Ep. 20 How to Set Up Your Bass Drum Pedal
Вставка
- Опубліковано 23 лип 2018
- Support Sounds Like a Drum on Patreon: / soundslikeadrum
Brace yourselves! This isn't some 60 second "fix it fast" video but that's not really our style anyway. If you stick around for the full video, you'll get the most value out of it and walk away with a better understanding of how to set up your bass drum pedal to work with your playing, regardless of your preferred technique. If you following along with your pedal in hand, you can make adjustments as we go through the video.
Yes, this video strays a bit away from our previous topics focused entirely on sound, though we've had some requests to produce a video about pedal setup in order to get the most out of your gear. Consider this video a lesson/guide to bass drum pedal setup, regardless of the pedal you've got.
A couple of revisions to note:
Yes, we know about the "heal" vs. "heel" typos. Ben knows how to spell but is no longer allowed to have more than one cup of coffee (or maybe he needs more...) while editing.
Also, the description at 9:10 for the higher tension and altered beater angle should reference being better for heel up, burying the beater, and a muffled drum rather than the opposite.
Hosted by: Cody Rahn
Production: Ben O'Brien Smith @ Cadence Independent Media
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Do you prefer a higher or lower spring tension?
Be sure to follow Sounds Like a Drum on Instagram at instagram.com/soundslikeadrum
Tight and far with the plastic side of the beater and no I don't play in a metal band.
High
I prefer higher spring tension
I play demon drive pedals. I used to play really fast thrash type metal (throw down/old school Metallica type). I used to crank the tension and move the beaters fairly close to try and give myself an advantage in speed. I was also a beater against the drum most of the time between beats player. I was able to get fairly fast this way when just running double bass. I say fast, slayer fast, not some of the new hard core fast with kids on axis pedals and triggers. It wasn’t until I started playing more blues and slower music that I really enjoyed playing my drums. You hear the drum so much more in a more dynamic and open setting; playing that slower music. So how they sound becomes more important and how they feel, especially when playing a groove, becomes more important. I started moving my beater back and I’m barely further than 45 degrees and my tension is on the slack side. Not loose but not middle road. I can feel the pedal and I feel more control in the pedal. I can actually get faster this way than before with less fatigue. My gallops and maneuvers that require more control are way easier. Slowing down, letting the drums be drums, and focusing on my technique made me a better drummer than treating them like trash can lids with Danny Carey sized sticks lol. It also made me love the tone and feeling my drums give. I’ve got a 2800$ kit all together. Pearl session drums, drum rack, a few crash and splash cymbals, a nice ride, and mostly basic stuff but loving them has made them sound so good. Experimenting with drum heads and tuning. I started all of that because of watching your videos. I play a new style, a new way, better, and love my drums more because of your videos. To say I’m grateful wouldn’t really be saying it but we’re all drummers here and you know how it feels to love your instruments so thank you for bringing that back for me.
Sounds Like A Drum high
You are putting out some professional content on a topic that needed to be addressed. Seriously man, you're filling a need. Keep it up brother.
He's a bit of a bona fide legend.
Particularly notable anongst the sea of.......out there
"4 and a half makes me happy." Boy I wish my wife was happy with that!
Brilliant!
Wifey not happy with your drumming?
@@discaddicted5753 His drumming must be ok... Just the wifey it's seems to like playing with different "organs" and blowing up some trumpets😂
😂😂😂
🤣🤣🤣🤣
WOW! I've been in the dark for years....in 15 minutes you've turned my iron cobra into what it should be! THANK YOU!! Great video
I've been dealing with this problem off and on for years, I have to be more patient and listen I don't know if anything has to do with it that I am a left-handed drummer. Bass drum is handled with my left foot? Thanks for the help good stuff
Love this channel! I’m a drummer of 10+ years and had many teachers and people vaguely mention parts of these concepts but nothing as in depth and concise as this channel. I’ve watched almost all your videos and my drums sound WAY more expensive and better than they actually are because of your advise. THANK YOU! Seriously incredible content. Love it
I signed in to UA-cam for the first time in 10 years just to tell you that this video completely changed my drumming abilities. My pedal control is leaps and bounds better than what it used to be because of your advice. Thank you!!!!!
