Difficulty Level: Average / Time Required: 2 Hours 1st time only
You Will Need:
- Duct or Gaffer Tape
- Black Felt Tip Marker
Here’s how:
- First, make sure you’re happy with your current setup. Adjust your drums so everything feels comfortable and within reach. Check out professional drummer setups for ideas.
- Study your gear carefully. Decide what you will have to take apart or fold up to transport to a gig. The less you must reassemble, the faster your setup.
- At your preset height, use a felt tip marker to mark a ring around each adjustable stand that will have to be broken down; Including cymbals, snare, etc.
- If you use holders that attach to your bass drum rim (for cowbells, etc…), place a strip of tape along the top of the bass rim on one side of the holder and fold it underneath the rim.
- Add a second strip of tape to the bass drum rim on the opposite side of the holder. When you set up, you can now position the holder easily between the 2 strips of tape.
- Mark your tom holders the same way, using either felt tip marker or tape. Any adjustable gear that will be broken down should have an instant setup mark on it.
- The most time consuming part of drum setup is the positioning of the drums and stands in relation to one another. To help with this, we’ll borrow a technique called spiking.
- Spiking is used in the theater and refers to the markings on the stage where scenery will go. You can use it to mark where your drums and stands go.
- While some pros carry their own pre-spiked plywood drum platform around with them, most of us don’t have that luxury. To do it on the cheap, use indoor-outdoor carpet.
- Buy a piece of indoor-outdoor carpet big enough for your entire drum set, including the throne. Set your gear up exactly where you want it.
- Mark the position of all stands, bass drum spurs, and drum throne with the marker and/or tape on the indoor/outdoor carpet.
- Your carpet serves a dual purpose: It not only helps you make faster setups, but prevents your bass and sock cymbal from sliding away from you as you play.
Tiger Tips:
- Try to get away with the least amount of adjustments that you can when setting up and breaking down. Mark anything that must be adjusted during setup.
- Your indoor-outdoor carpet can be rolled up for easy carry and optimum storage. I use a bungee cord to keep mine from unraveling.
- Once you’ve got everything marked and your trusty indoor-outdoor carpet in hand, your entire setup and breakdown should be take less than 15 minutes.
Until next time, have fun and stay loose!
–Tiger Bill
