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Thread: Sos!

  1. #1

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    hey guys. i need some serious proffesional help with my double bass. i have been using double bass for about two years which in my opinion is enough time to know how to play heel up, heel down and the heel toe technique, this is where i'm at - i play heel down, if find that you get great control but it is not the best method when it comes to speed and consistency ,so, i started playing heel up to achieve this.

    now, i know some bad drummers who if can manage anything, its heel up double bass and yet, i have never had so much trouble achieving something on my kit ever, even learning my paradiddles were easier than learning this - and i hated that.

    let me expand - i'm not sure if you guys have ever experienced this but i am able to play very fast when i'm just tapping on a flat floor heel-up. i can go without getting tired or screwing up for 2min or so. BUT THE SECOND I GET ON THE WOBBLY PLATFORMS OF A KICK PEDAL!!! i lose my balance, i start kicking as fast as i can and the heads kick the skin at the same time! also, when i initiate it takes me 8 pulses to get them going and then they simply murmur against the skin. please help me, i would like to join a band soon, i have waited very long because i never believe a drummer should do a single gig if he is unable to achieve what he/she set out to do and this is the thorn in my side. please detail me all that you can about this, i put a similar thread up some months ago but really need some in depth advice,instructions and excersizes thanks progmuso

  2. #2

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    What i did was start playin everything with just your left foot and after a while playin with my left foot it became just ordinary so then i would start lettin my right foot sneak in in the middle of a rythm and then more and more and then boom i was like dynamite...but the lessons are not a bad idea.

  3. #3

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    To me, it felt like my whole body was off balance. (Like I was going to fall over). One thing that I've found to really help is A.) get a throne that has a backrest, or B.) what I did, was to lower my throne so that my lap is parallel (level) to the floor (or just past parallel so your knees are a little higher). This got my sense of balance back. It really helped me - maybe it'll work for you too. At least, lowering the throne is a free experiment...
    Regal Tip Quantum 3000 nylon tip - my weapons of mass destruction

  4. #4

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    man, i really don't know. i learned heel up from the start and still have not learned heel / toe properly. i can do it but not any faster than i can do singles heel up(wich is pretty fast).

  5. #5

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    ya and what is more irritating is they say heel-toe is meant to be basic and easy to learn, i don't believe that for a second, otherwise every second drummer would be doing it and i have never met a drummer in flesh who can actually do it

  6. #6

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    Part of the difference in playing heel up is that after you've played a note, the kickboard will start to push itself up (ie. the spring will start bringing the pedal to a neutral state). When you're playing heel down, that's not a major issue, because your foot is planted and you're controlling the entire kickboard. When you're playing heel up, it's a lot more noticable, and you need to be concentrating more on how the kickboard rises and falls. The best way I've heard it explained is Flo Mournier (of Cryptopsy) who likened good heel up technique as being like the action of bouncing a squash ball with the front pad of your foot.
    I hope that makes sense (and is useful).
    From that action, a few other things follow:
    - balance is key (your thighs should be around about parallel to the ground ... mine are slightly angled down, but I'm quite short anyway).
    - it can be easier to play fast heel-up with tight spring tension
    finally:
    "i start kicking as fast as i can"
    DON'T DO THIS!!!
    The only way to get fast is to start slowly (with control) and gradually build your speed.
    Practice with a metronome and do interval training - set the metronome at your most comfortable speed, play at that for 10-15 minutes or so, then up the tempo by 10 bpm, play for 5 mins, then either go up 10bpm in tempo if you're comfortable, or back down if you've reached your limit.
    This method gradually ups your speed while retaining accuracy (and also builds stamina). I've used it since I've started, and I'm still increasing in speed, but I can still play 'slow' double-bass (which is actually really hard to do accurately).

  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by METAL DRUMMER
    To me, it felt like my whole body was off balance. (Like I was going to fall over). One thing that I've found to really help is A.) get a throne that has a backrest, or B.) what I did, was to lower my throne so that my lap is parallel (level) to the floor (or just past parallel so your knees are a little higher). This got my sense of balance back. It really helped me - maybe it'll work for you too. At least, lowering the throne is a free experiment...
    I agree with both points. Rather than a throne with a backrest, I got a motorcycle style throne. That helped a lot in that my butt was not shifting around and moving while I was playing. Also adjusting my throne so that my thighs are parallel to the ground was helpful. I am a all toe player, but I found my speed and control increase.

    Keith

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