Learn To Play Fast Double Bass | Ankle Technique Beginner Tutorial

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Drum Technique Academy Lesson and Coaching Program:
www.drumcoachi...
Today we check out how my foot technique, the ankle technique works and how you can first start out practicing double bass.
You'll learn how to first start practicing the ankle technique on the floor and then how to transfer this motion to your bass drum pedal (it doesn't matter if you are using a chain driven pedal, a belt drive or a direct drive pedal like axis, trick or czarcie kopyto).
I use this technique mainly at tempos between 140 beats per minute up to 210 bpm.
#doublebassdrumming #drumlesson #ankletechnique

[@drumtechniqueacademy]

Double Bass Technique Tutorials (Bass Drum Mastery): marthyn.net/bass-drum-mastery-click

[@JessiV111]

I'm wondering if my foot is in the right place lol I put a shoe on that's a little big for my foot and I'm doing a little better but something is wrong I still feel like I'm using my hips 😂

[@chaimterrance7621]

I guess Im asking randomly but does anybody know a method to get back into an instagram account? I was stupid lost the login password. I would appreciate any tricks you can give me.

[@watsoncassius6155]

@Chaim Terrance instablaster =)

[@swivelken248chan6]

I would really want to hear the swivel technique topic.Really want to know the anatomy of swivel and understanding why swivel can be painful

[@drumtechniqueacademy]

yeah- I can cover that topic in one of my next tutorials

[@swivelken248chan6]

Marthyn Jovanovic sure thanks.I’m Kenny by the way.Currently graduating high school and becoming a metal drummer pretty soon.I love you videos.I understand and teach better from you.I do teach Metal drum lessons for high schools in Boston.

[@swivelken248chan6]

I do use ankle technique but with a little bit of twitching(swivel) at slower double bass tempo to 240 Bpm.Kind of like how David Diepold and Alex Rudinger use.Over 250 I start using swivel technique.I swivel like Jesse Beahler.My left have the same swivel motion.My right foot have some sort of a shuffle feeling.

[@TheSlayerswe]

I'd like to hear about this as well

[@johnknight9150]

It's not very common knowledge, but there are two versions of swivel technique: one has one note per-side, which is the well known version, the other has two notes per side (using an up and a down stroke). I use the second version and it is much easier on your joints, plus it really helps avoid fatigue and also helps keep track of where you are in a stream of a billion notes! ;-)

[@abeerharoon2814]

SO IT WAS THE CALF THIS WHOLE TIME!? wow what a revelation

[@wuzupwuzuphongy]

Same. Ive been raising my toes with my tibialis muscles.

[@MrYouknowwhat]

Glad I'm not the only one. I've been stuck at a slower tempo for years, don't get me wrong it's consistent as hell but I want to be faster. This video explains everything we've been doing wrong haha

[@Ironsvillage]

I've been doing this shit wrong for years on end, never improving and had a lot of burn in my shins

[@MyRideHas2Wheels]

?? i thought it was hip flexors

[@felipecastro177]

Indeed.

[@rafaelflores66]

I cannot thank you enough for this video! I've been trying to get my quads to relax for over a year now and in just 2 days, I've (somewhat) achieved it! God bless you sir !!!

[@drumtechniqueacademy]

Thx my friend...you made my day 💪

[@philtolfreeart]

You've just perfectly described what's been holding me back for years! Thank you!

[@violettav5963]

This is the best expansion I have ever heard, seen and understood. I said goodbye to leg cramps after this video. Amazing, thanks!!!

[@thilo9086]

I think this video changed my life! Only because of this video I will be able to start Bass Drum Mastery again, which I stopped for a bit due to frustration but I think this video saved me! Thanks a lot Martin!! Greeting from Germany!! :)

[@JessevanNijnatten]

best video on the internet! gonna try it as soon as i can!

[@danielszabo8017]

It makes so much sense now!! Thank you marthyn. I will improve and practice as much as i can.

[@filipposstavro1233]

Just practiced a bit on the floor and my calf(don't have a clue how it is spelt) are burning! Your content is amazing keep it up!

