Bare Feet, Socks or Shoes?

Re: Feet-Playiing with shoes: good? bad?

Stay with your feet in sox. I've been playing double bass for a thousand years in all kinds of bands. Ankle weights, boots, this shoe, that shoe. None of them make a bit of difference in power. Whatever YOU get used to is what really works best. Ankle weights are useless.
According to the 14th top rated drummer in the Nation at the time, doing toe raises and taking fast walks will do what you want. Some salesman won't be able to sell you "ankle weights" to make a buck off of you, but you don't need that crap. If you have a couple of stairs at your house, try this. Stand on the steps with most of your foot hanging over the edge. Now just do twenty toe stands. do that every day. I also do about twenty
squats every morning just standing on my toes. That wasn't hard was it? You can also set the tension springs tighter on your bass pedals. That will feel a little uncomfortable for a little while, but you feet and legs will adjust to it. As a bonus, you will get a faster bass rebound. Re-setting the beaters back to almost horizontal position will also help develop stronger muscles. In addition, you get faster and harder bass strokes.
Playing in sox helps you feel the pedal MUCH better than any ones shoes. You can feel little quick hi-hat burps much better. You get a far better feel for adjusting the sound you like on half open hi-hat riffs. Plus a bunch of other little things. It's the same reason you don't wear heavy work gloves on your hands while playing.
 
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Re: Feet-Playiing with shoes: good? bad?

Converses. It's the closet thing to bare feet. Infact, I might just buy a pair for drumming only ....
 
Re: Playing with shoes on...

on the led zep video i saw bonham at the french tv thing wearing cowboy boots!

j

COWBOY BOOTS!!

how the hell can anybody play the way he does in cowboy boots! (well he can obviously) bloody hell that must be difficult, I struggle in just sock LOL
 
i play in socks, bare feet is cold and shoes aren't as responsive ( rubbish pedal). during a gig i took my my shoe and put it next to the kit and everyone was asking me about it afterwards but i didn'treally think about it at the time. just natural now.
Tom
 
Playing in Converse make gripping easy, they are light and fashionable for people like me!! (NO I AINT EMO!!)

I find socks to slippery!

Bare feet I find it is easy to grip the pedal and move! The only down side is the fact that if your drums are in the garage or shed where they SHOULDN'T BE, the foot pedals are usually quite cold. Another down side is that it isn't amusing for you at band practise if your feet smell! (Don't even think of accusing me!)
 
Playing in Converse make gripping easy, they are light and fashionable for people like me!! (NO I AINT EMO!!)

I find socks to slippery!

Bare feet I find it is easy to grip the pedal and move! The only down side is the fact that if your drums are in the garage or shed where they SHOULDN'T BE, the foot pedals are usually quite cold. Another down side is that it isn't amusing for you at band practise if your feet smell! (Don't even think of accusing me!)

1st thing: I think without shoes plays better anyhow: it's like driving a car... you get a better feel bare feet+pedal IMO. and better feel makes better response and better result (with drums: faster)

secondly: you actually get used to the slippery effect of socks you know:p, and i think it can train your natural grip on the pedal to

finally: wash your feet once in a while :) and you can drum bare feet from spring to fall, I would recommend it, hehe.

already posted my opinion on this one, but honestly... even for gigs I put out my shoes, it practically doubles my feel and speed...
 
I use db "groove" shoes. 40 bucks and they feel great! I have been using them for 6 months now and my endurance and control have doubled. And they still have that new shoe smell : )
 
Jojo Mayer has my vote for best living foot technique! he uses Converse!!!

Check his videos out from modern drummer 2005 on DVD or Drummerworld!
 
heels at church on Sunday (main worship)
shoes at church on Wednesday (youth worship) and at School Band practice
flip flops at home
 
Socks for me. Or bare feet. It depends on what I happen to be wearing, but usually socks and never shoes.
 
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