When it comes to drumming, one of the key fundamentals you need to perfect is your sitting position. If your posture and sitting position are incorrect, this can lead to back pain.
Sitting incorrectly can affect your ability to play the drums, especially if your throne is sitting at the incorrect height, and is too high or low. This is because you cannot reach the different parts of the drum kit with ease.
When you’re sitting at a drum kit, it’s paramount you’re using a drum throne that’s made specifically for drumming. Thrones are easy to adjust, and allow you to be in the correct drumming stance, and position.
A regular chair isn’t suitable for drumming. You’ll want to place the throne at a good distance away from the drum set. You don’t want to be too close. But, you need to be close enough to reach all the cymbals, snares, and pedals with no issues.
Ideally, you need to avoid stretching to reach the cymbals. This will encourage bad posture. You will want to be sitting upright with a straight back. The drum set will then be within your natural reach.
When sitting at the drum set, you should never slouch. This encourages poor posture. The throne should be placed at a height where you can place both feet on the floor flat, and comfortably.
Your knees should be below your waist and not above it, at a comfortable angle. If your knees are too high, this will be uncomfortable, and won’t allow you to have the correct sitting position.
The drum pedals should be placed where your feet are. This will allow you to access them quickly and easily, without having to shift the position of your body.
How high should you sit at a drum kit?
When it comes to the height of your drum kit, this will vary depending on your height and reach. It will also vary, depending on how high the drum kit is set.
You’ll want to ensure you’re sitting in a position where your two feet are comfortably touching the floor. Your hips should be above your knees, and you shouldn’t struggle to reach the floor or pedals.
A common mistake beginners make is to overcompensate by adjusting their throne too high, to match the drum set. However, you should do the opposite of this. Instead of raising the throne, if your drum set is too high, you’ll want to adjust it to the correct level instead.
While it’s easier to adjust the throne to match the drum set, this leads to poor posture, which makes drumming more difficult and uncomfortable. It can also cause issues with your lower back.
The ideal position for a drum set is for the snare drum to be inline with your lower stomach, and around 2 inches above the knees. This ensures that you can reach the snare, pedals, and the other aspects of your drum set with no issues.
Having your throne in the correct position is more ergonomic, and helps prevent you from having to strain. It places you in a position where drumming will feel more natural.
How do I make my drum throne more comfortable?
When it comes to drum thrones, it’s important that they’re firm and secure. This is to ensure you have the correct support for your back, and body.
However, it's common knowledge that drum thrones are not the most comfortable, especially when used for longer periods. Given this, there are a handful of things you can do to help a drum throne feel more comfortable while drumming.
Position
The first thing you’ll want to ensure is that the drum throne is adjusted to the correct position. You should be able to place your two feet on the ground comfortably, and your knees should be below your hips.
This will make the throne more comfortable, and ergonomic. The throne should sit at a good distance away from the drum kit too.
Purchasing A New Throne
If adjusting the position doesn’t help to improve the comfort of the throne, you should consider purchasing a new throne. While this isn’t the cheapest option, it’s so important to invest in a good throne.
When you take into consideration how long you’ll be sitting on the throne, you’ll want it to be as comfortable as possible. There are many options available that are not too expensive to purchase.
If your drum throne is particularly worn, or if it is wobbly, you will need to look into purchasing a new one. This will help to prevent discomfort and back pain in the long run.
How do you adjust the height of a drum seat?
How the height is adjusted will differ depending on the type of throne you have. The majority of drum thrones are adjusted using a thumbscrew.
The thumbscrew can be tough to loosen at first, especially if it’s a new throne. However, over time it’ll become easier to adjust. Once it’s been loosened after twisting, you can move the throne up and down to find the most comfortable position.
Some drum thrones require you to remove and re-secure bolts. This can be more difficult to adjust in comparison to a thumbscrew. But, on the whole, the screws are fairly easy to loosen.
Summary
We hope this article has helped to provide you with a better understanding of how you should sit at a drum set. You should always sit in a position that’s both ergonomic and comfortable.
Sitting in the correct position will help to ensure that you can maintain the correct posture while drumming, which is vital. In addition to this, it allows you to reach the drum kit easily, without having to strain or stretch.
You should always ensure that your drum throne and kit are set at the correct height, and are comfortable to use. If the throne is causing discomfort after it has been adjusted, we would recommend replacing it.