In this lesson we will discuss the development of bass drum control, as well as ankle strength. In order to develop bass drum control and strength, I always have my students practice flat-footed, with their heels down. That doesn’t mean that you’re going to play with your heels down all the time from now on. I’m simply saying that if you really want to develop your bass technique, this is one way that you should practice in order to do so.
Practicing with your heels down will develop strength in your ankles, because you will be using your ankles exclusively while practicing this way. Your legs won’t come into play at all. Ultimately, later on, when you start using your legs as well and playing with your heels up, you’ll have much more speed because your ankles will be strong and more developed.
Playing with your heels down gives you the most control because you simply have better balance this way than when you play with your heels up, on the balls of your feet. This makes it especially effective when you want to play quieter, like you do when playing straight-ahead jazz, as well as other styles of music.
The first exercise I recommend is just playing slow quarter notes. Let the beater rebound, just like you do when playing full-strokes on the snare drum. It works very similar to a drum-stick, except rather than bouncing off the head, the spring actually causes the beater to rebound. This is why it’s important to use a medium tension on the spring. If it’s too tight or too loose, it won’t allow the beater to rebound like it needs to.
Practice controlling the beater, rather than letting it just sort of flop back and forth. It should bounce back exactly to the point at which it started. You can measure the position it starts from by using a drum-stick, as I demonstrate in the video.
After you achieve a certain amount of control, start increasing the speed. Eventually you will be playing 8th notes.
Next start practicing at other dynamic levels. Spend extra time practicing very soft, with the beater rebounding about 2-3 inches off the head. This is called “feathering” the bass drum, and is especially useful for straight-ahead jazz drumming.
If you’re a heavy metal player and feel that practicing soft on the bass drum is a waste of time for you, consider this: practicing soft will actually give you more speed and power by developing your control than just practicing loud and heavy all the time. In addition, a truly good drummer can play anything well, whether it’s heavy metal or jazz. If you don’t believe me, check out Matt Sorum. Matt has played with bands ranging from Guns N’ Roses to The Buddy Rich Band. No matter who he plays with he sounds amazing!
That’s all for today. In the next bass drum technique lesson, we’ll discuss developing speed and power!
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