So glad to hear it! We have new videos every week (Tuesdays at 12:30pm EST) including tutorials and actionable advice relating to drum sounds/tuning and equipment. Cheers!
Another great video filled with useful info. You guys answered a lot of the questions I had about which way was better to have my pedal set for the specific way that I’m playing . Thx as always . Keep them coming !!!!
Very informative! Good job! By the way: I like the warm, golden-like lighting on your videos! Nice detail - much appreciated!
I like your approach, very calm, relaxed and with good information. A follower!
Another great video. Love the explanation of how settings affect practical aspects of playing, in fact, one of the great things about all these videos is they all link to practical, every day playing.
Been watching your videos for the past couple weeks. Just wanna say your channel and information is highly valuable and much appreciated. Thanks very much!
Oh man this was so helpful. Always struggled with figuring out how to adjust my pedal. Loved this. Thanks.
Hard to put into words how much I appreciate this channel and this crew. You're helping us get info and start to answer small but incredibly important questions about our gear
BRILLIANT the way you've researched & explain all drum set playing issues -of which there are MANY!!!
Thank you so much for making this! I like to say I built my roof before I poured my foundation with drums and it's the things like this I skipped over or was never taught in my early year! Thanks!
This is an absolutely wonderful channel. Thank you for your in depth explanations and notes on stylistic applications.
I hadn't found a good video on this topic until yours. So many adjustments, and the manufacturers don't describe the trade offs. Thank you for giving us ways to logically think about these adjustments.
Good lesson...definitely a variety of dynamic components (head tension, spring, angle, etc.) which all add up to change the feel. Best bet is to find what feels good & be able to replicate no matter the pedal.
I believe you hit on all the details of adjustments and I adjust my pedals pretty much the same way you do. As always great content, keep it up !
This is SUPER helpful..been searching for this exact content for a LONG time! Thank you!
Great approach to this topic! Always much to learn from these videos.
So glad I subscribed to this channel. Great source of quality info. Thanks!
You’re a national treasure dude! You’ve inspired me to refurbish my old kit and I’m having a blast learning so much, thank u man 🤘🏽
Thanks for watching, Max! We appreciate the kind words. -Ben
Good points here :-) it makes me want to experimenting a bit. I prefer a lower spring tension and I will try it even more looser now and with more angle/distance. Thanks!
Just bought my first double pedal. It is bouncing and making a double hit when I don't want it to. Went fro.a pearl single to a PDP double. This video had a ton of input that I am going to use now. Never knew anything about this. I'm just a bedroom drummer. Lol, but I still want to sound as good as I can. Thank you!!
Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for covering multiple genres and styles \m/
Long story short, I've been playing for a long time. I'm just now starting to not suck. I'm analyzing the gear more, too. Just watched your video, adjusted the tension, angle and length, instantly able to hit faster and more controled. Feels like my foot found home, haha! Thanks man!
I just bought a new set of DW drums after not playing for a long time. Your videos are so helpful. Much thanks
Peace
That tip of the tension of the spring for the kick pedal was one I didn’t know. Thanks for that and was actually a good one because not everyone uses the foot the same way to press down for the beater to hit the bass drum accurately in time. 🤘🏼
Another good, informative vid...You guys always deliver. I go for a quite low spring tension, beater at about a 45’ angle, about 1/4” of beater shaft sticking out below the sleeve - that usually gets me about to the middle of the batter head and gives me a slingshotty, lever feel with lots of control. I use an old Gretsch Floating Action leather strap drive. Great feel, great control. I like the Vickick felt covered wood, or the Vater Bomber beater for jazzier tunes. Works well for me for groove oriented stuff- funky, jazzy, bluesy, stuff that works well with controlled playing, more tone than attack, etc. A good simple (pretty loose) strap drive pedal is a beautiful thing, it’s just you and the bass drum - nothing between you. A very natural, organic response and rhythm.
Very useful video! Never thought about relationship between beater angle and spring tension.
Awesome video bro very informative and very practical knowledge!
Great run down! Thank you for sharing your knowledge on this topic!