[@tazdrum73]

This is so cool and very well explained. From my understanding this technique is counter intuitive as what we have learned that when playing heal up, dropping the leg corresponds to a hit on the bass drum head (not including double and triple strokes). But with this technique contraction of the calf muscles and thus lowering of the ball and toes of the foot correspond to a hit on the bass drum head. Time to get in the shed and practice.

[@eekenulv]

regarding practice on the floor: if you practice under a table your knee will hit the table in the same time as the beater would hit the bassdrum put something soft under the heel to get rid of the sound and you may add something on the knees to get a sharper sound from hitting the table great way to practice while working ;-) thanx Marthyn for creating bassdrum heroes all over the world!

[@legacydrummer1361]

Dude thank you for the video! Im glad you talked about the starting point being different for everyone, my comfortable/natural bpm is 180, and i just assumed I was doing something wrong because the jump from 120 to 140-150 was a lot to take on at first but 180 felt easy haha. You're a warrior!

[@andydean7665]

Best explanation ever! From my self want to add, don't focus on speed, focus on control and relaxing, after all you will get a better result

[@jonashellborg8320]

Very good explanation of how to relax and use the right muscles for speed.

[@АнатолийКудряшов-ю9у]

Спасибо тебе добрый человек ! Хоть кто-то объяснил!!!

[@ryanmckenna8124]

Wonderful job and wonder teacher! I have something which may help out some of your students that are light footed like me and can't get any power on the down motion on the ankle technique. I've tried literally everything!!! I stumbled on something that was a life changer for me. I wear Reebok Alloy toed work shoes which are a lot lighter then Steel toe or composite toe work shoes or boots. This gave me just the weight I needed to get the beater to smack the skin. Plus it also really helped me on Doubles strokes as well. They are a flat bottom shoe with no nubs that will get in the way of feel etc.. I really hope this helps someone out who is struggling so hard like I was. 🤘 thank you for all your amazing video's!!! Your such a wonderful teacher and you have helped me out tons!!! Thanks again.

[@zte2908]

Thank you Martyn, I've had trouble for years getting an effective technique with double bass this really helped me !

[@homeschool.dropout]

I had an achilles tendon problem (not because of drumming) for months and when I came back to the drums I realized that I didn't know about the pedal technique for 15 years of drumming, I had played drums naturally without concerning about the technique until I had a problem with my achilles. Today I figure out that I used wrong muscles group and I would like to thank for your humble explanation here!

[@DavidOldenburg1]

Awesome speed and accuracy

[@kirillpapanin]

best explonation ever! thanx

[@fernandoalfaro3758]

Crystal clear explained Marthyn. Thank you for sharing.

[@xxkornmetalxx]

For those of you that workout, think of it as a calf raise. He was spot on about your brain registering the noise with the beater. I had that issue until I figured out what had happened.

[@HellsKingSJR]

Hey man. Thanks for the tip. I have a question though. When you were figuring this out, was your heel stomping the pedal board or ground while on the pedal. I feel like when I lift my heel, I have to apply pressure with my toes or roll my foot forward in order to hit the drum otherwise it barely touches the drum. Did you have this same issue?

[@xxkornmetalxx]

@@HellsKingSJR Had the same issue but found out on my own that it was wrong. You should be relaxed and not have so much tension on your hips. Think of bouncing a basketball with your feet. You need to play with the spring tension, position of your foot on the pedal board, and throne position of where you sit (the height and how far forward or backward) and also how far it is away from the drumset. This channel has other videos that talk about that.

[@inlasttonowhere4459]

Thank you for such great lessons 🙂✌ greetings from California. Be well in these times.

[@robertalmaviva7920]

Thank you so much for this video. I was thinking another double pedals video and and it won't work.. but your explaination was very clear ! I tried it today and my god what a difference !! I was thinking I will never go to upper speed. It took me 5 minutes to apply this technique and suddenly it was very easy, and I played so fast with no tension !!! I need to improve the technique but in one times it works !!! Thank you !

[@tuknchuk]

Subscription EARNED !!! Great Video !!!!

[@MiguelLopez-ll5us]

holy shit, thank you so much. All my life i play heel up and just realize right now that i can play the doube of speed with this technique.. is so natural and precise, easier than heel up, and more controlled. i really love it. Thanks !!

