Don't underestimate your throne height

I sit very low. I have tried adjusting my seat a little higher but my feel and groove really suffers when I do this. I am quite tall and have long legs. When I sit as low as I do now I feel more in balance and as one with my drums if that makes any sense. It does also have something to do with my favourite drummers: they all sit very low and I try to recreate their groove but at the same time putting my own signature on it.

I dont think there is a right og wrong when it comes to seat height. I have never had any problems with my back even though I sit really low. Its more a matter of preference.
 
...Many of the kits that have factory installed bass drum tom mounts have the mounts too far forward on the bass drum...
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Good point. I ordered a 22" bass drum from Ludwing and the single tom mount was factory installed near the reso side of the drum making it very hard to put the tom in a comfortable spot. When I ordered a 20" bass drum, rather than have it factory installed, I had the dealer install the tom holder closer to the middle of the drum. It makes a huge difference it where I can place both the bass and tom.
 
Good point. I ordered a 22" bass drum from Ludwing and the single tom mount was factory installed near the reso side of the drum making it very hard to put the tom in a comfortable spot. When I ordered a 20" bass drum, rather than have it factory installed, I had the dealer install the tom holder closer to the middle of the drum. It makes a huge difference it where I can place both the bass and tom.
I always wondered why they did that Roger. The first kit that I bought back in the seventies that didn't have a rail mount was like that. I had to move the mount and have a cover plate made to hide the holes. I still have the kit. 74 Gretsch.
I eventually installed a cymbal holder mount in the hole.
 
I sit pretty high on my throne too. Glad to know it's more common than I thought. I assumed most of you were around the 'normal' 90 degrees. I'm probably somewhere around 120 degrees.

My old drum teacher recommended the change years ago and, like the OP, my technique seemed to improve overnight.
 
If you want to see some extremes, Look at Tommy Lee, tall guy with his knees above his hips by a bunch. Then you have Ringo. A short guy who looks as if he is almost standing up and leaning back on his throne. And finally Max Weinberg who has his back straight as an arrow and very relaxed.
 
A week ago also suffered this problem cause when i started drumming i used to low height seats.

I've been playing for 3 years and week ago i participated with my band mates on some local music festival selection. And our rehearsal was decent and when performing i used their prepared drum. And the thing is when perfroming i just can't maintain my bass drum rebounds and the hi-hat, snare,throne height and all their stand heights significantly higher than i used to and i kinda noob'ed and frustrated myself. Drums were felt so unnatural to me.

Then later i measured my throne(oridinary chair) and it was only 13" inch high, and my body height is 5.9". Now i bought some drum throne and working from the basics.

I never thought that seat height can make that difference.
 
I sit pretty high on my throne too. Glad to know it's more common than I thought. I assumed most of you were around the 'normal' 90 degrees. I'm probably somewhere around 120 degrees.


Same here. I'm no where close to 90 degrees.

A lot will of course depend on your height and proportions. If I were any shorter than 6', I think I'd have to go with a 20" bass drum in order to get everything positioned comfortably. With my 22" kick, the rack toms are right on the bass drum shell and they are still a bit too high.

I have a malfunctioning throne and it tends to screw it self down. When I start banging the snare rim, I know it's time to raise it. :)

My throne, snare and 22" bass drum are all within a couple inches of each other @ 22, 25 and 23"
 
Last year I lowered my seat height to slightly above a 90° angle. I used to sit quite a lot higher than this. Once I started playing in a band again I was straining to play louder with power and balance. When I lowered my center of gravity it was like an, "Ah HA!", moment. It was so much easier to play more powerfully with less effort because my balance was centered around my core instead at the hips.

Seat height is so personal and everyone should experiment with it based on your body and style of play.

Great thread! Thanks.

Josh
 
I've always just figured that with your butt on the throne and your feet planted on the pedals that the top of your thighs should be level (or close to it), but what do I know?.
I'm gonna give a higher throne a try.
Thanks for the tip.