This is an awesome video. I am prob on the looser side. I get the jimmy legs sometimes and that helps me not hit the head too often. I feel it more. I'm no pro, but I seriously appreciate what you just told me for 20 friggin minutes :)
This was absolutely amazing and I learned a lot of techniques I did not realize I needed to know about bass drum pedal. It’s always great to keep learning something new 👍👍🤗🤗🙏🙏
Glad to hear it! Lots there for a drummer and for their tech. Cheers!
Sounds Like A Drum fully agree
Thank you for this video. I just started drumming and couldn’t tell why my pedals were too low it was hard to hit hard. I didn’t know you can actually move the angle. I was just messing with the tension spring. Dumb I know.
I arrived independently at a similar setup to Mr. Bailey. I can get doubles out just fine heel up and still have plenty of dynamic control heel down. With a wide open, medium tensioned bass drum I can bury the beater to mute the drum or let it bounce off for more resonance. It's a pretty versatile setup.
(18:10) "It's all about the music that your making".
You'll never say it enough times. Keep up the awesome content. 😎
Loving your channel. Great information that I've needed
These videos are everything. Thank you so much. 🙏🏽
Your videos are so great. You go into such detail, which helps any drummer from novice to expert. Thank you for taking the time on each of your videos.
Thanks so much, Danny! If you're interested in gaining access to even more content and would like to support the series so we can continue to create more and more, please consider joining our Patreon.
Sounds Like A Drum I definitely will. As of right now it’s a little tight being I’m on disability. I had 7 spine surgeries. I am finally playing drums again. But I definitely will try because your channel is worth it!
@@putuhstsuj Heal up soon! Definitely sending good vibes your way and we're glad to hear that you're playing drums again. Thanks for your support! -Ben
Sounds Like A Drum thank you so much!!! And thank you again for making so many drummers lives a lot easier!!!
I lost sensation in my R foot following back surgery, but didn't give up playing. It would be cool if you did a vid on throne hight, different techniques, as well as foot placement. I'm still working on a hybrid technique where I drop my heel, and feel the beater from the rebound. This is your show, I'm just thinking outloud
Best video on pedal set-up I have ever seen. Bravo. Subscribed.
Thanks so much! Hope you enjoy the rest of the series.
thanks for all your videos! well explained and good topics!!!
You’re very welcome! Hopefully you’ve gotten some value from them.
After trying many pedals, I've found that for me, it was worth the wait and expense of the DW Machine Chain Drive. Before that, I really liked the different cams offered with the Pearl Eliminator that I played the most during the past maybe 15 years until I found the DW....... I think in this case, you get what you pay for, but at times, I've been amazed at the feel and speed of some very low cost pedals; therefore, there is much to be gained by experimenting and knowing your pedals, and this should also apply to each and every aspect of our instruments and hardware because it all matters depending on your size, weight, flexibility, and limitations maybe from age and injuries such as I have been dealing with for quite a few years now. Another fabulous lesson Cody.... Thanks and Blessings!!!
Found this really helpful - well explained. Thank you!
Glad to hear it. Thanks for watching!
Great vid man! Great explanation.
Man, my son (8 now) got into drums almost two years ago so I've basically taken up the role of drum-tech. He just got his first double beater and I cannot begin to explain how helpful this video was. I went from wanting to return the thing (Tama Cobra) because he said it wasn't comfortable to play to now having to pry him away from the kit at bedtime.
Man, i cannot believe yall put all this high quality stuff and information just out there for free! Thanks a bunch
We wanted to build a resource library and see if people would latch onto the information. It’s been great to see so many people having positive experiences with tuning and gear as a result of our videos. If you’d like to support our efforts and ensuring that we’re able to keep producing free content for all, please consider joining our Patreon and you’ll gain access to our new exclusive cymbal series as well as a wide range of other bonus content and opportunities. Cheers!
your videos are the best ive seen at addressing these subjects that no one will explain.....ive owned drums for 35 years....my primary instrument is guitar....and never understood clearly how these adjustments work with each other....
i prefer medium tension....too loose SOUNDS sloppy to me, and the beater hits my damn ankle....
too tight and i cant do roughs...and its too slow....i still have to 'warm up' but its worth it to have it at medium tension.
