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christ, I suck at double bass


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What are the best exercizes to do to improve my double bass drumming to where I can do constant 16th notes or whatever, that is comonly found in metal. Like so:

 

(sorry about the bad spacing, but you get the point)

H-x-------x--------x--------x-------

S-o-------o--------o-------o-------

B-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 

I just want to improve my precision, endurance ect. not that I have any anyways... heh heh..

 

got any tips, exercizes, websites, videos, put downs, anything?

I'm sure this question has been asked plenty here.

 

either way, thanks for your help.

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Tighten your pedalsprings and play heel down. (I say this so much, I should put it in my freaking signature!)

 

It's going to take you a while to build your feet. Don't expect to be double kicking like a pro in 3 weeks, because it's not gonna happen. ALl good things to those who wait and PRACTICE.

The worst thing in the world is somebody who has the desire to do something, but lacks the discipline to practice.

 

You need to strengthen your feet and legs. Doing this while repteating the exercise that you posted, will build your playing twice as fast as if you played with loose springs. Once your feet are strong, you will then be able to loosen your springs.

 

 

Paradiddle.

RLRL LRLR RLRL LRLR

DoubleParadiddle.

RLRLRR LRLRLL RLRLRR LRLRLL

Combination of the two.

RLRR LRLL RLRLRR LRLRLL RLRR LRLL

 

 

Hopefully, this will help some.

Tim

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Paradiddles. ;)

 

I found that when I was starting out in double bass drumming, I was more successful at "feeling" it than counting it, if you know what I mean. Shuffle beats, for instance, came alot easier than a straight 4/4 did.

 

I realized how much I leaned on my hi-hat pedal to "anchor" myself all those years with a single bass kit, too.

 

Balance yourself with good posture, and practice the simple rudiments slowly, etc. just like you did when you spent all those countless hours working on your snare drum stick control. ;)

 

You've got to get your left side muscles used to the idea also, so don't try to progress faster than your legs can handle.

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about that paradiddle, I dont get the whole LRLL RLRR LRLL RLRR thing, I mean, are you doing the L then R then a double stroke on the RR? or is it just four single strokes, as in L R L L, in other words... is the LRLL RLRR paradiddle a total of 8 beats or 6? if that makes ANY sense what so ever...

 

I already have my pedals pretty tight, I believe as tight as they can go, but I mainly play heel up now, I'm taking it that if I'm going to be doing fast double bass, I'm doing it heel down right? you said I should build up my heel down playing muscles.

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Originally posted by WorshipMetallica

about that paradiddle, I dont get the whole LRLL RLRR LRLL RLRR thing, I mean, are you doing the L then R then a double stroke on the RR? or is it just four single strokes, as in L R L L, in other words... is the LRLL RLRR paradiddle a total of 8 beats or 6? if that makes ANY sense what so ever...


I already have my pedals pretty tight, I believe as tight as they can go, but I mainly play heel up now, I'm taking it that if I'm going to be doing fast double bass, I'm doing it heel down right? you said I should build up my heel down playing muscles.

 

its just four....just like when you first learned on the snare, except its on the bass drums. left right left left right left right right ...that, and just practice songs you like that have it in it. obviously you're a met fan, heh...try the double bass triplets in horsemen, play it slow and perfect, and work on speed. if you're into slayer, just pick up reign in blood and play angel of death till you can't feel your legs anymore :D

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Originally posted by Kingnome



What do you mean, you don't play drums? I'd heard you got a great set of Rockstar's!

 

 

I paid for them on friday but they have to be shipped from alabama to michigan. At least I think it was alabama. And I don't have any cymbals or even a pair of sticks yet, lol. I'm going on vacation august 3 for a week so I won't get a chance to really start to learn to play until mid august.

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Originally posted by Kingnome



I've known one or two drummers who've showed up at GIGS in your condition !
:D

 

They don't deserve to play drums! There should be a penalty for such a thing. If I were king I would compensate their drumsets.

 

Seriously does anyone have a pair of good sticks I can have? =)

Should I just get the cheap ones that guitar center sells bulk in 10 pairs? What should I get?

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Originally posted by dave_noosence

I also have seen this, I hate lending equipment, but when drummers ask to borrow sticks, thats just pathetic


:mad:

 

I'm not a drummer yet I'm still a guitarizt. =)

I doubt anyone's gonna give me any but what are some good ones to get? I just don't like buying stuff from guitar center and all those chain stores. My local stores aren't really into drums. Could I just send someone a 5 in the mail for a pair of good sticks?

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Just buy a pair of sticks you are comfortable with. It's not brain surgery. I would suggest the 5A size. I use promark new generation sticks with nylon tips. I love them. They almost never break. Oak sticks will last longer than hickory, but they are also heavier. Just try a few pairs out on a snare or practice pad at guitar center and buy them. Problem solved. Buy a few pairs, cuz you are going to break them, especially early on.

