Playing the kick drum.

Mark_S

Silver Member
I've been experimenting today with how I play the kick drum. I've always had tension in my leg so I worked on getting my leg loose to the point of being pretty much limp, and then basically lifting my leg a little and then letting it just drop onto the pedal like dead-weight to make the stroke.

This felt much more relaxed and instantly seemed to help my groove playing.. but before I go to mad working on it, does that sound familiar to how you guys do it?

I was tense before to the point of you could actually see my hip drop slightly when I relaxed.. I do notice this new way seems to use the muscle that raises the leg a bit more. I'm not even sure how my previous method worked, I just know it got tense especially on slow songs so its almost like I was holding my leg in a position between strokes..
 
Thats the way Max Sansalone play his bass drum. I do it too if I'm not playing heel down. Its comfortable and you get a better sound out of the drum when you relax and let the beater bounce of the head.
 
that sounds about right. i usually keep my heel on the drum between beats and then lift it up and drop my leg with very little tension. maybe not completely limp, but no tension. tension is the kiss of death for all drumming.
 
This is exactly how I play as well. When my foot is at rest it is in the same position in both heel up and heel down playing. I could never get burying the beater to work, as the beater always wants to bounce, so I just decided to let it. And you'll have a small head start if you decide to learn constant release.
 
Thanks for your responses all :)
 
Don't think of "lifting" your leg. Instead, think of kicking your leg up by pushing it up with your toes and heel (keep the beater on the head).
 
I've been experimenting today with how I play the kick drum. I've always had tension in my leg so I worked on getting my leg loose to the point of being pretty much limp, and then basically lifting my leg a little and then letting it just drop onto the pedal like dead-weight to make the stroke.

This felt much more relaxed and instantly seemed to help my groove playing.. but before I go to mad working on it, does that sound familiar to how you guys do it?

I was tense before to the point of you could actually see my hip drop slightly when I relaxed.. I do notice this new way seems to use the muscle that raises the leg a bit more. I'm not even sure how my previous method worked, I just know it got tense especially on slow songs so its almost like I was holding my leg in a position between strokes..

Hello Mark
I was wondering if you have this technique under control.

Don't think of "lifting" your leg. Instead, think of kicking your leg up by pushing it up with your toes and heel (keep the beater on the head).
Hello,

Doesn't it create more tension when thinking of pushing your leg up?

grtz,
4pmchorale
 
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...lifting my leg a little and then letting it just drop onto the pedal like dead-weight...

...relax and let the beater bounce of the head...



I must be missing something. It doesn't sound like you'd have a beater bounce off the head when you drop your leg like a dead weight.
Sounds more like you'd bury the beater doing that.
 
I must be missing something. It doesn't sound like you'd have a beater bounce off the head when you drop your leg like a dead weight.
Sounds more like you'd bury the beater doing that.

No, to bury the beater you must have a constant pressure on the pedal, if your leg/foot come down and rest on the pedal (like if you're not using the pedal) the beater is naturally off the head.
 
No, to bury the beater you must have a constant pressure on the pedal, if your leg/foot come down and rest on the pedal (like if you're not using the pedal) the beater is naturally off the head.

Weird - when my foot is down and resting on the pedal, the beater is against the head.
Unless I keep some tension in the front of my leg by lifting my toes, to match the angle of the foot board, and keep tension off the spring.
Maybe I'm built wrong - LOL.

EDIT - just noticed this thread is a couple years old - ha ha.

Edit again - ha ha. I guess after checking it depends on a few things. Where you place your foot on the pedal, spring tension, and probably distance of the beater from the head.
With my heel on the pedal and totally relaxed, my beater is against the head. If I move my foot back so my heel is behind the heel plate, the beater's off the head. YMMV.

.
 
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