Bass drum singles and doubles. Help!

[Flipit]

I've been impressed by the caliber of the drummers on this board so I thought I'd pose a dilemma I'm having. I have no bass drum speed! I've been playing for like 10 years now and I've worked and worked hoping to play stuff my students have played for me! You know, like the double on the hands, then the feet, hands, etc. It sucks! Drummer friends tell me I have the fastest singles on my hands, so I don't have some sort of inability for speed. Some have suggested a longer footboard. I'm using single pedals and I have size 13 shoes. Some have suggested it's from my years of playing hockey and having stiff ankles! I've looked at this board from time to time hoping to answer this but have found no luck. Help!

[XNavyDrummer]

Good question? Here are some for you:

What kind of bass drum pedal are you playing?
Are you sitting high or low?
Do you play flat-footed or heel-up?
What is the tension like on your pedal?

[Flipit]

1. I'm playing DW 5000 with strap.
2. I sit fairly level with my knees (I have long legs so it ends up being high)
3. I usually have to play heel-up for volume reasons.
4. I think tension is in the mid-high range based on what I see other drummers using.

[XNavyDrummer]

Of course its difficult to know what's going on with your BD chops without seeing you play but here are a few things you might consider:

1) The 5000 is a good pedal. A lot of the guys with great feet are playing their pedals real loose.

2) A change is seat height can have a significant impact on foot speed and control. Experiment with various seat positions and height.

3) Experiment with a lot of different pedals. Find a shop that will let you hook several different pedals up to a nice kick and give them all a workout. You may find one that really makes life easier.

4) Practice slow and deliberate with precise spacing of your bass drum notes while using the metronome.

5) Don't let yourself get tense while playing. When it happens take a break.

6) Think about practicing and playing with a lighter touch than usual on the kick drum. You'll be amazed at the speed you may find with a lighter touch.

Good luck!

[Flipit]

I will experiment with my tension some more. When I was younger I played with less and I've continuously tighter on the spring. I've tried seat height...I sit lower and my upper leg does a lot more work, higher and I look like a big freak behind the kit. I've heard some guys say Abe Jr. is a big guy, maybe I'll try and catch him at a Baked Potato gig or something.

[Flipit]

One more thing, how about the distance between the beater mallet and the head? Any thoughts?

[XNavyDrummer]

Beater distance from the head is definitely a concern. The farther the beater is from the head at the beginning of the stroke, the lower your footboard will be at the end of the stroke. This excessive motion and weird position, can really slow you down.

If you haven't done so yet, check out the Steve Smith DVD where he covers his bass drum technique. He has some really useful information.

[ladanny]

Great post. I just went through examining pedals. I was very unhappy with my DW5000AD. I was set to get the Yamaha Flying Dragon direct link. I went to a great drum shop where they let me setup various pedals and test as long as I wanted, just like Andy said. It came down to two: DW5000 strap, and the Flying Dragon. What I found was that with the DW, I had to play heal up. With the Yamaha, I had to play heal down. I'm moving to the heal down method, so the Yamaha was a great choice. The one thing I noticed in all this testing was where the ball of my foot hit the pedal. I realized that I play aobut 2/3 up the pedal, not at the top. This really helps with the speed. Foot position on the board itself makes a HUGE difference.

Best of luck and keep us posted!

Danny

[matricks]

The honest truth, in my opinion, is to seek out a respectable teacher who has a reputation for having good technical knowledge. It sounds as if you feel you are lacking some piece of the technique puzzle that is hindering your progress toward foot speed. If that is the case, which it sound as if it is, i think that the only true way to solve it is to find someone who has the ability to watch you play and then explain to you what you are doing wrong. I have had to bite the same bullet and re-build my technical foundation but in the long run it always pays to have a strong foundation, rather than a faulty one. It's good to see you are seeking out help in that area rather than pretending there is no problem. Good luck!

[Derek DeFields]

How much are you practicing just your feet? be honest.

There are guys who sit high, sit low, pedals tight, pedals loose. Once you have control over your feet it doesn't seem to matter anymore what pedals you use or what settings there are so I'm going to go against everyone's advice [img]tongue.gif[/img] and recommend you don't think much about that at all.

My opinion is it's dedicated practice time just for your feet. Having a good instructor is NEVER bad advice so that's certainly my first choice but I still have a feeling that dedicated practice time EVERY day for your feet is the answer more than anything you're doing "wrong."

Foot speed is very hard to gain for most (me included for sure) but it seems to me that the technique and motions are much simpler than with your hands. leg and ankle and pretty much your two options if you're not playing heel down. If you are heel down, it's just ankle.

Again, I say practice solves all. That's my opinion and I'm standing by it until I post this. [img]tongue.gif[/img]