Drummer taking too long to set up

[coffee_king]

Hey all

I don't mean to moan at all drummers, but how long does your drummer take to get set up?

Mine takes like 45 mins to an hour and its really doing my head in.

We're only a three piece (He uses kick, snare, 2 toms, hihats, ride and about 4 crashes) but by the time the drummers set up myself and my guitarist can get ALL of our gear set up, and the PA, and all the lighting.

I know drummers have "More gear" to set up than any other member but I really do think 45 mins to 1 hour is excessive.

I'm probably on the wrong type of forum here, but I'd love to know how your drummer sets up and how long it takes them?

I think what also annoys me is the contact banging of the snare. Yes, I realise he needs to get the height and the angle right but surely this doesnt take 3-4 minutes each time he adds a piece of drum equipment.

My guitarist and I dont even make a sound from our amps or the PA until we're ready to sound check.

Again though I realise he has to get it all "Into position"

Maybe I just need to understand drummers more?

[Guest MoJo]

'As long as we've got' is the honest answer. If we've got 45 minutes to set up, it'll take him 45 minutes. If we've got an hour and a half, it'll take him an hour and a half. I think it's a ploy to get out of helping set up the lights and PA

[skywalker]

About 10 minutes for ours, he is always ready first.

[UglyDog]

Mine takes 20 minutes tops, and that's with a bigger kit than your bloke's too. If it's taking him an hour, he's doing something wrong.

[Guest MoJo]

[quote name='skywalker' timestamp='1403611736' post='2484415']
About 10 minutes for ours, he is always ready first.
[/quote]

Kick, snare, hi-hat?

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='MoJo' timestamp='1403611673' post='2484413']
...I think it's a ploy to get out of helping set up the lights and PA
[/quote]

It'll be this....

Edited June 24, 2014 by CamdenRob

[icastle]

Ours gets to the venue 30 minutes before the rest of us do and he's just about finished by then.

There's nothing worse than trying to set up around a pile of half assembled scaffolding.

[Skybone]

Ever tried helping him get the drums set up?

You could help load in, get stands up & place cymbals so he can get them set up for him, you could get drums & cymbals out of cases, hi-hat stand etc, etc. While he's faffing about getting them all into position, you can set your gear up.

Being in a band is a team effort after all, so if everyone pulls together as a team, all good for the "common cause", which is why you are all in a rehearsal room together in the first place... surely?

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='Skybone' timestamp='1403612569' post='2484435']
Being in a band is a team effort after all, so if everyone pulls together as a team, all good for the "common cause", which is why you are all in a rehearsal room together in the first place... surely?
[/quote]

Communist...

[Dad3353]

My kit is a pretty standard 5-piece with 6 cymbals, including hi-hats, 7 stands, including snare and hi-hats. All drums are in soft cases, cymbals in a flight case. 'Normal' set-up time..? 10-15 minutes. That being said, I'm no longer as fit as in the past, and get very quickly out of breath, so sit down between stuff. Of late, it's Tom, our youngest, who plays bass, who carries on with me once he's set up (about 2 minutes for him, as we're 'plug an'play where bass is concerned...), so I now have some help. Unless tuning the drums is involved, there's no reason for taking longer than 20 minutes or so. With tuning adjustments, no more than 30 minutes.
I'd say you're being scammed by a shyster, or he has no mechanical knowledge and wastes his time turning the cymbal wing nuts the wrong way.
Next rehearsal, get him to build and strip down his kit to a timer and see where he's going wrong and/or needs help.
Hope this helps

[cheddatom]

Well, first off, it is a bastard being a drummer. Imagine each time you come to play your bass you have to fit the neck, set the truss rod, string it, file the nut, intonate the bridge etc. This is honestly what it feels like some times, so a degree of understanding must be afforded

Having said that, I regularly set up a similar kit in 10 minutes. I have to keep tweaking the height of the snare and other stuff in between songs as it's never right first time. He obviously wants to get it 100% right before he starts playing, which is fair enough, if you have that luxury.

I'd rather put up with the frustration of tweaking during the set than I would put everyone through a 45 minute set-up

[ead]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1403612750' post='2484441']
Next rehearsal, get him to build and strip down his kit to a timer and see where he's going wrong and/or needs help.
Hope this helps
[/quote]

Yeah, work study. We can then time all drummers and get a benchmark set up time for any piece of kit.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1403612802' post='2484443']
I'd rather put up with the frustration of tweaking during the set than I would put everyone through a 45 minute set-up
[/quote]

I'd rather that a drummer got everything right before we start playing. IMO there's nothing more unprofessional looking that musicians adjusting their kit during the set. Plus it can ruin the flow of the songs, which is what the audience really wants.

[Marc S]

[quote name='Skybone' timestamp='1403612569' post='2484435']
Ever tried helping him get the drums set up?

You could help load in, get stands up & place cymbals so he can get them set up for him, you could get drums & cymbals out of cases, hi-hat stand etc, etc. While he's faffing about getting them all into position, you can set your gear up.

Being in a band is a team effort after all, so if everyone pulls together as a team, all good for the "common cause", which is why you are all in a rehearsal room together in the first place... surely?
[/quote]

+ 1 to this
Yes drummers do have lots of gear to set up
Ours is pretty quick - it takes him around 20+ mins, with a large kit

I usually arrive for rehearsals at the same time as the drummer
some would say it's the only time we are actually in time with each other
But I always help him set up & dismantle, where I can.....

Just carting the stands in & out of the car and setting them up takes a good while

In my experience, it's usually the guitarist who arrives last
and avoids having to help the drummer! lol

Lend him a hand, and see how that goes......