[@drumtechniqueacademy]

great!!!

[@MiguelLopez-ll5us]

@@drumtechniqueacademy would you please do a video about the pedal settings for this technique.. and hi from Mexico lml

[@corpsen5028]

Hermano, espero que puedas leer y comprender mi comentario. Me has resuelto un enigma en el cual me había encontrado desde hace muchos años, no sentía progresión por más que practicaba, me sentía estancado y me desesperaba y me ponía triste al imaginar que no podría dominar el control, fuerza y velocidad de mis pies al tocar. Ahora con ésta técnica que acabó de ver en tu video me siento más motivado y sé que lograré tocar a gran velocidad y con mayor control. Eres un Dios para mí, jajaja. 🌌👌

[@Theactingcraftruiz]

Hola, pudiste desarrollar bien la técnica? No logro entender como es la forma en que levanta el tobillo, porque según dice que no debemos de usar la punta del pie para el pedal si no levantar el tobillo y con ese movimiento tocar.

[@jamesjackson4210]

Before ever having a go at drums, I started listening to metal with double bass drumming (specifically metallica - one was what got me started off) and started banging my ankles on the floor air drumming like described in the video, I have done this for years and wondered if the technique would actually work for real which made me want to learn for real, But holy shit I used to piss so many people off even to this day banging my ankles on the floor all the time, people seemed to think I had some kinda nervous twitch in my legs. I'll keep doing it though as its good practice!

[@antoniomolina282]

What a nice explanation of the technique! Thanks 🦵👏👏👏

[@crescentkumaratunge3676]

Awesome job Marthyn!

[@MrGaxar]

amazing video thankyou so much. about to get my first db pedal and this is an awesome tutorial

[@VICTHECOMMENTER]

Thank you for everything you are doing!

[@lionelbidois7115]

Thank you so much for the tutorial Marthyn 👍

[@awangendahl]

Marthyn, thank you so much for this lesson, its a game changer completely for me, I had the exact same issue as described in the video, I really thought i knew what i was doing haha..... my shin muscle also always hurt like described in the video.. Thank you for helping out SOMUCH

[@Luger0312]

To me this really was like a hack. I'm self-taught and been playing metal for a couple of years. I've also been on a plateau for quite some time. Regarding double bass, I could play a few bars at 200bpm without dying and even get it nice and clean on good days. Took a few weeks until I really had this one down, but the improvement is astonishing. Been going up by 10bpm daily in recent days. Could comfortably play 16th at 220bpm without really breaking a sweat today, so I pushed it up to 230. Struggling to hold it there, but I wouldn't even have tried playing 5 or 6 bars of 210bpm 16th a few weeks ago. Thats one of the most satisfying things about playing an instrument. When you lean a new technique and it takes some time but then it's like a swith has been turned and you start flying. Thank you so much.

[@drumtechniqueacademy]

you're welcome my friend

[@jayvalle50]

Such a great drum instructor. Thanks for the tips🤘😎🤘

[@georgekassalias5253]

Thank you very much Marthyn!!! Great job 👍 One of the most detailed videos instructions

[@drumtechniqueacademy]

thank you

[@KlausPercussion]

Awesome it's crazy..i was stuck around 150 bpm....sometimes it's just minor things that hinder your progress...after your video, some floor practice and two hours of slow kit pratice i got up to 230 bpm...it's crazy...it was just a small thing that helped (the issues were my starting position and no tension in my calf) and i could finally break through...it's crazy i couldnt believe my ears :D

[@KlausPercussion]

Thank you so much Martin!

[@drumtechniqueacademy]

You're welcome my friend

[@KlausPercussion]

@@drumtechniqueacademy i am still flashed by this massive improvement after the video...will definitly join your program once i have a double bass also at home for practising regurlarly

[@OrminOrminsson]

I have watched countless videos, countless Tutorials, and this is the best one by far, however, this technique, i am by now trying this for about a year, and I still haven't figured out how high i need to put my seat or how I have to adjust my pedal, while trying everything, because I have 13 years of drumming in me and this one is just making me adjust everything because with my usual settings it is pretty much impossible to play this 😂

[@drumlion2005]

God i needed this video

[@nicholaskapka7585]

Thanks Man

[@stephenshaheen4098]

Really great tips and extremely articulate. 😊

[@TheSentinel909]

Thanks so much, incredibly useful video

[@kevinkaferstein3278]

Hi Marthyn. Really helpful Clip, especially the concept of relaxing the chin muscles. I tried it a few times but I'm always falling into this 'nervous twitching motion'. Is this what you mean? Or is it a bad habbit in the long run when I get used to this twitching?

