Double bass drum techniques

Double bass drum techniques were first used by jazz artists such as Ray McKinley, Louie Bellson and Ed Shaughnessy in the 1940s and 1950s, and popularized in the 1960s by rock drummers Ginger Baker of Cream and Keith Moon of the Who.

The most common method of double bass playing is a "heel-up" technique: the pedals are struck with the ball of the feet using force primarily from the thigh as opposed to the ankles when using the "heel-down" technique. Most drummers play single strokes, although there are many who are also capable of playing doubles or paradiddles. Musicians such as Thomas Lang or Virgil Donati are capable of performing impressively complicated solos on top of an ostinato bass drum pattern. Thomas Lang, for example, has mastered the heel-up and heel-down (single- and double-stroke) to the extent that he is able to play dynamically with the bass drum and to perform various rudiments with his feet.

A more difficult method is the "heel and toe" technique: the foot is suspended above the foot-board of the pedal and the first note is played with the heel. The foot snaps up, the heel comes off the footboard, and the toes come down for a second stroke. Once mastered it allows the player to lay down very rapid rolls on the bass drum. Noted players include Nicholas Barker, Jan Axel Blomberg, Tim Waterson, Chris Adler, and Danny Carey. The technique is commonly used in death metal and other extreme forms of music.

In certain types of heavy metal, drummers play a constant stream of rapid-fire notes on the bass drum, and the ability to play evenly at extremely high tempos is a skill prized within the heavy metal scene. Many extreme metal drummers use a combination of fast double bass drum patterns, the snare, and the cymbals to create blast beats.

Drum Lesson - Cool Double Bass Groove Vanz Drumming



Drum Lessons - Mike Portnoy - Double Bass Groove



Claude Drum Solo : Double bass pedals shot