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Thomas Lang (foreground above) raised the bar for drummers everywhere with his two hit DVDs, Creative Control and Creative Coordination And Advanced Foot Technique. His solo performances are dazzling and he is in constant demand as a session player, in addition to working as both a producer and writer in LA.

Benny Greb (background above)'s The Language Of Drumming: A System For Musical Expression DVD is a showcase for his ability to make music with the drums. When Rhythm spoke to Benny he had just returned from a huge clinic tour of Asia, spreading his philosophy across the globe.

Both Benny and Thomas possess the enviable ability to turn their hands and feet to a huge range of musical styles, from jazz and fusion to rock and pop and make it all look so easy in the process. So, when Rhythm got face-to-face with these two masters of the kit, they wanted to find out the secrets of their technique and get some handy tips and tricks that you can apply to your drumming.

Tip 1: Set up correctly

What's the most common mistake people make when setting up their drums?

Thomas: "To set the drums up for the viewer so it looks cool from the front rather than for yourself. I know a lot of young drummers make that mistake. Number two would be to set the drums up so that the bass drum is facing the audience straight on, rather than being off to the right if you are a right-handed drummer, because the bass drum is not the centre of the drumset.

"Number three is to try to make the drumset perfectly symmetrical. Another is to sit too low or too high, or to set up the cymbals too far away from the player so you have to play with your arm completely stretched - I see that a lot.

"Whatever you do with your body mechanically has to be within a spherical space. It's not a straight plane, you are moving within a spherical space and your set-up has to reflect that, so whatever is higher on the drumset has to be closer to you."

Benny: "I would say it's that they don't really set it up, bit by bit, in relation to how they sit and to their body, but they set up their kit then sit behind it and see whether it feels right."

Now try this: kit set-up

Benny: "What creates great results is to take your stool, adjust it so it is cool for you, which normally means there is more than a 90° angle between your legs and your spine and between your upper legs and lower legs. Then you set up the snare drum so it is comfortable, then a bass drum where the foot really sits, then a hi-hat where the foot really sits, and so on.

"If you let students do this, it really results in a very natural set-up."

Next: Tip 2: Get a grip

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