Heel up bass drum technique book

I want to add that the first stroke is essentially a normal heelup stroke, except your heel should hit the heel plate and stay there as soon as the beater hits the bass drum. Recently, ive been working with a lot of students on a heelup technique for playing two notes in a rowquicklywith a single bass drum pedal. Bass drum secrets includes over 15 hours of video training to help you improve your bass drum speed, power, and control. The heel down technique worked great for soft bands. Heel down playing is where you have you ball of your heel pressed down on the bass drum pedal. Heel up hihat technique when i started playing heel up on the bass drum to get louder, i naturally started playing heel up on the hihat. Strictly technique bass drum control modern drummer magazine. Heel up, heel down, heeltoe rr ll, rrll 2 variations of that, and variations of 2. The instrument is typically cylindrical, with the drums diameter much greater than the drums depth, with a struck head at both ends of the cylinder. Your pivot point on your foot becomes your heel as you play with your whole foot, and not your legs. The heel up is one of the most common techniques used to play fast bass drum and its often called ankle motion.

Practice playing a steady beat on the bass drum using the heel down technique. A complete guide to the fundamental techniques and beats of playing drums. Using this method when playing gives the drum more punch. Learn heel down, heel up and how to unbury the bass drum beater. In 2006 he performed 1,075 singlestroke rolls on a bass drum in 60 seconds. A band leader, classical percussionist, clinician and author, steve houghton is also the associate professor of percussion and jazz at indiana universitybloomington, and is on faculty at the henry mancini institute. The term heel toe is used because of the appearance of the heel pushing down on the pedal followed by the toe. This is a very important style to learn because you can feel the pedal a lot easier than heel up. If you snap back with the foot to the up position, the pedal will rebound back up to your foot which is all ready to play the next stroke. In the video, the instructor described this constant release technique as being a version of the heeltoe technique in which the toe simply slides up and down the pedal more than usual. When some drummers do heel toe technique, their foot natural slides up and down the pedal with the down and up strokes anyway. The ball of the foot snaps down, the heel comes up, and the ball of the foot or.

Jun 16, 2015 here, saint paul, mn drum instructor john s. Develop a good control of the pedal before attempting to lift the heel up. Our expert will demonstrate single and double stroke techniques, how to play quads, how to do flams and paradiddles, how to play eighth note triplets, crossovers, how to increase your speed between drums, how to play odd time signaturesand more important drum tips. I had been frustrated for years at not being able to technically. This technique would later be applied to the bass drum, giving birth to the heeltoe bass drum technique. If i need to play fast with a lot of volume, i use heel up and the weight of. One of the most frequent questions for drummers is heel up or down on the bass pedal. This stroke is good for quiet playing and quick syncopated rhythms. Drum tips double bass playing, double bass drum secrets. Mar 15, 2019 otherwise you may want to consider switching to heel up. The technique is an asset when playing double kick pedals or two bass drums as it allows for drum rudiments to be played with the feet. The second book in a comprehensive guide to playing the drums for beginners. Good technique on the bass pedal will help you play faster and with more power.

Therefore, proper bass pedal technique is extremely important for playing the bass drum effectively. The point today is that ergonomics and throne height should actually determine the technique you use on the kick drum. One of the things that is great about this book is that the cd gives some very good information about foot technique, pedal adjustment, seating position, and head tuning to get the results you hear on the cd. Strictly technique bass drum control modern drummer. Heel down has potential for more subtlety and nuance as the stroke is controlled by the smaller. I am able do this by suspending my foot over the bass drum pedal with my heel up, and using only my toes to contact the pedal. The spring tension should be set so the beater does not. The term heeltoe is used because of the appearance of the heel pushing down on the pedal followed by the toe. The technique is similar to the hand technique in that you tap from the heel down position almost allowing the foot board to leave your foot. He takes the time to debunk some of the more common myths associated with the heeltoe technique as well, like foot size, type of footwear and bass drum pedal. This allows the bd head or hh cymbals to ring freely. In this free drum lesson, jared falk breaks down the heel toe technique for you, showing you exactly how and what to practice to develop it. This technique is used primarily for playing fast double strokes on the bass drum, and can be compared to the pushpull technique used with the hands, since the concept between the two is very similar.

