How is your bass drum positioned?

[BenJones]

I have noticed that my bass drum on my drum set is set straight out, perpendicular to my other drums and cymbals. However, since my right foot, which I play the kick drum with, naturally sits at an angle going to to the right, my bass drum seems a little out of line with the rest of my set, and it looks very noticeable when I'm over to the left, playing my hi-hat. Is it OK to have my bass set like this, or should I put it at an angle with my right foot? When I look at most professionals in live videos however, I see that their bass drums look perpendicular to their drums and cymbals as well. Any advice?

[Fuo]

Whatever is comfortable to you. But I have mine BD at an angle, kinda like a double bass kit without the second bass drum (my 2 rack toms are on cymbals stands slightly left of the BD, right in front of me, allows slightly better ride positioning, and still not much of a seperation between rack and floor toms).

I just sat down comfortably, looked down at my feet and put my bass/hihat pedals were my feet were.

[larryace]

Yea it's not rocket science. Everybody is shaped differently, have different preferences, plays different music. Put them in the spot that makes you feel like a God.

Drums. One of the few things you can buy that don't come with instructions.

Your post confused me though. First you said they are perpendicular, then the next sentence you say they're out of line. Doesn't matter, do what feels right to you.

[alparrott]

It's not unheard of for drummers to align for looks instead of comfort (Virgil Donati once admitted that his right foot rests on his main kick pedal at an angle)... but I personally wouldn't recommend it.

If you sit down on your throne and put your snare between your legs where it is comfortable for you, where your feet fall most naturally is where your main pedals should be, and at that angle. If you play more than one pedal per foot, you can either split the difference or offset your lesser used pedal from that spot. See my wonderful diagrams below.

I couldn't care less what angle the kick is at, but usually I set it pointing directly at the crowd and it's *me* who angles away from the crowd slightly.

[DrumEatDrum]

I've always set up my bass drum at an angle. It's just more natural that way.

[thatoneguy]

Excellent question! I have learned a few things about this over the years. First of all, I believe it is important to make sure your bass drum is level (yes, use a level). I could make a video showing how simply altering the angle of the drum to the floor alters the sound but Bob Gatzen already has :-) He demonstrates that even tightening the pedal to the hoop of the drum can alter the pitch/tonality/quality of the drum. Aside from ensuring the drum is level, whatever angle is comfortable to you in terms of alignment with kit. That is what I love about virgins. You can situate them as you please regardless of the rack.

[Fuo]

Originally Posted by thatoneguy

That is what I love about virgins. You can situate them as you please regardless of the rack.

hehe. there's a joke in there somewhere, but I'll pass on it ;)

also they're a lot easier to tune because you don't have to take everything off of them first, and the rack tom positioning is so much more flexible.

[zambizzi]

Alparrot nailed it! Matt Ritter (member here) has a great DVD out on foot technique, called "Unburying the Beater". In it, he describes how your body should be a tripod, when sitting at the kit...so as to have the greatest balance and control possible. Once I setup as a tripod instead of how I imagined I should *look* behind the kit, my playing moved forward much more quickly.

[BradGunnerSGT]

Originally Posted by alparrott

It's not unheard of for drummers to align for looks instead of comfort (Virgil Donati once admitted that his right foot rests on his main kick pedal at an angle)... but I personally wouldn't recommend it.

If you sit down on your throne and put your snare between your legs where it is comfortable for you, where your feet fall most naturally is where your main pedals should be, and at that angle. If you play more than one pedal per foot, you can either split the difference or offset your lesser used pedal from that spot. See my wonderful diagrams below.

I couldn't care less what angle the kick is at, but usually I set it pointing directly at the crowd and it's *me* who angles away from the crowd slightly.

I agree, I'm all about comfort but to me it just "looks right" from the audience perspective if the bass drum is front and center pointed straight out at them. I end up with my right leg mostly in line with the bass drum, and my body pointed a tiny bit off to the left. I do keep my foot at a slight (really slight) angle on the kick pedal, maybe 5-10 degrees.

In my "power tom" days, I did have the 2 or 3 rack toms offset from the kick and set up the kick as you described, the "single kick but angled like a double kick" setup, so I was facing square out into the audience. I needed that because even with a 20" kick, getting those 10" and 12" deep toms low enough for a 5"6" guy like me was a serious pain! I now use a "bebop" 1-up 1-down setup with shallower toms and a smaller kick so I don't have as many problems with tom placement.

[Aeolian]

Typically I'll set up with the kick square to the stage (other than the dreaded corner locations) and then be turned slightly to the left. This is the reason why most groups put the bass player (or should) to the immediate left of the drummer. Since the drummer is naturally turned that way (especially when playing the hats) the visual communication with the bass player is enhanced.

[utdrummer]

"That is what I love about virgins. You can situate them as you please regardless of the rack."

