The Secret To a Faster Kick Drum

[@StoyanStoyanov88]

Very helpful video 😊

[@DaveMajor]

Glad it was helpful!

[@leedsdrumstudio553]

Thanks for the inspiration Dave 👍

[@DaveMajor]

You are welcome! Glad it inspired

[@editbyStar]

I really like this exercise and will definitely give it a try. Btw love the light and quality of the videos!!

[@DaveMajor]

Glad you like them! Let me know how you get on

[@tdrum21]

Very nice. Great to see you back 🔥🎶🥁

[@DaveMajor]

More to come! Glad to be back

[@STIXAHOY]

got one question sir. Switching to heels down as a training method worked. It worked for me too. That being said......do you play heels down now at a gig or do you revert back to heels up ( playing this without the knee pain ) as a result of training heels down in your practice time. Just curious.

[@DaveMajor]

Great question. It wasnt the heel up that was causing the knee pain it was the tension from playing beyond my abilities. I was also unbalanced and doing twists of my knee which is not a good thing for your knee!! So i play heel up all the time when playing and even practicing not BD specific stuff. Heel down was just to isolate, strengthen and build control in the ankle.

[@STIXAHOY]

@@DaveMajor thank U sir for your reply. I applied this technique in my left foot specifically. I play a lot of double bass things ........but my left foot had the same problems as your right foot. So I used the heels down method to train my left foot ........ just as an experiment........cuz I was sick and tired of my left foot's weakness. But lo and behold........heels down training on my left foot actually made it stronger for when I go back to heels up on a double pedal. Thank you so much for this mate

[@ZachBratland]

Great stuff Dave!!🔥🥁

[@DaveMajor]

Thank you kindly!

[@LegendaryMike]

How has shoe shape effected performance/practice?

[@DaveMajor]

Not any difference really. I play in DC skate shoes or trainers because thats whats comfy but if required ill play gigs in dress shoes. I guess as long as the ankle can freely move you'll be fine

[@IBY2K]

Perfect timing! Have you used the famous Bass Drum Control by Colin Bailey? What do you think of it?

[@DaveMajor]

I haven't tbh. The old books I find very piece-meal in the way they teach. "Here's an exercise, Heres a very slight variation of it" continue for 100+ pages. I prefer concepts that I can create the variations of. I'm sure it's great but I've just never checked it out.

[@johnvanboolen7820]

Thanks, yes I agree, during Lock down whilst in 'solitary' I just worked on double bass drum and hammered my hands, it's nowhere near great but what an improvement . Great vid

[@DaveMajor]

Thanks my man 👊

[@thepractisepadchannel]

Yip, no substitute for hard work.

[@DaveMajor]

👊

[@lobbyrobby]

I'm just a beginner and working on my foot speed. I think I'm doing fairly well but I can only go for a several minutes at a decent speed before I fall apart and then can't even get a slow double in. If I walk away for an hour or so my speed comes back. Eventually I'm sure my muscles will get used to it.

[@DaveMajor]

Speed takes a long time to build up. Its important to work on control too hence the groupings exercices in this video (553)

[@Drumsholic]

Do you believe that to have the best accuracy on speed double bass drumming with consistency and great control you must buy a much expensive pedal as DW 9000 or Pearl Demon or you must jump in something like Charzie Kopyto or Trick ??Expensive pedal it makes a difference to how better your playing will be??

[@DaveMajor]

I think for more extreme tempos you probably need the Tricks or something. 9000s are great but I think for most styles you should try and be comfortable on any pedal.

[@Drumsholic]

@@DaveMajor i have the same opinion, not the pedal makes the drummer but the straight opposite, thanks

[@japanforchrist450]

Most of my drummers frown upon heel down

[@monmoustu]

Your heel is up though? Definitely not touching the floor in the faster parts. Confused why you would practice one way slow but another fast...

[@DaveMajor]

After a while my heel down couldnt go faster. When you play heel down you really rely on the ankle but the muscles/tendons are compressed slightly (how it feels to me at least) but then when playing heel up they release and I can get faster. I practiced heel down not to use it exclusively but to isolate and strengthen the ankle so when playing heel up it was faster. It worked