Drummers who play with their toms flat?

[Steech]

I like mine like this. Only slightly higher than the snare and almost completely flat. Easier to play for me.

 

[Frank Godiva]

Get rim shots on the toms
Makes for unique accents
Got to get over and on top of em like Ginger

 

[5 Style]

Get rim shots on the toms
Makes for unique accents
Got to get over and on top of em like Ginger

View attachment 550601

That "rimshots on the toms" thing is cool and something that I've noticed that very few drummers do. I know that Brain Blade does a bit of that too, but I can't really think of who else. I can kind of do that but I haven't really figured out how to incorporate it into what I do so it isn't really part of my style. Then again the more that I play, the less it seems that I play the toms at all! In my band, which plays original material so I can play stuff however I see fit, I play whole songs that maybe only have a couple of fills where I play just a couple of strokes on one of my two toms...

 

[bpaluzzi]

Flat toms are much better to play on, from a rebound / stroke perspective.

Is your snare angled? Is your floor tom?

Are timpani? Xylophones? Quads?

There’s a reason for that.

 

[Steech]

That "rimshots on the toms" thing is cool and something that I've noticed that very few drummers do. I know that Brain Blade does a bit of that too, but I can't really think of who else. I can kind of do that but I haven't really figured out how to incorporate it into what I do so it isn't really part of my style. Then again the more that I play, the less it seems that I play the toms at all! In my band, which plays original material so I can play stuff however I see fit, I play whole songs that maybe only have a couple of fills where I play just a couple of strokes on one of my two toms...

I do tons of rimshots on that 10” tom and love the sound and feel but also need to retune it after a while as it puts a lot of additional stress on the lugs closest to me. Not a big deal, though.

I noticed that Benny Greb sets up his kit in a similar way and does the occasional tom rimshot.

 

[Frank Godiva]

 

[Frank Godiva]

Another advantage of a flat tom is the ability to get under it and to use up strokes. It’s kinda hard to describe, but Freddie Gruber shows how it’s done. Can be used on drums or cymbals; which is another reason to place your cymbals flat as well

 

[Trilock_Gurtu]

Come on, people...

 

[Grooovepig]

Low and flat works when you sit high up and tower over them. I had to photoshop this pic in order to comply with DFO community standards.

 

[Pat A Flafla]

Come on, people...

View attachment 550606
View attachment 550607

That's who I thought of when I read the thread title. I always wondered if it was a way of forcing himself to slow down tom work for more of a stadium rock style. You know, maybe the lack of ergonomics helps him resist the urge to go all prog chops.
But seriously, I've never understood why they were set up like that.

 

[bassanddrum84]

I can tell ya I never have stick dimples on my heads from playing flat. I’m hitting the head with the taper easier. I have a very weird setup. I play everything flat and my cymbals are low. So low I take dw stands close the legs and cut the tube between the top of the legs and first insert so when they close they go to the bottom of that insert. If that makes sense

 

[Pat A Flafla]

I can tell ya I never have stick dimples on my heads from playing flat. I’m hitting the head with the taper easier. I have a very weird setup. I play everything flat and my cymbals are low. So low I take dw stands close the legs and cut the tube between the top of the legs and first insert so when they close they go to the bottom of that insert. If that makes sense

I set up really low and as flat as I can. I think the weird thing here is when people set up *high* and flat.

 

[bassanddrum84]

I set up really low and as flat as I can. I think the weird thing here is when people set up *high* and flat.

Ya the lower the better for me I’ll get a pic of my setup

 

[DrummerJustLikeDad]

I blame Travis Barker for starting this...

It goes back a little further than that.

I blame Barney Rubble.

 

[bassanddrum84]

Pic of my setup. And a pic of my cymbal stand. Cut down as short as it will go. I’ve always played like this. And love it. This is my at home set my gigging kit is just as low. My rule of thumb for me is I don’t like the top of my snare higher then the kick drum hoop.

 

[Sequimite]

My set up is like Steech except that I move my bass drum to the right so that two rack toms are less than an inch from each other and no more than two inches above my snare.

 

[5 Style]

Low and flat works when you sit high up and tower over them. I had to photoshop this pic in order to comply with DFO community standards.
View attachment 550613

In that photo though it doesn't seem like SC is sitting up all that high. His thigh isn't exactly parallel to the floor, but neither is it at a really sharp downward angle. Ringo on the other hand is someone who sat REALLY high. I sat up higher too for years, but then I realized that I could have better control with my bass drum (and better tone by not burying the beater) by playing heel down and felt more stable bouncing my left foot on the height when I want to play eighth notes on that by sitting lower. I feel like sitting up high it’s really difficult to be busy with both the hats and bass drum and still not feel wobbly...

 

[cruddola]

Every drummer develops their own workflow. All my drums are almost rim to rim in distance and same top height. My snare's to the tom is but an inch. My floor tom's top is as high as my snare. Yamaha's HexRack guarantees a perfect fit. All excess of hat rods are cut off. Nothing gets in the way. All my cymbals are set up on an even level. No stinking snare stand or bass spurs either as they are suspended.

I'm a firm believer in eliminating excess reach and economic movement. No ape-hanging drums for me. No hat stands either. I use cable hats no matter the size of the kit either. The top of my snare is 2-3 inches above my lap. My legs are slightly more than a 90-degree bend. I don't sit low either. The snare is right close to me, almost making contact to my lower belly. On the 4th pic you can see how high my stool is set. I'm 5-11.

I've included a couple of pics on what I've used unchanged in 30 years.

 

[bassanddrum84]

Every drummer develops their own workflow. All my drums are almost rim to rim in distance and same top height. My snare's to the tom is but an inch. My floor tom's top is as high as my snare. Yamaha's HexRack guarantees a perfect fit. All excess of hat rods are cut off. Nothing gets in the way. All my cymbals are set up on an even level. No stinking snare stand or bass spurs wither as they are suspended.

I'm a firm believer in eliminating excess reach and economic movement. No ape-hanging drums for me. No hat stands either. I use cable hats no matter the size of the kit either. The top of my snare is 2-3 inches above my lap. My legs are slightly more than a 90-degree bend. I don't sit low either. On the last pic you can see how high my stool is set. I'm 5-11.

I've included a couple of pics on what I've used unchanged in 30 years.

I’ve always thought setups like this were cool minus reach that far to the left for the hats.

 

[Steech]

I’ve always thought setups like this were cool minus reach that far to the left for the hats.

It’s great if you (can) play open handed though!