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I'll just make a list, put them in a hat, and pick one out.

Why would I break more sticks when I'm starting? Is it because of poor technique? Like I said though the nearest guitar center is pretty far away. I'm not going there just to try out a pair of sticks, lol. I sound like lazy fool now so I'll probably just go with those sticks gc/mf sells in bulk packs of 10.

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Originally posted by guitarizt



They don't deserve to play drums! There should be a penalty for such a thing.

 

The penalty is---- All the drummer jokes aimed at them that the rest of us have to tolerate. It's a cruel world :( .

 

 

I'll send you some Promark 747's if you like. Free to guitar-playing drummers !

 

BTW, You really should take the trouble to go handle the sticks at a store. You don't have to jam on the practice pads there, but you'll want to find ones that feel comfortable in your hands. Sticks are very personal things to drummers even if thousands of people use the same ones.

 

Just fondle them and roll them on the counter to make sure they're straight, and rub up against some hi-hat cymbals, and make dreamy eyes at the chrome stand displays, and......

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Originally posted by WorshipMetallica

I already have my pedals pretty tight, I believe as tight as they can go, but I mainly play heel up now, I'm taking it that if I'm going to be doing fast double bass, I'm doing it heel down right? you said I should build up my heel down playing muscles.

 

 

 

Playing heel up allows you to get away with having weaker leg muscles. Because you are raising your foot, instead of keeping it down, the front of your leg doesn't get built up as well as the calf does.

 

To be able to really "fly" on the double bass, you need to be able to play fairly fast in the heels down position. Once you can get going fast in heels down, you'll be able to go fast in the heel up position.

 

 

No, the paradiddles aren't double strokes. Just single stroke them

 

LRLL RLRR

(count 1&2& 3&4&)

Just try to make each stroke evenly spaced for now. The whole key is to gain control of your feet, so that you can make them do what you want them to do....i.e., "so they respond when you command".

 

Like I said, it won't be instant, but the key is, if you are just sitting around (not even at the kit) you can practice heel down patterns on the floor.

 

Once you can play 8th. Note evenly, that's when it will start really becoming addictive!

 

Just keep practicing, you'll get it.

 

Think about it this way:

 

Tommy Lee is living proof that you don't need a brain to double kick! He's a Great double-kicker who is as dumb as a box of nails.

(Not to offend any Tommy Lee fans out there, I thought he was great in the 80's, but after I saw an interview with him, I was instantly disappointed that he is an idiot!)

 

 

 

Tim

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Fafnir has a good point about heel down. The whole "I don't get enough volume" thing is bunk. Once your muscles get strong enough, you'll get plenty volume heel down. It takes time, probably more time than heel up but it's worth it...for me so far. I'm a recent convert to heel down and I'll probably never go back to heel up.

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Originally posted by Kingnome



The penalty is---- All the drummer jokes aimed at them that the rest of us have to tolerate. It's a cruel world
:(
.



I'll send you some Promark 747's if you like. Free to guitar-playing drummers !


BTW, You really should take the trouble to go handle the sticks at a store. You don't have to jam on the practice pads there, but you'll want to find ones that feel comfortable in your hands. Sticks are very personal things to drummers even if thousands of people use the same ones.


Just fondle them and roll them on the counter to make sure they're straight, and rub up against some hi-hat cymbals, and make dreamy eyes at the chrome stand displays, and......

 

I like the ones the drummer in my band uses, lol. I'll just order the ones he had from mf's. I need some picks that I can't find at any local stores too (jazz IIIs).

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I recommend the book "The Encyclopedia of Double Bass Drumming." It has a bunch of exercises in there, and many usable fills and riffs in there. I just got it and it's pretty good from the looks of it.

 

Also, since you're a Metallica fan I recommend the stuff off of the Black album. Most of the songs on there are at a good tempo if not slow, and if you know the songs well you should be able to play them fairly easily. Especially The Unforgiven, Sad But True, Sandman, Nothing Else Matters, and Of Wolf and Man. Some other Metallica stuff you can try out that's not blisteringly fast or hard: Until it Sleeps, The House that Jack Built, the first part of One, Harvester of Sorrow, For Whom the Bell Tolls, and Master of Puppets.

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Originally posted by Chabo

I recommend the book "The Encyclopedia of Double Bass Drumming." It has a bunch of exercises in there, and many usable fills and riffs in there. I just got it and it's pretty good from the looks of it.

 

 

Yes!!! Buy this book. I've had it for some time now and there's stuff in there i'll have a tough time with months and months from now. :eek: It's the only double bass book you need. If you just practiced that, you'd be on your way. And my new frustration of the week: Sixteenth notes on the bass drums and triplets on the snare. :confused: feels weird. Anyone play these..?

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