Oct 25, 2014 contents of secret weapons part 2 include bass drum technique fundamentals including heeldown and heelup playing, playing in vs. Heeltoe technique is a foot technique that drummers use to be able to play single strokes or double strokes on the bass drum, hihat, or other pedals. With heelup, its easier to bury the beater allow it to remain on the head, giving off more attack and less resonance. I dont use heel down very often but its a great tool to have in your pocket for those times when you want to bring the volume down, and heel down also naturally makes you play off the head. If youve ever been to a rock concert or blasted the radio in your car, you know that the bass drum is the drum that you actually feel. Heel up playing gives the potential for louder playing as you will be raising and dropping the upper leg to produce the sound.

Heel up generally affords you more power and, in the extreme sense, speed. That being said, you will only practice the motion of heel up single strokes. This technique allows for the beater to bounce easily off the head, producing a more resonant bass drum tone. In this video, we go over a pattern from the book stick control page 5, exercise 11. The bass drum beater is usually made of hard felt or wood. Follow these five tips to improve your bass drum technique. I dont use heel down very often but its a great tool to have in your pocket for those times when you want to bring the volume down, and. Standard, toeoperated, bass drum pedals require the user to have both leg coordination and strength, both of which can be troublesome for the average drummer. Mar, 2016 in the video, the instructor described this constant release technique as being a version of the heel toe technique in which the toe simply slides up and down the pedal more than usual. His way of playing out of the bassdrum in heel up technique is highly dangerous for you lower back.

Lifting the heel slightly helped me get more speed, and a heeldown and up combination gave me. Contents of secret weapons part 2 include bass drum technique fundamentals including heeldown and heelup playing, playing in vs. How to practice heel up technique movement without a drum. The heelup method is used for power, speed, and volume because youre balanced more on your sit bones, and the weight of your leg rests on the ball of your foot. In this free drum lesson, jared falk breaks down the heeltoe technique for you, showing you exactly how and what to practice to develop it.

In this advanced drumming video series, learn tips and techniques to improve your drum playing ability tenfold. For those of you that want to play fast double bass, heel up is generally going to be the best way to go based on endurance, muscles used, and power. Most people tend to naturally play the bass drum pedal with the heel up. Jan 20, 2018 the heel up is one of the most common techniques used to play fast bass drum and its often called ankle motion. When i wrote bass drum control in 1964, it was at the request of drummers who wanted. They had heard me use a lot of bass drum in my solos. In this installment from his video tutorial series on the fundamentals of using a drumset, steve demonstrates how to use the heelup and heeldown bass drum techniques. In 2007 waterson released a twodvd set, techniques, motions and applications for bass drum playing.

If i need to play fast with a lot of volume, i use heel up and the weight of my leg working with gravity to thrust the beater. You can play the bass drum with a range of techniques, most of which can be boiled down to either heel up or heel down. Beginners guide to double bass drum pedal making music. The first is heel down technique, where the players heel is planted on the pedal and the strokes are played with the ankle.

But as i got more experienced and played in different musical situations, i had a need for a medium volume bass drum technique that had the power of the heel up method but did not mash the beater into the bass drum head. Modern drummer gives this book an 8 out of 10 and says. The heel up technique worked great for loud rock music. Jazz drummers workshop feet first modern drummer magazine.

The squashed bass drum we have all heard drummers with terrific hands but with a bass drum foot that could best be described as concrete. One of the things that is great about this book is that the cd gives some. Stanton demonstrates the heel down and heel up techniques for playing the bass drum. Learn to play drums volume 2 fundamental changes music book. A logical approach for developing music reading skills, technique and musicianship on the keyboard percussion instruments. Waterson uses the heeltoe technique and also invented the pump technique for fast single strokes. Bass drum technique is one of the most widely overlooked aspects in effectively playing and studying the drums.

You must never lift you foot no matter if bass drum or. Heel down this technique requires you to lay your foot flat on the whole pedal, and use your heel to pivot your foot and play the bass drum. Its especially useful for playing fast single strokes with your feet. It is struck with a bass drum pedal that is played with the foot. Heel up drumming means you keep your heel slightly lifted off the bass drum pedal and you push down with the ball of your foot. It was first popularized by jazzfusion drummer kenwood dennard, but has since been perfected by johnny rabb, whose appropriately titled book the official freehand technique is the bible of this skill and covers lots.

