Weekly Drum Lesson: Bass Drum Technique

In this weekly lesson, we’re going to go over some basic bass drum techniques we can use.

We’re going to start with “Heel Down.” Heel Down means that your heel stays rooted to the back of the pedal, and you play the notes by moving the front part of the foot up and down, kind of like a gas pedal. The good thing about this technique is that it allows you to play soft very easily, and with great control.

Next we’re going to look at “Heel Up.” Heel up looks like this: We’re going to start with the heel elevated, and we’re going to initiate all the notes by pushing off the front part of the foot, elevating the heel even more, and then we’re going to land on the pedal again with the weight of our entire leg. Notice that the front part of my foot never breaks contact with the pedal, and that’s important to mention, because if you do, the beater just swings around wildly.

Now, with each of these techniques, we can choose to play “Burying the Beater” which means that the beater is always touching the drum in between the notes. Burying the Beater is going to give you a tighter, more more muffled sound. It’s also a little easier to do than playing “Off the Drum.”

Playing “Off the Drum” results in a more open, resonant sound. When I play Off the Drum with the Heel up, I’m not even starting with the heel elevated, because when you lift your heel up, that’s going to force the beater into the drum. So when I do it, it looks a little more flat-footed. But, my heel is still the first thing to go up when I initate the note.

That’s going to do it for our overview of bass drum technique. Thanks for watching!

If you live in Toronto and are interested in signing up for drum lessons, please contact me using the form below. The first lesson is FREE! If you are not in Toronto, I also offer lessons online, and I am happily accepting new online students at the moment.

Have a great day!