Lifelong habit of knee shaking ruining my kick/double-kicks?

[Jasey]

Hi guys, new drummer here (but musician for nearing 30 years). I recently bought a set of eDrums (Roland RD-17KVX2) just to jam around on and have some fun and get a little more active while learning songs for my cover band (familiarizing, really, since I'm the bass player). While I have no plans to every play drums for a band, I'm still interested in learning and getting good for my own satisfaction.

Anyway, all my life, I've had this thing where if I'm sitting down, I'm shaking my knee (more so the right one, but sometimes the left; never both at the same time; but it's like playing heels-up kick or hi-hat). It's cathartic, I guess and just a habit; I don't even realize I'm doing it until I look down. But I've found that this tends to leak into my playing. It's nearly impossible to just play a single kick (with either leg) without also having some ghost-noting from my natural knee bounce.

Is this just something I'm going to have to train out of myself? I also wonder if it's the angle; I've read/watched that the angle of the foot pedals should be a little greater than 90 degrees, but I'm wondering if it might be better to lower the throne so I'm at or below 90 degrees?

Can anyone who's witnessed or experienced this chime in and offer any suggestions? Granted, I've only had my drums put together for about 3 days and I don't expect perfection (at least until next week), but I want to try to nip any bad habits I might be developing in the bud; I just don't know if this is something that will go away with slow, deliberate practice to make singular, deliberate hits each note or if this is something physiological that might require increased intervention to address.

 

[Stroman]

I don't necessarily think the knee shaking is related to the playing at all. I only base that on my own experience. I'm a life-long knee shaker and bouncer, but I have no trouble controlling the pedal.

Now, keep in mind, you've been playing three days and I've been playing almost 50 years.

My suggestion is slow down and focus on making the pedal do what you want. Unless you're sitting at some ridiculously high or low height, I wouldn't worry about that, either. Just mind the foot.

 

[bud7h4]

That habit may actually turn out to be something that positively affects your footwork, once you eliminate any lack of control and randomness in the movement.
There are probably lots of people starting out playing heel up who can't do that rapid knee bounce and wish they could. Lots of people actually practice that way when away from the kit.

But I've found that this tends to leak into my playing. It's nearly impossible to just play a single kick (with either leg) without also having some ghost-noting from my natural knee bounce.

I think that will only be a matter of developing good technique. As that develops it should naturally begin to rein in the unwanted rebound.

Just my opinion, the core of the problem is the need for more development in your footwork. The knee bouncing habit isn't the source of the problem, it just happens to be what is exposing any weaknesses in technique.

Side note, when I made the switch from heel down to heel up (double bass) it took about 3-4 years (practicing every day), to finally iron out all of the hidden little flaws in my footwork which were causing me to have good days and bad days. Eventually it finally becomes consistent.

 

[GetAgrippa]

I can’t imagine if my kick leg were shaking all the time. That’s because my legs shake all the time.

 

[Drummingdog]

Hi guys, new drummer here (but musician for nearing 30 years). I recently bought a set of eDrums (Roland RD-17KVX2) just to jam around on and have some fun and get a little more active while learning songs for my cover band (familiarizing, really, since I'm the bass player). While I have no plans to every play drums for a band, I'm still interested in learning and getting good for my own satisfaction.

Anyway, all my life, I've had this thing where if I'm sitting down, I'm shaking my knee (more so the right one, but sometimes the left; never both at the same time; but it's like playing heels-up kick or hi-hat). It's cathartic, I guess and just a habit; I don't even realize I'm doing it until I look down. But I've found that this tends to leak into my playing. It's nearly impossible to just play a single kick (with either leg) without also having some ghost-noting from my natural knee bounce.

Is this just something I'm going to have to train out of myself? I also wonder if it's the angle; I've read/watched that the angle of the foot pedals should be a little greater than 90 degrees, but I'm wondering if it might be better to lower the throne so I'm at or below 90 degrees?

Can anyone who's witnessed or experienced this chime in and offer any suggestions? Granted, I've only had my drums put together for about 3 days and I don't expect perfection (at least until next week), but I want to try to nip any bad habits I might be developing in the bud; I just don't know if this is something that will go away with slow, deliberate practice to make singular, deliberate hits each note or if this is something physiological that might require increased intervention to address.

Might be a hard habit to nip if its unconscious and hopefully voluntary. Hypnotherapist have been helpful to me