Why does this drummer sit so far back?

[Zoofie]

Hey guys
I was observing how metal drummers play , and they all have their drum throne quite a bit away from their snare , thus meaning they are quite far back form their kit.
Like this guy , are all drummers supposed to sit far back like this? What are the benifits etc?
Link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBhYruRmB5Y

Cheers guys!

[GRUNTERSDAD]

So they can extend both arms and wail on the snare drum.

[dairyairman]

do you think that's far back? i was thinking the video was going to show something a lot worse than that.

anyway, one reason to sit a little further back with metal drumming is that you need to position your feet further back on the pedals to play those fast rolls.

[Zoofie]

Ah brilliant cheers for the responses guys :)
One more thing , sitting further back , doesn't it make it harder to reach toms etc?
Btw , sorry for the nooby questions :P
Cheers again :)

[caddywumpus]

Sit however you need to in order to feel comfortable when you play.

Watching the video, it looks as though that seated position works well for him, his posture, and his body mechanics. Personally, I like to sit a little closer, but that's just how I roll.

Speaking of rolls, I think his seating position has more to do with his double bass playing and his long-ish arms. Usually when I see people sit this far back, they play in a hunched-over posture. Not this guy, though.

[Zoofie]

Ah i see , thanks buddy :)
So theres no right or wrong way to sit when drumming , you won't get looked down upon if you sit further forward or further back in the metal world , so to speak?

One more question , sorry about all of them - but i guess its a forum :P

What about throne height and where on the seat you sit (front , middle or back).
Because im not sure im optimising my playing at the moment , it seems im a little high but im not sure how to gauge it.
Sorry for my poor grammar btw :P
Thanks once again!

[dairyairman]

i usually like to sit so my thighs are almost parallel to the floor, but not quite. i like it so my thighs are sloping downward towards the bass drum just a tiny bit. that definitely helps for heels up playing, which you'll be doing a lot of if you're a metal drummer.

and also, i like to sit right in the middle of my throne because i have one of those "tractor seat" rock n' sock thrones that's shaped so it's not really comfortable to sit forward or back on it.

[cnw60]

it doesn't appear that he's THAT far back.

The snare is the only thing that looks a little further away then 'normal', but that seems to be due to him playing a true double kick set, which allows him to slide the snare up to the apex of the V between the two kick drums, which is further than you can usually get it with a single bass/double pedal setup. Other than that - he's right on top of the pedals and he's not really reaching to hit any of the toms or cymbals.

[Ironcobra]

Sitting farther back helps for his knees to be at a 45 degree angle. When playing metal, or anything with faster bass patterns, it's important to have your knees at an ideal angle. So my guess is it all has to deal with the angle he's trying to achieve.

(He's not really that far back though)

[mind_drummer]

Actually the guy is now sitting far above. :-(


RIP Vitek


Yeah the guy died two years ago on touring bus crash.

[thechief7676]

Didn't the whole band die in that accident? Terrible.

[Zoofie]

No just Vitek died , the others came out with injuries. It is so tragic , left a wife and kids :(

If someone plays doubel bass drum with their knees at a 90 degree , is that bad or?
Because thats about what i play :O
Thanks

[dairyairman]

If someone plays doubel bass drum with their knees at a 90 degree , is that bad or?
Because thats about what i play :O
Thanks

not necessarily, but try raising your seat about an inch and see how it feels. you'll notice that even your man in the video has his thighs sloping downward a little.

[gopherduck]

Zoofie, its just a comfort thing. I play with my kick drums far forward so the toms are right above the batter head hoop and my knees are about even with the back of the snare. My knees form a 120-135 degree angle and the tops of my legs are slightly sloping down. For me it helps keep me balanced. Just sit down on your throne and set your feet where they are comfortable then put your pedals under them. Then put your toms and snare where they are comfortable to reach. I found if you place just the pedals first it keeps your legs and feet comfy. Also once you get your pedals set just try messing around with your throne height you may find a height that is the most comfortable

[DrumEatDrum]

It doesn't look he's sitting far back at all.

But if you think he is, my guess is leg length.

I've always had strange comments about my set up, but at 6'2" my set is up is no different than anyone else, it's just adjusted to my height.

[JeremyS]

I definitely couldn't sit back that far, but then I'm 5'8" on a good day and have really broad shoulders and short arms (and legs). It's all about comfort and body type, I think.

[Mr. Pasquini]

I just watched this video before I clicked on this thread... odd...

Vitek was one of the better drummers around. He will be missed.

In regards to his seat, it looks pretty comfy for his body type. As stated above, no hunching over or anything. Great posture.

[beefythedrummer]

RIP Vitek

Positioning of most drum equipment usually comes down to comfort. If you're just starting out you'll probably be changing it around a lot too as the years go bye.

I have another question..how can he play that fast with work boots on!? lol

[stabmasterarson]

Theres a few drummers that wear big heavy boots when they play, like

Hellhammer (Mayhem)
Pete Sandoval (Morbid Angel)
the drummer of Krisiun,

etc.

I don't get it either, but they are all better than me so maybe there's some point to it?

[livelovedrum1]

its def about comfort, I sit really close to my drums personally, I like the feeling of being "over top" of my double pedal and it makes hitting my cymbals easier

[Vipercussionist]

Hey guys
I was observing how metal drummers play , and they all have their drum throne quite a bit away from their snare , thus meaning they are quite far back form their kit.
Like this guy , are all drummers supposed to sit far back like this? What are the benifits etc?
Link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBhYruRmB5Y

Cheers guys!

Not everyone's height, arm length, leg length and personal preferences are the same, so it's up to each INDIVIDUAL to set their stuff up to their liking.

If you like to set up differently than the next guy, by ALL means, DO IT!!

If you're not comfortable, you certainly will be hard pressed to give your best performance.

[Zoofie]

Thank you so much guys for the great responses!!!!

Sometimes you see drummers with their cymbals over their heads , and sometimes looking down on them.
Does it make a difference like if people are looking down more on their toms/cymbals?

Like Joey Jordison , he can barely see over his kit :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYdAlJKpJ0w&feature=related

But when i play i can see right over it........does it make a difference really?
Just wondering how you guys have your kits!
Cheers!

[bobdadruma]

A lot of wild set-ups that you see on stage are for showmanship.
Practical set-up is the best answer from a playing standpoint. Set up your kit for best playability! Be comfortable on your kit so that you can relax while you play. That is the best way to learn. Don't set up your kit in a way in which it will impair your playing just because it looks cool!
Think of how a car is designed. Care is taken to make sure that the seat is adjustable so that many people can use it. The controls are designed to be within easy reach.
Your drum kit should be the same. You should be able to reach everything quickly and easily. Cymbals make different sounds when their struck in different places. Adjust your cymbals so that you can play them from the bell to the edge. Your snare is like Home Base! Set your snare so that you can hit the center of the head and do rim shots. Adjust your toms so that you can strike them quickly in the center of the head when moving from the ride or the snare.
Movement time around your kit cost you! The less distance that you have to move, The faster you will be able to get to a component of your kit.
The larger a kit gets, The more complicated set up positioning gets. There will always be a trade off of ergonomics on a larger kit.