A good drum setup should feel comfortable, balanced and natural. There isn't one "correct" configuration – your height, playing style, handedness and the type of music you play will all affect where you put things.
In this guide, we'll walk you through how to set up a typical acoustic drum kit, including the throne, bass drum, snare, toms, hi-hats, cymbals and kick pedal.
A good drum setup should feel comfortable, balanced and natural. There isn't one "correct" configuration – your height, playing style, handedness and the type of music you play will all affect where you put things.
In this guide, we'll walk you through how to set up a typical acoustic drum kit, including the throne, bass drum, snare, toms, hi-hats, cymbals and kick pedal.
Give yourself plenty of room before you start assembling your kit. You need enough space for the drums, stands and pedals, as well as enough room behind the throne to move comfortably.
A drum mat is also worth considering. It can help prevent your bass drum and pedals from creeping forward while you play, particularly on hard floors.
If you're assembling a new kit for the first time, check the manufacturer's instructions before putting anything together. Some kits arrive with the drums nested inside one another, while others require you to attach tom mounts, legs and other hardware before positioning the drums.
If you've bought a shell pack rather than a complete drum kit, remember that shell packs generally don't include all the hardware, cymbals and pedals you'll need. Andertons stocks a wide range of drum hardware, including stands, hi-hat stands, snare stands, thrones and kick pedals from brands such as Pearl, Tama, Mapex, DW and Gibraltar.
Start with your throne. Everything else in your setup will be positioned around where you sit, so it's worth getting this right first.
Sit on the throne with both feet comfortably on the floor. Your knees should be roughly level with, or slightly lower than, your hips. You should feel balanced rather than perched too high or sitting too low.
There is no single perfect throne height. Some drummers prefer a higher position for a more open leg angle, while others sit lower. Adjust it until you can comfortably reach your pedals and drums without stretching or hunching your shoulders.
For a conventional right-handed setup, position the bass drum directly in front of you.
Make sure the bass drum spurs or legs are pointing forwards and adjust them so the drum sits securely. The bottom of the bass drum should be level with the floor rather than tilted forwards or backwards.
The bass drum should be close enough that you can comfortably operate the pedal without having to reach for it with your leg.
If your kit has a bass drum tom mount, make sure there is enough room to position your rack toms without bringing them too close to you.
Once the bass drum is in position, attach your kick pedal to the centre of the bass drum hoop.
Make sure the clamp is secure, but don't overtighten it. Position the beater so that it strikes around the centre of the bass drum head.
Most modern kick pedals allow you to adjust the beater angle, spring tension and footboard position. Start with the manufacturer's recommended settings and adjust from there.
Place the snare between your knees, slightly to your left in a traditional right-handed setup.
Adjust the snare stand so the playing surface is comfortable to reach. A good starting point is to have the snare around the height of your thighs, but your playing style and technique should ultimately determine the exact position.
Keep the snare relatively flat to begin with. A slight angle can work well, but an extreme angle isn't necessary and can make your playing less comfortable.
Check that you can comfortably play both the centre and rim of the snare without your thighs getting in the way.
Your hi-hat normally sits to the left of the snare in a right-handed setup.
Start by positioning the hi-hat pedal so your left foot can operate it naturally. The snare should sit comfortably between your legs, with enough space between the snare and hi-hat for unrestricted movement.
Once the stand is in position, assemble the clutch and hi-hat cymbals according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Don't clamp the clutch down too tightly. The top cymbal needs enough movement to open and close naturally.
A small gap between the two cymbals when the pedal is released is a good starting point. You can then adjust the gap and pedal feel to suit your playing.
On a typical five-piece kit, you'll have two rack toms and one floor tom. Start with the smaller rack tom and work towards the larger drums.
Your rack toms should sit above the bass drum, angled towards you just enough to make them comfortable to play. Avoid excessive angles – keeping the playing surfaces relatively flat generally makes it easier to move smoothly around the kit.
Position the larger rack tom slightly further to your right.
The floor tom should sit to your right in a traditional right-handed setup. Adjust its legs so the drum is stable and its playing surface is at a comfortable height.
Try to create a smooth movement from snare → small tom → larger tom → floor tom. You shouldn't have to lift your arms excessively or twist your body to reach any of them.
Once your drums are positioned, start adding your cymbal stands.
For a basic setup, you'll normally need stands for your crash and ride cymbals, in addition to the hi-hat stand.
Place your first crash between the hi-hat and the smaller rack tom. It should be easy to reach without having to stretch.
Your ride usually sits to the right of the rack toms, above or just beyond the floor tom.
Adjust each cymbal so that you can strike it naturally. Don't position cymbals excessively high just because they look impressive – lower, more ergonomic positioning can make it easier to play and reduce unnecessary movement.
Boom stands are particularly useful if you need extra reach or want more flexibility when positioning your cymbals. Straight stands can be a great choice when space is limited.
Place the cymbals onto their stands, using the supplied felts, sleeves and washers where appropriate.
Don't tighten the wingnuts down onto the cymbals. Cymbals need room to move when they're played, and allowing them to swing naturally can help prevent unnecessary stress.
Your crash cymbals should be easy to reach with either hand, while the ride should sit in a comfortable position for repeated playing.
There are no hard-and-fast rules here. If you prefer your ride lower, your crashes higher, or your cymbals positioned differently, experiment until you find what works for you.
A conventional right-handed five-piece setup will generally look something like this:
This is only a starting point. Many professional drummers use significantly different configurations depending on their playing style.
If you're left-handed, there's no need to force yourself into a right-handed setup.
The simplest approach is to mirror the traditional setup:
Experiment with the configuration that feels most natural.
There's no such thing as a universally perfect drum setup.
Start with a conventional configuration, then make small changes until everything feels comfortable. Your setup may also evolve as your technique develops.
The most important thing is that you can move around the kit efficiently without having to stretch, twist or reach unnecessarily.
Once everything is positioned correctly, make sure all your stands, pedals, spurs and mounts are secure – then grab your sticks and start playing!
how high should i sit?
Your upper legs should slope slightly downward as this protects your lower back and gives your legs the best chance at producing power for the pedals.
How far away should the bass drum be?
Sit on your throne and place your right foot flat on the pedal. Your lower leg should be perpendicular or angled slightly forward, never tucked back past your knee joint
Why do my toms keep sliding or shaking?
Check that your memory locks are secure and that the tom arms aren’t inserted past their limit inside the bass drum mount or stand clamps.
