Double bass pedal!

[TheHappyMaskSalesman]

hello there i just got the double bass pedal adapter and an extra bass pedal, the problem is that i try to use it and i fail horribly. i was wondering if any body could give me some hints, ideas, or tutorials on how to use it.
I would appreciate it very much!

[antdogs]

im looking to maybe purchasing this one day.. hm is it worth it?

[CCDaDon]

Well uh... there is one thing... Double Bass isn't easy. It doesn't make anything easier. You're probably using it wrong. Double bass takes hours of practice to get the right limb independence to use it they way you would want.

[M3L0DY]

Originally Posted by CCDaDon

Double bass takes hours of practice to get the right limb independence to use it they way you would want.

This man is right. Most RB songs are designed for one foot one pedal. It is going to be very hard to kick the upbeat painkiller bass notes and such with complete limb independence. My suggestion: master one foot one pedal (Play I.V.). Save double bass for the death metal blast, This calling, mayhem pack, visions (barely), etc. Good luck mastering limb independence if you really want it (It took PROFESSIONALS years to master).

[acidicthought8]

Originally Posted by M3L0DY

Save double bass for the death metal blast, This calling, mayhem pack, visions (barely), etc.

Funny thing is, those parts are still single-pedal charted, so you're only cheating yourself...

[onthemightofprinces]

I've not used double-bass in RB, so I can't comment on how useful it is, but I can give you a few tips on starting with it.

First of all, like someone else said, master using your right foot. You should already be able to get through songs that have extended bass sections (Placebo's "Bitter End" on GH is a particularly relentless one).

After that try a simple beat but insert a bit of double-kick. So on a simple 4/4 beat, go bass - 2 - snare - 4; bass bass bass - snare - 4; keeping a steady hi-hat rhythm throughout.

After that trying using longer bass runs, 4, then 5, etc.

When you feel comfortable enough to longer runs, use the ride cymbal for every four bass kicks - it can be easy to go into a swing beat on the kick pedals, so concentrate on keeping the timing even and on locking the ride cymbal to the kick every four kicks (you should be going, right-left-right-left as a pattern.

Obviously you'll need practice, but you'll speed up over a few months, at which point you can progress onto using the ride or hi-hat every two kicks (Metallica use these quick ones occasionally) then by this time you'll be able to keep the time with your feet, freeing the rest of your body to move onto the fills and more complex stuff on the hand-operated drums.

Oh, and I seriously suggest using heels-up on both the pedals. It's way more fun, and easier to stay in rhythm.

[TheHappyMaskSalesman]

Thanks that should be very helpful but what is heels up?

[RidethePiggy]

Originally Posted by TheHappyMaskSalesman

Thanks that should be very helpful but what is heels up?

Oh boy, you've got a long way to go:

Some people play flat-footed or heel-down.
Heel up is playing with the balls of your feet, or having your heel off the pedal.

I prefer both my feet heels up on my actual drums when I'm playing double bass. If I'm playing single bass, I play heel-down.

[dj wazzy]

here's what i did and it only took a couple hours to get down....

- i only used my left foot for a few songs just to work out the logistics of using my previously unused left foot and new pedal
- after that felt comfortable i moved on to alternating between feet on every single bass note charted regardless of their proximity
- soon that felt comfortable enough to only alternate when needed
- more practice and out of nowhere it all seemed to come together, almost like i was supposed to use 2 feet all along, it just felt right

i practiced a lot on songs like TBS makedamnsure......i'm not sure if anyone else will agree with these tips but it worked for me.......since i have no prior drumming experience i simply broke it down to what i thought would be the easiest way to learn.....

edit: just in case someone thinks this is in some way boasting or bragging i assure you it isn't....i don't have the scores to back that up....