Playing double bass has become very common in today's music. I see players in many different genres with a double pedal. When I'm playing with the Dillinger Escape Plan, double bass is one of the many tools to getting my ideas across. Here are some exercises that I have, and continue to use to improve my technique.

1. This style of playing can be physically demanding. I try to set up my drums so that I am eliminating unwanted movement around the kit. I want to be as efficient as possible. Here are a few ideas to think about when sitting down.

• a. Seat height- I sit high on the stool so my legs are driving downward towards the bass drum. This way I'm already using some of my natural weight to push the pedal down.
• b. Distance of the beater/spring tension- I like to have my beaters somewhere in the middle, meaning not too far back where it is smacking the top of my foot, nor right by the head, giving me minimal rebound. I keep the tension on the springs pretty tight. This will give me good action off the kick drum. Again it is important for me to let the pedal do more of the work.
  
  
• c. Where I am hitting on the floorboard of the pedal- When playing double bass, I like to hit towards the middle of the pedal. This is usually called the "sweet spot" and allows me the most control for a louder playing situation.
  
• d. Heels up and down- There are many techniques to playing the bass drum. These are the most common. Try both for different dynamics.
  
  
• e. Setting the left pedal on the outside of the hi hat- Again being comfortable is the key. I remember having the problem of moving the hi hat further out to fit the left pedal in there. Try moving it to the outside, see how it feels.
  

2. Now that everything is feeling good, here are some exercises that I do to increase my speed and stamina. To start out I recommend playing without a metronome. I feel that it is more important to be listening to yourself. Make sure everything feels and sounds even. When you become more comfortable with the mechanics, then I suggest playing to a click.

• a. Example one and two is a backbeat played with the hands, and the kick drum playing constant eighth notes. I'll repeat the exercise several times on the right foot, then switch to the left. The idea here is to isolate, therefore strengthening each foot individually.
• b. After working both separately, I will work them together, playing them as sixteenth notes against the backbeat as shown in example three.
• c. Example four deals with a grouping of three on the bass drum. Phrasing three in the feet as sixteenths against the backbeat will create a four over three polyrythm. This is great for working the doubles on your left, or right foot depending on how you phrase.
• d. Example five is an exercise to work on your hands to feet coordination. The pattern leads with the right hand to right foot, shifts to the left, then alternates between both.
  

  3. It is important to remember that this is just one technique in playing music. I can't stress the importance of being open minded to playing, or even more important, listening to different styles of music. That will make you a better player, guaranteed.

Reproduced with permission from Vater.com