In the first part of our bass drum development series, we established essential foundations through 16th note patterns and fundamental pedal techniques.

Welcome to part 2! Let’s crank up the intensity a bit.

In This Article

• Triplet Control Development
• Sextuplet Speed Building
• 32nd Note Control
• Speed and Control Mastery
• Advanced Technical Concepts

Triplet Control Development

Now that we have the 16th partials sorted from part 1, let’s focus on the ternary (triplet) family. Again, start at 60 BPM and move that needle up incrementally.

Open In Beat Note!

Bass Drum Control Triplets

Line up those kick notes with your hands. No flams or sloppy joes!

Open Bass Drum Control Triplets in the Beat Note app to change the tempo

View the PDF worksheet for Bass Drum Control Triplets

Don't have Beat Note yet?

Sign Up to be notified
of the Android release!

Open In Beat Note!

Bass Drum Control Triplets with Quarter Hats

This one is fun, especially up in mid to high tempo range. Lock those rhythms down and remember to count.

Open Bass Drum Control Triplets with Quarter Hats in the Beat Note app to change the tempo

View the PDF worksheet for Bass Drum Control Triplets with Quarter Hats

Don't have Beat Note yet?

Sign Up to be notified
of the Android release!

Use a mirror or video of your practice sessions for feedback on your posture, technique, and sound. Also, always count the time out loud to strengthen your internal clock.

Sextuplet Speed Building

Let’s explore a couple of sextuplet ideas. 8th note triplet rhythms at low to mid tempo have a slight legato sound and feel. In sextuplet land we need to move with a bit more velocity. Velocity is the rate you push your stroke.

Open In Beat Note!

Bass Drum Control Sextuplets 1

This is a good one to refine rhythmic clarity. Your strokes should become more staccato, essentially more snappy.

Open Bass Drum Control Sextuplets 1 in the Beat Note app to change the tempo

Don't have Beat Note yet?

Sign Up to be notified
of the Android release!

Open In Beat Note!

Bass Drum Control Sextuplets 2

Here is an intermediates groove check pattern married with a small challenge bar.

Open Bass Drum Control Sextuplets 2 in the Beat Note app to change the tempo

Don't have Beat Note yet?

Sign Up to be notified
of the Android release!

To bury the beater or play off the head? The answer is BOTH! This is a feel and sound choice, so explore both and find which works best for your musical situation and style. The only rule to this thing is that if you are not hurting yourself and can play the ideas in your head, you’re doing it right.

32nd Note Control

Next, we will focus on lining up our kick singles and doubles to our hands with 32nds to get a clear flow going. Relaxed rhythmic accuracy wins the day here. Remember: hear it, say it, then learn to play it.

Open In Beat Note!

Bass Drum Control 32nds

This type of exercise has another level: move your hi-hat hand to the ride, and move your snare drum hand around the kit freely.

Open Bass Drum Control 32nds in the Beat Note app to change the tempo

Don't have Beat Note yet?

Sign Up to be notified
of the Android release!

Watch out for and listen for sympathetic beater strokes. If you hear any extra flutter happening before or after your stroke, you have a technical issue. Solutions mainly include keeping light contact with the pedal, lifting a bit more before the stroke, fully releasing the beater by dropping your heel down a touch after the stroke, or a bit more/less tension in your spring. Also, a good general resting beater distance (foot off the board) is about a 45* angle off the head.

Speed and Control Mastery

Finally, we have come full circle, back to basics! Before we push for speed, we must build stability in our technique and push our baseline of control. Here are a couple exercises to check your level. Focus on control for a few minutes then push the speed a few bpm; rinse and repeat daily for maximum benefits. You can double these up with your hands, or pick an ostinato (i.e., hi-hat quarters, beat three on the snare).

Open In Beat Note!

Speed & Control Check

8ths - triplets - 16ths - triplets. Stepped hi-hat in quarter notes. You can only play this as fast as you can play the 16ths.

Open Speed & Control Check in the Beat Note app to change the tempo

Don't have Beat Note yet?

Sign Up to be notified
of the Android release!

Open In Beat Note!

Speed & Control Check 2

Double beat, triple beat. Add variations on your hands on top of the kick patterns for some fun.

Open Speed & Control Check 2 in the Beat Note app to change the tempo

Don't have Beat Note yet?

Sign Up to be notified
of the Android release!

Advanced Technical Concepts

Take your foot off your pedal, pull the beater back, and let go. See the speed at which it oscillates forward and back? That speed is from your spring tension. Put your foot back on the pedal and align with that tempo to get the best baseline speed for your current pedal setup.

What would it do if you loosen or tighten the spring on your pedal? If you take the spring off, can you still play with only rebound and inertia? The mechanics of this may be challenging if you haven’t tried it before. To get started, throw a couple of thick rubber bands on in place of the spring. Remove a rubber band at a time until… abracadabra, you can play without the spring. Take my word for it, patience is key on this one.

Wrap-Up

Congratulations! There you have it. If you worked slowly through all this material I highly commend you. Check back here for continual additions to our Discover page and blog for more drumming tips.

Really hope this helped!

For more foot speed concepts and exercises, Beat Note content creator Michael has put together a guide on How To Increase Your Foot Speed.

Enjoy the journey & happy drumming.

-Z