[@maxxpayne7964]

thanks, the best tutorial, but there are a couple of things I don't understand about this technique: 1- what tension should the pedal spring have? It must be at maximum or with loose tension? (for to play as fast as possible) 2- is it necessary to wear sneakers? I say this because I practice with socks and when I try to do the movement my feet slip through the pedal. 3- In any pedal you can play ankle techinique at high speed or does it necessarily have to be a high-end pedal like an axis or speed cobra? (in my case I have an iron cobra 200)

[@bobby9727]

Thank you for your great videos,have you done a video on proper sitting height and position? Thank you from Toronto Canada.

[@hellgrinder2941]

I fucking love you. Can you do a similar video like this about the hands please.

[@Puntiful]

Hi Marthyn!! Wie immer: spitzen Anleitung und eine große Hilfe!! Kannst du bei einem deiner nächsten Videos etwas genauer auf die Start- & Stop-Bewegung bei der ankle-motion eingehen? Vielen Dank, schöne Grüße und bleib' gesund!

[@charlesmagrin6260]

This really helped me understanding the motion and transfer this knowledge to my body. Training one foot then the other one then both works best for me. Now the hardest part is to start / halt in a clean way. Any tips on that ? Thx A LOT Marthyn!

[@askeranswerer7148]

Thank you for your videos. I will keep trying but it seems like the down stroke of the heel is when the beater actually hits. I'm nearly certain I'm only using my calf muscle. Also compared to your demonstration your foot never goes past parallel to the floor but for me I have to have my heel much above my toes for this to work properly

[@darthwoopv573]

Mind... Blown...

[@drabbster]

When your legs hurt after 10 minutes of trying to use your calfs to raise your heel, sitting at your desk after watching this video :'D

[@shagnikbhattacherjee]

You're the best!

[@fedge314]

When you talk about a comfortable starting double bass speed. Do you mean playing 8th or 16th notes?

[@matiasnerdrum7645]

Been struggling to slow down from 200 to 190 for few weeks, it sure is easier to play faster :D

[@vinayakaggarwal5061]

Ankle technique vs slide technique. Can slide be even used for higher tempos?

[@swivelken248chan6]

Don’t worry.You pronounce calf correctly.I pronounce the same way in America.I also use this technique up to 240 Bpm.Even doing one foot blast.I see Jan Benkwitz also using ankle technique but can do it much faster.

[@L8947]

Finally!!!

[@LOLE1991KOVIN]

Great lesson, Marthyn! I just checked your flat foot and ankle free tutorials and I must say that I felt change in double bass control and sound after one day of practicing. Haven't been playing double bass pedal for more than 8 years. Since I wasn't able to execute controlled ankle motion at 150-175 bpm, practicing flat foot technique in combination with heel down at slower tempos 100-150 bpm helped me to gain more control at tempos 150-180 bpm. What are your thoughts on practicing heel down in order to gain more control?

[@B1ood1ess]

My Right foot can do this at any tempo no problem, but my left foot starts to go into an uncontrolled seizure past even like 80 bpm. Any tips on how to get the even beater swing relaxed and in control?

[@PeraDrumStep]

Odlican tutorial 🍺🍺👍

[@heathscheibmeir8011]

I typically play with socked feet, but it seems it would work better with a shoe on so you have a flat, unbending surface vs. the ball of the foot being able to bend apart from the sole-what would you say?

[@Drumwolf62]

As soon as you drew the ball of the foot on the pedal, I knew I had a questions. What if you have very long legs? You appear to be under 6 feet tall and have short legs. I am 6 feet tall and have long legs. When I place my foot on the pedal, my foot does not float on the pedal like yours. So do I have to raise my throne up high to adjust for this? If I raise my throne, that will cause issues with striking the drum heads because now I am further away from them.

