Ask an Expert: Archive

Q: On drumset, how do I develop a faster and more controllable foot? I am having problems of making my foot faster.
John Staley

A: Foot development is difficult to describe in written form. Using video or in person definitely makes it a quicker discussion! The primary rule is: Use the same approach to pedal work as you use with your hands. I see many players take a completely different approach to technique with the hands than they do with the foot. For instance, do you strike the drum and keep the stick dug into the head? Of course not. But, I see a lot of players only dig the beater into the bass drum head. This creates two movements for one note. The movement to the head, then the movement out of the head. Not to say that I don't use this approach for stylistic reasons but generally speaking, I always pull the beater out of the head. Using the full leg, make one stroke towards the drum, after the beater strikes, release the foot back onto the heel and let the beater bounce back off of the head as far back as possible. This does three things, it makes a much better sound out of the kick drum, it makes one note with one movement and it puts you in the starting position to play another note. With your heel on the heel plate and your beater released back, you can now play a "Tap" by just using your ankle or lift your whole leg and play another full note. Try playing "Full leg and release then tap with just the ankle and release". This is a two note figure. It is being accomplished with just one leg movement. You can add to this technique by doing two other things. One, adding taps with the ankle just after your foot pivots back on the pedal and two, playing an "up" stroke by using the leg to play the note and just after the beater strikes the head lifting your leg into the playing position to start all over again. You will gain a lot of speed and dynamic control over the kick drum using this technique. This is called the "Continuous Release" method.
So, the figure is:
Three notes. A full leg stroke to the drum, releasing the beater by
pivoting back to the heel, tapping another note with just the ankle, then tapping a third note with the ankle and raising the whole leg up after impact to the starting position. (For some visual demonstrations of this, check out my Drum Set Crash Video with Warner Brothers, Steve Smith's DVD with Hudson music and Steve Gadd's DVD's with Warner Brothers.) Some other drummers besides myself that use this method include: Steve Smith, Jeff Hamilton, Freddy Grueber, Jo Jo Mayer, Steve Gadd and Thomas Lang.

Russ Miller

A: I feel that the best way to work on bass drum foot speed is to practice the book "Stick Control" by George Lawrence Stone, with your 2 feet on a double bass drum pedal (or a double bass kit!!) Use a metronome, and gradually increase the speed. I also enjoy putting on headphones with my favorite music and trying to play singles with each foot as fast as possible with each song. Some songs will need 8ths or 16th or even 32nd notes depending on the tempo and groove of the song. Playing along with music helps it not be so tedious and boring. But the bottom line is practice, practice, practice!!!! Here is a plug...You can also buy my new 2 disc 4.2 hour long DVD called Musical Drumming in Different Styles on Hudson Music!!! There are tons of great tips in there!!!

All the best,
Gregg Bissonette