DOUBLE BASS TECHNIQUE

Hey guys with the whole bass drum technique....
When i play double bass my right foot has a good technique but my left is awfull !!
Any exersises that can inprove my left foot drumming??

Thanks,

Tris
 
here's the link to one of my old bands from like '94. I had been DB drumming for about 3 years at that point. I don't have a metronome handy but i think i was probably around 160-170 bpm back in the day. Now i'm up to about 212 bpm sixteenths over an 8 bar phrase or longer, heel down.

http://www.myspace.com/torquemetal

The way i learned db is i just basically forced myself to practice longer, single stroke sixteenth note rolls TO A METRONOME. i started around 96 bpm and gradually worked up, playing long hours, 2-3 hours a day, 4-5 days a week for 6 months. You have to develop those fast twitch muscle fibers to gain speed and accuracy and that involves playing through the burn.

For those of you who can't play slow, change your technique. Try a "Steve Smith" bass stroke, with your foot parallel to the ground, lift from the hip and stomp straight down, like you're squishing a cockroach. I find when needing a db roll at a very slow tempo, this is the only way i can get consistent, even single strokes.
 
These days, I practice holding single-stroke rolls on a pillow with my feet for about 2 minutes each, left foot leading. First I warm up, then set the metronome to 100BPM and play 32nd-notes, then go up to 104, 108, 112, 116 and finally 120.

I'm also happy to say that in a few weeks I will be the proud owner of a Roland HD-1 "V-Drums Lite" electronic kit, which means I can simulate the drumset experience by actually playing along to songs, as opposed to setting up a pillow on a snare-stand and putting my double pedal up against my mattress! :D
 
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okay. ive been playing drums for about 8 years now if i can say so myself ive gotten pretty good. i love metal and rock etc. blah blah blah

okay heres the dillema ive been playing double bass for about 2 years but i am not getting ANYWHERE. ive watched many diff videos read books, listened to music etc. anytime i try to go to any decent speed my feet speed up and get retarded. i play heel up on pearl eliminators. im going to get that stick control book that everyones talking about but i dont know if its going to help. its like my brain wont allow me to play steady streams of double bass notes. someone please help before i give up playing the music i love

i wouldnt even think about playing this precise or fast http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=6oa1GkYNk6w
 
I have that same problem. Just hang on and have patience. I gave up focussing practise on my double bass technique though, I just try to use it often so it'll come sooner or later.
 
Hey guys.

I'm desperately trying to get my double kick faster because I'm in a Thrash Metal band but it seems to be taking a VERY long time and to be honest I am getting pretty impatient with it.

I've got a question about a double kick exercise which I've recently started doing. It has 4 parts each 10 mins:

The first part consists of me playing RLRLRLRL for 10 minutes, starting at 85bpm on my metronome raising it by 2bpm every 2 minutes.

After that, I then do the exact same thing but lead with my left foot (LRLRLRLR)

After that I then do the first exercise again but also add in basic beats with my hands on the hihats + snare or ride + snare.

The last exercise is the same, but leading with my left foot.

I play heel up.

What do you guys think? Is this exercise a good idea? Will it help much?

Cheers.
 
Sounds like a very good practice excercise, i think i might start doing it :p< allthough, i just play double bass at any bpm, while doing a basic beat or blast beat and i seem to be getting faster and faster :)
 
Hey guys with the whole bass drum technique....
When i play double bass my right foot has a good technique but my left is awfull !!
Any exersises that can inprove my left foot drumming??

Thanks,

Tris

Use your left foot more.
Anytime you can execute a pattern or part of a song with your left foot....you should be using it.

D.
 
Hey guys.

I'm desperately trying to get my double kick faster because I'm in a Thrash Metal band but it seems to be taking a VERY long time and to be honest I am getting pretty impatient with it.

