I keep it ~medium tension. I like my bass drum pedal to feel like a natural extension of my foot. If it's too loose, it feels like I'm swatting at flies with my foot. But if it's too tight, it feels like I'm trying to start digging a hole. Plus, I value dynamics over speed.
Thanks for this video bro,I'm 64 and really never have it much thought until I dismantled it and cleaned it,that's when I realized either my foot was out of time or my bass pedal spring tension was way off and it does matter. Thanks for providing us with all of this valuable information Steven.
I play extreme metal. High tension springs are not good for speed and they do not improve rebound. The only thing it does is make it harder to hit the drum head. And this is not a bad idea if youre trying to build muscle, but i keep my springs as loose as they can be while still returning the beater to the correct position. A kick pedal spring only has one job. That is to keep the beater off the head when you are not playing. It doesnt have to be tense, and more tension slows you down. If you play fast and are having trouble getting rebound, its because your foot is not getting out of the way fast enough. Period. And a way to fix it, an inefficient, incorrect way, is to tighten the spring so tight that the spring actually moves your foot FOR YOU instead of learning the technique to move it out of the way on your own. The idea of tense springs on a kick pedal to increase speed is a very old, and very incorrect myth. Imagine if you would a drummer, who, using his or her hands, play the stick into the head, then leave their hand down pressing the stick into the head. They wouldnt be very fast and wouldnt sound very good. So, imagine that same drummer connecting a bungee cord to the tip of the stick, and connecting the other end of the bungee cord to his or her shoulder, then tightening the bungee so tight, that when they hit the drum and let their hand rest, the bungee would pick the stick up to play position so they could hit the drum again. It would speed them up a little, but it would make them inconsistent and sloppy, it would kill their endurance, and their accuracy would go out the window. And theyd look stupid. The ONLY job of the kick spring is to return the beater, NOT YOUR HEAVY FOOT, back to play position. If there is a rebound issue with a kick drum either you arent getting your foot out of the way to let the natural rebound do its work, or, the head is entirely too loose, or the head is too old and shot. But even an old kick drum usially has enough rebound to be playable. So when you see metal drummers playing fast, and they are struggling, and you can see it in their face, and they have to LEAN THEIR WHOLE BODY FORWARD to do a double bass roll, its because their drum pedals are working against them, and theyre working too hard. This sets up bad technique, and it can cause injury. And the worst part is, bad technique is what caused the drummer to tighten the springs in the first place. One of the first things i do with a student is take their pedals and loosen their springs. They always bitch, especially extreme metal drummers. But i make a deal with them, since theyre always slower and less accurate than i am when we first start, that if after a week, they havent noticed incredible increases in speed, endurance, and control, not only can they put them back tight, but i WILL ALSO tighten my own springs. Needless to say, after the second DAY they notice an improvement, many times, they notice an improvement within 10 minutes, which is about the tine it takes to start getting used to the feel. Then its just a matter of learning to get their slow ass foot off the pedal, then theyre flying. And if you dont believe me, you can try this trick: disconnect your spring on your kick, and with your hand, pull the beater off the head. Then, slide your foot under the beater, but dont push down the pedal. Then, let go of the beater, so that it rests on your foot. Then, do 8th or 16th notes, fast strokes with your foot, like a fast double bass roll, being sure to get your foot out of the way of the pedal after the beater hits the head.... and after just a minute or so, maybe less, you will be able to play that pedal fast as shit, effortlessly, ajd keep the beater coming all the way back to your foot for as long as you keep hitting it. The only job of the spring is to do what your hand did at the beginning of that exercise, and thats to hold the beater in place when youre not playing. Anything else is working against you.
I’m surely not reading correctly but your test at the end, for some reason I can’t visualize it! No spring but pull beater back and put foot UNDER beater? (Still on top of the foot pedal?) Then letting go of that beater, it falls backwards, away from the head on to your foot? Shoot I’m lost. Help!
I would always call it that, but since I started recording and opened a studio.. it's just better to say kick drum. Especially when labeling tracks. To separate it from the bass guitar.
It was originally called a kick drum because they didn't use pedals in the roaring 20s. They kicked it with their foot! Kick drum is actually more 'old school' than bass drum
It is indeed a personal thing. For me the goal is what drives this. The goal for me is so that my right foot can be as loose and fluid and effortless as my hands - meaning that I need to be able to play loudly, slowly, quickly (doubles, moeller, etc), softly with precision AND be able to switch, almost without thinking between toe, heel toe, whole foot, etc. Also when my foot is at rest the beater is about half an inch from the batter head. It took a lot of experimenting between spring tension and the distance beater is from the batter head but I did achieve my goal! Hope this helps!
That opening was great! A little humor is always a good thing. I did the same thing with my first kit, unpacked, hooked up and went at it. Never changed it and am still playing the same pedal 30 years later. Great information. It makes sense for sure and now I want to "adjust"...
