Double Bass or Double Pedal

Fact of the matter is that most clubs have small stages that may or may not accommodate two kicks. Especially when there's 2 or 3 other bands trying to squeeze in as much back line on (or around) the stage as possible.

If you were on a little DIY tour, having a double pedal might be the difference between getting to play your parts or not since you can't scout stage sizes ahead of time.

Then there the issue of mics. Some (most) clubs may not even have two kick drum mics.

Bottom line is that double-pedals are much more practical. I'd save the 2nd kick for the studio or when I was playing gigs where I knew for sure that my setup would fit and be mic'd properly.

One way to recognize a gigging journeyman is that they tend to carry around as little stuff as necessary to get the job done. I've no issue with folks that are in it for the fun and want to bring the kitchen sink. Unless there isn't room for it, there are changeovers that are impacted by all that stuff, it takes too long to set up and the gig starts late/you can't leave until all that stuff is cleared, or other people on the bill are forced to work around it being left on stage.

As far as double bass drums are concerned, unless you are playing music like metal that requires constant bass drum sounds, I don't go for it. I grew up in the time of Ginger Baker and Keith Moon. That was a drummers way of looking as cool on stage as the guitarist with his wall of Marshall stacks. "Mine is just as big as yours." But other than solos where it was a fairly new fangled stunt (unless you had heard Louie Bellson) there wasn't any musical use for them. Folks like Bernard Purdie could rap away at patterns just fine with the pedals of the day. And now we have much better ones.

My double pedals just sit around. It feels like a crutch. At the last couple of GC drumoffs I went to, I heard enough R-L-LF-RF to last me the rest of my life. I'd rather work at doubles and triples with one good foot, as well as those Purdie boogaloo patterns. My hat is off to those folks who can do double and triple stroke rudiments on two pedals. Just that outside of a narrow type of music, it's a chops thing, not a musical thing. Just my $0.02, YMMV

Aeolian said:

...I heard enough R-L-LF-RF to last me the rest of my life. I'd rather work at doubles and triples with one good foot, as well as those Purdie boogaloo patterns. My hat is off to those folks who can do double and triple stroke rudiments on two pedals. Just that outside of a narrow type of music, it's a chops thing, not a musical thing.

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Ha ha! That's exactly me, too!

No matter how much my brain tells me that, "hey, every other drum on the kit is getting hit by two limbs, why should the kick be any different?" I still can't get past how much it all sort of sounds the same.

The only way I've been able to use double kick in a musical way is by only using flams. It's not a busy take-over-the-music approach, but it can really enhance the 1, or example. Don't know why I never hear drummers doing this...

It depends on what one refers to as "musical".

But on a more "objective" side of things, I'm not teaching anybody anything new in saying that it depends in what musical context, when and where you use two feet on the kick. In that sense, it's no different from anything else that we use on the kit. Anything can be considered just as much as a "chops thing". Double pedal, two kicks - other than the aesthetic side and practical advantages or consequences - they are just tools, it's the drummer which makes good use of them or not... Within that given context.

MikeM said:

Fact of the matter is that most clubs have small stages that may or may not accommodate two kicks. Especially when there's 2 or 3 other bands trying to squeeze in as much back line on (or around) the stage as possible.

If you were on a little DIY tour, having a double pedal might be the difference between getting to play your parts or not since you can't scout stage sizes ahead of time.

Then there the issue of mics. Some (most) clubs may not even have two kick drum mics.

Bottom line is that double-pedals are much more practical. I'd save the 2nd kick for the studio or when I was playing gigs where I knew for sure that my setup would fit and be mic'd properly.

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pretty much hit the nail on the head.
sure it would be nice to have two bass drums (i guess), but practicality is normally paramount.

PeniScott said:

Or try the Sonor pedal that 'mimics' the feel of having two kicks but on one. If that makes sense.

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Isn't that a Sleishman pedal?

Ironically, the quote/tagline for that Sleishman pedal is "It just makes sense..."

MikeM said:

The only way I've been able to use double kick in a musical way is by only using flams. It's not a busy take-over-the-music approach, but it can really enhance the 1, or example. Don't know why I never hear drummers doing this...

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See, I'm totally the opposite. I'm of the view that double-kicks can HEAVILY influence the musicality of a piece of drumming.

There is nothing more I love than the sound of a quick burst of fast double-kicks in a single beat. High-speed triplets sound amazing, too.

depends if the kick is triggered or not. if it's being used a lot (death/core) it probably is, in which case it normally sounds a bit samey. not always ofcourse, but the average bands are horrible to listen to.
now double kick when it's played by people like danny carey, yeah that's awesome. but hi-hat patterns still rule (imo).

toddy said:

depends if the kick is triggered or not. if it's being used a lot (death/core) it probably is, in which case it normally sounds a bit samey. not always ofcourse, but the average bands are horrible to listen to.
now double kick when it's played by people like danny carey, yeah that's awesome. but hi-hat patterns still rule (imo).

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I love hi-hat patterns but I have a weakness for double bass patterns thanks to Raymond Herrera, he is the most creative double bass player out there in my opinion, he does things with DB that no one ever has.

I agree also on sounding samey I went to see Lamb Of God a while ago and my God Chris Adler is a mean beast with his pedals, very creative. But the support, Job for a cowboy urgh, double bass onslaught just no creativity with it at all, constant double bass through every song. He did have some nice conversions from 16ths to triplets into 32nd notes and stuff like that which I love but for the majority it was solid 16ths at about 210 all the way through their songs. I was bored stiff and metal drumming should not be like that.

JT1 said:

I love hi-hat patterns but I have a weakness for double bass patterns thanks to Raymond Herrera, he is the most creative double bass player out there in my opinion, he does things with DB that no one ever has.

I agree also on sounding samey I went to see Lamb Of God a while ago and my God Chris Adler is a mean beast with his pedals, very creative. But the support, Job for a cowboy urgh, double bass onslaught just no creativity with it at all, constant double bass through every song. He did have some nice conversions from 16ths to triplets into 32nd notes and stuff like that which I love but for the majority it was solid 16ths at about 210 all the way through their songs. I was bored stiff and metal drumming should not be like that.

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If you are really into interesting double bass stuff may I recommend you amongst the following:
- Virgil Donati (On the Virg, Planet X... Probably the most advanced double bass player out there)
- Dan Foord (check out SikTh for some crazy tech-metal)
- Aquiles Priester (Hangar, Angra... If you are into the power metal/progressive thing this guy is a human drum machine)

These guys play just as solid as on their recordings (I kid you not).

You should find all you need on YouTube and/or Myspace.