Single Kick Metal Drumming

rhnn19

rhnn19

Active Member
Hi!
I mostly play hard rock and metal drums. Bands that I listen to and play are mostly Metallica, Megadeth, Van Halen and A7X.
Long story short I have left hemiparesis which actually means that my left side of the body has less strenght and far less movement than the right side (especially left leg, my left arm is ok), that means that I don't have feel in my brain of some left leg joints and I can't have proper bass drum technique.
While I was in Amsterdam I was trying out pedals (I posted thread about this not so long ago) I tried out Speed Cobra 910 and it feels like heaven. I noticed that "double bass" parts I would play in the songs with that pedal I can play only with right foot.
So can I play modern metal drums with single kick and maybe develop my right foot to degree where I don't need left kick?
I mean we have single kick metal drummers like Nicko McBrain, Bill Ward, but they are old generation of metal drummers.
For example we have "Raining Blood" by Slayer where Lombardo plays rhythm with 16th double kick, but that rhythm can be played like single kick.
 
Some of the greatest metal drummers play single kick drum. You already named two greats, but there's also Vinny Appice. Do whatever you can do to make your music. That's all that you can do. 🤘🤘
 
Totigerus said:
Some of the greatest metal drummers play single kick drum. You already named two greats, but there's also Vinny Appice. Do whatever you can do to make your music. That's all that you can do. 🤘🤘
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Okay, so I shall develop right foot.
 
rhnn19 said:
Long story short I have left hemiparesis which actually means that my left side of the body has less strenght and far less movement than the right side (especially left leg, my left arm is ok), that means that I don't have feel in my brain of some left leg joints and I can't have proper bass drum technique.
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Is it possible for you to learn heel-toe or any other technique used for double bass?
Just thinking these techniques are more energy efficient than single strokes so your left side might then be able to handle it.
 
toddmc said:
Is it possible for you to learn heel-toe or any other technique used for double bass?
Just thinking these techniques are more energy efficient than single strokes so your left side might then be able to handle it.
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I play heel-up with my right, but I tried both heel-up, heel-down and heel-toe but I can't play a single note.
 
JimmyM said:
Weird, never heard of either, need to check this stuff out. Any explanation of how they work and why is welcome.
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The Duallist:


The Vruk:


The Vruk looks like heel/toe motion with a gizmo. I'd like to try some.
 
rhnn19 said:
I play heel-up with my right, but I tried both heel-up, heel-down and heel-toe but I can't play a single note.
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Well that really sucks 😔

I would look into Dave's suggestion about the Dualist pedal though.
If you can do the heel toe double stroke (with your good foot) using the 2 x beaters of the Dualist, you might be able to reach 16th note double bass at least?
 
toddmc said:
Well that really sucks 😔

I would look into Dave's suggestion about the Dualist pedal though.
If you can do the heel toe double stroke (with your good foot) using the 2 x beaters of the Dualist, you might be able to reach 16th note double bass at least?
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And that's the MIGHT, I mean giving $400 for pedal that I can't try is very risky, maybe I should just stick with single one and practice it.
 
rhnn19 said:
And that's the MIGHT, I mean giving $400 for pedal that I can't try is very risky, maybe I should just stick with single one and practice it.
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Yeah that's fair enough- fair bit of cash to fork out for something that MIGHT work.

I remember an old vid of a band called Henker(??) where the guy is doing heel toe with a pair of Dualists and it sounded like a lawn mower, which made me think 1 x pedal would actually sound half-decent
 
toddmc said:
Yeah that's fair enough- fair bit of cash to fork out for something that MIGHT work.

I remember an old vid of a band called Henker(??) where the guy is doing heel toe with a pair of Dualists and it sounded like a lawn mower, which made me think 1 x pedal would actually sound half-decent
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I think that I should practice my right foot. That wish for 16th note double bass comes to me every week or month.
 
rhnn19 said:
I think that I should practice my right foot. That wish for 16th note double bass comes to me every week or month.
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You absolutely should, just make the best of what you can do instead of focusing on what you can't.

Metal is obviously chock full of 16th notes (and it would honestly drive me crazy not to be able to do them) so it's a good reminder to never take that ability for granted.
 
Dave Grohl on the Probobt album & Nirvana's In Utero (also any live stuff he played from the Bleach era), Mick Harris on the first couple Napalm Death albums (Scum & FETO), Dave Lombardo recorded Show No Mercy w single kick (he'd started playing double at the time though).

I've been on a huge single-kick... kick, for a few years now, trying to get more out of my right, learning more about faking double bass w the low toms & working on doing KKSS doubles w hat on the 1&3 (Carter McLean does this around the 2 min mark of a Ludwig Pedal demo video)
 
Not to say these are metal drummers by any means but check out Zach Hill and John Clardy. Those dudes have frighteningly fast single foot strokes and could keep up with metal based grooves.

If you are playing your own music in the metal genre, you don't need doubles and can write your parts around that. If you are trying to play classic metal covers that may be difficult if you are focused on 100% accuracy of the music.

 
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