Trouble with bass drum mounts

YokelBoy · #1 (**permalink**) 06-02-2009, 07:48 AM

Hi,
Is it acceptable to use a snare stand to hold a small tom, and have the tom low about an inch above the snare? Because whenever I try to use the bass drum mounts, however I adjust, I tend to hit the rims of the toms, or have trouble getting around the kit when I want to do a fast fill. The tom seems just too high, arkward and far away. Maybe I just need to develop technique and lift my arms higher, but I cant find much on the web about it. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks very much,
Oli

Drum Key · #2 (**permalink**) 06-02-2009, 10:47 AM

Hey man, this was one of the things that really used to piss me off a while ago, but yeah, you need to find a way of getting your toms lower and/or sitting higher if you can. Obviously when you play fast your strokes are going to get lower, but make sure you don't 'crush' the strokes or just start dropping the sticks onto the drums, and actually think about moving around the drums when you do it. You might also need to think about stick control - even (I did) put a little circle of tape or something on your snare/practice pad and make sure you're hitting that circle every time.
Hope that helps!

**Tainojim** · #3 (**permalink**) 06-02-2009, 10:57 AM

You may also try tilting your toms and angle them to fit your needs. I had a similar problem way back with my old Ludwig kit. You are limited in placing the toms where you want to. So you need to improvise a little. Such as throne positioning and so forth.

Do a search on YouTube for "how to setup a drum kit". there is allot of information there.

Let us know if this helps.

YokelBoy · #4 (**permalink**) 06-02-2009, 11:55 AM

Cheers guys
I'll have a look on youtube, and maybe try the tape thing.
Thing, is, the throne is as high as it'll go, so it's just developing arm strength and stick control practise I guess.
Oli

**Tainojim** · #5 (**permalink**) 06-02-2009, 12:11 PM

Where you aware that using tape on your drums is taboo! Never ever use tape on your kit in any manner, way or form.
Drums have feelings too. Work with your drums, don't improvise with tape. You need to look through the forum and you'll see that using tape on drums is taboo. What kind of kit do you have? You think I would use tape on these puppies:

Flickr: tainojim's Photostream

YokelBoy · #6 (**permalink**) 06-02-2009, 02:18 PM

Ok then - well I don't think it'll be too bad on my drums. They are a fairly bad starter CB set.

DrMapex · #7 (**permalink**) 06-02-2009, 02:51 PM

My recommendation as far as your kit setup would be to take the whole thing completely apart and set it up the way you want it. What I love about drumming is that there are no rules. Nothing is 'acceptable' or 'unacceptable' except in your own eyes.

Place the drums however it feels best for you, if you want to use a snare stand to hold a tom, there's absolutely nothing stopping you.
Improving your technique is always going to be something you'll work on, no matter how long you've been playing or how accomplished you are, and chances are you'll move your kit around and set it up several times before you find the kind of setup you're truly happy with.
Don't be shy to experiment. everything you change about your kit is reversible, so really go for it and find your own way.

A drummers kit is like his fingerprint - no two people will set their kits up quite the same - make yours your own!

DrMapex

**Tainojim** · #8 (**permalink**) 06-03-2009, 09:38 AM

Dr. Mapex, that was so poetic, I almost got a tear. But Drumkey's got a good point also.

Even if your drums are shabby or beat up or been around, they still should be treated with respect. Dr. M is right about no rules applicable.

So do your thing and check out this site for some really good advice.
Let us know how you do.

Drum Kit Setup Guide | Expert Village Videos

DrMapex · #9 (**permalink**) 06-03-2009, 01:47 PM

I have come up with another idea!

DrumKey's suggestion of putting a bit of tape or something on the sweet-spot of the drum isn't a bad one, but I would recommend dry-wipe sharpie or something that's removable so that it doesn't unduly dampen the drum in question or permanently mark or damage the head.

Either way, once you have made these marks at the centre of each batter head, take the kit apart. Start with just the kick drum. Line up the angle along the side of your bass pedal with the same side of your thigh so that when you look down at your foot, you can't see either edge (obviously making sure that the angle of your leg/pedal is perpendicular to the face of the bass's batter head). This ensures that you're getting a good, direct hit on the bass and helps your foot stay on the pedal when you try something a bit quicker -if you use double-kicks do the same with the left pedal, and make sure the position you sit in with both feet on the pedals feels natural.

Now put the snare in front of you. Adjust the snare stand in both height and angle and with every adjustment, hit the sweet-spot you marked earlier a few times with each hand. Keep adjusting until the tip of the stick falls naturally on the sweet-spot when you throw the hit. Set up the hi-hats in a similar way combining the techniques of snare adjustment and that of the bass pedal(s).

Now move to the highest tom, and do the same. Then with the next tom down, and the next and so on and so forth, bearing in mind that the angle you hit the head at affects the sound that results. Hitting the drum at a more acute angle (ie: with the drum more horizontally then vertically) will give a slightly more dead, rimshottish 'slap' sound whereas the opposite (a more obtuse angle where the batter head is closer to the vertical) will give a sound with more ring to it

Now that you've got the drums set up, it's time for the cymbals. Cymbals need to be exactly where your arms expect them to be, so sit at your kit, play a beat you know uses one or any of your cymbals, and air-drum the cymbal hits when you get to them. Take note of what cymbal your arm goes to hit and where it feels it should be - also think of techniques you might want to use involving several cymbals like a splash, accent and bell combination and arrange them so it's comfortable to play.

A really comfortable drum kit that feels as though it's really your own can take months to build, with many hours of frustrating adjustments, but when you do get the perfect set-up, there's nothing better i promise you, so please persist, and don't be afraid to get in touch with fellow drummers to ask for advice!

Take care man, and again, good luck!