And who here doesn't love virgins with big racks? And drums built that way are excellent too. But seriously folks, they say that when you sit down, make sure all is comfortable with the feet first and build around that. Also, get to the gig early, set up, and make everyone load in gear around you.
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[BenJones]

Originally Posted by larryace

Yea it's not rocket science. Everybody is shaped differently, have different preferences, plays different music. Put them in the spot that makes you feel like a God.

Drums. One of the few things you can buy that don't come with instructions.

Your post confused me though. First you said they are perpendicular, then the next sentence you say they're out of line. Doesn't matter, do what feels right to you.

Sorry about the confusion. I meant that by having the bass drum straight out in front of me, and when I slightly lean left to play the hi-hats, the bass drum looks awkward. I understand now though that comfort and convenience come first. I really don't have any problems with it, so thanks for your help!

[BenJones]

Originally Posted by Fuo

hehe. there's a joke in there somewhere, but I'll pass on it ;)

also they're a lot easier to tune because you don't have to take everything off of them first, and the rack tom positioning is so much more flexible.

I also noticed that my toms are slanted towards me, while I see that many people's toms are right in front of them. Could that be because my bass is straight out?

[RogerLudwig]

What alparrott said 202020

[PQleyR]

Mine used to be straight in front of me, but since I started using two bass pedals I've had it slightly right of me, facing in the direction of my foot (45 degrees or so). The snare is what's straight in front of me.

[bobdadruma]

I place my bass facing straight forward.
I sit on a left facing angle because I place my mounted toms to the left of the bass drum.
So its kind of like my bass is turned at an angle.

[random]

Originally Posted by Fuo

I just sat down comfortably, looked down at my feet and put my bass/hihat pedals were my feet were.

Quoted for truth. I play with myself and my snare facing the rest of the band, with my bass angled to the way my foot sits naturally. Better for communication.

[brady]

Originally Posted by zambizzi

Alparrot nailed it! Matt Ritter (member here) has a great DVD out on foot technique, called "Unburying the Beater". In it, he describes how your body should be a tripod, when sitting at the kit...so as to have the greatest balance and control possible. Once I setup as a tripod instead of how I imagined I should *look* behind the kit, my playing moved forward much more quickly.

I was going to mention this too.

I had though for a while about moving my bass drum to a more ergonomic position since I always thought my foot felt unnaturally twisted slightly to accommodate the straight-on position of the bass drum. When I saw Matt's DVD, I immediately went to my kit and did just that. It's now much more comfortable.

[inneedofgrace]

I place my bassdrum straight on, and in line perpedicular with my rack. However, I generally am turned slightly to the left over the snare. The angle of the bass pedal has never been an issue. But now that I added a double bass pedal, I had to move the hi-hat further out, and the the angle of that pedal is a little more difficult.

[Naigewron]

I really like the feeling of an offset kick drum (where my kick is positioned like it would be if I had a double kick setup); there's a very nice balance to it. However, I don't like how it pushes my floor toms further to my right (meaning I have to twist my upper body to reach the furthest one), and I also don't think it looks that good from the audience's perspective.

So, I generally keep my kick pointed straight out towards the crowd, although I have on occasion played gigs with it offset to the right.

[Winston_Wolf]

Originally Posted by Fuo

I just sat down comfortably, looked down at my feet and put my bass/hihat pedals were my feet were.

I think this is SO important. I spent too many years feeling a little "off" because I was unconsciously setting up my drums by how I thought they should look, not how they felt.

Now I always start with the throne at the right height and placing the pedals where my feet naturally fall. Once that foundation is formed everything else should fall into place around it, and no matter how I wish to rotate the kit it always starts with the feet and seat being in the right place.

[con struct]

This seems a little...weird. It seems to me that it's more a matter of how you are positioned in relation to your bass drum.

On stage the bass drum is usually square with the stage, with the drum riser, the front head facing straight out, yeah. Not always, obviously, but anyway the bass drum was always the first thing down when I was setting up. Then I would arrange everything in relation to that. So my torso was at an angle to the bass drum, facing more to my left, my feet resting comfortably on the pedals.

And everything was spiked on my drum rug so it was always the same.

[aaajn]

This is a good question. I guess I move in relation to the drum. The throne is always a little off center to my left looking out at the audience. (Beavis and Butthead Action Figures)

I have a tag along question. Is your bass drum level fore and aft. I recently got a small jazz kit and want to set it up correctly with the riser. What do you do as far as the axis from the Beater to the Reso head. Does it need to be perfectly level, slant up or down? Does it matter? I know the angle of the beater head changes the attack of the pedal. This stuff is not as simple or as intuitive for the newer guys. (me)

John

[Davo-London]

My cahonas are so large having the BD straight isn't an option.

Davo

PS obviously I'm joking!

[aaajn]

Originally Posted by Davo-London

My cahonas are so large having the BD straight isn't an option.

Davo

PS obviously I'm joking!

So you have the bass drum straight anyway?