Bass drum pedal bouncing back for a second hit

pt3407

Senior Member
Hi everyone,

I have a problem here on my bass drum pedal. It is a DW 5000 bass drum pedal BTW. When I kick down on my bass drum pedal and immediately remove my foot, it hits it for a second stroke. Is this a normal thing? How can I adjust the amount of bounce?
 
Hmmm, not sure what kind of motion you're describing there. You adjust the pedal tension with the nut on the bottom of the spring on the right side of the pedal-- there are actually two nuts-- one to adjust the tension, one to make it stay in place when you've adjusted it. So long as it isn't too floppy or too hard to depress, you should be able to play it without getting a second hit. Check out your technique-- maybe with a mirror-- and figure out what part of the motion is causing the second hit. Usually it's caused by not getting the beater away from the head fast enough after you play a note. Can't be more specific than that without seeing what you're talking about.
 
What I mean is that when I press down on the pedal hard enough, it hits the bass drum batter but then bounces back to where I am sitting then hits it again, but like a ghost note.

I think the issue is that the distance from my beater to the bass drum batter head is too close. How can I adjust it? I'm trying to find videos on it but can't find anything.
 
I have a DW 3000 with a delta hinge installed which is basically a 5000. I have my beater set at about 45 degree angle to be bass drum head, maybe a bit more. About medium tension spring. I'm guessing you may also be burying the beater which can cause the unwanted second hit. Let the beater rebound like you would let a stick rebound from the snare. Once I started in burying the beater my bass drum playing got much more efficient
 
This could also be a function of a non-ported kick res

+1

Alternatively a small port hole or a tightly tuned reso head, for which a drummer will need to adjust their playing style.

Decide whether you want to play "into" or "off" the batter head and practice!
 
my kit did that.. i started running my batter head a bit looser.. problem gone..
 
in my experience this has nothing to do with a port hole, because i've had the same thing happen on a roland electric kit :)

i find it really annoying, but generally can't be bothered to faff around with the springs etc during what little time i have to practice :(

it's just a case of tweaking your pedal setup. try adjusting the tension in the springs etc.... the problem comes when you have the tension set to a comfortable feel but have to change it just to get around the 'bounce' problem. that's really frustrating!!!
 
Re-reading the original post - it sounds like its not a flamming effect from a quick rebound while you're still pushing the pedal down, but in fact a distinct second note from taking your foot off the pedal and letting it swing back and forth.

If that's correct, don't take your foot off the pedal. After you've played a note, lift your foot back slightly, ready for the next note, but still touching the pedal board.
 
Everything is normal depending on how you set it.

A 5000 right out of the box should be ready to go. Maybe a little too loose for some.
 
What I mean is that when I press down on the pedal hard enough, it hits the bass drum batter but then bounces back to where I am sitting then hits it again, but like a ghost note.

I think the issue is that the distance from my beater to the bass drum batter head is too close. How can I adjust it? I'm trying to find videos on it but can't find anything.

You can adjust the resting position of the beater by sliding the point just above the spring. Use a drumkey to loosen the screw, and pull the pulley back one or two marks, then tighten again. The beater should now rest further away from the drum.
 
I wonder if this is the pedal coming back up and bouncing off your foot....then re-impacting the head...since you are removing your foot on impact.

...essentially, a very efficent pedal/bd strike.
 
I don't think the pedal is the problem. Maybe you should check your technique. Do you play heel up or heel down? When you remove your foot, are you still touching the pedal? Do you bury the beater (that technique seems to create a second hit sometimes)?

I hope it helps
 
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