Air Drummin'
Ready.....AIR DRUM!! That’s right airdrum. With out the drums in front of you, your body will find the most natural way to move. The body knows the most natural way to move, that is why when we walk, we don’t lift our knees up to waist like a marching band. Rather when we walk our legs and ankles and feet move in a smooth forward motion with little effort. Now that you are AIR DRUMMING, watch where your hands go, they will find the height and angle that is comfortable. This should be the height and angle of your drums IN FRONT OF YOU.
That’s right your drums should be in front of you. If you were asked to pick something up and put it down several time in a row, you wouldn’t reach sideways......you would face the item and lift it up and down while it was in front of you. You will exhaust your energy by placing parts of your dumset far out to he side and reaching for them.
Add the Basic Four
Now that your body had found where it is comfortable, start bringing some drums in. Start with your bass drum and hi hat. Put the pedals under your feet where they were when you were air drumming. Now that the bass and hi hat are there do some more air drumming this time using the bass and hi hat. Do your movements still feel natural? Good. Add your snare and ride cymbal. I ask that you start with these parts because they are the most used. I’ve played entire nights with these four pieces of a drum kit.
Now play on. Play all the things you normally do and when you have to do a fill, airdrum the toms. When you add the toms it may help to have someone with you hold the angle and height before you lock the drum in place.
Music Type?
Other things to consider. What type of music are you playing. If your playing more rock, keep your hi hat in the best natural place, if your going to play jazz and blues keep the ride cymbal in te most natural place.
If I know I’ll be playing a lot of swing (blues and jazz) , I will remove my second tom and place the ride cymbal in its’ place where I can work it with ease. Consider also if you need to mic your drums. If your cymbals are too close to the toms there may not be room for microphones to be placed on the drum kit.
Within Reach
A final thought. When you feel you have set your drums up in the best natural position for yourself, do this: put the sticks down and you should be able to touch every piece on the set with your hand. If this is the case, when you pick up the sticks any movement to any part of the drumset should come from your elbows. You won’t need to make any huge movements to get around the drums. Have fun and watch your drumming begin to grow with your new set up!
Ian Phillips has been playing for almost thirty years and teaching for over fifteen in the New England area. As a club drummer Ian began gigging at age seventeen and soon earned a reputation as a hired gun for bands from Bangor to Boston. After teaching for local music stores Ian opened his own practice in the White Mountain area of New Hampshire, where students are offered many different ways to find their unique voice on the drums. Ian's website is: www.drumway.com
