volume but you end up with such a nice quality tone, far better than you get with an earplug. Personally I never liked in-ears anyway... so these are my go-to practice headset.
but do they reduce more than averag construction earplugs? if so, I think this might be a great option, although maybe custom-made earplugs (shaped to fit your ear perfectly) might be better as they last forever and are allegedly especially for this
This is really helping me.. Because I never know how to sit correctly when play drum.
Jared, interested in learning how to set up foot pedal on base drum. Your suggestions would be appreciated.
Any recommendations on throne height? I can't seem to find the right height, I'm 5'9.
Thanks
Great idea for a video. But I have to say, a large number of drummers do not sit at the “edge” of the thrown. The butt should be almost hanging off the the back-end of the thrown. This places your center of gravity over the seat. Helping you to keep from slouching
I'm also 6'3", with long legs, and my problem is that when I have my kick drum and hi-hat pedals at an equal distance, as you suggest, my hi-hats are far away, and I have to reach out for them, which feels awkward, AND puts my forearm in the way of the drumstick raise. If I pull the hi-hat closer, my leg is bent back at an uncomfortable angle. Is that why you have 15" hi-hats?
I have a pearl kit that was given to me and I'm having a tough time setting it up to where the toms are close enough to me so I don't feel like I'm reaching too far.
whats the brand of his drumset in this video ?
My biggest struggle is how i choose the snare height. Cause now when i'm hitting my snare i also touch my leg. It's very uncomfortable and annoying. I'm gonna try to set up my drums like you're explaining in this video tomorrow, hopefully it will work! Thanks for this video Jared!
Did you figure it out? 👀
Feet and inches, car analogies... so much 'murica in this video :) Still useful, thanks!
My biggest struggle is losing circulation in my ass and legs because of my drum seat. It was really cheap and will be returned and replaced with a better one. But as I’ll be buying online, how do I know what will be comfortable?
What about hi hat Height and distance? Vs snare height and distance. If theres a vídeo about it let me know. Thanks.
Please can you do w video of how to Pull up your drum seat thanks
Hi Drumeo Team! My Biggest struggle would be the height of my throne, I can't seem to decide myself on how high i'm comfortable. I'm 5 foot 7 and I tried from lower to completely the highest and at first I feel comfortable whenever I change it then after some time of practice I end up changing it again and again..
- Anthony
Following the tips in this video, you want to have your legs angled slightly downwards and then setup your kit around that. You might be surprised at how much your setup will change.
is there anything wrong with changing from time to time?
Do your knees have to be in an angle of at least 90 degrees?
Out of interest as a 6’ 3” drummer how high is your throne. I appreciate everyone is different but just interested in a rough number to look at. Same goes for snare height and distance from snare. I’m 6’ 3” also so would be interested to know how someone the same height has their setup. Thanks, great videos!
Komakino 999 am also 6’3”, and have the exact same question. Also, should me shoulders be completely relaxed or up a little bit when I’m playing?
I have been trying to incorporate my left foot so I can have 4 way independence but now I have been feeling in my hip flexor has anyone ever experienced this?!
I'm 6'2" and I feel that when I'm ok with pedals, everything on the top is too far away from me!
Marco Tofen Marino same here
I'm 6'1" and I have the same problem.I think is has to do with the throne height.If the throne is not high enough I feel unstable and the drums seems to be far away from me.I think that might be the issue..we are tall guys with long legs,for us the setup is different than soameones short
Same issue with me
May seen simple and obvious but helped me a lot
My biggest struggle is the placement of the Hi-Hat pedal and the left pedal of my double bass drum pedal. When playing the left kick pedal I always have to angle/turn my shin weirdly because I don't have enough space and my leg then often touches the snare.
Hi, I had this Problem too. Try to get a Hi Hat Stand were you can move the legs of the HiHat. That should give you enough space for the two pedals and your foot. It helped me a lot ☺️
My biggest struggle is the hihat vs kickdrum pedal positioning. it just never is comfortable for me, I'm going to set my snare drum exactly in the middle of my little cabin, because it's extremely little. and go from there
How high should the snare be?
I have a huge problem with my sticks hitting when I do a snare offbeat with the hihat. I feel like either my hi hat is too low or my snare too high..
My biggest problem is trying to center my 12" tom with my snare, as well as centering the snare with the pedals. Anyone have experience playing this way? Any tips?
I seem to be hitting the pinky of my snare hand off my leg, I have tried adjusting things. Anyways my pinky side is in so much pain and swollen that I can't close my pinky anymore.
