Worst feet in the entire world... help would be appriciated

[Pedey]

Hello boys


I finally purchased a double pedal (pearl powershifter) and boy do my feet suck. I've been practicing with it for about 2 weeks now and i havn't seen any improvement at all, i've been doing simple beats with it at low tempos and hand rudiments it but they still just can't perform well at all. The main problem is i try and do some moderate speed of just RLRLRLRLRL whilst doing a beat but they just go haywire and try do faster, resulting in a complete mess.

Are there any good control techniques and practices anyone knows out there?

My left foot feels completely wierd with the pedal aswell, i've been mucking around with the tension but nothing seems to make a difference, it slings back farther then the right beater yet has the same tension currently.



Any help would be GREATLY apprieciated.


Thanks

[sticksnstonesrus]

Two weeks isn't a whole lot of time to get the left foot to wake up and trained. Depending on how long you've been playing, it might be a while before you break the things that your left foot is used to doing (i.e. anchor for hi-hats, usually).

A good way to get your foot into school is to take away the right beater and play everything that you have been, with your left foot. It will take some time, but it's definitely a way to get it up to speed.

Single stroke excercises on both feet can be fairly monotanous too (RLRL over 16th's pattern in 4/4 so - it'd be 1 E & A, with snare hits on the & of each measure). Pretty much as basic as straight single double bass gets. Find a consistent rhythm that you can play evenly and work from there.

Even singles is definitely critical...more than speed for sure.

Don't give up. Even if it's frustrating...practice takes time, lots of it...as well as you probably already know. It'll happen...

[Das_Ist_Drums]

I know that it's the drummer not the equipment, but I had the same "speeding up" issue for a while and when I loosened the springs, shortened the chains to make the boards higher, brought the beaters back an inch, and put on some beater weights I was playing smoother than ever. The reason that you speed up is probably because you need more resistance on your feet. I would compare it to throwing a wiffle ball instead of a baseball in a game. The baseball is going to be much more accurate and much faster because of the momentum caused by its' weight. The wiffle ball is going to go 20 feet, swerving with the wind, and then it will drop.


PS: If you have already made these adjustments, you shoud do foot exercises as much as possible.

[Pedey]

I've relized some of the problem is my legs getting stressed/cramped up almost instantaniously. Anyone know how to counter this?

[Colin]

I would suggest doing some type of leg workout other than drumming. Try running, biking, steps, whatever that will get your legs stronger. Also, make sure you stretch your calves before and after. This will greatly reduce muscle soreness and strain.

[Mediocrefunkybeat]

It could well be a balance issue actually. Try altering the height of your throne, it sounds as though you are off-balance and your legs are automatically trying to compensate and as a result making you unable to play the bass pedal!

[macmonkey]

Stand on a stair step with just your toes actually on the step. Do "toe" pushups. If you do 3 sets of 10 (or more) day after day and your muscles will be loving you in a couple of weeks.

Also stretch before playing. Stretching sometimes helps me "wake up" my muscles and 100% of the time if I stretch before playing - I play much better. It's an essential part of warming up for me.

[joeysnare]

i think everyones missing the obvious here,get out your metronome pick a speed that you can handle while keeping clean and even and play with just your feet,then slowly add your hands to the equation and just work up from there, keep practicing and good luck man.

[joeysnare]

oh and for your slave pedal problem just keep the tension that it already has and ajust the beater angle.

[balboa]

you must work them as you did your hands. Never tense up for that means incorrect form, and if pain is occurring then your form is incorrect also. in theory, a drummers feet should be as good as his/her hands, or at least very close to it. do the same exercises as the hands, rudiments and all. but, it takes just as much time, if not more, to develop the feet well.

[joeysnare]

very good advice balboa.

[PQleyR]

I've relized some of the problem is my legs getting stressed/cramped up almost instantaniously. Anyone know how to counter this?

Relax. Focus on not tensing up. After a while, you'll be able to be in control and relaxed at the same time.

[millerdakiller]

Hello boys


I finally purchased a double pedal (pearl powershifter) and boy do my feet suck. I've been practicing with it for about 2 weeks now and i havn't seen any improvement at all, i've been doing simple beats with it at low tempos and hand rudiments it but they still just can't perform well at all. The main problem is i try and do some moderate speed of just RLRLRLRLRL whilst doing a beat but they just go haywire and try do faster, resulting in a complete mess.

Are there any good control techniques and practices anyone knows out there?

My left foot feels completely wierd with the pedal aswell, i've been mucking around with the tension but nothing seems to make a difference, it slings back farther then the right beater yet has the same tension currently.



Any help would be GREATLY apprieciated.


Thanks

Your first problem seems to be that you don't know the proper way to set up your pedal. The second seems to be that you, like everyone else who's ever purchased a double pedal, or a second bass drum, have an extreme imbalance in coordination between your feet because you've been playing bass drum with your right foot but not your left. Don't worry you will overcome this. It may take weeks for you to get decent, but you have to consider how much further ahead your right foot is.

[Pedey]

Thanks for all your fantastic advice guys, it's really great.


I'm going to really try to relax my feet and try figure out a technique that helps me play smoother, and i'm doing lots of leg excersise now.


I like the metronome idea, i figure that will help me stay in time instead of speeding up so i'll definatly work with that.


Thanks again chaps i'll let you know how i go in the future, and if i become a billionare you all get the drumkit of your choice.

[millerdakiller]

Thanks for all your fantastic advice guys, it's really great.


I'm going to really try to relax my feet and try figure out a technique that helps me play smoother, and i'm doing lots of leg excersise now.


I like the metronome idea, i figure that will help me stay in time instead of speeding up so i'll definatly work with that.


Thanks again chaps i'll let you know how i go in the future, and if i become a billionare you all get the drumkit of your choice.


that's very kind of you. I'm going to hold you to that. ha.

Look through some of the bass drum technique threads and start applying the techniques to your left foot. You'll get it

[Vinnysimmo]

Mainly the same exersizes as you do with hands.