If you play heel up, you want it a bit higher. If you look at most of the gospel chop type drummers who use a lot of fast single pedal work, outside of Thomas Pridgen, they all sit pretty high with their thighs at a pretty substantial downward angle. I think this makes it easier to "dance" on the pedal.
 
If you play heel up, you want it a bit higher. If you look at most of the gospel chop type drummers who use a lot of fast single pedal work, outside of Thomas Pridgen, they all sit pretty high with their thighs at a pretty substantial downward angle. I think this makes it easier to "dance" on the pedal.

Hmm perhaps I should try this...I don't sit really high though...just a little more than above a 90° angle.

However I've noticed that Iron Maiden's Drummer, Nicko sits pretty low(?) and he's single bass work is awesome IMO.
 
There are people who do it. I know a local guy who's around 6'3", 80% of it legs, and does the Vinnie lowrider thing (even Vinnie doesn't sit that low anymore). And this guy pulls off fast triplets on the kick effortlessly. He also sets up the kit like a dashboard in front of him. More of a prog guy and never changed from that kind of set up. But when I look around I see more young drummers sitting up over their kit. I played guitar with a corporate band a few years back and we had a 20 something drummer who was at least 6" shorter than me. We used my kit at rehearsals and at the time I could not play it up the way he had it. When I started gigging regularly as a drummer (and getting older) I found my back was hurting and thought about how upright he sat. I realized I was slouching like mad. So I tried setting up the kit higher like he did and sitting up straight on a taller throne. Boy what a difference. Easier to play fast doubles on the kick and less strain on everything. For some reason, the kit sitting out flat below you is even easier to get around on than the searchlight/dashboard with it arrayed out in front of you.
 
I raised my seat a few inches in the last year too.
I didn't sit extra low, it was about 19".

Now I'm at 21-22". It feels MUCH better all around.

In one of my bands, it feels better playing the music at 21", but in the other band, 22" or, almost 23" feels better than lower.

Now, I can't imagine sitting that low again.
 
Add me to the high throne group. I always thought I was alone in this regard. ;-) I use a tall Roc&Soc and the bottom of the cushion is 24 inches from the floor when not compressed. People are amazed at how high i sit but I've been doing i that way for a lot of years and have a lot of power and control. And i never had any back issues from playing that way.
 
I sit pretty high on my throne too. Glad to know it's more common than I thought. I assumed most of you were around the 'normal' 90 degrees. I'm probably somewhere around 120 degrees.

My old drum teacher recommended the change years ago and, like the OP, my technique seemed to improve overnight.

Dude are you in AZ?Its really gonna be over110% today!

I used to see this kid beat his drums up.His throne was way too high.
When I got a decent kit I try too be a bit above the snare,then groove around that.And I don't pound down on the drums.Finness
 
One thing, while I like sitting a bit high, I've still got the rim of the snare around my belt height. I've seen folks sitting up really high with the snare down between their thighs playing down onto it. Which to me is a good way to dent the head or put a hole in it.

In my book, the purpose of getting a bit higher is to have the shell tom(s) down nearer the level of the snare instead of having to pivot up to them in front of you. And the leverage/control you get with a heel up bass technique.
 
One thing, while I like sitting a bit high, I've still got the rim of the snare around my belt height. I've seen folks sitting up really high with the snare down between their thighs playing down onto it. Which to me is a good way to dent the head or put a hole in it.

In my book, the purpose of getting a bit higher is to have the shell tom(s) down nearer the level of the snare instead of having to pivot up to them in front of you. And the leverage/control you get with a heel up bass technique.

Couldn't describe it better!
I just added 13" hi hats,and reset-up all my toms and cymbals,it feels pretty good now.
I use your method of finding the right height for toms and snare.Played w/ people that have their toms eye level,totally flat.I don't get that technique.W/ marching/broom sticks.

Main reason I have my throne abit high is I'm 6'1",so little Lars' setup wouldn't work for me.
 
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