Bass Drum...Trying to switch to heel up, harder than i thought....

[zafrothunder]

I have been recently trying to start playing my bass drum "heel up" because I can get a lot more power. I cant seem to be able to go very fast, not as fast as I can go "heel down."

It seems a lot harder than it should be. Like, I have been recently trying to play the song "territorial pissings" by Nirvana. Not that hard of a song, but pretty fast and the whole song basically consists of three kicks and a snare. I cant seem to get the three kicks heel up, and it doesnt sound strong enough (to me atleast) heel down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CKiHdH5-ec

I am still playing on my friend's kit, and he says that he has the pedal's "tension" or whatever turned up all the way because he "likes to feel like he's really hitting it." Does that make that much of a difference when trying to go fast? Could that be the reason why I cant seem to go heel up?

I have been practicing it for a while now, and the pedal is just really hard to push down. If its not the tension, then how can i improve?

[TFITTING942]

Without seeing your technique it's hard to say if your doing anything right or wrong. Remember, heel up, you also use more of your leg and knee. That is where the power comes from.

[zambizzi]

Get Matt Ritter's video "Unburying the Beater"...as well as Steve Smith's "History..." video. Practice the constant-release technique (often referred to as "heel/toe") as described in both videos.

Give it some time and practice and you'll realize what you've been missing out on; the power, dynamic range, speed, etc.

[Zorlee]

Just keep in mind that you should continue to practise heel-down as well as learning heel-up.
Take it from someone who went all heel-up, and now (after 9 years of playing) is re-learning heel-down for control, finesse and balance - it's brilliant for all jazz/latin stuff!

[zafrothunder]

I dont feel like spending money though...

I dont have a video camera or anything. I'm going to try some different things, but first, I am going to turn the tension on the pedal down so I can actually move. If I still suck at it, then I may have to go out and get some videos.

Yeah, but heel-down just comes naturally to me. I'm pretty good with that. I just like the power that comes with heel up.

[zambizzi]

I dont feel like spending money though...

I dont have a video camera or anything. I'm going to try some different things, but first, I am going to turn the tension on the pedal down so I can actually move. If I still suck at it, then I may have to go out and get some videos.

Yeah, but heel-down just comes naturally to me. I'm pretty good with that. I just like the power that comes with heel up.

There are plenty of videos demonstrating constant-release/heel-toe on YouTube. Tim Waterson has some good ones that helped me a lot.

Like anything - the trick is to relax. If you tighten up the calf muscles, your playing will suffer. Speed and control will come with relaxation. Rest your foot on the pedal when you're not performing a stroke. Playing "heel-up" doesn't mean your calf is always tense and your heel is always up in the air.

[zafrothunder]

There are plenty of videos demonstrating constant-release/heel-toe on YouTube. Tim Waterson has some good ones that helped me a lot.

Like anything - the trick is to relax. If you tighten up the calf muscles, your playing will suffer. Speed and control will come with relaxation. Rest your foot on the pedal when you're not performing a stroke. Playing "heel-up" doesn't mean your calf is always tense and your heel is always up in the air.

thanks for the tips. Going amazingly fast isnt a concern for me, but I cant go fast at all! Thats whats really bugging me. I'll try out some new stuff, as well as reduce the tension on the pedal, tomorrow.

[dairyairman]

i was in the same boat as you a few years ago. i'd always played heel down, but i wanted to learn heel up playing for the extra power it gives you. at first i could only do it slowly and awkwardly. i felt like i was off balance and it was uncomfortable to keep my heel up all the time. i've since gotten a lot better at it and i can play faster heel up than heel down with just as much control and finesse. i think a key thing for me was to relax like others have said, and to keep my heel just barely off the pedal except when raising my knee for the "upstroke". i still play heel down for jazz and other situations where you want to keep the volume down.

[aboylikedave]

^^^^^^^ Exactly what he said. changing to heel up IS really hard and WILL take take and patience, but worth it in the end for the extra tool in your locker. Rember its like hand technique, do it slowly and for a while even when you have it at a speed do it some more, its about building muscle memory. And do it slow with good posture. Make sure your not twisting or leaning back to deal with heel up balance issues. When I changed I really had to work on posture and core strength.

[JT1]

I dont feel like spending money though...

I dont have a video camera or anything. I'm going to try some different things, but first, I am going to turn the tension on the pedal down so I can actually move. If I still suck at it, then I may have to go out and get some videos.

Yeah, but heel-down just comes naturally to me. I'm pretty good with that. I just like the power that comes with heel up.

I have a story about this. I remember once i used to play heel down when all other drummers played heel up around me, it indeed felt more comfortable at the time and that is why i did it. Then came the day when my friend introduced me to the concept of double bass and my love of heavy metal grew and i realised i needed to be playing this. Wow did i suck when i started but i eventually got better and started doing constant 16ths moderate speed, triplet rolls and quads, triplets, fast doubles etc heel down. I started gigging with my band and i was hit or miss with double bass round then for a good few months. I played double bass like this for a good year and a half, then one day during practice with my band i came to a part in a song which is four bars long and constant 16th note double bass. I started heel down and all of a sudden i got so bloody fed up at the lack of power and not being able to hear it over the rest of the band that i literally lifted my legs and slammed them into the pedals as fast and as hard as i could. My band members looked at me in disbelief as it didn't sound too bad lol. As of then i swore only to play heel up and have never looked back, ever. It took a while to develop my heel up strokes but in time you'll get it, and remember just because your friend plays with the pedal at that tension doesn't mean you will be able to. Loosen it and make the strokes easier for yourself and if you find it comfortable loose tension keep it loose every drummer is different for comfort and what they prefer to feel when playing. Just keep at it, persistence is the key! Learn to use your full leg and then work with the toes and the ankles.

[dairyairman]

yeah, i don't see how anybody plays double bass heel down. my left foot is so weak to begin with that heel down it has no power at all. i *have* to play my left foot heel up to make any sound at all, and that of course means my right foot must also be heel up.

[JENGLISH817]

I have two things that i did that helped me with my heel up technique. First, thing is calf raises. since alot of heel up deals with calf strength this will help alot. Also to get used to the whole concept of keeping my heels up, i adjusted my thrown higher so that i was forced to play heel up. I dont know if this is a very good way of doing it, but it helped me alot. once i got comfortable with it, i readjusted my thrown back to a comfortable height. Like others have said though, keep practicing with heel down, its great to know both. although i do play double base, i still do alot of work on the hi-hat, which i play heel down.