Singles and Tom Angles

[XNavyDrummer]

When I saw Gary Novak playing recently, I was intrigued at those amazing singles and the relatively flat angles of his toms. So, I was messing around yesterday with the toms (rack and floors) almost parallel to the floor. To my surprise it was a lot easier to play singles around the kit. It appears that the range of motion for the stick was much greater and works quite well with the Weckl/Gruber/Moeller technique (with match grip).

What has your experience been with optimal tom angles for singles?

[Randy walker]

I play my kit fairly flat, flat cymbals too. My friend Tod Sucherman used to play the kit sitting low and high and now he plays flat and high as well. More comfortable to me.

[buga]

Hey I hear what you're saying and that seems to be the fundamental notion towards "motion"(that rhymes!)...The flatter the toms are angled at, the easier it becomes to "roll around" smoothly(that's the theory behind the "Vert Drums"-I don't know if you've seen them but they look like piccolo's and clamp to boomstands and what not)

Regarding ergonomics my general philosophy is not to have them far away where they could throw me "off balance" and not to have them so close where they lock my arms and wrists.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ July 18, 2003 03:25 PM: Message edited by: Bozzio ]</font>

[palmerlouie]

i often wonder how amazing technicians like thomas lang can sit so high and play with such huge sticks(traditional grip), but play so fast and effortlessly!

for me, i prefer to sit low so i feel "in the kit" or else i feel too attatched from the kit and not "in" what im playing. and people like steve smith do look very uncomfortable and even thomas langs left hand has to reach downwards a little to reach the snare drum. if u play matched, then its no prob.....u could stick all the drums up ur a** and still get round them, but playing traditional it makes setting up the kit, so one can play all sorts of stuff, hard.

[royerin]

I think it's one of those things that is specific to the player. I've experimented with various ways, right now I've flattened them out and it does feel more comfortable....but that may change. Vinnie's had his angled towards him for as far as I can remember and he seems to be able to get around the kit ok... [img]tongue.gif[/img]