Also your snare tuning videos are the best.
Great video. So thorough and helpful.
Your videos are awesome, dudes! Keep em comin!
Thanks, Jeff! Will do.
I went to a jam event last night just to check it out but actually became the drummer for a big part of it; It was a lot of fun, especially since I hadn't played in quite some time, but man was my right leg getting sore because of that house kit's kick pedal set-up, with the beater close to the drum head and the spring tension being rather low! How I wished I'd brought a drum key! 😆
Very good informative video. It's almost like i'm hearing myself talking to other drummers that I meet and jam with. I to personally like a lower tension, and I.M.O you get to control the pedal and not the other way around. This topic is a must because many drummers that I've met do not know why or how to get a proper pedal setup. The fact that Colin Bailey basically agrees to what you started off with in the video, just about says it all. I've met drummers and played on their drum sets, that the tension was so tight I had to get off the set because I thought I was going to tear my calf and break my ankles. :). When you play a pedal you should not have to go into a prize fight, it should be where the pedal is extension of your leg and ankle. BTW I've used just about every pedal there is and I have found that certain pedals are MUCH better than others, but no matter what pedal you're using, you must adjust it properly and it must be an extension of you, and most of all, you must not fight the pedal.
The thumbnail on this video attracted me to this video. When I saw the runtime on the video I left because there are other videos half the length of this video
We hope you are able to find the detail and context in a format that allows you to retain the information even if it means it’s not through one of our videos. Patience goes a long way to learning this stuff and knowing how/when to put it into action.
Never even knew anything about adjusting my bass drum pedal. Just got an old used kit not too long ago and really haven’t liked the bass pedal. This video is gonna be a lifesaver
I just decided to rediscover my Speed King after putting it away in favor of a Yamaha 720 that I bought in 1984! What fun. So different, but cool. Like driving g a vintage car. But it does have a camming action that I am liking. Some newer pedals are just too adjustable and too heavy. The squeak king folds up and weighs little. I am back to also using Ludwig flat base stands because I hate the schlep! You'll get there too kids. Dad.
Great video that'll get beginners or others who've never really addressed these adjustments playing more responsively. 2 items.... 1- beater length needs to account for both how you want/ need the pedal to feel and also where it strikes the head to give you the sound you want... sometimes it's a compromise!! Secondly, there's lighter and heavier springs (tension... via the gauge metal used in the spring) that you can use to help create the feel you're after. After 5 decades of playing my preference is a heavier spring with less tension on it vs. a lighter spring with more tension. This gives me the necessary rebound characteristics I'm after without being "too springy". Years ago I actually got a completely different spring from a spring mfg. and modified it to fit the pedal.... It's still a very responsive pedal though I've moved on to the higher end DW pedals. Anyway, just my 2 cents worth. Keep up the good work!!
Thanks. This video was very helpful.
I think you just changed my life dude!!!
My very first pedal was a Ludwig Speed Master (not Speed King) it was a pinned strap drive all angles were fixed no adjustments!
Only the spring tension was adjustable. It had a long single piece foot board and the hinge was located underneath the foot board in about the same position that a split foot board hinge would be.
That was a great pedal!
DW is considering offering a single piece footboard as a replacement if they get enough requests for it...
This is the type of info I've been looking for. Thank you
Great information,that's why I always take my pedal when they furnish a back line drum set
This is a tremendously helpful channel. Thanks a bunch and keep the awesome work!
Thanks so much! The support of our dedicated patrons helps keep us producing videos weekly.Please consider joining our Patreon and you'll get access to our cymbal series and so much more while supporting our efforts: sladl.ink/Patreon
thanks ,just got back into it after 30 years off and great to have this help
Wellcome back! BTW- we've got LOTS of additional videos on setup and tuning (if you haven't already watched a few). New tutorial episodes every Tuesday!
Very helpful video. I grew up playing a Speed King and there is something about those twin compression springs that work extremely well for me, but for a number of reasons I used a modern pedal. I wish I could find one that felt like, and was as easy to play as the SK. I've tried the Yamaha Direct Drive, the Iron Cobra, various DWs. The Eliminator is working for me, but doesn't feel like an SK.
