foot technique

[handito]

Hi
I've tried to search for this and couldnt find anything, maybe i'm doing it wrong and if then please delete this thread. My problem is my right foot. I can only play solid eights at 100 BPM if i really tighten up. Have any of you got any help, tips and exercises for developing better bass drum technique.

thanks in advance

[Jeff Almeyda]

Rule 1: Don't tighten up!

Relaxed muscles are fast muscles.

Go back to a speed that you can play comfortably for at least a minute or so and gradually work on your endurance. Get it up to 5 minutes where you're comfortable and NOT straining.

Then gradually increase the tempo.

I would also recommend a qualified teacher for this because the written word is a poor substitute for hands-on instruction.

[h3r3tic]

Have you ever tried the Heel Toe Method?
Search for Derrick Pope and Tim Waterson's videos:)

[=J=]

Yeah, i use heel toe (thanks to derrick pope =)). I find that, due to the fact i mostly play funk/rock/hip hop weirdness, i rarely need to use another technique or another peddle...unless a give in to a random deathmetal surge :P

Although, actually reading the original post it seems as though thats^ not much help seeing as heel toe isnt the best if u want a constant stream of notes, or is that just me?

[SEVNT7]

Look up my post in the double bass thread........T (SEVNT7)

[Class A Drummer]

What you really have to do is try to stay as relaxed as you can. If 8th notes at 100 bpm is all you can do, thats perfectly ok. If you practice you will get faster. Use a metranome, maybe tighten or loosen the tension on the pedal.

Its all about practice. If you are comfortable playing 8ths at 100, go up to 105, if that is too much, go to 103 or somthing. Practicing will and does help!

[Miggle]

Could be that your pedal is slow. try adjusting it. My pedal is a gibraltar 5600 series and its slow and pretty heavy. However, i've played other gibs of the same model and they feel much smoother, I could do some 150 at 8th note (i think, if not more). But i do get tired.


A question, whats considered moderate foot speed and fast? Moderate, I mean the minimum that one has to do with one feet.

[figure_02]

nvm

twenty charachters

[h3r3tic]

Yeah, i use heel toe (thanks to derrick pope =)). I find that, due to the fact i mostly play funk/rock/hip hop weirdness, i rarely need to use another technique or another peddle...unless a give in to a random deathmetal surge :P

Although, actually reading the original post it seems as though thats^ not much help seeing as heel toe isnt the best if u want a constant stream of notes, or is that just me?

Who said you coudn't have a constant stream of notes twoth the heel toe?
You just need to practise it.

[sloppyn9ne]

With all honesty I think that you should build your muscles the traditional way before doing the heel toe method.

That would make you more versitile which is never bad.

But just relax and set a speed that you can play 16ths or 8ths or w/e and still be relaxed.

Play 16ths or w/e for 10- how ever many minutes you want. Just dont wreck your self.

Speed will come with time.

I was in the same situation as you but I just kept at it now I can play 16ths at like 150-170 ish. And that didnt take too long to get to.

[Mr. Pasquini]

I'm new to drums, but I wanna get off my chest what I just figured out

You'll get fast doing traditional if you practice traditional. Why do heel to toe if you don't have traditional down pat? One step at a time. I just got a nice feel for my bass drum and it's like a new world opened up. I'm not really fast, but I can feel an increase day to day because I practice A LOT and don't try to do new techniques I'm not capable of. At first I tried to learn heel toe and wanted a double bass pedal and yadda yadda yadda, but nothings made me feel better about my playing than just sitting down and playing what I need to be able to do. BD with one foot with my toe touching the foot board maybe the most out there thing I do is bring my heel up. That's it. Just practice it more and more. There's no trick to it, just do it. It's explained around here time and time again: There's no shortcut, only those with the will to practice.

