Tall or Short Drummers?

[nebula821]

I am about 6'3". I was wondering what anyone thought of the advantages, if any, of being tall/long armed in playing the drums. Or is being shorter advantageous?

[Class A Drummer]

I guess if you are tall and have long arms, you can use alot more wrist action instead of arms when moving around the drums.

[hawk]

Im short, about 5'6", and i have no real problem playing but i could see where being taller might help with a bigger setup.

[el_frenko]

im 6ft4 and using heel down on the hi-hats is a bit tricky without moving the hat stand further out from my snare, but i just about manage to get round it.

[caprisun3484]

im 6ft4 and using heel down on the hi-hats is a bit tricky without moving the hat stand further out from my snare, but i just about manage to get round it.

i sorta have that same problem too i'm only 6ft2

[voldak]

I have a hard time with any heel-toe method...I'm 6ft 3 inches, i'm fat, i have big feet and big hands. I am wanting to check out some long board double pedals for the simple reason that my feet won't be so crammed up on a pedal....but, new pedals are expensive :)


As far as advantages from being taller/longer arms. You can put stuff in interesting places, places that might be a little far out of the way for some, but just perfect for you. Besides that...i haven't really noticed any particular advantages.

[franklinj]

I wish I was taller...I like bigger drum sounds and like smaller tom set ups (angles and heights), so I just cant win without smaller bass drums.

Does anyone know how tall Thomas Lang is? I think he uses the same sizes as me but has everything so perfectly set up. Hes either really tall or just sits up really high.

[brittc89]

I feel like with the hardware options these days, you would either have to be ridiculously short or outrageously tall for it to really effect your playing.

[GRUNTERSDAD]

Well I read the first few responses and was thinking unless you are at one extreme or another there probably isn't any great difference...so I am agreeing with Britt on this one.

[TitanSound]

6'5" here. I also find the pedals have to be slighty more forward than I would like to be able to play comfortably. I like having the hats close but its kinda impossible without me getting some kind of cramp in my leg as i'm not totally relaxed.

[Tama Player]

--sigh--.....hasn't there been threads on this before? Anyway, 6' 10", its pretty much a disadvantage to me but I try to look at it positively. More arm length and longer legs I guess I can use to my advantage.

Peace
AGR

[DrummerAz]

Well I read the first few responses and was thinking unless you are at one extreme or another there probably isn't any great difference...so I am agreeing with Britt on this one.

id second that and britts comment

i don't think that height is/will ever be an issue when playing any instrument because there are so many adaptations and different setups that are possible.

Although i can see where being tall or having longer arms would come as an advantage, Just as much as I can see it as a disadvantage

[d.c.drummer]

Im 5'9" and i think my height is perfect. I can use heel up and down (though use heel up even on hi-hats). I dont see the big deal unless you are yao ming and your arms are longer than most people's legs.

[hauk]

With the huge configuration customizations possible with drums, it probably doesn't make a whole lot of difference. Although, taller people with longer arms have more options for where to put equipment and have it be reachable.

[Fur drummer]

I don't think it makes that much of a difference either.

[BellsOfRhymney]

Medium, or slightly shorter is best, as proven by Krupa, Bonham, Buddy Rich, Ringo, etc etc. HEE!

[Thin Spirits]

Size doesn't matter!
It is all about how you play.

[Ironcobra]

size doesn't matter, kits are adjustable, unless your fat arse hangs off the throne, then GET A PORK PIE. ahaaa i noticed that the drummers on drummerworld are really tall on average. strange, ive always considered the drummerworld community a short bunch

[N8drumgear]

I'm about 6' and I have long arms, I like being able to to put my drums pretty much anywhere I like.

But think about Mike Portnoy he has a big set but he looks like he's pretty short and he still manages to get around it all.

[fazzybOO`]

The Origin drummer is extremely short... He has his stool pretty high up, and his legs are pretty much straight. He pushes down on the pedal kinda like he's running or riding a bike and he can go extremely fast. Just thought that may be interesting to some...

[dandydonner]

i'm reaaaally short. (5'2") and i keep my throne a bit higher than most. the only thing i can think of is tall people having longer arms maybe. but smaller people could probably get around the kit better.

