DOUBLE BASS TECHNIQUE

Re: Double Bass Chops

Elemental Nausea said:
look on the dave lombardo homepage, there are some exercises which helped me build my speed...first you have to set up your two basses in a way that feels comfortable to you(as close together as possible usually), for practicing just look on the lombardo page, it`s really got me started as well. now after two years i am able to play most slayer and slipknot stuff for example with double bass, but there is also faster stuff in the extreme metal genre

his website hasn't been working for awhile on my computer? has it been working for you? it seems like the flash file isn't loading.
 
Double Bass Exercises

I just added a double bass drum pedal to my kit and im looking for exercises to do to become better at double bass
 
Re: Double Bass Exercises

juanlopez174 said:
I just added a double bass drum pedal to my kit and im looking for exercises to do to become better at double bass

Get some quarter notes going with your leading hand, wherever you like, and play the snare on the 3, so it's your basic rock beat without the bass drum. Then incorporate 16th notes with your feet. Practice them as single strokes (RLRL), double strokes (RRLL), and paradiddles (RLRRLRLL). Practice starting with both the left and the right. Also, try to incorporate 4-strokes (RRRRLLLL) and even 8's.These will help you move on to 32nd notes. If you can play 16th notes with each limb individually, you can hit the 32nd notes.
 
Re: Double Bass Exercises

wow those exersices look real helpful im gona try em out

thanks alot
 
Can Someone Help me Double Bass

Hi my name is Jonathan and I have been playing the drum set for maybe 4 years, I am doing alot better as of late so when I make improvements on the drum set my parents may get me new parts, and recently I got a double bass pedal, and I was wounder if there is any way to get my double bass playing up to speed in less then a month because I have to go to college this fall and I might not be able to afford storage for my kit.

Also if any of you all have any routines I could do to gain complete limb control plz post and let me know, and if you can e-mail me [email protected],or [email protected].
thanks.
 
Re: Can Someone Help me Double Bass

the only way to get your double bass up to speed in a month is 8 hours of practice a day. Seriously, start with playing 8th notes on the left foot(8th notes are what we usually play on the hihat with our right hand) this will build your weak leg up. while doing that play normal beats on the right pedal and you might come up with some cool patterns. Then, learn to play all the rudiments with your hands and feet. this should help however if you dont continue to practice at school you will lose all you have worked for. So I recomend you get a bassdrum practice pad and a snare pad and go to town. Check out Thomas Lang
 
Re: Double Bass Exercises

A time honored classic is always the Stick Control but with the feet. Maybe you could check out Thomas Lang's dvd, its a bit advanced but if you're up for a good hard challenge this is for you.
 
Help need on double bass!

Last christmas I was given a Sonor DP 492 S Double Bass Drum Pedal. because I wanted to try out double bass pedals. But I can't play double bass very well at all!!
every time i practice it i can keep the left, right pattern going between the feet but when i try adding a snare part in the beat or a non-stop ride cymbal beat with the double bass i mess up and if i try making the double bassing faster (as i can only do it slowly) my feet can keep up with each other and end up hitting at the same.

Help need badly!!

Thanks for you help (in advance!) :)
 
Re: Help need on double bass!

thrashed said:
Last christmas I was given a Sonor DP 492 S Double Bass Drum Pedal. because I wanted to try out double bass pedals. But I can't play double bass very well at all!!
every time i practice it i can keep the left, right pattern going between the feet but when i try adding a snare part in the beat or a non-stop ride cymbal beat with the double bass i mess up and if i try making the double bassing faster (as i can only do it slowly) my feet can keep up with each other and end up hitting at the same.

Help need badly!!

Thanks for you help (in advance!) :)

OK, Step one: Stop caring what brand your pedal is and make friends with it for the next five years, because a new pedal is just an excuse for poor practice habits :)

Step two: If you can't play double kick fast, don't. Slow down and work out exactly what movements you want each foot to do individually. Get that going in a smooth relaxed way, then practice stopping and starting each foot while keeping the other one going. Keep an eye on your movements and make sure you're not "rushing" or tensing up. Keep everything smooth, easy and relaxed.

Step three: Add in a ride cymbal. If you're playing RLRL with the feet, play eighth notes on the ride cymbal - you just need to play the right hand with the right foot. If you can't do this, slow the hell down until you can. It's pretty easy. Again, get it going in a smooth relaxed way and don't try to speed up until it feels like the easiest thing you've ever done in your life.

Step four: Add the snare drum. Still playing slowly, add it in on the two and the four. It will fall in unison with your right foot and right hand, make sure there is no flamming. Again, practice until it sounds tight, feels relaxed and is DEAD EASY. Check the technique on all four limbs with a mirror, make sure everything is still relaxed and smooth.

Step five: Gradually increase the speed. Once you start to tense up or flam notes then stop speeding up. Use a metronome - mark the fastest tempo you can do while fully relaxed.