The heel down technique is great for jazz and light rock, it has less volume and offers more control and precision. Actually, this is no different from fidgeting actually. In addition to over 90 pages of great reading studies, this book also includes a nine page supplemental minibook for timpani complete with instructions on the common techniques, exercises and solos for the beginning timpanist. Heeltoe technique news newspapers books scholar jstor august 2008 learn how and when to remove this template message. The flat foot technique is a hybrid between the heelup and the heeldown technique. The spring tension should be set so the beater does not contact the head when the foot is resting on the pedal. Dec 22, 2016 the freehand technique uses the snare drums rim as a fulcrum and lets drummers play two notes during each up and down cycle.

The next technique is heel up, where the players heel is lifted off of the pedal and the strokes originate from the hip. The appearance and functionality of this modernday kit dates back to 1909, when drum manufacturer william f. Swivel technique vs slide technique drummerworld forum. This technique would later be applied to the bass drum, giving birth to the heel toe bass drum technique. In heelup technique, your heel rises slightly off the pedalboard, while the ball of the foot remains. For example, it should be placed so the bass drum can be played with heel down and the hihat with heel suspended without losing balance. Otherwise you may want to consider switching to heel up. He also teaches some cool ways of practicing the flat foot technique when.

The next technique is heelup, where the players heel is lifted off of the pedal and the. The heeldown method is good for quieter passages, due to the weight of the leg resting on the heel. Heeltoe technique free bass drum technique lessons. Bass drum technique the bass drum is commonly referred to as the kick drum. With your heels down, play one note on the right foot on the bass drum followed. The freehand technique uses the snare drums rim as a fulcrum and lets drummers play two notes during each up and down cycle. If youre a beginning drummer, the free lessons in this series will get you started the. A bass drum, or kick drum, is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch.

In actuality, its the ball of the foot or toes both times. Mar 24, 2012 recently, ive been working with a lot of students on a heelup technique for playing two notes in a rowquicklywith a single bass drum pedal. Apr 21, 2020 jojo emphasizes that heel down strengthen heel up. You use either flat foot, heel up with ankle pivot or heel up and leg thrust. Master the drum kit and learn to play drums like a pro. Considered the heart of the drum kit, the bass, or kick, drum is used to mark time in almost all styles of popular music, including pop, rock, and jazz. Williams shows you how to get a single pedal to sound like a double pedal. He takes the time to debunk some of the more common myths associated with the heel toe technique as well, like foot size, type of footwear and bass drum pedal. When some drummers do heeltoe technique, their foot natural slides up. Bass drum foot technique how my feet have evolved learn. Master heelup bass drum technique and 116th note patterns, discover the three essential grip variations and what you can do with them. In this installment from his video tutorial series on the fundamentals of using a drumset, steve demonstrates how to use the heel up and heel down bass drum techniques. If i need to play faster than what i can do heel down, i use heel up and ankle pivot. The hands are playing off of the drums using rebound and the control of that rebound.

Heel down is nice because its really easy to play quietly. How to use the heelup and heeldown bass drum techniques. This method amounts to pressing down on the hihat with the ball of my left foot while lightly tapping my left heel or just bouncing my left leg in time with the music. Colin baileys videos are based on his book, bass drum control which is a comprehensive but immediately usable book for a beginner up to very advanced, similar to stick control for hands. Heel slightly up worked better but makes leg ache unless i rest beater against the drum periodically, and bouncing the knee resulted in unpredicable wobbling at first but once i got it under control, showed promise, if slightly comical at present competence. Ill be explaining the benefits of both heel up and heel down drumming, and how you will be able to improve your overall foot technique when drumming. How to play fast double bass patterns the drumeo beat. Master heel up bass drum technique and 116th note patterns, discover the three essential grip variations and what you can do with them. This technique is an essential skill and will enable you to play a lot of great grooves as well as fills that incorporate the bass drum. Heel down single kick pedal pro drummers drummerworld forum. An ideal combination for the improvement of technical facility, articulation, intonation, and tone. When i wrote bass drum control in 1964, it was at the request of drummers who wanted exercises to practice for hands and bass drum.