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how tight do you keep your bass drum pedal tension?


braindonor35

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Originally posted by braindonor35

I've been messing with the tension on my bass drum pedal. How tight do you keep yours and what style of music do you play?

 

very loose,,,, I play Blues/R&B and Jazz....

 

I prefer the dynamics and feel of playing the drum...instead of the pedal....:eek:

 

:D

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Originally posted by elimin8r

Those of you who have it as tight as possible or 3/4 tight do you play heels up or down?

 

Both ways, it's a great way to build strength when your spring tension is set pretty high.

 

One thing about practicing heel down with a lot of tension is that it really helps with developing heel up. I've noticed that I use pretty much the same muscles with both techniques. After practicing heel down for a few months, I can go like crazy heel up.:D

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:)

Some of you might think it strange but I learnt how to play the drums heels down so I never really knew how to play heels up except by watching other people. I usually use heels up on full spring tension when I need the volume for live situations when I need more volume and at home I use heels down set on a looser tension. Maybe I should start practicing heels down with full spring tension :)

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Originally posted by elimin8r

Those of you who have it as tight as possible or 3/4 tight do you play heels up or down?

 

 

From the time I started until my 10yr hiatus

in 91, I played heel-up exclusively.

 

Now I play both, heel-up for power when

needed and heel-down for finesse and

when volume is a concern.

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Originally posted by braindonor35

I've been messing with the tension on my bass drum pedal. How tight do you keep yours and what style of music do you play?

 

 

For very fast doublebassrolls get a tight spring tension.

 

For slow music just get an intermediate spring tension.

 

By the way, while training your leg muscles, you can lower the springtension a very little bit every few month. It's not only the spring tension that makes you play fast in what you want, the beater-angle also makes a difference.

 

Both ways, it's a great way to build strength when your spring tension is set pretty high.

You've got a point there. But it's just hard to make fast double's on your pedal with a very tight spring tension. So as a permanent settings, I wouldn't recommend the tighest tension. For practicing youve got point.

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Originally posted by Yokozuna




You've got a point there. But it's just hard to make fast double's on your pedal with a very tight spring tension. So as a permanent settings, I wouldn't recommend the tighest tension. For practicing youve got point.

 

I really don't see the point of lowering pedal tension once you've built up some strength. I still keep my tension fairly tight because that's what I'm used to right now. It feels good so I'm gonna keep it there. Also, it keeps guys with weaker feet off of my kit.

;)

With doubles (and triples and quads), I actually find it easier to execute them with high tension cause the beater rebounds so hard that the pedal actually lifts my foot back up for me. I can also get quite a bit of volume to cause it forces me to use more umph.

 

Pedal tension is all personal preference, just like stick size and cymbal preference....whatever turns you on!

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With doubles (and triples and quads), I actually find it easier to execute them with high tension cause the beater rebounds so hard that the pedal actually lifts my foot back up for me. I can also get quite a bit of volume to cause it forces me to use more umph.

Agree.

 

I'm still experimenting, I always played with tight pedal tension. After that, I startet experimenting. Now I'm still not comfortable with my pedals. When playing fast doublebass rolls the pedals don't rebound the fast a I want them to be.

 

I guess I'll just put the tension back->up. By the way, with a high tension you can make low volume but very fast double bass rolls with almost no power, because you can let the pedal do more than half the work... Still... using this technique you need to trigger your bassdrum for recording, otherwise you have a bit lack of volume.

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which it allows you to adjust volume where it's needed...

 

 

When your playing very fast doublebass rolls you just need to trigger youre bassdrum, OR put it in the compressor/gate.

 

Adjusting volume afterwards it's not practical because you aren't able to do that live.

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Originally posted by elimin8r

Those of you who have it as tight as possible or 3/4 tight do you play heels up or down?

 

 

I play Heel down, and heel-Toe (aka "Ballistic Bassdrums")

 

I've tried playing with the pedal tension loose (and I played that way for 15 years) but once I began tightening the pedal as tight as they would go, I just prefer the feel...the mallet snaps back instantly, which I love

 

 

 

Tim

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Originally posted by Fafnir777



That's because now you have built up the FRONT side of your leg's muscles, and not just the calf muscles.

Tim

 

You guys all know things about doublebass techniques etc. But show us a recording of you playing doublebass... No one ever does, only Hulkblood. That's the only one having the guts?!? I'm not the best doublebass player, but at least I let myself be heard.

 

There are always a lot of topics about gaining doublebass speed etc. but hardly anyone posting an mp3 of him. Would be 10x more interesting.

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Originally posted by Yokozuna


You guys all know things about doublebass techniques etc. But show us a recording of you playing doublebass... No one ever does, only Hulkblood. That's the only one having the guts?!? I'm not the best doublebass player, but at least I let myself be heard.


There are always a lot of topics about gaining doublebass speed etc. but hardly anyone posting an mp3 of him. Would be 10x more interesting.

 

 

 

I'm not concerned with double bass drumming,,, not a necessary thing for being a good drummer....

 

if you want to see what the human body can doo,, check out the WFD stuff.... it's AMAZING......

 

DrummerMom from South Carolina used to post here,, she was world ranked in womens competition for the doublebass in speed......it's insane what they can do !!!

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