Repeat this every day, and try to beat your tempo the previous day by 1-2bpm a day. After a month you'll be up to pretty respectable speeds with a four-limbed double kick groove, and it'll be easy as pie.
 
Re: Help need on double bass!

Watch your posture aswell cause thats what messed me up in the beggining, when I was only using the feet I would lean back a bit without noticing it.
 
Re: Help need on double bass!

some exercises i do every day is this (without any pedals just sitting on a chair with my stix)
right hand and right foot alternating singles: right hand, right foot ......and then do the same thing with my left foot and hand...and all HEEL DOWN...that helped me alot try it!!
 
Re: Help need on double bass!

A couple of good exercises (from Tommy "the red shoes" Lange's video):

Upper case is hands, lower case is feet.

RrRrRrRrLlLlLlLl

RrRrRrLlLlLl

RrRrLlLl

RrLl


Hands: R-L-R-L-RLRLRLRL
_Feet: RLRLRLRLR-L-R-L-


In this second exercise, the hands pattern and the feet pattern are the same, but you play them kind of inverted on each other.

Play each one a million times. Start slow. Use a metronome, or play to music recorded to a click.
 
Re: Help need on double bass!

welcome to the club buddy! I'm just getting into double bass playing now too. Actually, i got the pedal two weeks ago and haven't really started yet so. Oh boy!
 
Re: Double Bass Chops

Build it up. But remember the rule.... "Your only as fast as your left foot/leg." if your left cant go as fast as your right only go at a speed that your left is comfortable with. As you do more Double Bass you left gets stronger and faster and in no time u will be speeding away. And always keep your right foot in time with your right hand " 1, 2, 3,4" and then when you do 16ths, put your left foot in on the off beats eg " 1&2&3&4&1&2&3&4"
i used to be crap. I bought a double kick last year and for six mounths i was doing random, un co-oridinated speeds which sped up and down all the time. Then 6 mounths ago i had lessons with a new guy who does double bass aswell. Now i am doing Double Kick as fast as Joey Jordison and as powerful as Dave lombardo. Also a cool thing to do is to do quadruplets. Do a four bar fill BUT, do two beats on the toms then two on the bass drums and go " snare snare,bass bass, high high,bass bass, low low,bass bass floor floor, bass bass." but do it in " 1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4....." like a 4 bar fill it sound lush as f**k!!!
www.nochaa.tk
 
THE DOUBLE BASS TECHNIQUE THREAD

Hey, um im a bit angry at my double bass pedal, cuz yesterday i was using it, and i cud do it fine, like playin overkill and whatnot, and today now after practicing at a drum kit with a single bass pedal, ive come home to realise im terrible at the double bass pedal!!!aaah its very annoying....i dont get it, do u have to CONSTANTLY play with a double bass pedal to stay good using it, or are there good/bad days on it or what???reply plz!!!!!
 
DOUBLE BASS HELP!!!

hey, i just recently bought a double bass pedal and i barely make any progress in a month! i cant even keep a steady beat

im self learned and ive only have been playing for about a year, so i dont know what to do! any suggestions on how to improve my technique?

do i have to excercise continuously (i have to admit im a bit out of shape)?


PLEASE HELP!!!
 
Re: DOUBLE BASS HELP!!!

Start sloooooooowly! You are training your muscles to do something new. When you got your first bike you didn't just hop on and go. No, you took your time to learn balance, work the brakes, pedal, avoid cars and dogs ;-), etc. Same thing with you new pedals. You aren't going to go blazing with them right off the bat. It will be awkward at first.

Get George Lawerence Stone's book "Stick Control" and do the exercises with your feet...slowly. Get a metronome and start out at 50 bpm [beats per minute]. Pay attention to what your right leg does [I'm assuming you're right-handed] and copy it with your left. Feel the muscles and concentrate on each movement. Slow is your motto. In time move the metronome up a notch to a faster bpm.

Don't worry, you'll get there, but it will take time. Use it wisely and don't get impatient.

Alan <><
 
Re: DOUBLE BASS HELP!!!

That is not a long time at all......your feet are just like your hands............they need to learn and at a steady pace.................I have only been playing double kick for about 7 months.............and believe me......I practice it every day and its grueling sometimes, but I will tell you some things you can do..........

1. practice with a metronome to keep your feet even sounding....
2. make sure both beaters are at the same distance from the head of the bass drum.
3. make sure the tension on the pedals are the same..

This will keep you working both feet at the same pace...

Now you can play 16th note singles with your feet while playing either quarter notes, eight notes or 16th notes on the hihat while playing 2 & 4 on the snare drum......
This exercise will build stamina in your legs.............I recommend playing both heal down and with your toes to build both sides of your legs....

Then you can also play triplets on the BD using the same concept above but changing your hihat to quarters, triplets............

Check out www.tigerbill.com for some free exercises to practice............

Keep plugging away................you will be soooooooooooo happy if you keep going and watch yourself improve.
 
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