Ok just to let you know i am not snaredrummer 12 but his brother so sorry about that...but i recently got 4th bass and today when we had percussion camp after about 5 hours my back got freakin killer sore. what can i do to help with this so it isnt so bad anymore. because i might just die at band camp. oh yea and im kinda small like......5'4.

It'll get better once you build up your back muscles. And honestly, the most effective way to do that is to wear the drum. In the meantime, try to grin and bear it. I was bottom bass my first year in high school and I was smaller than you. It'll hurt for a while, but you'll live.

Whatever you do, make sure you stand with good posture when wearing the drum. Leaning may temporarily make things feel better, but it can cause problems if you keep doing it.

After a while your back just gradually gets numb and you don't feel anymore pain.

Also make sure that you stretch before, after, and during rehearsal. Making sure that your muscles are loose will prevent injury and help ease the stress on your back.

Like SkyDog said, make sure you're standing with good posture. Usually, I've found that my students that complain about back pain are leaning back to compensate for the weight in front. Check it out in the mirror. What is actually straight may actually feel like you're leaning forward a little bit.

You could always get a back brace and wear it when you wear the drum.

I actually just was talking about this today. Our bottom bass this upcoming year is new, and normally he'd have time to build up his core muscles over the summer and be able to do that. However, we have a parade in two weeks, and so he needs to adjust a bit more quickly to say the least. =P My director recommended he use a weight training belt, (you know those weird looking back brace things for power lifters?) to help. It keeps your back straight and you can wear it under a shirt no problem. =D

thanks for the advice ill suck it up untill i get better.

Another way to explain it:

When you're standing correctly, it feels a lot like downhill skiing. On skis, you lean forward in the boots to keep your weight on the front of the skis. If you're wearing tenors or a big bass drum, your weight will be forward on the balls of your feet if you're standing straight up.

I had the same thing happened to me my freshman year except I was playing bass 2. My back hurt really really bad after our first day and my mom embarrassed me (as well as left a bad first impression on the upperclassmen) by lecturing them about making me carry the drum for too long. But the aches went away and I have a perfectly healthy back now that can withstand lots of weight.

You'd be amazed how quickly you will adapt to the weight. After 2 weeks or so of marching tenors (and trust me, we have some of the heaviest tenors on the market), It felt like I was carrying a snare again and it was no trouble at all.

Unfortunately the matter which drum you carry, your back will always hurt almost the same. I marched bass 2 at a half time show this year and it hurt like hell.

But really, if you love playing and your really trying to make an impression you'll suck it up. We had like a parade that was like an hour or hour and a half long, and I marched 5th Bass. Not 4th. 5th.
Even bigger. Freakin ridiculous, but I was so eager to make an impression that the pain just did not matter to me in the least bit anymore. I also got high praised for:
1. Being a freshman and marching his first parade
2. On the biggest drum
3. Not complaining or asking for bass drum relief (the old switch-a-roo)
4. Having energy to jam afterwords

its just like lifting weights when you haven't for a long time you get stronger eventually and so will your back

You just get used to the weight. You could do some excercises to strenghten your back. theres quite a few topics on that here. But like the others said, just keep good posture and just keep going. A BAD thing to do is locking your knees. Bend your knees just a little bit so everything can still flow so you dont pass out or whatever. But dont bend them too much to the ponit where its obvious.

Happy Drumming

sorry man...this guy is about your size and his drum is just a tad larger.....

http://www.msstate.edu/org/drumline/photo_albums/DrumCamp/IMG_0339.html

some of those basses look the same size to me..but this could be a camp for HS students and they have to bring their own drum and thats how that happened.

back on topic my bass was the size of either the bottom bass or next to bottom in that pic, i believe.
i had to go to the doctor right after camp started for shots last summer and i was told i was 5' 4" just like you.
you'll get used to the weight i marched bottom bass last year. i think mine was like a 22" or 24". but yes good posture as mentioned in other posts. you'll eventually adjust to the weight. best way to is to just wear the drum.

last year i'd wear the drum constantly (even when told to take it off) or atleast i did til i adjusted . im not tellin u to defy your section leader or instructor by no means for yours might get mad. mine didn't but i think it was because he realized what i was doing.

no use posting hear anymore my brother hasnt/wont ever get back on DLO

yeah, those are not the same size drums...I think we have 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 34...those are definately not high schoolers either..hehe...thats the '07 MSU Bass Line; the rawest bass line in the land! hehe.

oh must be the distance from the camera that makes them look smaller to me haha but ok wow i was so off mine is the 4th bass so yea ..
ours is 16 18 20 22 24 now i believe

the only thing i can suggest is to ALWAYS practice with the drum on. never use a stand and you'll get used to the weight. something i tried was taking the drum home (i dont know if you have this option) and while it was at home i would use wire ties and attaced dumbells to the harness to make it heavier so then when i got to practice i was marching better and feeling more relaxed because the drum was lighter than i was used to.

I know the feeling cause i marched 4th bass in 3rd spot for 2 years...i just took an asprin daily and good luck