My back still hurts. I’m just trying to work with a snare and throne, but still my back is killing me. I’ve tried everything it seems, and watched every video on UA-cam. I try “sitting straight” ,but does nothing for me. My back is hurting more and more. I even bought a nice Thorne, the roc n soc but still nothing. Mostly it’s my middle back, more on the left side. I’m about to give up drums entirely, all I want is to be comfortable, but I can’t even practice because it hurts so much. I’m about 1 more day from taking my drums to my back yard and burning them to ashes. So. Damn. Frustrating. Any advice is appreciated
Try stretching and doing some yoga a couple times a week. Keep it loose. Try setting up your kit in many different ways. I'm battling the same pains in my middle to upper back. Trial and error. Don't burn 'em!
Пасиб, чувак!
I have problem with my sticks anytime I play, I keep getting a muscle cramp I don't know what to do.
Why do you play with your legs so narrow? I always found playing with the kick drums wider and angled out it’s a lot better for metal. I picked up on this through lombardos playing. Having your feet close together like that too causes your thighs and knees to burn
I have problems with figuring out how to set up my double pedal, so my thighs dont tough the snare, and my hihat isnt too far away, im 5’7.
Even though I have everything laid out so I can sit straight and hit everything easily and efficiently I still find I hunch. And it’s just me, I need to work on that.
Not yet comfortable while playing double bass.... Pls share some tips
Throne height vrs snare height my armless office chair doesn't seem to go low enough how high should the snare be? I'm retired and just learning and could use some good posture Thanks
Height of snare: just at or just below the navel.
Oh then mine is 3" to low or chair is to high thanks
how do you kick twice before hitting hi hat twice i learned how to do it this month but it took me some years plz help other people to do this
The right position allow to you improve your skills and actually perform the exercises and fills and all techniques... Everyone should start from this position, and only try new ones after understand how your self and your kit can help to grow you better.
also made me think about how i sit on an everyday chair like in front of this computer
I need a new throne. My throne keeps slipping down to the lowest height which makes playing very uncomfortable. It's also a pain in the ass to adjust, the knobs are always stuck too tight.
Just a note on sitting on the edge of the drum stool: not good for double bass pedal players!! you need to be properly centered on the drum throne to maintain balance when both legs are moving fast. Probably ok during slower double bass when both legs are using full leg motion. When you switch to ankles for faster stuff you will struggle with balance if sitting on the edge of the stool.
Is sitting in a folding chair be a good way of playing the drums
I keep hitting my leg when I hit the snare what do I do so I can stop hitting my leg
Raise your snare or lower your seat.
My biggest struggle is to adjust the height and the angle of my snare perfectly. Everytime that I'm playing I'm fixing it again and again and I still didn't find the right positioning. 🤷🏻♂️
Fundamental but very important, especially playing those 3+ hour gigs. Thanks, Jared. Everybody has their personal preferences, but one thing I see a lot of is what I call "crotch snare"...a snare that's really low, almost so guys are hitting their hands on their legs when playing it. Don't get that one...seems like you're limiting the sounds and techniques available to you. I like Todd Sucherman's approach to this.
Jared, you can give more tips, but for lefty drummers.
Lucas Mendonça Im a lefty but i learned how to play the right-handed way. Later on I found out that you just don’t cross your arms when playing the left-handed way. Your right arm plays the snare and your left arm plays the hi-hat. Now I can play both ways and both feel comfortable to me but a year later, i found out my lefty friend plays with his drumset completely reversed! The snare and hi-hat is on his right side, not left, and the hi Tom is on the right while the low Tom is to his left. Completely mirrored! It’s up to you and whatever you feel comfortable with
The most important are the legs, as you (usually) use your strong foot for the bass drum and your weak foot for the hi-hat pedal. Lefty drummer here!
Just set up my drum kit and I'm just realizing that something seems odd, looks like it what my posture 🤣 I play piano, saxophone and guitar so no never thought posture was so important I thought it was pretty straight forward you just sit and that's it 🤣🤣🤣
Great stuff here. I actually recently found a little wrinkle that helped me improve my posture, and my weight distribution on the kit.
So when I practice foot technique, I use Hansenfütz practice pedals with springs to really train my calves (I practice heel-down). However, my throne’s seat is a little wobbly, and found that I was pushing myself backwards as I played the pedals, causing me to lose balance. However, I when I had a better engagement with my core, the problem went away - the seat stopped wobbling, and my feet became more agile.
In hindsight, I was placing too much weight on my ankles, and not staying in touch with the base of my spine - once I turned this around, my whole body became more flexible.