This is a thread manifested from my own pathetic self-conscious developed from my lack of double bass skill. I know in time, months or years, I'll be able to do rolls and stuff, but I don't think it would be good for my band to wait a year or 2 for me to develop such a skill until we start playing.

So I must ask you. How important do you think double bass is in metal? Whatever sub-genre of metal.

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ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL. double bass tells you when the parts heavy man! its everything i love about death metal, without double bass i probably wouldnt even listen to metal.

foreign objects - universal culture shock/the undiscovered numbers and colors are the only realeases i know of that DONT have a double pedal/bass and are still good

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I bet you could learn double bass in a month or less if you practice your ass off.

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well i know old overkill didnt use Double bass,but i found this little snippet from wikipedia about nicko mcbrain(iron maiden) "Strangely, unlike most heavy metal drummers, McBrain has refused to use a double bass drum pedal, since he considers it to be "too complicated", and "un-drummerish". Instead, he has developed an incredibly fast technique on the single bass drum pedal"

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Well, my DB-skills ain't all that either, but we are able to make some fat grooves too, so... DB is indeed pretty essential with metal, makes it all twice as fat. But if you see what a band like Entombed can make without DB... Wolverine Blues is a super album, and the DB-work is VERY minimal.

It does get sort of specific as to what sub-genre your really talking about..atleast in my eyes. If your playing Death Metal..it's one of the key elements. As for afew others, it's really up to you..expirmental or grind projects don't exactly need it but it gives you more options. The way I see it, it's never truly needed..but it adds alot of options. Thrash also doesn't exactly NEED one, it just sounds better with it. Assuming your skills aren't spectacular i'm sure you can pull of a reasonable amount of double bass that would be fine slower-mid tempo paced. Work with it and once your a bit more comfortable, bring that evolution into each new piece of work you work with. People would probably be glad to see the devlopment between pieces.

Name a few of your favorite metal songs from any genre. See how much of the drumming involves double bass. Then decide how much you need it.

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Most of my favorite songs involve double bass.

Cannibal Corpse; Compelled to Lacerate, Hammer Smash Face
Dimmu Borgir; Blessings Upon the Throne of Tyranny

All metalcore bands use double bass. At least to my knowledge they all do.

MY Favorite drummer, Vinnie Paul, I think creates some great beats for Pantera even without using double bass. In songs like Cowboys from Hell and Walk he just uses a simple 4/4 beat most of the time and still adds powerto the songs.

I can do a few double bass tricks, like the whole double bass/tom-tom roll, and some other ones.

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Well....yeah that list pretty much sums it up. I'm sure there are lots of metal songs that can be played by only downstorking on the guitar, but there are just as many or more that you have to downstroke and upstroke too. I'm not saying that's easier or harder than doing double bass, just giving a comparison.

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i had always heard db when i listened to my music and such, but, i never realized how important db was until I saw some of my favorite bands live. db really does have the ability to "drive" a song.

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Two words :


Pete.

Sandoval.

That's like saying you can learn guitar in a month or less if you practice your ass off....

It takes an average of about 2 years to reach speeds above 200BPM 16th notes. Good fucking luck trying to get maybe 150 16ths in a month or less.

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On rare occasions, I can get a good double bass roll at about 150 bpm but it's a little hard to keep the rhythm. Whenever I'm just fucking around and putting outros to songs I play I can do a very fast roll, but I can't use it in a beat.

I know my band won't kick me out because I can't do double bass. I've even asked them myself and they said whether or not I can doesn't matter to them. I'm worried about if it WILL hold us back.

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sandoval used to pass out after rehearsing so hard though

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If you don't have a metronome, get one right away. Your feet need to be able to play as constant as a metronome when playing Death Metal. Accuracy is key.

You say 150 bpm is a little hard to keep up, i'd say put it on 130 bpm and just play along for as long as you can. When you feel the burn just keep on going untill you physically can't anymore.

Don't play what you can do. Why sit there and try to play 240 bpm when you cant do 210?

Just work on what you can do, you'll notice improvments very fast.

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moreso in the grindcore genre there can be found single kick players, i used to be one. until a year ago i was an solid single kick drummer who refused the double. ive since began learning and am quiet mediocre because im a slow learner

single pedal can be done in metal. i think you would have to get real creative to make an impression

double kick is a pain in the ass, but infinitely rewarding to learn.


in my wars with the jazz drummers i always remind them when they claim how easy metal is that they indeed have to learn the double<it takes years for most,even already skilled players>, either put up or shut up.

it sets us apart from other kind of drummers, foremost, to the extent the double is used.

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He's the drug addict, yes? :P

On topic: I sucked for two, almost three years at doublekick... Then I learned heel/toe properly. My speed improved with 150% at least.

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i need to learn that heel/toe stuff. i can do it with the right no problem, but both in syncopation is something entirely different.

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My feet are big. I know that shouldn't interfere with the heel/toe technique, but it makes it a little difficult.


I'm getting somewhat better than doing a few double bass tricks. Nothing special, just basic stuff that sounds good. Like hitting both pedals and then hitting a snare in a 2 16th 8th pattern, almost like doing a flam but not hitting them both at the same time. Hard to explain without sheet music, at least for me.

And I'm getting better control of the bass drum/tom roll.

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Definately not always vital, but it adds quite a bit at times.

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