Seat height

gregj410

Member
Does anyone have any insight on seat height and how it relates to bass drum pedal quickness/response? I've noticed many drummers seem to be positioned in a way that there thigh is parallel to the floor with their foot on the pedal. Does sitting higher or lower allow you to play faster with your foot flat or with your heel raised?
 
I've noticed many drummers seem to be positioned in a way that there thigh is parallel to the floor with their foot on the pedal.

Excellent starting point. Where you go from there is dictated purely by your own comfort. There is no "one size fits all" correlation to seat height and playing ability. Some guys like to sit a little higher.....others a little lower. Comfort and your own ergonomic preferences dictate here.
 
My band is very bass drum heavy music. Very syncopated patterns and for that you need good balance and posture so, I set my seat so my thighs are pretty much level. They might dip down ever so slightly (nor sure if that's just the shape of my thigh's).

I find it to be a neutral position, , you can get equal amount of lift and kick. You go too high or too low and you're going to be creating alot of work for your legs to compensate.
You won't be giving yourself a fair shot.

Don't know how you's generate power with a seat that is too low and if your seat is too high you'll be liftong your legs so much that it'll slow you down and possibley make you play behind the beat.

So find the sweet spot. There are exceptions to the rule but, it's probably the most popular position and mechanically efficient.

Sorry I can't give you much more insight than that as I haven't spent any real time sitting at the 'wrong' height for me.

Someone else may tell you different.
 
Because of my height (even on smaller 22" bass drums), I tend to sit a little high. My thighs have never been parallel to the ground ever - they may be at a 35-degree bend towards the pedals and that suits me fine. It allows me to 'bounce' on the pedals like I'm dancing and it allows me to be quick and give power as well when I need it. I once played a kit where the seat was low and even for me my thighs were almost parallel to the ground and it just about threw my lower back out while playing hard because my knees were having to lift higher to play the pedals. I couldn't adjust the throne beforehand because it was locked that way, so I just went for it. After that I brought my own throne if I was playing a strange drumset.
 
I am 6'3" and always play sitting a little high- maybe 2-3" of slope in my thighs. I play with my snare up and even a little sloped away from me to accommodate the height.

I dont set up my double pedal anymore but I found it easier to play it heel up sitting the way I did because it was easier to support the weight of my legs and also felt better when alittle power was required.
 
Yeah what Bo said.

That's kind of the angle I meant. just a little above parrallell but not enough to really call it an angle.
I know that IS and angle but I only know the names of two angles:

A right angle and a left angle...
 
Balance is key. If you aren't balanced, you will have a difficult time gaining independence between the feet. One or the other will always need to be anchored, if that makes any sense. So your seat height should allow you to minimize this need for an anchor...

Thighs parallel to the floor is a good starting point. Over time, I have gradually raised my throne height from that position, and I have had less back problems and my feet are a little quicker and more independent. I still don't sit what would be called high, but my seat is a good 3 inches above parallel. And I'm not real tall - 5' 10" - so it's quite a difference. YMMV.

One other note - seat shape, diameter, and amount of cushioning have a fair amount of impact, too!
 
Sorry to bump this but any suggestions for drummers below 6ft? Say...5'6"?

At the moment I have my throne set to the lowest height where my thighs are parallel with the ground. Over the weekend I raised the throne about an inch higher and played two gigs that way. I felt a little off balance but I did get more power to the kick pedal as I'm a heel up player. I didn't raise the height of my drums though. Will keep on experimenting.
 
Sorry to bump this but any suggestions for drummers below 6ft? Say...5'6"?

At the moment I have my throne set to the lowest height where my thighs are parallel with the ground. Over the weekend I raised the throne about an inch higher and played two gigs that way. I felt a little off balance but I did get more power to the kick pedal as I'm a heel up player. I didn't raise the height of my drums though. Will keep on experimenting.

I'm 5'4". Hopefully that's close enough for you.

I feel a little more balanced if I sit higher...a couple inches above where my thighs would be parallel. Actually, my throne height is 24" if that helps you.
 
I'm 5'5"...I sit a little above parallel too. I haven't had any issues with pain or inability to play a specific technique because my thighs aren't "perfect". It works for me. It took me a little bit of adjusting, over a period of time, to find that magic spot, but now I know I'm there, cause it just feels right.

Good luck!
 
It's taken me about two years to find my happy medium. I would leave it for a while and then try to adjust it again after a month or so. It came down to comfort on how I hit the toms, snare height and my right foot performance with how well I could do fast doubles and triplets. I have no idea how some drummers sit so high and are still able to pull off quick doubles or triplets with their right foot. Sitting as low as I could go, I could do it but not as efficient, sitting up too high and I couldn't work the pedal properly, so I had to find that happy place between those settings and I finally nailed it. IMO you have to find it too like Stick said. As long as you don't feel any stress or pain during or after you play then you're probably ok and can fine tune your throne height within that range. Just like adjusting the spring on your pedal, all it takes is a little bit. I'm talking 1/4" adjustments at a time or like with a pedal one thread at a time.
 
I'm 5'5"...I sit a little above parallel too. I haven't had any issues with pain or inability to play a specific technique because my thighs aren't "perfect". It works for me. It took me a little bit of adjusting, over a period of time, to find that magic spot, but now I know I'm there, cause it just feels right.

Good luck!

I've also been meddling with the spring tensions of my pedal. After experimenting, I've found that if I have the spring at medium tension I seem to get the most power (fyi I bury the beater like a madman). I should probably be working on my mechanics as well but it's tough when the music has so much energy to it (by demand also).

I wish making adjustments to drums were as easy as a guitarists tuning their strings.
 
I definitely sit high rather than low. My legs can sometimes be close to 45 degrees I think.

I find I've got much better balance sitting like that and when ever I play on a kit with a low thrown it feels like I have to raise my leg high just to drop it back down again.

The key with all this is to try things out and make sure you are always relaxed. That way you'll find what works for you.
 
I'm 5'4". Hopefully that's close enough for you.

I feel a little more balanced if I sit higher...a couple inches above where my thighs would be parallel. Actually, my throne height is 24" if that helps you.

This seems to work for me as well, and I'm 5'5".
 
Excellent starting point. Where you go from there is dictated purely by your own comfort. There is no "one size fits all" correlation to seat height and playing ability. Some guys like to sit a little higher.....others a little lower. Comfort and your own ergonomic preferences dictate here.

There are 3 things every drummer should know about seat height.

(1) If sit so low that your knee joint is level with or above your hip joint, you are in for trouble later. It puts back pressure on the cartilage and should be avoided. You can sit as high as you like, but the minimum height is your hip joint 2 inches about your knee.

(2) The position of greatest mechanical advantage is as low as you can get without going below that minimum point.

(3) Comfort trumps #2, but not #1.
 
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