I've got a question about a double kick exercise which I've recently started doing. It has 4 parts each 10 mins:

The first part consists of me playing RLRLRLRL for 10 minutes, starting at 85bpm on my metronome raising it by 2bpm every 2 minutes.

After that, I then do the exact same thing but lead with my left foot (LRLRLRLR)

After that I then do the first exercise again but also add in basic beats with my hands on the hihats + snare or ride + snare.

The last exercise is the same, but leading with my left foot.

I play heel up.

What do you guys think? Is this exercise a good idea? Will it help much?

Cheers.

Yes, this is a good exercise for learning to control your playing but, It will not help you gain the type of speed you're looking for.
The only way you're going to get that type of playing down.... is to tackle it head on. Doesn't matter if it's sloppy at first...(that's why you continue to work on the exercise you posted below.)

Only by doing it...are you going to get there. Trust me.

I see you have Pete in your avatar....play to "Chapel of Ghouls" at least 10 times a day. I think you'll find that.... you'll get it much quicker than "wishing" you could play it or working on an exercise that will not help with the "tempo" factor.
If you're playing the tune and can't finish a double bass part at full note value...drop down to half time and continue the song. DO NOT STOP PLAYING THE SONG.
The next time you do it...you should be able to push a little longer than the previous time and so on.
It works. Another good one is Angel of Death.

Make yourself do it.

Cheers,
D.
 
Thanks for the help Derek.

My double kick speed is no where near the speed of it in Chapel of Ghouls. It would be sloppy as hell and most likely all over the place haha.

I just physically can't get that speed. How would it help my double kick speed if I can't physically get that speed in the first place?
 
Thanks for the help Derek.

My double kick speed is no where near the speed of it in Chapel of Ghouls. It would be sloppy as hell and most likely all over the place haha.

I just physically can't get that speed. How would it help my double kick speed if I can't physically get that speed in the first place?

You have to push yourself to get there, if thats too fast then find another song thats slower than chapel of ghouls but still fast enough to push your top playing speed. I started out with really slow songs like Exciter (judas priest) and then worked up to stuff like Morbid Angel. Like Derek said it will be sloppy at first but you learn to control speed as you progress.
 
My double kick speed is no where near the speed of it in Chapel of Ghouls. It would be sloppy as hell and most likely all over the place haha.

Haha...that's the entire point.
What drummers don't realize is that....this type of playing doesn't come to you unless you are actually doing it.Force yourself through it...and you'll be playing it much faster than...."working on playing it". Your body... will figure out how to do what you're asking it to do. If you don't ask it.....it doesn't know. If you don't show your body what you want it to do...you'll never get it.

This is entirely a different ball game than working on single stroke on a pad with your hands or feet.

You'll get it...just go for it.
Yes, it will be sloppy at first but, like I said.....You have to show your body what you expect of it.
While pushing yourself to do this....you also work on the other exercises that will give you control. You have to do both.
Cheers,
D.
 
Alright cool.

Thanks a lot for the help Derek.

You have to push yourself to get there, if thats too fast then find another song thats slower than chapel of ghouls but still fast enough to push your top playing speed. I started out with really slow songs like Exciter (judas priest) and then worked up to stuff like Morbid Angel. Like Derek said it will be sloppy at first but you learn to control speed as you progress.

You too man, thanks.
 
Can anyone give me any advice on doing fills with the hands over the top of constant 16th notes? I find i can do rolls over the top of double bass no problem at home but in a band situation my feet will go out of time when i try it, it's really frustrating. I also feel when i am doing double bass quite quickly, that i can't really feel each stroke that i play on the pedals and i believe this may be the problem. Can anyone help me out with some excercises or possible ideas to stop this from happening? Thanks.
 
Haha...that's the entire point.
What drummers don't realize is that....this type of playing doesn't come to you unless you are actually doing it.Force yourself through it...and you'll be playing it much faster than...."working on playing it". Your body... will figure out how to do what you're asking it to do. If you don't ask it.....it doesn't know. If you don't show your body what you want it to do...you'll never get it.

