Bass drum playing issues and questions

drummingman

Gold Member
I've been playing what most call flat foot (running on the pedals) when playing double bass for years. Recently I found myself stomping the pedal with my right foot way to hard. This has made the ball of my foot right back from my big toe tender. It has been like this for I would say at least a month even after taking some time off practice. Of course I have backed off on how hard I'm stomping the pedal. But this issue has got me thinking wheather I should change my foot technique when playing double bass.

I have been thinking about switching to heels down ankles (I can't use the technique where I hold my heels a little off the pedals and just use my ankles because this kills my back). My only concern with the heels down is if it will be really hard to get the volume I need at high tempo's. I believe momentum will help me get the volume. Am I correct on this?

There is also the issue of wheather I should change my foot technique completely after all these years? I just don't want the tenderness on the bottom of my foot to get worse. I keep going back and forth on changing my technique because of #1 not knowing if heels down will give me what I need, and # 2 there's a big part of me that does not want to start completely over from scratch on my foot technique (although if I need to I will).

I would still play heels up using my legs when playing slow double bass and when playing single bass stuff. But I'm just not sure if I should switch to heels down when playing fast double bass (which I would have to build up from scratch anyway).

So, does anyone have any thoughts that will help me come to the best conclusion on these issues?
 
It may not be your BD technique. Stomping on the pedals shouldn't create more pressure/impact than normal walking. What about seat height/position? If your knee isn't in line, then it can cause a buildup of tension in your foot.

Bass drum technique focuses on what happens in the foot, but the whole mess matters... seated balance, eg position, etc. The abs do most of the work (or, at least, they should) as they are the muscles that life the thigh.
 
The abs do most of the work (or, at least, they should) as they are the muscles that life the thigh.

The abs act a stabiliser, but they don't lift the thigh as such. It's the hip flexors that lift the thigh.

Having said that, it is very important to make sure you're ergonomically set up to prevent any injury. Play with you seat height and distance as well as pedal settings.

The other question I would ask is so you wear shoes or go bare feet when playing? A good pair of shoes may help lessening the impact on the ball of your foot.

Also if you are getting tenderness etc after playing, using an ice pack will lessen the damage to an extent.
 
Search this forum for Matt Ritter's Unburying the Beater. He has some posts and a DVD. At least it is a complete, systematic approach, dealing foot position and seat height as well as foot technique, rather than random experimentation.
 
Actually these are the muscles that move the hip and maybe try some exercises for these'
 

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Actually these are the muscles that move the hip and maybe try some exercises for these'

Yep, those muscles are the hip flexors. Although the iliopsoas is the main hip-flexor that was left out along with the Tensor fasciae latae.

You can definitely have dramas with those muscles if you play heel up burying the beater.

I wonder as well if the OP is playing like this and therefore using the ball of the foot solely (pardon the pun) instead of returning to rest the whole foot on the pedal.
 
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