[schist]

I'm 5'10" (ie. smack-bang average height) and have little to no trouble with getting around the kit due to my height. And I keep my throne relatively low (thighs parallel to the floor) too. Sure, height might be advantageous in allowing for a greater range in placement of equipment and all that, but in the end you tailor your setup to meet your needs.

Kinda tacking onto what fazzybOO' said - Most extreme metal drummers are 5'10" or shorter anyway, and I don't think you see them having trouble with playing the drums!

@franklinj: Thomas Lang looks to be about 6'2".

[Drumsword]

I am 6'3 And the only issue I find is that I have to have my hi hat and kick pedals a little further away so my legs work right. lol.

I also have a 6'8" arm span (Yes I'm a knuckle draggin neanderethal) So my cymbals are spread out kinda far.

I met Thomas lang at a clinic a couple years ago and he was an inch or 2 shorter then I am, So I'd say he's about 6'0 to 6'2.

[caddywumpus]

I'm 6'2", so I have no setup complaints. I just wish my feet were smaller so I could do "heel-toe" easier. *sigh* ...and you know what THAT means!

[Zodiak]

6 feet tall and doing alright...

[Jon Cable]

I'm 5ft 11" BUT I have artificial legs....and real feet! Heel down is particularly easy but stairs are a problem.....

[Bob Smith]

I'm 5'6"

and i have my throne just at the height of my bass drum (which happens to be 22)
and i have it that way so that i sit over the kit and i don't ever have to have my hands above my shoulders. Even to hit my cymbals cause i just keep my hands nice and low and and hit the cymbal at a perfect angle. I can also have my toms very low and flat because i sit above them.
I have my toms hanging over my bassdrum so that they can be lower and flatter.
One last thing my leg doesn't sit with the thigh parellel to the floor like people say it should, it sits so that my calf is perpendicular to the ground but my thigh is at an angle.
And it works just fine i can go 100 bpm with eight notes just fine.

how about a couple of picture and caddywumpus yes i do know what that means.
http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/9817/pic0918er3.jpg
http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/3296/pic0917mh0.jpg

[Zodiak]

Sorry for the offtopic message, but what do you think of Sabian's B8 series? I'm planning to get a set of B8 Pros, are they good?

[Jon Cable]

Sorry for the offtopic message, but what do you think of Sabian's B8 series? I'm planning to get a set of B8 Pros, are they good?
Depends how tall you are...and whether you have artificial legs...

[bobdadruma]

I'm 5 foot 11. When I first started playing (I was 12 years old). I used to sit really low. My Uncle Stanley (A man that I looked up to because he was just plain COOL) came to visit my family. I showed off and I played for him. He commented, "You play very well, I notice that you sit low behind your drums, In my day if a drummer sat down low, We would boo him off the stage" From that day forward I sat as high as I could without loosing contact with my pedals. When I sat high up I gained more confidence and I began to play better. My Uncle was truly a great influence on me. In just one sentence he changed my life.

[AllTheCoolNamesAreTaken]

What I love about the Internet is there's always someone who can one-up you. Seriously, 6'10"? You can just tap your feet, you don't even need a kick drum.

At 6'4" I had some difficulty getting things set up comfortably, as I had to slide my rack toms as far forward as possible to make up for my extra distance from the kick. Other than that, and problems with big feet and small pedal boards, ain't no thang. And as a bonus, people can actually see the drummer!

[(sic)chic]

Well... I'm 6ft, which is pretty tall 4 a chik. lol
But it doesn't change anything when I play the drums, I just have to move everything around so I'm not all squashed! I have to make sure that there is space for my legs and move the cymbols so my arms arn't in knots.
Height don't matta 4 anything!!!

[hungrypo]

i'm a small man, about 5' 2". my main problem is finding snare stands and thrones that go low enough. especially if i'm using a 6.5" deep snare, its difficult to find a snare basket that will hold it at the right height (or lack thereof). for thrones, its tough to find bases that will sit low enough for my thighs to sit at an angle that's not too obtuse...

[joeysnare]

im 5'6" i have my throne extremely high and all my gear in very tight and i have a quite big set up, i think its made me a better player i have to be very precise considering how close and cluttered my set up is,but i can still play on taller peoples set ups,i just had to really learn how to use my wrists and fingers with my arms fully extended.

