Mel Bay's Percussion Sessions | John Toomey - Double Bass Improvement Part 1

Double Bass Improvement Part 1

Getting Started

by John Toomey

I have been on a relentless quest to develop my double bass chops for about five solid years now. Although I have played with a double pedal for closer to ten years, it wasn't until I began playing in a brutally heavy metal band (yes, the kind that demands a mighty roar not only from the lead singer, but from the bass drum as well) that I reevaluated my skill level in that facet of my playing.

What started as a simple thirty-minute foot workout five years ago has evolved into a demanding hour and a half double bass challenge that I try to practice at least six days a week. Some of you readers may be thinking that practicing foot technique for this long is a little extreme. Well, it's not for the faint of heart and certainly depends on your performance objectives. Of course, the rate of improvement is directly related to the amount of time spent in this area. It is also up to each student to decide what level of foot dexterity he or she would like to attain. For instance, thirty-minutes of practice a day may perfectly meet one student's needs. On the other hand, two hours a day spent on the concepts I want to share would be a pretty ambitious endeavor, although producing more rapid results. I would suggest starting with a modest routine anywhere between fifteen minutes to an hour. Do what you think is best for you!

First, I want to make note of the materials that I find invaluable for a successful workout besides pedals and a bass drum or pad of some sort. There are three items I use in my routine:

A practice log for you to track your daily routine and be sure you are always pushing forward rather than staying stationary or working backwards (this will also come in handy months later when you are doubting your progress, I guarantee it!)
a stop watch which will help make sure you are getting exercise at equal intervals on each foot at various tempos
most importantly, a metronome to insure consistency and good time between the feet.

I would suggest starting the first exercise with eighth notes at 90 bpm. Playing heel down, try to maintain solid, consistent strokes for one minute with each foot individually.

Be sure to let the beater bounce off the head as smoothly and effortlessly as possible. You will need that natural rebound as these lessons progress.

For some of you, 90bpm may be too slow. While I stress that even skilled players should go back and refine their technique at slow tempos again and again, some of you will need to bump the tempo up for better results. I usually increase by increments of five at slower tempos. Now alternate single stokes.

The purpose of practicing both heels up and down is to work the different muscle groups involved in each method. I will go more in depth on the muscle groups later.

The road to becoming a monster with your feet will be a long journey that requires constant practice and reevaluation of your foot technique.