Simple and effective advice. Thanks!
The other day I had my step meter on in my pocket during a 3 hour drum session. Turns out you easily surpass 10000 (!) kicks in that amount of time. Goes to show the importance of learning the stuff in this vid
I litterally use the 90° angle one you showed, hits in the foot often, but i'm used to it, think it sounds great
THANK YOU, so much Sir! Just what I needed to learn. Much RESPECT! 🙏🏻🙏🏻👏🏼👏🏼😔
Keep it coming guys!!!!
Thanks for putting this video together, I tell students all the time that their pedal has loads of adjustments and that each really can affect their sound. I think it is also worth mentioning that the strike area of the bass drum is also a factor to consider. I use an 18” kick and when I play jazz, I place the drum flat on the floor so that the strike area of the beater is off center. This, in conjunction with my Vic Firth Fleece Lined Beater (VKB3) gives a really warm, round, and diffused sound. When I want more beef to the kick for fusion, R&B, or funk, I used a Gibraltar BD Platform to raise the drum up a couple of inches off the floor and switch to the VKB4 Cajon Beater (or VKB5 Wood Shaft, if i need more attack). Now the strike area is in the center of the drum and I get a more focused and punchy sound. Neither requires me to alter the overall set up of my direct drive Yamaha pedal (other than the beater, of course). Love the video and the information you provide as always.
You’re quite welcome! Hopefully this serves as a great resource for people when they’re tuning their bass drum pedal settings.
We make reference to the beater contact point a bit towards the end of the video though that’s something we’re going to cover more in depth within forthcoming bass drum tuning video. Cheers!
Hi, Thomann online shop bring me here, trying to choose my first "good" kick drum pedal. It sounds like a very interesting channel, I'm in!
I've always been playing with 45° angle and set the height so the beater hit the center of the skin. I'm gonna experiment the other ways.
Great job and presentation. Thanks
I just treated myself to 2 DW 9000 XF single pedals. I compared them to the Tama Speed Cobra and I couldn’t get used to the feel of the Speed Cobra nor could I get it to do what I wanted. The 9000 did everything effortlessly, smooth and quiet as a grease lined cloud. I’ve been playing 5000 pedals forever so I guess I knew the answer before I asked myself the question. Sometimes you want a big Cadillac with a HUGE V8 engine and that’s what DW pedals are to me.
Man you just answered what i was looking for as a brand new drummer to fix my problem. IT WAS THE GOD DAMN SPRING TENSION ! ... Thank you so much !
sounds like a drum = state of the art drum mechanics,,, great vid!! cody the" bob ross calm effect master",in a noisy drum world !..great channel,greg venuto
A CLOCKWORK DRUMMER Indeed!
Exactly
Good video. I am 55 and just started drum lessons. Well done.
Thanks and welcome to the world of drumming!
I believe I tried this adjustment where its more flat and didnt like it. I may try again and see if it makes much of a difference. Thanks for the unique and informative videos.😁
I play a drum with a full reso head. I tend to back the spring tension off a bit. The liveliness of the 2 heads interacting tends to give the beater more rebound naturally. That said when i play on a kit with a ported head I will increase the spring tension.
Great video again! Thanks everybody for all your hard work making the series. It takes a village and thank every one of you again. I agree totally, price matters zip. My main pedal is believe it or not a 12 year old Vex Touring Pro. I bought it to use on my home kit while my main pedal stayed at the practise space. It was a mid range name brand from one of the big 3 and expensive for me ($249). After fussing with it and the springs breaking twice and everything else, I realized I had been stomping the crap outta those Vex pedals for years and they never have let me down in any way and feel great under foot. Straight outta the box, on the floor, and played them over 10 years straight, only oiling and cleaning them per usual kit on cleaning days. I bought another set and now its my main pedal, is absolutely bulletproof and I swear as good or better than anyone elsesand cost 99 bucks free delivery! Don't believe the hype, believe your feet. Price and big names and celebrity endorsers dont mean a thing. Great video man and Im sorry for coming off like a salesman but ive wasted too much money learning the hard way. Just my two cents.
