Re: Good posture behind the drums
from Ptrick
Kit set-up efficiency
After seeing that thread on how to properly set up a kit I thought I'd share this post from our very own Ptrick that I saved a couple years back. I found it very informative and I'm glad I ended up saving it since cymbalholic went down and it appears all that knowledge is unfortunately gone.
Great topic. There have been some good points made. Many of you here know I am a professional drummer and also instructor. Now is a good time to let you know how I got there. I have a muscle condition that makes my muscles tense up into painful spasms if they are overused or used incorrectly. It was a frightening diagnosis because they told me (at 22 years old) that I would not be able to do things that required much repetition (ie drums). I wouldn’t have it…I had to play…no choice…So I had to learn a new way because the way I was doing it was damaging my body. I discovered the Moeller method, and that allowed me to play for longer periods much more relaxed. I studied the methods of Jim Chapin and Freddie Gruber, and got a chance to ask Jim himself a few different times for clarification on certain things. Ok, so off the soapbox. I now am an instructor because of my condition…I realized these methods and techniques are good for everybody, and something that was lacking in drum instruction all over (consequently then Weckl comes out with his series of videos on it…) I now do clinics and workshops on setup and techniques that are efficient and healthy for the body, which also increase speed, accuracy, and stamina.
These tips I’m going give where all arrived at also with the help of several PHD Physical Therapists in San Francisco involved in Physiology, Kinestetics, and Anatomy (they were nice enough to help me along the way using video’s and demonstrations).
Let me preface this all by stating that while everybody is different and everyone has different preferences and habits, the laws that rule our body are NOT. You cannot fight the way your body is built and the way it is supposed to function. As pointed out, setup will be different for every person because of different body types, but the guidelines will all be the same.
I’ll go in the order I set up my kit, basically from the ground up.
IMPORTANT: Setup your kit IN FRONT OF A MIRROR. You will not be able to see the angles of your arms, legs and observe your posture unless you can SEE YOURSELF. Practicing in front of a mirror is also great to do to see when you are tensing up.
1) Seat height. As mentioned, this one is something many people mess around with. The basic guideline is to have the angle of your legs AT LEAST 90 degrees (more is ok, less is not). This is the most efficient position for sitting, and for drumming an angle slightly above 90 degrees is preferred because you are raising your legs up and down. Too low and you are putting too much pressure on your hip flexors, too high and you are straining your lower back and hamstrings.
2) Stance: This is SUPER IMPORTANT! I’m amazed how many players do not obey this basic rule…Your stance should be shoulder width apart, with your feet the SAME DISTANCE apart and the same distance out from your body. Your feet should also point slightly out like you are making a wide “V” with your feet. The mistake most people make is putting their bass drum directly in front of them and then moving their hi hat towards them to get it closer. This creates an awkward stance to say the least, and is horrible for your lower back (your muscles are all out of alignment) and does not promote balance.
3) Sit up straight! With your stance at shoulder width apart, you should feel the weight over your pelvis. It is crucial to maintain a curve in your lower back lumbar area and not to slouch. People slouch to relax, not realizing that it stretches the muscles of your back tremendously, and can result in the muscles becoming used tot his, and you will always retain that posture, even while standing…Ever seen an old person? I looked like that at 20 because of horrible posture. Also, poor posture makes your heart and lungs work harder because it collapses your ribcage.
4) Pedals: Your pedals should be exactly where your feet are when you have your stance at shoulder width apart and your legs at 90 degrees. Any other position and you are working too hard, and you have thrown off your center of balance.
5) Snare Drum: Think of this as your steering wheel. It has to be equally accessible with both hands, and directly in front of you. I will now break it down to matched and traditional grips, because the positions are different.
Matched: With your arms relaxed by your side, raise up your arms to 90 degrees. With your wrist completely straight and in line with your arm, lower your arms JUST A HAIR from 90 degrees. This is your snare height. How far away from your body is accomplished by having the stick tips right in the center of the drum with your arms right next to the side of your body. The most powerful position in striking a drum is with your wrist straight in line with your arm, and 90 degrees, basically with the stick parallel to the ground. If you have your arms at 90 degrees, your wrist straight, and your palms down, you should notice that the angle the stick sits in your hand is NOT flat. It is slightly angled towards your body. Your snare angle should accommodate this, and it should be one or tow clicks towards you. IF you play with your snare flat, you are sacrificing the last part of your stroke because your wrist will have to hit the drum at an angle, which is not healthy. If you angle your snare extensively, you actually go TOO FAR and put your wrist in a very dangerous position (flexed upward). When you are at the optimal point of contact (wrist straight) your body can absorb the shock the best.
Traditional: With your arms relaxed by your side, raise both hands up to 90 degrees. You will notice that the stick in your left hand will be at about a 45 degree angle. You will need to adjust the snare to this exact angle. With your wrist straight and your arms and 90, this is your snare height. Again, how far away is determined by the stick tips being dead in the center of the drum with your arms right next to your side.
Acoustic & Electronic:
Pearl Prestige World Series WLX 1988
Tama Swingstar 1983
Tama Superstar Hyper-Drive (Birch) 2007
Ludwig Acrolite Snare 1976
Ludwig Supraphonic 6.5x14" 2021
Pearl Sensitone Elite Aluminum 5.5" and 6.5" Snare
Pearl COB Custom Deluxe [Gladstone] (75-76) Snare
Love Drum Co. Hammered Steel 5.5" Snare
Roland TD-1KV
Paiste
Accent 8"
Paiste Signature:
6", 10" Splash
14" Dark Crisp Hi-Hats
14" Sound Edge Hi-Hats
16", 17", 18",19", 20" Full Crash
22" Symphonic Med-Heavy (use as a Ride)
Paiste Formula 602:
22" Formula 602 Modern Essentials Ride
Paiste 2oo2:
22" Ride
16" Crash
8",10" Splash
Paiste 2oo2 Big Beat:
15" Hi-Hats
19", 20", 21" Big Beat Multifunctional
Paiste Sound Formula:
16" Crash
20" Full Ride (Frankenstein)
Paiste Twenty:
16" China
Paiste Alpha (original Swiss made):
12" Splash
Paiste PST7:
Medium
16", 18" Crash
20" Ride
14" Hi-Hats
Sabian:
XS20 18" China
AA 14" Fusion Hi-Hats
Bookmarks