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Thread: bass drum dynamics

  1. #1

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    Default bass drum dynamics

    Hey guys I'm new here so take it easy on me I'm a beginner drummer and I have been only playing for a month or so I can play a basic groove and I can play a little bit of jazz ghost notes but Manley I am a hip hop producer but I know a lot of the music comes from breakbeats from jazz, soul, but I really wanna be in control of my foot I notice I can't get that double kick to sound right I'd like to be able to play 2 -16th notes in a row but with a softer hit then a harder hit..I don't know if its me or if its my equipment but I purchased a Yamaha dtx532..and the kick drum is this hard leather surface should I save up and upgrade or is this something I should be able to do no matter the type of kick drum?

  2. #2

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    Default Re: bass drum dynamics

    Practice, practice, practice.

  3. #3

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    You need to build up muscle memory in your limbs and that takes practice, practice, practice. Once your muscle strength has improved, you'll be able to control the doubles on the bass drum pedals better but until then, you're doubles will sound like "tennis shoes drying in the dryer".
    Last edited by late8; 04-21-2014 at 11:47 PM.

  4. #4

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    Welcome to Drum Chat, DJ.

    Feel free to ask anything. No bashing here.

    Enjoy your stay!
    Signature here

  5. #5

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    I don't mind putting in the work it just feels like I'm hitting a brick wall with my beater which is a hard plastic....thanks for the advice

  6. #6

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    Welcome........I remember working on this a few years ago and this tip did wonders for me, took about 2 weeks of app. 40 minutes a day to get it somewhat close to how he does it but it really helped the feel/muscle memory of it and that is key. I still do it every now and then.

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  7. #7

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    Welcome to DC DJ.

    Most of us hear (including myself) will advise you to Practice, practice, practice. There is no mystery here.

    However, you will receive tips as well. Just like the video that MDK provided and I quoted below.
    I myself have never seen this video before until now. Very interesting approach.

    Quote Originally Posted by MDK View Post
    Welcome........I remember working on this a few years ago and this tip did wonders for me, took about 2 weeks of app. 40 minutes a day to get it somewhat close to how he does it but it really helped the feel/muscle memory of it and that is key. I still do it every now and then.

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  8. #8

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    rudiments with your feet

  9. #9

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    You have an electronic kit? Might need to adjust the settings in your drum module so that the kick pad is sensitive enough to pick up soft as well as loud strikes. Have you a manual to look at for your kit?
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  10. #10

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    My response is to the first line of your post. Youve only been playing a month. Give it time it takes years of practice to become a decent drummer, not weeks.

  11. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by DowJones View Post
    the kick drum is this hard leather surface should I save up and upgrade or is this something I should be able to do no matter the type of kick drum?
    The hard leather surface probably provides nothing for you to put your foot/feet into like an acoustic batter and the muscle memory you need to build up is the resistance that's created as beater rebounds off of it. In my opinion, there are big differences between the feel of an pad verses an acoustic bass drum but if you master one of them you should be able to make the switch with some adjustments in technique to play both ekit/acoustic.

  12. #12

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    you cant build rome in one day or in this case you can build foot technique in three months

    honestly fastest way to get any feel for dynamic foot work ...do the bloody rudiments



  13. #13

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    On top of what everyone else has mentioned here, which I agree with, also consider that 2 sixteenth notes in a row with the first one softer than the second is actually designed to sound like notes played with a single pedal, not a double pedal, since generally drummers use a toe-heel or bounce technique to power out those double notes and the second note ends up with the accent. I'd encourage you to practice the technique in the Ed Soph video that the others posted, but also learning a few of the techniques for playing doubles on a single pedal, like toe-heel, bounce, or heel-toem or any other of the dozens of variants on the technique. I'll bet the DC crowd could weigh in on the techniques they like to use. (I'm toe-heel myself).
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  14. #14

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    I can't take credit for this advice, but it is the best way I have ever heard it put---don't practice until you get it right, practice until you can't get it wrong

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