Drums
Setup
- Throne - Adjust throne height so that when seated with feet flat on the floor, thighs are about 45°.
- Bass drum - Sit with comfortable angle between legs, and note where your right foot is. Put the kick pedal in that spot
- Snare - Right between legs. The head of the snare should be about 4 fingers below belt line.
- Hi-hat - Place the hi-hat pedal at the spot where your left foot is when you're sitting comfortably with right foot on the kick pedal.
- you should be able to reach the hi-hat with each forearm perpendicular to the ground. (https://youtu.be/5-QdeS4EYdE?si=2PNay1zV3LD-A6jG&t=317)
- Rack toms - Angle toms slightly toward you and are at the same height, and ensure the rack toms aren't touching each other when pressed on slightly
- Ride - Position ride over the first floor tom. Tip of the drumstick should reach the middle of the ride when upper arms are perpendicular to the floor. Height should be more or less same as hi-hat.
- Crash1 - Position back and to the left of racktom1. Ensure accidental crash hits don't occur when hitting racktom1. Angle cymbals slightly downward toward you.
- Floor toms - Leave about 12" between snare and floortom1.
- If you have floortom2, put it next to floortom1, but push it out a bit so that your arm isn't too tucked in when reaching for it. Most ideal is forearm parallel to the floor. We shoudn't have to be more acute than that. If anything, more obtuse.
Tuning
Each drum has 2 heads: the batter head (the part that's hit) and the resonant head
- tuning of batter head controls attack and ring
- tuning of resonant head produces resonance and aids in sustain. It has a major effect in the overtones and enhances the timbre of the drum
A drum placed upon a soft surface, such as carpet, and tapped very lightly allows you to hear the point of clarity in a drum and isolate the overtones and point of resonance.