[ahpook]

[quote name='Skybone' timestamp='1403612569' post='2484435']
Ever tried helping him get the drums set up?
[/quote]

Plus the one.

I've always helped the dummer in bands I've been in to set up, mainly cos I'm usually first to finish setting up and it's a mare of a job rigging the drum kit.

Just getting stands out and opening them up is a help, even if the drummer wants to position them...help tidy away cases as they're finished with...that sort of thing.

[Dad3353]

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1403612802' post='2484443']
Well, first off, it is a bastard being a drummer. Imagine each time you come to play your bass you have to fit the neck, set the truss rod, string it, file the nut, intonate the bridge etc. This is honestly what it feels like some times, so a degree of understanding must be afforded

Having said that, I regularly set up a similar kit in 10 minutes. I have to keep tweaking the height of the snare and other stuff in between songs as it's never right first time. He obviously wants to get it 100% right before he starts playing, which is fair enough, if you have that luxury.

I'd rather put up with the frustration of tweaking during the set than I would put everyone through a 45 minute set-up
[/quote]

Disclaimer: It's true that I've had over 40 years to get to know how to set up quickly, every time, to my satisfaction, and not have to 'tweak' at all, ever. It's been said: setting up even a standard kit is not simple, nor very exciting. It's mostly a chore (as is tearing it down...). I'd just as much prefer to cable the PA or lights instead. Try swapping places with the lad, and see which [i]you [/i]prefer..?

Edited June 24, 2014 by Dad3353

[Dr.Dave]

[quote name='shippo' timestamp='1403611326' post='2484407']
We're only a three piece (He uses kick, snare, 2 toms, hihats, ride and about 4 crashes) but by the time the drummers set up myself and my guitarist can get ALL of our gear set up, and the PA, and all the lighting.


Maybe I just need to understand drummers more?
[/quote] You've time to go and help him then , I'm sure that would lead to you understanding the problem he faces more - and I'm certain he'd swap his set up routine for yours if he could. Our drummer , Martyn . takes 30 or 40 mins to set up after arriving , rushed , later than us as he works in a pretty heavy job till gone six. After the gig he tears down in about 5 mins flat before carrying the heaviest stuff out while we're still coiling leads - then goes home for his tea ! Horse of a man , our Martyn.

Edited June 24, 2014 by Dr.Dave

[BILL POSTERS]

If you and the guitar player set up first so he has to wait for you, he'll have less time available. Do you think that might get him to hurry up a bit ?

Never heard of Parkinsons law ?

[KevB]

Yeah we usually help get all the cases out of the way as he's setting up in our lot. Probably takes him 20min max. I find it hopeless trying to work around a half assembled kit in a confined performing space (which is often in our situation) so if I'm there first I'll get my basic backline into position and leave it alone until he's set up or if he's before me I wait and sort out his empty cases (I'm getting better at the 'russian doll' thing) then I set my rig up once he's done. We always seem to have at least a half hour to wait after soundcheck before being expected to perform so there's really no rush. 45-60 min sounds a long time to get organised to me.

[UglyDog]

[quote name='BILL POSTERS' timestamp='1403613894' post='2484466']
Never heard of Parkinsons law ?
[/quote]
Is that the law that states: "As a chat-show host gets closer to retirement, the probability of his appearing in a life insurance/funeral plan advert on daytime telly approaches 1"..?

[cheddatom]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1403613074' post='2484449']
I'd rather that a drummer got everything right before we start playing. IMO there's nothing more unprofessional looking that musicians adjusting their kit during the set. Plus it can ruin the flow of the songs, which is what the audience really wants.
[/quote]

It depends on the gig. For my folk gig there's a lot of talking between songs so I have time to raise my snare a mm or two. For my reggae gig the DJ spends more time switching vinyl records than I do tweaking. For my rock gig, if the songs flow into one another, I wouldn't dream of stopping a transition just to adjust my snare, but as soon as I get the chance I will do. I don't think it looks unprofessional.

I think it could be compared to tuning in between songs. Not something that every bassist does, but you should probably check your tuning (on mute) every few songs or so. Especially the guitarist. Is it unprofessional for a guitarist to tune in between songs? I don't think so, but maybe your set is all worked out to flow seamlessly with no gaps?

[discreet]

[quote name='UglyDog' timestamp='1403614292' post='2484475']
Is that the law that states: "As a chat-show host gets closer to retirement, the probability of his appearing in a life insurance/funeral plan advert on daytime telly approaches 1"..?
[/quote]

Yes, but think of the peace of mind that comes from knowing your loved ones will get a Parker pen when you're gone.

[discreet]

Our drummer takes ages - about fifteen minutes, but given that it's a hired rehearsal room kit that's ready to go and all he has to do is get his snare and cymbals set up, I think it's too long. I bypass any frustration by turning up just as he's making his final adjustments. In the time it takes for me to set up, we're ready to go.

In my view drummers should arrive before everyone else if they want to fanny around, but as ours relies on the guitarist for a lift that's not going to happen! I don't moan about it too much because he's a good drummer and I don't want to piss him off...

PS: What are all these drummers doing on a bass forum, anyway??

Edited June 24, 2014 by discreet

[Mornats]

I've been to loads of gigs to watch my dad drum and of course play in a band myself now too and I reckon around 15-20 mins to set up. I always help the drummer with their gear from the van, unboxing it or whatever else they'll let me do. I guess my dad conditioned me to it from an early age! So I've always taken the attitude that the drummer has the most gear so help the chap or chapess out and cart some of their gear for them.

[AntLockyer]

Memory locks on my stands mean I can be done in 10 minutes. It always shocks me how slow people are in most situations. I have my bass stuff setup in about 2 minutes.