I’m a drummer living in a tiny New York City apartment. Here’s how I fit 2 adults, 1 dog, and a drum kit in my 500-square-foot apartment.

I’ve been drumming for as long as I can remember, and I started playing drums in rock bands when I moved to NYC in 2019. I’ve played with various bands in venues from Manhattan to Brooklyn and Queens, and I’m currently in a band called “Blanket Approval” that plays shows every couple of weeks. So I need access to drums pretty much every day to either practice or play a gig.

But I also live in a tiny Brooklyn apartment. According to my lease, it’s technically a 1. 5-bedroom, but it has two tiny rooms in addition to the main bedroom, kitchen, and living spaces.

I use one of the tiny spaces as a guest room, and the other is my dog Miley’s room. There isn’t ample space for drumming, but I’ve made it work by downsizing and practicing elsewhere. According to Drumming Basics , a blog started by a musician to share what she’s learned about drumming, the average full-size acoustic drum kit takes up about 20 square feet of space.

Drum kits typically include a kick drum and pedal, a floor tom, one or two rack toms, a snare drum, three or four cymbals, stands for each cymbal, and the snare drum. That’s a lot of parts to worry about storing and lugging around. My band practices in a space we rent with a handful of other bands.

It has a shared kick drum, toms, and stands, which make up the bulk of a drum kit, so I don’t have to worry about lugging these to practice. I’ve practiced in six spaces since moving to NYC, and all of them included a shared drum kit where drummers only need to bring their own snare and cymbals. My band’s portion of the rent is currently $125 a month, which I think is a steal considering NYC’s skyrocketing rental prices .

When it comes to playing shows, different venues have different backlines, or musical gear that is provided. I’ve played at about a dozen venues since moving to New York — from Our Wicked Lady’s rooftop stage in Brooklyn to Mercury Lounge on the Lower East Side — and every single one has provided a kick drum, toms, and a snare stand. So I don’t bother owning my own.

I use my electric kit to practice at home because it’s quieter and takes up less space than an acoustic kit. I keep the kit in the guest room because it fits perfectly between the wall and the bed along with my electric guitar and amp. The electric kit takes up nine square feet.

Because this isn’t my main practice time with the band, I don’t often feel the need to plug in my electric kit. Practicing on my unplugged kit helps me build muscle memory more than anything else. Keeping the cords hidden makes the space look much clearer.

I keep the parts of an acoustic drum kit I need for practice and playing NYC venues under my bed. That way, they don’t take up any floor space in my apartment. Having an acoustic kit of my own would be a dream.

It would give my band the freedom to put together shows outside of venues with backlines. Plus, I would know I had a reliable kit that fits my style for every show, rather than making it work with a different kit each night. But for now, my downsized storage system works just fine in this apartment.

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