Does anyone here practice double bass, with no musical need for it?

[brady]

My right hand is on the floor tom, and the left hand is on the left crash cymbal. The left hand is playing with my bass drum foot, and they're alternating with my right hand. When you go fast enough, nobody can tell it's not two bass drums! It's just a quick and easy way to make noise during the fermata of a song. Good trick!

Yep... That's the left-handed version of what I do. I might have to work that one up to speed to give me something else to do on songs endings.

 

[mrfingers]

I love double bass flams but….at 75 there’s not enough time to get used to two pedals, etc..

 

[s1212z]

To answer the question, as a teen I had to get a double bass immediate after I got a drumset...I had the most backward priorities at the time but metal drumming was calling my name and I had to answer

To expand on this, I've since sold my double pedal. I'd be more interest in different size bass drums like 24/20; already have 15/20 but never put them together, either to my left or far right (remote or split).

 

[Spreggy]

I had a double pedal for years on the kit, but had no groove reason for it. It was basically for big endings. But, it did cause me to spend time on it that damn well should have been spent on my right foot. There's something un-drummerlike about a double pedal, just mho.
I broke it into two good pedals, so I have a backup. Haven't missed it at all, and even kind of arrogantly turn up my nose it pros like Weckl, who I respect a lot, winding up their fill with sticks over blubbida blubbida blubbida.

 

[adamosmianski]

Basically no, as I don't ever do it on pedals, but I do often find myself playing rudiments with my fit when sitting at a desk or riding the train. Even though it was/is mostly unconscious, I do think it has improved my feet.

 

[Larry]

I did it for about a year for the novelty sake but I don't play double bass songs.

 

[Houndog1964]

I’ve been meaning to set up a bass snare practice pad “ station “ just to get a good physical workout ..

With the benefit of it being a musical workout…

 

[Trigger]

I spent years getting to the point that I can play fast double kick, and when i finally acheived it i realised two things:
1. Musically, it is a very one-dimensional sound, because the kicks take up so much audible space
2. I don't really listen to, or want to play that kind of music anymore

So to answer your question, Yes. And for some reason I'll continue to do it, but I'm not entirely sure why. At this point it'd be better if I spent my time learning jazz, or brushes or something.

 

[green glass drum]

I have recently been building practice "pad" bass drum simulator attachments that connect to my 2 single ancient Yamaha BD pedals.
Purpose: To exercise my muscles, get better at double bass and independence.......... quietly....hopefully....... and have some fun.
Working on that part. And to trigger sounds at some point.
Using pedals I already have. They needed rehabbing and modifications. That part was fun and challenging.
I have dreams of playing double bass like I have heard in records.
I am no good at it now.

I finished them. Switching all parts right to left. It is like starting all over again with the left foot as lead. It is a blast and very slow.

 

[C. Dave Run]

I finished them. Switching all parts right to left. It is like starting all over again with the left foot as lead. It is a blast and very slow.

Those are really cool looking. Very steam punk-ish, I dig it.

What are you using for the pad surface? It looks textured.

 

[green glass drum]

They're made of a "Custom Blend" of 50% polyester, 50% polyamide and 10% nylon.
The math formulae is from Mickey the little man on Seinfeld.
Fo Real........They are micro fiber cloths and there are other "things" inside 'the chamber."

 

[Mastiff]

Fun thread. I've spent *way* too much of my practice time working on double kick just because I want to be good. In real life, even on metal songs, people don't generally want much of it ("make it simpler, less double bass"). I'm not into super heavy metal myself, where it's just continuous 16ths, but Primus type stuff, or even Dream Theater is stuff I like, and "Portnoy style" quads sounds really cool at certain tempos where 32nds fit the bill. But I'd probably be ahead if I had spent my limited time working more on my hands.

As a tangent, I've been working on "linear singles", or "ladder" (Todd Sucherman term) and it's still defeating me after many months. It's where you alternate hands and feet like [right-hand,right-foot,left-hand,left-foot] or [right-hand,left-foot,left-hand,right-foot]. It sounds super cool at high tempos, but so unnatural compared to other drum moves. I can't break 120bpm, which I can pretty much do with only the right side of my body anyway...

 

[green glass drum]

Yep....that Sucherman deal is like what I am doing. Left foot lead BD. "Wow.....am I that unquordinated? This was easy when the right was lead."