Thanks so much for the kind words! We couldn't agree more- there are lots of factors to weigh and some will be more important than others but we strongly encourage taking a practical look at the gear and your playing to assess what makes the most sense. Cheers!
Your videos are so good. Thank you
Very useful information as usual!
Glad to hear it! Thanks for watching.
Interesting video. The rebound/tension of the bass drum head is also important. There's a guy on facebook advertising his bass drum control courses. He's extremely fast, but recommends to take out the spring altogether and rely only on the rebound. No idea, how he can play that fast with this setup. I also recall a video by Mike Portnoy. He might not be the speed king of all times, but he's still pretty fast. And his beater in resting position was almost horizontal and the spring tension very low. Very complex mechanical system...
Great video..!! technique with pedal mechanics... finally!!
Thank you for this video
Really helped😊
You are doing the lord's work my friend.
Still lovin' these videos thank you muchly :)
Glad to hear it, Bill!
So helpful, thank you !
The bass pedal and even more so the double bass pedal is an enigma,I can never get a great feel,I love a loose tension but my new Pearl’s ,I can’t dial in properly with all the different cams,started with the black then ordered the purple,that felt great but made the sensitivity feel off and made the pedal create more noise,then I tried the white(clear) cam and the noise is almost gone but a better feel but still experimenting with tension,I remember back in the 80’s,I owned this big Sonar pedal ,it had a full rubber foot plate but a nylon cam instead of a double chain and that thing was fantastic for fast single foot playing,I could do triplets with that pedal on one foot,the Pearl ,even though I love it,there is always compromise when using a double pedal because the left pedal will never feel ss sensitive when you are not only dealing with the pedal spring but also the rod that connects it to the maun pedal which creates a slight mushyness and slower feel.
On another specific to this video; I use a Tama Classic series pedal (HP50) that I saw Peter Erskine push a few years ago. It’s got a built in riser which is great for back lined bass drums of different sizes and other limiting factors as well as the spring tension being vertical like the old Rogers Swivomaric pedal which is great on your back! Only down side is that it’s a single drive pedal I wish it’d have either a strap drive or a double drive. Who knows maybe I can change it out for a strap one of these days
I use it very soon pedal I do a lot of light and I use a really loose spring hey thanks for your video man Wolfgang in San Francisco thanks
Haha i was trying to explain bass drum pedal tension to a friend on fbook messenger today. Sent him this video. Thanks
Killer lesson! Thanks 👍
Started playing drums at 15 and stopped playing at 23. I'm 49 now and getting back into drumming. People and other musicians 5hought i was a greaT player. I knew i couldnt do bonham bassdrum triplets...I promised myself i will overcome it. Anyway, i adjusted my pedal and practiced for a week....now i can do fast doubles....if I could turn back the hands of time....and now can play half time shuffles like the song Rosanna...in less than 2 weeks, ive overcome half a lifetime of doubt and frustration. Adjusting my pedal and buying a practice pad did the trick....and I stopped listening to and playing easy hair metal music...lol
Sometimes you just need to take a break.
I stopped playing in 2004. Then just started up again recently, it only took like a month to get better than I was before. Amazing how much sticks with you, but then again I was constantly air drumming and playing beats in my head.
Really interesting stuff, i know players that took off their spring and rely completely on foot control and rebound!
Makes for an excellent rebound exercise but leaving the spring off entirely for performance starts to limit your options for sounds (ex: no more burying the beater).
That's wild
An aside - I use one of those dw pancake kick drums, but was having a problem with the top of the drum moving when playing, which would give it a mushy feel. I found a Gibraltar SC-RP171 clamp, which is made to hold a hi hat stand off of your left kick (in a two-kick setup). It works GREAT to keep the drum planted. I attach one side to the drum and the other side to the cymbal stand I have in front. $30 (Amazon) solved my problem!
Oh my gosh! I found help! Thank you!
Aweosome information! Awesome Chanel. Maybe you Can talk about the weight of the cymbals, and how this affect in the overall drum set sound. Greetings from chile!
Thanks so much! We'll be diving into all things related to cymbals later on but it's definitely in the plans for the channel. Cheers!
Sounds Like A Drum 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
another great topic on a subject no one ever really discusses