So, how much space do I need for a drum set? How big of space would a 5-piece drum set take up? How much space is necessary for an electronic drum set? How do you fit a drum set in a small room? Usually, these are the questions of drum owners that do not have any idea how much space does their drum set take up, and if you are one of them, now you are going to find out.
So, do drums really take up much space? Usually, yes, especially if you have a standard-size drum kit. If you have a drum set in your house, then I am sure that they are usually put in a place where there is still space or even in a vacant room, so you can freely place your drums without damaging anything.
A 5-piece configuration drum set already takes up much space, then imagine when you make it a 6-piece by adding a floor tom or make it a 7-piece set up by adding two floor toms, then it would really take too much space that maybe your house is not ready yet.
Imagine if you put those drum sets by legendary drummers like Mike Mangini, Phil Collins, Terry Bozzio, and many more in your home. I am sure that would really be a massive problem for you, as these drummers are known to have the most extensive drum setups in the industry.
If you are planning to buy a drum set for your home, the likely options would be a junior-sized drum set, a compact drum kit, a 4-piece configuration, a 5-piece configuration, a 6-piece setup, or a 7-piece drum kit. These configurations would likely be the ones you will see in almost all music stores and will be the main focus of our calculations.
How Much Space Does A Drum Set Take Up?
Junior Drum Sets
Junior drum sets are specifically made for kids who would still be uncomfortable playing in a bigger standard-sized drum set. They all come in smaller sizes, perfect for all kids who are still learning how to play the drums. They are not the best-sounding drum kits, but they are the cheapest, which is why many parents love to buy them as a gift for their son or daughter.
These kits usually come with a snare drum, a bass drum, a rack tom, a floor tom, and a 3-piece cymbal setup. They also come with a hi-hat stand, a snare drum stand, a cymbal stand, and a drum throne. They usually take up space with a breadth of 35 inches and a width of 38 inches. These figures are only averages.
Compact-Sized Drum Sets
Compact-sized drum sets are purposely made for those drummers who frequently travel and bring their drum kits wherever they may be. If you are a traveling musician, it is typical that you would still prefer to use your own gear, and compact instruments like these drum sets take advantage of the situation. These kits are larger compared to those junior sets but smaller compared to the regular-sized kits.
A compact-sized drum set usually comes with a snare drum, bass drum, rack tom, floor tom, a 3-piece cymbal set, a hi-hat stand, a cymbal stand, a snare stand, and a drum throne. These drum sets usually take up a breadth and width of 30 inches and 45 inches, respectively. Note that the dimensions are only an average figure and are not really the exact data.
4-Piece Drum Set
A 4-piece configuration for a drum kit is one of the most basic setups you can see in music stores. These drum sets come with standard-sized drum shells, which are perfect for practice or performance use. Every price range for drum kits always come with a 4-piece configuration. This setup is usually preferred by drummers who do not want many toms in their setup.
These drum sets usually come with a regular-sized bass drum, snare drum, rack tom, floor tom, cymbal stands, snare stand, and a drum throne. These drum sets usually take up a breadth and width of 48 inches and 60 inches, respectively.
5-Piece Drum Set
A 4-piece and a 5-piece configuration usually take up the same space, but if your 5-piece drum set does have two floor toms and only one rack tom, then this is another story. This setup is known as a one-up, two-down setup. It is a unique setup for a 5-piece configuration, but many drummers prefer to have this setup.
For a one-up, two-down 5-piece configuration, it usually comes with a bass drum, snare drum, rack tom, two floor toms, snare stand, cymbal stands, and a drum throne. These drum setups usually take up a breadth of 72 inches and a width of 48 inches, respectively. These figures are only averages, but it would still change if the second tom is larger than the usual sizes.
Expanded Drum Sets
Expanded drum sets are those kits that have a 6-piece configuration and above. These drum kits really take colossal space, but many drummers still prefer this setup, especially rock drummers. If you go to a music store, you can still see some 6-piece and 7-piece configurations, but most companies produce add-on toms, snares, and bass drums if you prefer to have a huge drum kit like those from Phil Collins’ concerts.
An expanded drum set comes with a bass drum, snare drum, two rack toms, and two floor toms. Some setups even have three rack toms, three floor toms, two snare drums, or two bass drums. These drum sets take up a breadth and length of 48 inches and 88 inches, respectively. These figures are only for 6-piece and 7-piece configurations, and it can still increase if you add another piece from the setup.
How Much Space Do You Need For An Electronic Drum Set?
Electronic drum sets are a great option if you only have a small space in your house for your drum kit. It is not loud also, as the sound will only go through your headphones or a drum amplifier. Drummers prefer to have electronic drum sets for practicing, but more and more e-drums have been introduced nowadays, which can already be used for professional playing.
An electronic drum usually takes up a breadth and width of 28 inches and 33 inches, respectively. Usually, you can still have some add-ons, but they still do not take much space compared to an acoustic drum set.
How Do You Fit A Drum To A Small Room?
The best way for a drum to fit in a small room so that you can also play comfortably is to downsize it. It would be better if you turned it into a 4-piece or 5-piece configuration to avoid scratching your kit. You can also use a compact-sized drum kit or even an electronic drum set, as they take up smaller spaces. Use boom arms also rather than straight cymbal stands.
So, how much space do I need for a drum set? It really depends on what is the configuration of your drum set, or is it even a compact-sized or an electronic drum set, but usually they take up smaller spaces compared to a regular-sized acoustic drum set.
