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Thread: Kick pedal tension and technique

  1. #1

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    Default Kick pedal tension and technique

    (Quick background: I have no clue what I'm doing. I thought it would be "fun to learn drums".)

    How's this kick pedal thing supposed to work? I mean, okay, step on it, mallet hits drum (or in my case, clever bit of electronics which pretends to be a drum). Step off, mallet flies back and bumps your ankle very lightly.

    I've had a couple of times when I tried to hit the kick and what ended up happening was that the mallet hit a bit faster than I expected, and bounced back while I was still applying a bit of pressure, so it hit the head again. This produced a cool double-kick effect in no particular time. Am I supposed to be avoiding that or learning to control it?

    I've been told to adjust the tension "down". There's a spring on the pedal, and a sort of screw thing on it, and if I turn it so the plain metal connector to the string goes further, the pedal fights back a lot less. That's what people mean, right?

    And yes, really, I'm that unclear on this. I would like to state for the record that I owe drummers a general apology for assuming drumming was "pretty easy".

  2. #2

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    Default Re: Kick pedal tension and technique

    Hello, it sounds to me like you are talking about the beater bouncing. e drums are notorious for this. If it is controlled and intentional that is one thing. It probably is a combination of the surface you are striking and your technique.


    As for the pedal adjustment it really is a personal choice. Some prefer them tight while other prefer them loose. You have to play with it and figure out what you like. I personally prefer them somewhere on the looser side. I don't like to have to work to hard to strike the drum.

    what kind of pad is it? If it is adjustable you can try loosening it up a bit so it is not as bouncy. I play a Roland kit and have my bass drum pad tuned down a little to help make it feel more authentic and stop the extra bounce

    Once you get that all worked out you can start by simply playing a steady 1/4 not pattern to a metronome. Learn to control the pedal. It takes a little work but you will get it.
    Last edited by rmandelbaum; 08-25-2008 at 08:23 AM.
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  3. #3

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    Default Re: Kick pedal tension and technique

    Hmm. My bass drum pad (a KD-8) doesn't seem to have any adjustments, but I haven't looked that closely. I haven't messed with it that much; I don't entirely understand how it's supposed to work, or how the pedal's supposed to interact with it. I was pretty surprised to discover that the kick pedal was a separate component, although it makes sense once you know about it.

  4. #4

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    Default Re: Kick pedal tension and technique

    Get foot control. My right foot was pretty bloodied when I started playing and don't worry, you'll learn pretty quickly.
    Today, on Ethel The Frog...

  5. #5

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    Default Re: Kick pedal tension and technique

    yeah....good question about bass pedal tension etc....


    This is kindof like asking someone what kind of soda they drink, as it is totally a personal setup...number one priority is what feels comfortable for you. Generally, as stated above by the much-educated drum chatters, less tension means less work for your bass foot, but again, its whatever you prefer. Recently I have tighened up the tension a bit, playing alot of blues, so the bass drum is more steady, really tight with the bass. I found with it tighter it gave me a little more control.

    Have fun on the drums!
    My Kit - Mapex Saturn 6 Pc., Iron Cobra Double Pedal, 14 Sabian HHX Evolution HH, 20 Avedis Ping Ride, Zildjian 16 Vintage Crash, Zildjian K 17 Thin Dry Crash, Sabian HHX Evolution 16 Crash, Evans Heads, Sennheiser Mikes

  6. #6

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    Default Re: Kick pedal tension and technique

    In my experience, higher tension gives me more control but less speed; lower tension favors higher speed but less control.

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