Ready to expand your drumming feel and knowledge? Here is a great 5-minute lesson that will elevate your drumming skills. Everyone needs some secret weapons in their drumming tool bag, and here is one of mine. By choosing to alternate our sticking for hands or feet versus all rights or all lefts, there is inherently less tension in our sound, and a new set of dynamics emerges. Let’s take this simple concept to a deeper level.
Foot Focus: Take it from the Top!
First, we need to shift our perception of what playing a double kick pattern means. When someone plays a double kick groove, it is typically associated with rock and metal music. For today’s lesson, we will break this stereotype and apply our feet in a different way to our grooves.
Start with alternating 16ths on your feet: RF LF RF LF. This is like running, just one foot after another. Whether fast or slow, keep the space between the notes nice and even.
Double Kick Starter Exercise 1
Open Double Kick Starter Exercise 1 in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
Next, release the clutch on your hi-hat so it is closed (or play the hi-hat part on a rim, ride, or x-hat). Add 8th notes on your hi-hat with your dominant hand; for me, that is my right. Notice how the 8th notes line up perfectly with your right foot.
Double Kick Starter Exercise 2
Open Double Kick Starter Exercise 2 in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
Next, add a solid backbeat on your snare drum on 2 and 4 with your other hand: - LH - LH.
Double Kick Starter Exercise 3
Open Double Kick Starter Exercise 3 in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
Musical Variation Tip: For fun, move the snare drum part to beat 3. Do you hear how this creates a more open feel in the groove?
Double Kick Starter Exercise 4
Open Double Kick Starter Exercise 4 in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
This is the baseline approach we will use for this lesson. Keep the hands the same; RH plays 8th notes, and the snare is on 2 and 4. Your feet will continue as RF LF RF LF (natural sticking), but we will start to leave space by deleting notes. I highly recommend applying this to any groove you hear or song you enjoy playing along with.
Putting It All Together
Find the whole worksheet here:
Double Kick Starter Worksheet (Ex. 1-4)
Each measure is looped twice here and played at 60 BPM
Open Double Kick Starter Worksheet (Ex. 1-4) in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
The benefits of playing a beat / groove with double kick instead of a single pedal
Desired tension in our sound is partially executed by our sticking choices. Basically, alternated strokes with hands or feet have less tension and are more relaxed and, thus, more dynamic. Grooves are a musical expression. Choosing your preferred sticking for hands or feet drastically alters the feel of your grooves. For example, playing all right-hand 16ths versus alternated 16ths at faster tempos will create a more tense sound. When you play this, which one sounds more tense to you? When you apply this concept to your feet, a new musical door opens.
There are a plethora of musical choices, so follow your ears. Here is a slower groove of mine applying these concepts:
Make musical choices. Enjoy the journey. Happy drumming!
-Z