Double bass- Yes or no?

[Drumbledore]

....+2.....It's just an additional "tool" to use. Depeneding on what you play, it may or may not be needed.

Personally, I love the look of a big double bass kit......growing up in the eighties...everyone wanted one.

The only reason I dropped the second bass was most places I was playing were too small to accomodate two kicks......that, and it is easier to tune one drum instead of two.

Yeah, same. I played a kit with two Rogers bass drums in the early to mid 90's for a while before I got my double pedal. Not many band situations or gigs nowadays can justify me dragging out 'the twins', but should I do so, I would so re-live the "90's-impersonating-the-80's" double bass look again. Without all the hair, lol.

[isaacvining]

I've been a pretty steady single bass player for a while, but some friends and I are messing around with the idea of a pop-punk-hardcoreish-whateveryouwannacallit band that would require me breaking out the slave pedal of my 9000 which I'm getting all too excited about.

[NPYYZ]

normally i think double bass is cheating, but for your type of music its not. keep it till you dont need it anymore.

Cheating? Nonsense.

[longgun]

Cheating? Nonsense.

...for years, I "Cheated"....playing Zeppelin's immigrant song with two pedals.....sounded better IMO

[Nechre]

...for years, I "Cheated"....playing Zeppelin's immigrant song with two pedals.....sounded better IMO

y u no have fast feet like Bonham!



My cheating on Immigrant Song is the heel-toe technique. Oh wait, that's not cheating either that's a technique. lolololol... that's the other complaint that bothers me. "This technique is cheating." it's not cheating, there's a reason it's called a technique. lol. I bet Bonham would have played it with two kick drums if Page had allowed him to use two kick drums (at least that's the story I hear, that Page didn't allow him to use 2 kicks, who knows if it's true).

[groovearteest]

Cheating? Nonsense.

I think it is if your playing, r&b, gospel, funk, or anything of that side of the music spectrum. theres no need for double bass then, because all you really need to do for that type of music is put in the time to build your foot to a speed of a double bass pedal. this is the kind of music i think that double bass is cheating for.

[marko138]

I think it is if your playing, r&b, gospel, funk, or anything of that side of the music spectrum. theres no need for double bass then, because all you really need to do for that type of music is put in the time to build your foot to a speed of a double bass pedal. this is the kind of music i think that double bass is cheating for.

Non-sense.

[slinglander]

Is it "cheating" to use a double stroke roll vs single stroke? IMO it's just another way to achieve the same end. It imparts a different feel when that's done just as it does using two feet instead of one. By that I mean the drummer experiences a different feeling. I call it technique...not unlike the matched vs traditional grip arguments.

[NPYYZ]

...for years, I "Cheated"....playing Zeppelin's immigrant song with two pedals.....sounded better IMO

I don't think I'd be able to play that song using two feet. I'm to used to doing it with one. At this point my double kick skills are severely lacking. I use single kick 85 % of the time.

[marko138]

I don't think I'd be able to play that song using two feet. I'm to used to doing it with one. At this point my double kick skills are severely lacking. I use single kick 85 % of the time.

Outside of band practice I've been using mostly single kick and working on my hi hat footwork.

[Digital]

The only thing drum related that I would ever consider "cheating" is enhancing your speed/beats by using post-recording enhancements. I'm sure there's tons of that happening in recordings to get that perfect drum track, but if it's not how it was originally recorded...that's "cheating".

Saying that using a dbl-bass pedal/bass drum is cheating makes absolutely NO sense to me.

[longgun]

I never thought of it as cheating....what I do know is that my right foot was waaay faster before I started using two kicks.....

[marko138]

The only thing drum related that I would ever consider "cheating" is enhancing your speed/beats by using post-recording enhancements. I'm sure there's tons of that happening in recordings to get that perfect drum track, but if it's not how it was originally recorded...that's "cheating".

Saying that using a dbl-bass pedal/bass drum is cheating makes absolutely NO sense to me.

Well said. I completely agree.

[groovearteest]

Non-sense.

you say non sense i say perfect sense. I dont like double bass for any occassion at all, if another drummer wants to use it so be it. But I dont/wont. Besides no one thinks it amazing when you use double bass but if you have a foot thats a fast as a double bass people act more impressed. Plus I feel more accomplished knowing that i just took the time to get a fast foot then using a double bass. Besides i have no need for double bass playing gospel.

[kay-gee]

Dosent matter much what you choose to do. Choose and run with it. For me though, I have a belief that no matter how complex you play there should be something on your set that is dedicated to strict time. For me I've chosen the bass drum for that role, so I don't feel any need to do rolls on it. I prefer to do the rolls with the hands. I'm rather old school that way but I do understand that music is evolving along with new techniques and approaches.

all the best...

[marko138]

you say non sense i say perfect sense. I dont like double bass for any occassion at all, if another drummer wants to use it so be it. But I dont/wont. Besides no one thinks it amazing when you use double bass but if you have a foot thats a fast as a double bass people act more impressed. Plus I feel more accomplished knowing that i just took the time to get a fast foot then using a double bass. Besides i have no need for double bass playing gospel.

Funny.

[NPYYZ]

you say non sense i say perfect sense. I dont like double bass for any occassion at all, if another drummer wants to use it so be it. But I dont/wont. Besides no one thinks it amazing when you use double bass but if you have a foot thats a fast as a double bass people act more impressed. Plus I feel more accomplished knowing that i just took the time to get a fast foot then using a double bass. Besides i have no need for double bass playing gospel.