[@chaotischdurchgedreht]

Es wäre interessant zu sehen wie Heel-Toe zu lernen ist ^^ Ps: Mach weiter so , Gruß :D

[@uglypineapple03]

Ich fänd es unglaublich geil, würdest du mal ein Tutorial - Video zur Swivel - Technik machen Das wär wirklich richtig nice

[@akipapamarkou8066]

You’re a great drummer and an intelligent communicator. I will buy this. I’d like to mention to all drummers that I too switched to wearing New Balance shoes along time ago purely for the direct feeling connection of my foot with the bass drum pedal and it’s the better shoe to wear if you’re a drummer serious about optimum drumming comfort and performance playability. Marthyn if I was you I’d be calling New Balance and proposing a lifetime free sneaker contract aswell as a cash endorsement for advertising their shoe on KZbin. I recommend the NB FreshFoam ROAV sneaker for drumming and everyday comfort. If NB are willing to pay other athletes to wear and advertise their footwear then they should be clever enough to do a contract with you also. Because one fundamental to a great drummer’s performance is Balance. “NB Helping drummers achieve and maintain their Balance” “For professional drummers requiring superior comfort and double bass balance. Only New Balance” Just an idea... lol Thanks for your double bass insight and great drumming entertainment and education. You’re awsome! You’re world class. Aki

[@avatar19822]

Is this technique (contracting the calf) better to use for endurance and speed than the swivel technique? George Kollias uses swivel. I'm not sure which technique I should learn.

[@MatthiasKrumm]

Awesome video! What about speeds below 140 bpm? Which techniques are you using in slower tempos?

[@thewhiterabbit4268]

so if i get it right, relax whole leg so it's almost a "dead leg" and then start "pistol" shot with your calf so it feels like a "jumping" motion?

[@maikrichter9130]

I have a question. Is the starting tempo 160 bpm with one foot and playing 8th notes or with 2 feet and playing 8th notes?

[@francescoscolastini1102]

Sembrerà strano ma ho problemi con il piede destro...in ogni caso grazie per il video...🤘

[@metalovermatter4045]

is it easier the higher up the hammers are?

[@MorfHasGotAnOpinion]

hey marthyn, since im in corona office and working on my phd thesis, ive got a lot of time to distract me from that;) i started to "meditate" on my old drum set again... i was looking for some good advice on how to have a flexible double foot technique. looks like i found it! great video man check the intro of this video out to see mee getting on drums after years of only idling around. i throught that i try to develop some doublestroke based methods but i think to have better control, single strokes might be a better starting point for a beginner drummer i never played drums for real btw, just for some lulz from time to time >> German Investment Broker recommends 3 contemporary Movies about Capitalism

[@MarcoSchwarz91]

Are you supposed to reach the same volume and power with the ankle technique as with the full leg motion? I'm way weaker with the ankle motion, maybe I'm not even doing it right :D

[@jjs8426]

Sick new balances

[@ubiras1000]

i use to do jump rope. does that help on the ankle technique?

[@SurajSunar33]

Whats that beater you are using???

[@stephenisburger]

So any tips or recommends on a throne? I'm always wobbling

[@johnknight9150]

The other pronunciation of calf is the posh British version!

[@saulvera5469]

Im playing faster and with more control in one month than the past 20 years, but I learned the technique wrong, im hitting the head on the heel down stroke, if is working so far should i keep doing it that way or "unlearn it" and practice it the right way?

[@Saint_Ra-7]

I’ve been watching your videos for a while and I’ve been trying to practice many of de exercises but sadly no results. When trying to exercise the ankle motion my shin muscles are growing tired and start to hurt. I really have no idea how to practice or exercise any further since I’ve been trying as many of the solutions in your videos. Do you maybe have some tips for me cause I’m kinda out of options

[@HellsKingSJR]

I feel the same way... Seems no one has an answer either. I tried using this technique but doesn't seem to work out as he explained. Lifting my heel does absolutely nothing for me, I still have to apply pressure with my toes, or roll my foot in order to hit the drum. I'm not sure if that's the correct way cause it contracts my shins as well as my calves.

