Want to play around the drum kit really, really fast? Keep your drums set up in a very tight and balanced “playing” zone. Whether, your playing a little jazz kit, or a huge, solo percussion symphony orchestra, playing your drums ought to be as ergonomic as driving your car or operating a computer, everything you need within comfortable reach.

None of your cymbals or drums should be either too high or too low. Think of positioning your drums in two or three fields where a single arm position can reach every drum within the field by simply pivoting slightly to the right or left.

I have snare, floor tom, and left hand tom or optional snare in one filed, hi-hat, toms, ride cymbal and right hand hi-hats, in the second field, cymbals in the third field. I can move around all the drums in a field by pivoting slightly and move from one filed to the next by moving my arms forward or back slightly.

Reaching outside of this playing zone to strike a drum that is really out of reach can through off your balance, timing, the groove, and will definitely slow down your playing.