Help with double bass

RAWKFIST1989

Junior Member
Hello all,

If anyone could help with this problem it would be greatly appreciated. Ive been playing for about a year now and my skills have progressed quite a bit since I started, but My double bass still sucks. I can play triplets and other patterns that involve both pedals but my single stroke roll is embarrasing, I feel off balance. I play heel up 99% of the time so I tried the heel toe method but cant seem to figure it out my size 15 doesnt help either. Ive experimented with different seat heights thinking thhe fact that im 6'6'' might be part of my problem but no luck. If anyone has some tips or tricks for me to try im open for any oppinions...Thanks
 
Check some of the posts by DW speed demons like Derek Roddy, George Kollias and Tim Waterson.......they all have great practice routines, yet they all say the same thing. Keep practising, there are no short cuts. No-one flys at 250+ overnight......it can take years of dedicated practice.

Aim for control first.....if you need to slow down a bit in order to gain control, then do it. Push the tempo when you're able to control what you want to do (in this case straight 16ths). Control enables speed......speed with no control equates to sloppiness.

Keep practising man and be sure to check out a few of their drills and workout routines. There's tons of info on the topic.
 
Practice. Great double bass work takes a lot of time. I've been playing for close to fifteen years, and am just now starting double bass. Its frustrating, I know. Its one of the first things I've had to "work" at. Just keep at it.
 
I can play triplets and other patterns that involve both pedals but my single stroke roll is embarrasing

Well, do you need a constant single stroke roll on the bass drum? I never practice continous single strokes on the double pedal, I really have no use for this. All my double bass patterns consist of 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 notes in a row at the most; that's it. Double bass is NOT all about playing the same figure again and again in a constant manner.


Fox.
 
The most important thing is to ensure your limbs are balanced. A fast right foot is no good if your left won't go above 130. Ensure you practice slowly, and pay particular attention to your weaker side. And stay relaxed! In order to be fast you need to be relaxed. In order to relax you need to be in control. In my experience, the best thing is a combination of slow practice (i.e. at a tempo which you can do comfortably), pushing into the higher tempos for short periods, and slow heel down practice. This is what I'm working on at the moment, so I've had to do a lot of learning myself!
 
Well, do you need a constant single stroke roll on the bass drum? I never practice continous single strokes on the double pedal, I really have no use for this. All my double bass patterns consist of 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 notes in a row at the most; that's it. Double bass is NOT all about playing the same figure again and again in a constant manner.


Fox.
You're wrong. Many subgenres of metal do need the constant 16th/32nd note stream of double bass.

I have recently been working with double bass as well, basically because both of my feet are slowing my progress. My right foot is weak, I realised my beater doesn't go back very far, like only 3-4 inches off the head when I play at higher speeds. Even my left foot can play much further back. My double bass coordination is still there after gazillion hours of air drumming, but we all know on the real kit it's way different. So that's why I'm here practicin my ass off.
 
I play heel up 99% of the time so I tried the heel toe method but cant seem to figure it out my size 15 doesnt help either. Ive experimented with different seat heights thinking thhe fact that im 6'6'' might be part of my problem but no luck. If anyone has some tips or tricks for me to try im open for any oppinions...Thanks

I teach my students to use their entire foot at medium tempos to combat the "unbalanced" sound and feel you're describing. Start from heel-up, ball of your foot on the footboard, and allow your heel to briefly contact the heel plate (or in your case, the floor) as you play, and relax your ankle so that the beater bounces back. You might find that the beater bounces against the head lightly a few more times, and while this isn't ideal, give yourself time to control this aspect of the technique. Sit up straight and relax!

Developing a balanced roll is going to require some additional practice that focuses on your left foot. Here's some exercises (play them while keeping 8ths on the ride, snare on 2 and 4):

- Play a measure of 8ths (L R L R) and then a measure of 16ths (LRLR), back to 8ths, and so on, leading with your left foot.

- Play constant 8ths with your left foot, and every other measure add the right foot on the e's and ah's.

- Slow down and repeat the above, but with triplet 8ths/triplet 16ths.

- In Thomas Lang's first DVD there is a drill where you play alternating groups of 3, 5, and 7 with your hands on snare, and at the same time play the same alternating pattern with your feet. It's a great warm up, one of my favorites!

As you begin to accomplish even, powerful strokes with both feet, push the tempo. Take note of the tempo at which it becomes necessary to use the heel-up technique, and try to increase it.

Good luck and have fun!
 
Thanks everyone for the help and ideas! I have some great ideas for my next practice session to try out now. Fox, I understand I may not need to ever use a single stroke roll but I'd rather have it in may arsenal for when I do need it. My mission is to constantly better myself and this pattern is just another brick in the road.
 
You're wrong. Many subgenres of metal do need the constant 16th/32nd note stream of double bass.

I just said Double Bass was not ALL about these kind of rhythms. As I stated before, I don't really want to be playing a constant pattern on my double pedal, it seems like quite boring to me. If you (the OP) believe it may come in handy or it's something you might be interested in including in any performance, go ahead.


Fox.
 
if u can read drum charts then encyclopedia of double bass drumming and george kolliases website but those exercises might b a bit to intense for u yet and if u cant read drum charts then learn lol

as far as seat height i dont know if there is a right or wrong answer but i use the same seat height and techniques as flo mounier

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkHvIxycVNI

good luck to ya
 
Seems like there's already been multiple posts about different techniques you can try, so my input on the topic at hand would be practice! I remember when I first started using the double kick I was constantly upset that I couldn't keep a solid beat (having a friend who has been drumming for 5+ years trying to teach me) and then it eventually clicked.

Start slow, then speed up. Play with a metronome ALWAYS, and just keep at it, you'll get it eventually!


As for your height/foot size issue, I'm in a similar boat but don't feel it affects my play too much. I'm 6'2 with size 16 feet and the only real issue I find is I can't really play heel down (I have yet to find a dum pedal that I can place my entire foot on the board... Mind you I heard Axis Longboards are pretty damn big). You'll also probably never be able to play Heel Toe, unless you find a pedal with long ass boards.
 
Seems like there's already been multiple posts about different techniques you can try, so my input on the topic at hand would be practice! I remember when I first started using the double kick I was constantly upset that I couldn't keep a solid beat (having a friend who has been drumming for 5+ years trying to teach me) and then it eventually clicked.

Start slow, then speed up. Play with a metronome ALWAYS, and just keep at it, you'll get it eventually!


As for your height/foot size issue, I'm in a similar boat but don't feel it affects my play too much. I'm 6'2 with size 16 feet and the only real issue I find is I can't really play heel down (I have yet to find a dum pedal that I can place my entire foot on the board... Mind you I heard Axis Longboards are pretty damn big). You'll also probably never be able to play Heel Toe, unless you find a pedal with long ass boards.[
 
Back
Top