Best Products at the
Lowest Prices

TigerBill's Unique
Drum Lessons

Advertise With Us
Contact Us
Link to Us
Newsletter
News & Press Room
Order Info
Permissions & Reprints
Privacy Policy
Products
Register for Free
Welcome


Auctions
Books for Fun
Books for Education
Business
Buying Drum Gear
Chops Challenge
Clinics & Events
Concerts & Tours
Contests
Discount Drum Shop 1
Discount Drum Shop 2
Drum TV Show
Drum n Bass
Drum Skills Evaluation
Fame & Fortune
Famous Drummers
Forums
Fun With Drums TV Show
Gear & Accessories
Gladstone Technique
Healthy Drumming
Hip-Hop / Rap
History & Culture
How To Guides
Interviews
Laugh It Up
Lessons for Free
Loops & Samples
Magazines
Member Links
Merchandise
MIDI Files
Moeller Technique
MP3
Newsgroups
Radio
Record Your Own
Reviews
Schools
Sit-in & Play
Software
Sponsors
Store
Tabs
Tension Free Drumming™
Ticket Sales
TigerBill and Friends
TigerBill's Bio
TigerBill's Gear Picks
TigerBill's Clinics & Events
TigerBill's Drum Shop
TigerBill's Lessons
TigerBill's Place
Tips and Tricks
Videos
Vintage Gear
WFD

Build Your Double Bass Drum Chops

Part 1

I began playing drums on a single Bass Drum. Later on, I began to experiment with the use of a second bass drum. In 1978, with encouragement from Louis Bellson (the father of Double Bass Drumming), I transformed my own exercises into the book, DoubleDrum: A Double Bass Drum Text. My book introduced exercises that treated the second bass drum like an additional hand, which - back then - was an original concept. I originally intended the book for the double bass drummer but, over the years, I've used it to improve four-way coordination of my students who use a single bass and a hi-hat as well.

Although the exercises you're about to see first appeared in print more than 20 years ago, I think you'll agree they're as relevant today as they were then. Check 'em out.

Coordinating the Feet
Many drummers practice hand exercises but almost totally neglect their feet. These exercises concentrate on developing coordination and speed in the feet, and are useful whether you play double or single Bass. If you play single Bass, simply substitute your Hi-Hat for the second Bass Drum part. See Excerpts 1 and 2.

Excerpt 1

Excerpt 2

Play each exercise slowly at first. After you can play each exercise cleanly and evenly, increase the speed. Note that the first 4 bars in Excerpt 2 incorporates the use of flams between the feet. Play them exactly as you would play flams with your hands, keeping the grace note drum beater ball closer to the drum head than the main note drum beater ball.

Independent Hands and Feet
In addition to developing speed and coordination with both feet, you should be able to play patterns independently between your hands and feet.

Note that in Excerpt 3 and 4 below, you should use single sticking for the Hand part (RLRL RLRL) against the written Bass Drum patterns. Once you can play that with ease (starting with either hand), try using Open Rolls (RRLL RRLL), paradiddles (RLRR LRLL), and any of your favorite stickings in the Hand part.

As always, practice each exercise slowly until you can play it evenly and cleanly before increasing the speed.

Excerpt 3

Excerpt 4

Let's Get Difficult
In part 2 of Build Your Double Bass Chops (see Sidebar) I'll introduce you to much harder exercises that will challenge your Double Bass Chops and four-way Coordination, from my book DoubleDrum: A Double Bass Drum Text.

Click Here to Buy Tiger Bill's DoubleDrum Book Online & Learn the Tiger's Technique!

Until next time: Stay loose.

Tiger Bill Meligari

Click the following link for Building Your Double Bass Drum Chops: Part 2!

Free Site Membership!

* S I D E B A R *

Links Related
to this Article

Related Links on Site

.

Build Your Double Bass Chops: Part 2

.

Drum Books and DVDs for Further Study

.

Info on Lessons, Clinics, & Master Classes with the Tiger

.

Louis Bellson

.

DoubleDrum: A Double Bass Drum Text

Related Links on Web

.

Learn the Concepts of Tension Free Drumming for Improved Speed, Power, Percision, and Endurance!