This is entirely a different ball game than working on single stroke on a pad with your hands or feet.

You'll get it...just go for it.
Yes, it will be sloppy at first but, like I said.....You have to show your body what you expect of it.
While pushing yourself to do this....you also work on the other exercises that will give you control. You have to do both.
Cheers,
D.

That's awesome advice Derek, i found that i used to throw myself into the deep end and it worked after a while. You couldn't possibly help with my other query could you? By the way i've been looking at some of your exercises on youtube for double bass, really interesting stuff that i will try out. Cheers!
 
I've been playing double bass for about 2 years now. I'm not even going to begin to say that my double bass drumming is excelent but I have definatly noticed an increase in speed and comfortability while playing double bass. Many of the fills I use these days have double bass in them, much like the mike portnoy fills.

Anyway an exsersise that my drum teacher wrote out for me wayback then is this:

View attachment 20234

It definatly helped me increase my speed in drumming. It was very useful and also helped me become more comfortable on it.

I suggest you start of very slow when doing this exercise. It is very difficult to play anything past six tuplets at even 120 bpm.

I usually can't play everything in this exersise but it definatly helps. Practice it over and over.
I still STAND by my one foot at a time cause if you cant do exactly 1/2 the speed in 1/8 notes with with each foot then you CANT do it in 16ths with both of course it will still take practice and control to put it into to a roll.
IMHO This exercise SHOULD be standard practice for double bass as it s the same thing we do with our hands one of the reason so MANY drumemrs FLOAT with their feet after a certain speed is because they have not learned to transition from triplets into 16ths and so on.....
Tim
 
I've gotten my double bass pedals for about 7-8 months and now im sitting at about 215-220 max speed
when i first got the pedals i went berzerk about foot technique. i basically searched up and tried out every foot technique available on the web. what i found most effective for myself were ankle motion and swivel technique. i could never get around the flat foot technique but it seems that it works for some people too.
i remember i started practicing at around 170 bpm single foot 8th notes for 2 measures then swapping over to the other foot. after 12 minutes i would switch to 4 measures on each foot and so on. then after a buildup to 8 measures i would put it together and do a workout for 170 bpm 16ths, then gradually build up the bpm maybe every 2 days. the downside to this style of practising is that i get so used to playing fast that mid ranged and slow tempos get very sloppy, so after reaching 200+ bpm speeds ive also worked alot on getting clean hits with low and mid ranged bpm tempos. i then played around with single foot double strokes and did routines where i incorporated them in a consistent double bass pattern. im still having alot of trouble with my left foot double strokes though! anyways i would definetly suggest checking out top metal drummers like tim yeung and G kollias and watch their videos. it helpd alot for me. hope this helps
 
So I just recently starting getting serious about my double bass. I've actually been practicing leading with the left foot-- playing 1e+a2e+a as LRLRLRLR and so on. I got the idea because I've practiced that same foot pattern before between the hi-hat and bass drum for some of Bonzo's playing. I'm pretty sure that's the pattern bonzo plays on Four Sticks: Sixteenth Notes between the hi-hat (with the foot) and the bass drum but with the left foot leading. I also hope that over time it will help strengthen my left foot because it will have to start all the phrases. Has anyone else tried this approach before?
 
What I have been doing to develop my feet is RLRLRLRL for 3 minutes then LRLRLR for 3 minutes at 120 BPM's. Then I do RLRLR LRLRL for 3 minutes at 80 BPM. Then sevens
RLRLRLR LRLRLRL at 70 BPMs. then nines RLRLRLRLR LRLRLRLRL at 60 BPM.
My goal is to be able to play 5s,7s,and 9s at 80 BPM. The five note groupings are comfortable at 80. It starts to get difficult when playing sevens and nines, more notes to put in between beats. I have been doing this for two weeks and has helped a lot.
 
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