Drum Lesson: Heel-Up Vs. Heel-Down Bass Drum Foot Technique

Get Your Free DRUM! Mag Pack ► pro.drummagazine.com/free-dru... This month we are analyzing our four limbs and the role each plays on the drum set. This week we are taking on the right foot, which typically controls the bass drum.
Bass drum technique is one of the most widely overlooked aspects in effectively playing and studying the drums. Just as we explore and develop various stick techniques to gain the freedom that allow us to express ourselves, we should also have a fundamental understanding of how to control our feet. Basic bass drum technique generally falls into two categories: heel-down and heel-up.
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[@AndreasHalvardsson]

Awesome - thank you for this, very helpful!

[@bassistguy]

Thank you, this helped tremendously!

[@gringochucha]

Man, you are excellent at explaining things. Loved the video.

[@ChrisZemdegs]

Great video, thanks very much.

[@GothanielLP]

Very helpful, thank you!

[@googoostoned]

Thanks. It helps a lot.

[@lvkb4199]

Nice video, I learned a lot from it, thanks

[@abortednarwhal]

This is like the 5th foot technique video I’ve seen, wishing it was the first. Very detailed. I love playing heel up, but it’s been giving me knee pain due to the natural tendency to bury the beater. This video has given me hope that I might be able to continue playing heel up, while not burying the beater.

[@stewartjean2066]

Keep working on it! Glad I could provide some help.

[@Psztyk236]

Coming from other videos I thought there might be something wrong with my leg because nobody really talks about tension when playing heel up so your video helped to understand that the leg should rest after hitting the drum instead of always being held up

[@morloc-maravilla]

Nice!!! thanks

[@WillCookSound]

Great informative video, I’ve been struggling with heel up for so long I want to throw my leg out the window. Might just be a case of stool height....

[@tommystroupe1289]

Watched 50 of these videos on heel-toe Stuart,this one actually makes sense!thanks man!

[@stewartjean2066]

Tommy Stroupe thanks! One note though...in this video I explain heel down and heel up but there is a third technique called “heel-toe” which I did not go over because I do not use this technique. Heel toe is where doubles are produced by pivoting they heel from back to front. Similar to a hand playing a conga with the heel of the palm and the fingers back and forth. This technique is probably the best to produce even double strokes.

[@tommystroupe1289]

@@stewartjean2066 ,I know the heel-toe too,but never use it myself,that's why i liked the way you explained the heel up and heel down!that's actually the way I was taught myself.look forward to your next video.keep up the great work my brother!

[@SuperheroJunior]

@@tommystroupe1289 I like to play heel down better because I feel more comfortable. I tried other double stroke bass drum techniques such as the slide techniques and heel toe but for me, it is too much pressure on my legs so I prefer the heel down to do double strokes on the bass drum. Everyone is different.

[@tommystroupe1289]

Yea brother,I play heel down also,but sometimes I play heel toe also depending on the song just to change it up a bit,but basically heel down for me also.

[@SuperheroJunior]

@@tommystroupe1289 Sometimes I play the sliding the technique too. Even though I can't play the sliding technique as fast as some other drummers, I like it better than heel toe in my opinion but most of the time, I play heel down. The heel down and the sliding are the only 2 double stroke bass drum techniques that I prefer to use but most of the time I prefer heel down.

[@debagusadi3626]

Nice drum drum

[@debagusadi3626]

Nice druum drumm

[@debagusadi3626]

Nicee drum drum

[@russellesimonetta9071]

Tommy Lee sat crazy low and Yoshiki was almost standing up! Uhh I played a Rogers single board swervomatic for close to fourth ye!ars! That was the best ,fastest, pedal I ever played! I always played heel down! To play heel up I had to shift my center to maintain balance! That will wear you out! I had a technique where I had a heel rock thing eher I planted my heel then did doubles and trips with a slight slide forward on the board! Hard to describe!

[@debagusadi3626]

Nice drum drum drum

[@Plydrms]

...watched again, and thank you. I have been practicing "not burying" the beater. My bass drum heads are a Power Stroke 3 on the batter and a stock head on the reso. The reso head has a muffling ring built into it around the edge. I have no internal muffling. The drum sounds great. I can get some small multiple stroke bounces from the beater with this setup. If I bury the beater I will definitely get small bounces, maybe like a quick buzz. Is this inevitable with no internal muffling(blanket, pillow, ect)? I notice that most very reputable drummers seem to bury the beater. So, if this chokes the drum, why do these guys play like that? What is your setup and what would you recommend as a compromise?...thanks...wish I could take a lesson from you...Rob

[@Plydrms]

Well explained! I've been practicing and investigating both heel up and down for years. Sometimes one or the other seems comfortable but it varies. I might switch techniques in the middle of a song because of fatigue. Sometimes one technique feels more natural one day, but not the next. Do you think this is normal, or just haven't settled in on a comfort level yet?...thanks

[@stewartjean2066]

Plydrms I think that is fairly normal to switch but in your case you may need to address the root cause of the fatigue. Are you going too hard out of the gate? Perhaps you need to warm up more? I certainly switch at times mid-song.

[@richardchupp8390]

Excellent tips - thanks! What type of shoes do you think are best to wear? Neil Peart mentioned ballet type shoes that have real thin soles. Seems to provide better control. What I'm looking for is speed (especially with double bass) without legs (especially left leg) getting tired. I need to check, but I may not have my throne up high enough. Your pix on the Drum Magazine site are very good - thanks!

[@stewartjean2066]

Richard Chupp I prefer sneakers with a low profile, gummy rubber soles. I can play in basically anything but I am not a fan of playing in sandals, flip flops or barefoot. I have a friend in Spain, Patti Ballinas, great drummer, she plays in stilettos!

[@kiddynamite3931]

Man, you covered a ton. Have ya ever seen Chad Smith's seat hight? He sits incredibly low. He's got some body issues now. I heard Dennis Chambers talking about taking the spring off. I got to try that

[@ezza1236]

What muscles groups are used for heel up ?

[@danedgar1539]

As an absolute beginner, I find i have so much more timing control with heel down? I don't want to get stuck in the wrong technique? Leg fatigue isn't really a problem for me as I've been working legs for years at the gym, should I just concentrate on heel up?

[@PatrickBuzoDrums]

Heel down is awesome! I made a few videos on heel down. There are so many benefits to heel down that you can't really go wrong with practicing it extensively

[@malikadegaldoruwa4839]

I’m playing metal and I’m playing heel down should I switch to heel up ?

[@sreenivasgani7563]

How much practice is required to master in this techniques...😇😬? God knows... that's why advance levels drummers are great🙏

[@sampilsbury9415]

I play rock and have gone back and forth between heel up and down. I find heel up easier under pressure I seem to fluff less notes that way. However I find heel down easier for double strokes…weird

[@damon386]

Is it just me or is your bass drum sliding along with every kick? Anyway, right now I'm really struggling with control playing heel up, and I just always bury the beater. I can't stop myself from doing that! I'm assuming I should try bounce it too.

[@dornelli1]

in a nutshell what i've noticed is that heel up only serves me as a method to play super fast but does not feel natural at slow mid tempo, and most vds here on yt regarding heel up only serves to show the player's inflated ego as he catapult himself to 200mpm which in my opinion has nothing musical about to begin with, since speed metal is the most boring kind of rock there is

[@blahblahgdp]

Hope you've stopped thinking in this way. It just makes your life shitty when you come up with random negative things like this.

[@tdrum21]

Good thoughts here. That Zoro beater 👌🏽🎶🥁

[@debagusadi3626]

Nice drum drum