[Pass.of.E.r.a.]

yeah there isn't really any sort of advantage (or disadvantage). as long as your drums/cymbals are in a postion which feels natural, your height shouldn't affect your playing...... all it affects is how much of you the crowd can see lol

[DRdrumma]

I'm 7"2 and i can do a mean solo

[The Colonel]

I'm 2'5" but once I finally pull myself up on top of the throne, I haven't noticed a big difference.

You guys can't reach the pedals either, right? I'm assuming they're just for show.

[Vipercussionist]

I wish I was taller...I like bigger drum sounds and like smaller tom set ups (angles and heights), so I just cant win without smaller bass drums.

Does anyone know how tall Thomas Lang is? I think he uses the same sizes as me but has everything so perfectly set up. Hes either really tall or just sits up really high. I'm only 5'8" and I PREFER big kits, I rarely use anything smaller than a 24 kick, and I use the mounts off the kick for the toms. I do sit up pretty straight though. I was told that by a good teacher once, SIT UP STRAIGHT!!
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__________________
Most respect the badge, but all fear the drum.

[m1ck]

Short People got no reason
Short People got no reason
Short People got no reason
To live

They got little hands
And little eyes
And they walk around
Tellin' great big lies
They got little noses
And tiny little teeth
They wear platform shoes
On their nasty little feet

Well, I don't want no Short People
Don't want no Short People
Don't want no Short People
Round here

Short People are just the same
As you and I
(A Fool Such As I)
All men are brothers
Until the day they die
(It's A Wonderful World)

Short People got nobody
Short People got nobody
Short People got nobody
To love

They got little baby legs
And they stand so low
You got to pick 'em up
Just to say hello
They got little cars
That go beep, beep, beep
They got little voices
Goin' peep, peep, peep
They got grubby little fingers
And dirty little minds
They're gonna get you every time
Well, I don't want no Short People
Don't want no Short People
Don't want no Short People
'Round here

- Randy Newman

[m1ck]

I've been told that Joey Jordison is 5' 3"...

And Neil Peart is about 6' 3".

[doorstilend]

6ft tall here and having problems with heel toe

[Ian Williams]

A big fellow for small drums...

Tall or Short Drummers? for Big or Small Drums?

[LeeLovesSabian]

Im only 5' 7".
I think it makes me faster with my feet, because it requires less strength from my knees to push down on the kick pedals.
Might just be a theory though.

[drumguyfromWI]

I'm 6'0".

no problems here.

but really tall people might have to get cable remote hi-hats, because if they got the pedal on a regular hi-hat stand in a comfortable position, the hi-hat cymbals might be too far away.

[BattleArmor]

5'5".

I am doing fine so far. I do occasionally have problems with bass drum diameter though. I can't play a 24+ bass drum while having my rack toms comfy.

[diosdude]

I'm 5'7". I play an absurdly huge kit. I don't think it really matters short or tall. What matters is the flexibility of your hardware to position your gear the way you want it. For all of you guys that commented about stuff like not being comfortable or unable to do heel-toe, lower or raise your throne, i guarantee there is a throne height that is more comfortable and natural. Now, if i were say, Yao Ming, my set would be twice as wide, lol:

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj52/linomcortes/monster%20dios/bubinga13.jpg

[stabmasterarson]

wow man that kit is insane....how do you reach those cymbals 4' above the snare? damn!

[m1ck]

Diosdude, can anyone even SEE you behind that monster?

[imispgh]

I am 6' 7" and had a real hard time with a regular kit. I don't have proportionally long arms which makes it worse - and I don't like to reach. I also like my legs straighter than 90 deg so I can play heel down every once in a while. So what did I do? 2 major mods

Went to a virgin bass set up with separate tom mounts to get them closer. (Before that I actually reversed the bass drum)

I bought the Gibraltar Ultra-Adjust Hi-Hat to get the hats 6" or so closer. (That unit also allows the hats to tilt so they are even closer and make open handed playing much easier as well as the left hand approach in general). I am not entirely thrilled with the unit but I make it work. (It takes a bit too much pressure to keep the hats closed. Moving the feet off or back from the forward part of the pedal causes issues. Having said that I do not keep my heel up)

[peanut23s]

mi really short 5'5" and have a fairly wide kit have hats very close and throne right up to snare so i can reach everything.