Which to choose

drummingman

Gold Member
I have posted a number of threads about double bass playing over the years here. But I got one more in me. I have been playing double bass by running on the pedals from my legs and hips for about 20 years. lately I have been playing around with the heel toe technique. Doing it heel heel toe toe (this way feels better to me then heel toe double strokes). This technique is still in its infancy in my playing. But I have been thinking a lot about it.

Being that Im 38 Im no longer a spring chicken. Thats one of the reasons I started looking into another technique for fast double bass. Cause I have to wonder how long a person can run on the pedals a thousand miles an hour as they start getting older? But I aldo wonder if a person can get real consistency and power out of the heel heel toe toe technique even though its easier to do at fast tempos?

So to be honest this does have me at a bit of a dilemma, do I put the time into heel heel toe toe or do I just keep working to maintain my running technique at high speeds?

Feel free to post your thoughts on the pro's and con's of each technique and any other thoughts you may have. Thanks!
 
I also am new to heel toe. For several yr. now I've been working on continuous release, which some people mistakenly call heel toe. I do play it heel heel toe toe as you described. I can get a reasonable amount of power with it. I've never really been able to grasp the Dbls. heel toe motion until recently. I can do it now, but I'm not sure how much power you can get from it. That ? will get answered as I get better. Nearly everyone who uses it is using triggers. I think it's because they can't play heel toe loud enough for a mic to work well, and every note is the same volume with a trigger. That will enable you to play pretty soft at very high tempos very loud. I have watched people play continuous release at 250 bpm without a trigger. I'm going to keep working on both techniques. Right now I'm only topping out around 180. I too am older, 54yr. I think that learning other techniques will help your main technique, by using and strengthening muscles that you aren't currently using. I'm also messing with the swivel technique. I have a book by Dom Famularo "Pedal Control". In it he says that playing heel down when you are a heel up player, will make you better at heel up. He talks about a sub technique of heel up, called the quiver. A lot of fast single note players use this. He also talks about swivel, but not heel toe, or Con. Rel. So I say yes, learn them all. Good luck.
 
The thing is I have no plans to trigger. So I don't know if working the heel heel toe toe is worth it if one cant get power and consistency with it.
 
The thing is I have no plans to trigger. So I don't know if working the heel heel toe toe is worth it if one cant get power and consistency with it.

I feel exactly the same. I may never use it in a real gig setting, but I still feel compelled to learn it. Today I was getting some power with it. I'm a long way from good at it though.
 
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Learn all the new techniques you can .. you are never to "old" to learn something new. Case in point .. in his 50's Dom Famularo switched from traditional grip to open handed playing/matched grip and he now only plays that way exclusively.

I would say work on heel/toe in practice by yourself and stick to your running technique in a live situation. When your heel toe feels good enough to perform with on stage you know that you have achieved a level of proficiency. It is important to measure your personal successes.

Good luck!
 
Yeah. Doms a killer! I studied with him.

My thing is can a person get power and consistency with heel heel toe toe without triggers?
 
I have decided, God willing, to keep working on the heel heel toe toe to get it to the level to where I won't need triggers for power and consistency when playing it at any tempo. I figure that the running is great for slower and mid tempo things and the heel toe is great for fast things.
 
I am surprised that some of the folks on here who are crazy good with heel toe have not chimed in on this thread.
 
I'm not too good with technical questions. Never really paid much attention to my technique, I just play the darn thing. Then again, I don't play double bass.
 
If you're an amateur double bass player then strong, even singles should be your goal.
 
I've been playing double bass for 21 years all from legs and hips running on the pedals. I cant do heels down or heels up using nothing but ankles as both hurt my back.And its not just a lack of muscle development. Its something with my back. Thats why I've been looking into heel heel toe toe for fast double bass.
 
I say see how far you can take your heel-heel-toe-toe technique. Show all those hxcx trigger-happy scene kids what real man legs can do.

And if back trouble is your problem, seriously consider your posture, throne height, distance from the kit, the throne itself, stick length, basic ergonomics etc. Maybe try stretches, a backrest or other back support, maybe even see one of those doctor-people.
 
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