[@QuickMathMan191]

Hey marthyn, I find I can do this at a higher bpm but when I try and slow it down, I am unable. Do you know what is causing this?

[@vincentbeyrie2534]

Hi Marthyn, what do you recommend as basic settings with a Pearl demon drive ?

[@joeyf.2455]

His junk is higher than his snare that could end bad. But that technique helps thanks Marthyn.

[@manilichros7595]

This is pretty hard to do... For right now my foot is uncontrollable and not obedient. Is it normal?

[@graz2228]

Quick question: when practicing this on the floor, should the foot leave the floor at all when I contract the calf and raise the heel or should I keep it on the ground?

[@Assimilator702]

Graziano Ball of foot stays on the ground.

[@samdominator6394]

what the best setting for direc drive ?

[@trolltopro]

Do we have to relax our calf muscles when we drop our heel?

[@drumtechniqueacademy]

yes, you won't be able to drop your heel if your calves are fully contracted

[@trolltopro]

@@drumtechniqueacademy Thanks for the reply! Your videos always help me get better at double bass!

[@drumtechniqueacademy]

you're welcome...have a great weekend!

[@koc0090]

can i use french grip with this technique?

[@adamlewisdrums5607]

Ok this is completely fucking with my head - I’m supposed to play the note on the upstroke?? That’s completely backwards to how I’ve always played (from the hip flexors). How do I stop getting two (or more) hits? I get one when I lift my heel and a second when it drops back down; like heel-toe technique. Am I supposed to bury the beater or come off? I’ve always played beater off for the most part. I honestly don’t get this at all - somebody please help!!

[@nicolasgt1479]

One thing, by contracting the calf muscle arent you pushing down the pedal?

[@drumtechniqueacademy]

yes... I talk about that in the video :-)

[@nicolasgt1479]

@@drumtechniqueacademy ok thanks👌

[@leandromartinslima4371]

Hi! Which techniques do you use when you work beyond 210 bpm? Is it possible to connect the ankle motion technique's movement with other techniques that involve toes joint's moviments? Thanks for your explanations!

[@drumtechniqueacademy]

I talk about that in the video briefly (still using the ankle technique at higher tempos as well- but with some slight adjustments)...I might cover that in a future tutorial. ps: I don't use my toes when I play double bass

[@leandromartinslima4371]

@@drumtechniqueacademy yeeah! I've understood it now! Thanks! I need to practice a lot this dynamic among ankle, heel and leg's whole moviment... It's a very advanced technique!

[@allanmalloy8266]

How much power do you get at lower speeds with this, Marthyn? I have pretty much stuck with heels up my entire drumming career for the mid range (130-180 for me) and it gets exhausting but I like the sound I get out of my bass drum.

[@drumtechniqueacademy]

with a close to 90 degree beater swing you get more than enough power...

[@allanmalloy8266]

@@drumtechniqueacademy Thanks for the reply, I'll try and see how it works for me!

[@clevemire321]

for anyone struggling with this, i found that relaxing your shins doesn’t actually work. last night i tried locking my shins to keep pressure on the pedal, and i was instantly able to hit 190 even though i had never gone above 150 before! not sure if that will work for everyone but i feel like i just skipped a years worth of practice by doing that.

[@thilo9086]

Is getting a kind of twitching motion the correct thing to do? Because I feel like I can get a decent tempo and beater swing out of that! :)

[@the6black6dahlia6murder8]

👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 Wooooow... Gracias x la info Marthyn . Un Abrazo Metalero desde Bs. As. Argentina 🇦🇷 y a practicar 🤘🏾

[@mustanojanroppa]

I can almost see this running as a commercial in tv shop.

[@MikeLevitsky]

Thanks for the thorough break down, I have been playing drums for 20 years single pedal, I now finally getting around to working on the double pedal. I will give this technique a try, and report back in a few weeks with some progress. Check out my channel if you get a chance, I also am trying to help the drumming community through education. Keep up the good work.

[@georgebruh8325]

this is so weird, i can do this +300 bpm freely with each leg but can't do the mid tempos like 180-250.. my leg kinda goes faster on it's own

[@georgebruh8325]

it's like i can do this in very slow or very fast tempos the mid is a complete mess, any tips?