New drummers who are wondering how high your drum throne should be, here’s a quick guide.
In short, adjust the height of your drum throne so that both your feet can be rested on the floor (or on your pedals) comfortably. If you have to tip toes, your drum throne is too high. You may need to lower the height of your drum kit if that’s the lowest your drum throne can go.
Previously, I’d written about 4 ways you can prevent lower back pain, as well as shared my picks on the best drum thrones for drummers with back problems.
However, the question “how high should my drum throne be” keeps popping up.
So, here’s my attempt to help you find the ideal height for your set up:
3 ways to determine the ideal height of your drum throne
Here’re two quick ways to determine how high your drum throne should be.
1 – Are you comfortable?
Before we look at your drumming set up, make sure you are comfortable on your drum throne. No, you should not be so comfortable to the point where you can fall asleep on the throne.
However, you should be able to seat on the throne for long periods (up to an hour, would be a good gauge).
There should be no pain or aches on your butt or tailbone.
2 – Check the position of your feet
Next, adjust the height of your drum throne such that both feet can rest flat on the floor or on your pedals, no tippy toes.
If your drum throne is set too high, most of your weight will be supported by your thighs instead. Seating in this position for a longer period may lead to the experience of pins and needles or a tingling feeling in your feet. This is mostly due to the lack of blood circulation.
Make sure both your feet can rest flat on a surface.
Some may recommend that your knees be at a 90 to 100 degree angle. I find that in general if both your feet can rest flat on the floor, you’re in a good angle zone.
Note: It is common for shorter children to experience this as adult sized drum thrones may not be low enough for them. You may want to find ways to elevate the pedals for them, or invest in a drum throne for kids.
P.S. This also holds true when you’re working on a desk! (don’t blame the drums if your work desk is not set up right!)
3 – Adjust the height of your snare drum!
This step is included because most drummers would instinctively adjust the height of their drum thrones to suit the height of the snare drum. This is wrong!
You should be adjusting the snare drum height to suit the height of your drum throne instead. The drummer before you could have been 6″5 for all you know, so don’t just accept the pre-set height!
How height your snare drum is really depends on your drumming style. But a good range to start is to have your snare drum adjusted to a height that’s between your thighs and your belly button.
Remember, everytime you seat behind a new drum kit, adjust the drum throne height first to allow both feet on the ground. Then adjust the snare drum height to suit your seating height!
Importance of getting your drum set up right
Seating too low or too high behind your drum kit can lead to back aches and in the long run, serious back problems.
If left uncorrected, bad posture during drumming can lead to aches in the shoulders as well.
Parting thoughts
I don’t see myself as a professional drummer, however as a hobbyist I would urge you to pay a little more attention to your set up, especially if you’re already experiencing back aches.
Drumming should be fun and a long term hobby, let’s reduce our exposure to bad posture and potential injuries! Be safe folks!
P.S. I’m also not a medical professional. If you’re experiencing pain while drumming, please do consult your doctor!
P.P.S. stop adjusting the height of your drum throne to suit the preset snare drum height. Always customize the drum kit to your seating height instead!