[h3r3tic]

I'm new to drums, but I wanna get off my chest what I just figured out

You'll get fast doing traditional if you practice traditional. Why do heel to toe if you don't have traditional down pat? One step at a time. I just got a nice feel for my bass drum and it's like a new world opened up. I'm not really fast, but I can feel an increase day to day because I practice A LOT and don't try to do new techniques I'm not capable of. At first I tried to learn heel toe and wanted a double bass pedal and yadda yadda yadda, but nothings made me feel better about my playing than just sitting down and playing what I need to be able to do. BD with one foot with my toe touching the foot board maybe the most out there thing I do is bring my heel up. That's it. Just practice it more and more. There's no trick to it, just do it. It's explained around here time and time again: There's no shortcut, only those with the will to practice.

I didn't say to begin with the heel toe, I just said that if you want to get to fast tempos... then, I advise to learn the heel toe, but only for faster tempos... I never said that it should be the first thing to learn...

[sloppyn9ne]

I didn't say to begin with the heel toe, I just said that if you want to get to fast tempos... then, I advise to learn the heel toe, but only for faster tempos... I never said that it should be the first thing to learn...

Thats how it came off to me. It was the choice of wording that mislead me.

[gcarlet]

At first I tried to learn heel toe and wanted a double bass pedal and yadda yadda yadda, but nothings made me feel better about my playing than just sitting down and playing what I need to be able to do. BD with one foot with my toe touching the foot board maybe the most out there thing I do is bring my heel up. That's it. Just practice it more and more. There's no trick to it, just do it. It's explained around here time and time again: There's no shortcut, only those with the will to practice.

Sounds exactly how I started off a couple of years ago.

No need to repeat what people are saying, because it's the truth. Practice and playing and it will come.

[jello]

eights at 100 bpm, hmm, sounds like you are using your knee and hip too much and you ancle to little. Try to let the pedal rebound with the ancle and then begin the next stroke from the ancle, then the knee, then the hip and so on, and then the opposite way again.

Think of your hands (mike mangini style, palm down); your wrists are the ancles, your knees are the elbows, your hip are your shoulder. Its all the same.

[Dzionix]

when i play swing with bigband, i can easily play 250bpm (quaters) with my right foot. In slower tempos left foot comes in quaters too, or to 2nd,4th part of measure.... With right foot i can play few measures at 300 tempo but, there is only fast ghost notes, and its hard to play along... So if you want to be well right foot player, try to play fast swing, and come with bass, i promise after month you will see diferences... Also try to put left foot half notes or quaters.
In funk try to play eight notes, and with right hand on ride, so that will be cool groove... i like that... :D

[=J=]

Who said you coudn't have a constant stream of notes twoth the heel toe?
You just need to practise it.

I cabt quite space the notes evenly, more practice i spose.

In the end i just learned constant release for streams of notes and use heel toe for sort of accents.

Constant release is amazing, iv literally been doing it for a few days and i would say its at least doubled my speed, trouble is i can only use it for continuous play, for triples/doubles i find heel toe much more effective! Almost makes me want to get a double pedal.

[mosher]

I prefer heel up at faster tempos

[Dzionix]

i usualy play heel down, if i need to play more notes, then i fastly come to heel up, or still play heel down, cause i still can't 100% control my bass with heel up. So i use 80% Heel Down, and just sometimes 20% Heel up.
If you catch that feeling when play single strokes with bass fast, you can play lot of time...

[Miggle]

i think 200-240 is my limit for pure singles heels down. A bit faster than that I do toe-drop. Earlier today I did some kind of heel up and was just shaking my leg. I was doing like 400+ per min, but very light hits and its uncontrollable. Funny I didn't feel tired after some 20 minutes. I might try to work that out, maybe someday i'll get full hits out of it.

[Dzionix]

i think 200-240 is my limit for pure singles heels down. A bit faster than that I do toe-drop. Earlier today I did some kind of heel up and was just shaking my leg. I was doing like 400+ per min, but very light hits and its uncontrollable. Funny I didn't feel tired after some 20 minutes. I might try to work that out, maybe someday i'll get full hits out of it.

I'd like 400 BPM :D i can 250-300 max... I need to improve my right foot...