If you are not impressed with some of today's top drummers that use a lot of double kick then you are not listening to the right drummers. I'd put my right foot up against anyone, I am very confident in my single kick speed and control. However I won't limit myself by only using one foot. There are just some kick patterns that can't be played with one foot , just as there are fills that can't be played with one hand.

I understand that the music you play does not require double kick, but I still wouldn't call it cheating if you chose to use it.

cheating present participle of cheat (Verb)
Verb:
1. Act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage, esp. in a game or examination: "she cheats at cards".
2.Deceive or trick.

I don't think that applies here.

[groovearteest]

If you are not impressed with some of today's top drummers that use a lot of double kick then you are not listening to the right drummers. I'd put my right foot up against anyone, I am very confident in my single kick speed and control. However I won't limit myself by only using one foot. There are just some kick patterns that can't be played with one foot , just as there are fills that can't be played with one hand.

I understand that the music you play does not require double kick, but I still wouldn't call it cheating if you chose to use it.

cheating present participle of cheat (Verb)
Verb:
1. Act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage, esp. in a game or examination: "she cheats at cards".
2.Deceive or trick.

I don't think that applies here.

First im not trying to insult anyone. If you prefer double bass then you prefer it I dont care. I just dont like using double bass. as i said its a personal preference. No one needs to make a big issue out of it. Second when i say cheating i don't mean it as your not a good drummer if you use it, its just another way to say i dont enjoy using it. I already said for rock and stuff like that fine, use it cuz you more likely than not will need it. I don't need it I dont want to use it, if you do ok then use it. I know great drummers who are among some of the best that don't use it and there fine without it. Some of us have a difference of opinion, which is fine, use it, or don't. and Thats that! Besides personally i dont think double bass means your any better or any worse as a drummer seeing that it's completely, what what say it with me now, (optional).

[groovearteest]

Funny.

Funny how? elaborate please.

[spesman]

Funny.

Thats a nice way of putting it Marko!! lol

[Drumbledore]

Well, I'd say one pay off you can get from working out polyrhythms with double bass such as the 4 against 3, right foot playing 3 quarter notes whilst the left foot plays against it.....it gets your mind thinking more clearly when doing left foot Latin clave with a pedal hitting a Jam Block on a Gajate bracket whilst you play either a kick with the right foot on kit, or when doing the same thing with the left foot which you play congas.

And then you get these guys that take feet independence out on a further limb, so to speak.

[NPYYZ]

First im not trying to insult anyone. If you prefer double bass then you prefer it I dont care. I just dont like using double bass. as i said its a personal preference. No one needs to make a big issue out of it. Second when i say cheating i don't mean it as your not a good drummer if you use it, its just another way to say i dont enjoy using it. I already said for rock and stuff like that fine, use it cuz you more likely than not will need it. I don't need it I dont want to use it, if you do ok then use it. I know great drummers who are among some of the best that don't use it and there fine without it. Some of us have a difference of opinion, which is fine, use it, or don't. and Thats that! Besides personally i dont think double bass means your any better or any worse as a drummer seeing that it's completely, what what say it with me now, (optional).

No worries, I didn't feel insulted, I guess it was the use of the word "cheating" that got my attention. I'm over it.

[Russ]

What is cheating defined as? Who makes the rules of what you can and can't use to play different genres? You don't need a bonham config to play classic rock songs, some people can't stand to play one up two down - it doesn't feel the same and messes up their playing. You don't need a 4 piece kit with miniature sizes to play jazz either. One example is instead of learning double hits on a single bass pedal for triplets - you could just have a pair of aux hats and a double pedal to get the same sound. Or you could get a twin effect pedal for single pedal doubles. Are tuning accessories also cheating? There's exceptions everywhere. You can't play on a kit you're not comfortable on right? I see it less as an issue of cheating, but more as a solution presented to us all in the form of adaptation. Changing what kit you use to fit your comfort level, style, and feel. The people who made up the cheating rule are just wannabe purist/elitist trendsetters - and both rules and trends can sometimes be broken. This is one of those times. A large part of music is creativity, I don't think you have to follow everything you're told to do to develop your skills. You can learn as differently from the next guy as he can from you. And that's what makes it so great - you have the freedom to walk your own path.

[Ricardo]

First im not trying to insult anyone. If you prefer double bass then you prefer it I dont care. I just dont like using double bass. as i said its a personal preference. No one needs to make a big issue out of it. Second when i say cheating i don't mean it as your not a good drummer if you use it, its just another way to say i dont enjoy using it.

And since we are all drummers here, we clearly understand it's also another way of telling us you're not any good at it.

[kay-gee]

I totally disagree with "cheating". There is no cheating in music, If there is, then when do we draw the line? Are effects and processors cheating? How about capos and slides on guitars and tuners and click tracks etc... etc...? They are all only tools to enhance or to expediate a performance. I don't see double pedals any differently than a nail gun. Is a carpenter cheating to use one? He should be able to drive nails straight with a hammer...no?

Us of the older crowd are just saying, that if we've played for a long time, we've found the comfort zone with our own style. For me, a double bass set up wouldn't enhance my approach to my music much at all. Traditionally, the bass drum is a "time" marker so I prefer to keep it fairly simple.

Being that a drummer dosent have three feet, extensive double bass playing comes at a sacrifice of the hi hat. To me the hi hat with it's syncopational and riding abilities is important to the groove.

For younger drummers. Different story. You're coming up through a world where a lot of music has double bass parts.

all the best...