Outstanding, this is the best explanation of how something is set I have ever seen, and I got a lesson on how the double stroke is done, I have been playing for 50 years and never been able to learn the rudiments, the fingers catching the rebound is a trick i just can't seem to pick up. Having a Learning Disability hasn't helped,.. For the longest time I have wondered about how the tension on the bass pedal is set, and this video demonstrated well the effects of tightening and loosening in a manor I could easily understand.
Well put Stephen. Very simple explanation. You were like me 35 years ago. Out of the box onto the kit. I played that way for 5 years before even knowing what the tension knob was. Gotta love the interweb :)
I like a loose spring but a Long throw of the beater set high enough to hit the center of my 24" BD. With a long stroke the spring is plenty tight by the time the beater reaches the head. A long stroke provides more volume. I usually place the ball of my foot near the middle of the pedal, not at the toe of the pedal, for less travel distance when playing "heel up". I often play "Heel down", with more foot on the foot board. I authored an article for Modern Drummer magazine in July 1986.
Metal drummer here for several years, I’ve always kept it medium-tight (Speedcobras) ever since I learned when I was like 8 years old. Just always enjoyed the feel. I feel that’s the best precision I can achieve, but I’m going to experiment with extremely loose springs after watching this, just to see what happens.
Super loose - enough to keep everything in the right place, but with as little effect on the action as possible. Use the foot like my hands: rebound and technique to get notes out. Helps with sensitivity/feel and accuracy at lower volumes too. When I was starting out, I just cranked it as tight as it could go, and then I started studying jazz and fusion stuff - needed more control, started learning how to use my foot instead of the pedal to get the notes out quick.
I personally used medium tension on my single pedal, but I've slowly adjusted to a tighter spring tension now that I have a double. Thanks for the video explanation, it helped me understand WHY I like tighter tension at higher speeds. Knew it worked better, had now idea why.
@@larrytate1657 everybody in these comments seems to agree with you, what you're all forgetting about is sound quality. With a lower tension you can play just as fast, but you'll be pressing your luck to find an audio tech that can pick up your kick at all.
Haha, his videos are always the same: "make youre own thing, play, what and how YOU wanna play!" And even thoug, he is one of the best drumming youtube teacher i watch. Thank you so much for the inspiration!
Very well said with 2 caveats: 1. What’s the point of the drums playing in background? Distracting. 2. Would like to have seen you actually adjust to medium spring.
I have a Perfect Balance pedal that feels very smooth and controllable at all spring tensions. I played it with pretty loose spring tension for a couple years as I was playing a lot of quiet but more intricate music, and I liked the extra control at low volumes. Now that I'm playing more medium volume stuff, I play it at kind of a stock, medium tension and loving it. No matter what I'm playing though, I like to lean towards loose rather than tight.
Thanks Steve. Been having trouble with my double base pedals. After watching your vid re adjusted the springs tensions...what a difference. Much more control and no foot or leg pains.
I mess with my spring tension on "modern" pedal, but I can't play anything like I can play my old Speed KIng. Just love those double compression springs with cams.
I like a medium spring tension. From there I can change the feel by moving the fulcrum (ball of the foot) on the footboard. I'm not the type to skip across the pedal like Gadd or Mayer. I'm more the type to "stroke out" my foot patterns, and "float"(?) The heel as it usuall sits very low over the heel plate. Pedals are 1997 DW5002AH. They're the original narrow foot board, single chain pedals. I have two sets. I also have a dw fat footboard double chain accelerator pedal that I used on a gazillion gigs over the eighteen years I've had it. Lastly, I just picked up a used dw 5000 Turbo like I had in 93. No stabilization plate. Folds up great in the hardware bag. Great for the acoustic / jazz / cover gigs where I don't do any double kick work. Also, the nostalgia feels good!
"Reeeeaaal professional, Stephen" Man, your approach to everything is great. Your outlook has really taught me to relax and just have fun with drumming.
I've played a long time with a real tight pedal , but speed didn't just come out of your pedal. For beginning it helps, but it's practice ! The right foot technique und practicing over years ! So I changed into medium tension, and it feels much better. I players Nu Metal, and it isn't about playing fast all the time. Kiks all over the beat, they are so much easier with a medium and controlled pedal. For gigs always bring my own pedal. This makes playing so much easier and comfortable.
right on the money, I recently cranked up the tension hoping it would improve my speed, but mostly it just wore out my foot faster and made everything else more difficult to play. settled on a low to moderate tension instead. thanks for the vid!!
I liked it fairly tight [not all the way] because it helped with double bass. But I tried loosening it because I was having trouble with bounce-back and ghost notes throwing off my playing after some bass drum head-swapping; and found loose was kinda nice. Problem was, it made quick hits via heel-toe really tricky. All about tiny adjustments!
he makes a good point in the first couple minutes of this video...when us "older" guys (30+) were first learning, there was practically nothing for information out compared to what we have now...don't get me wrong, we had magazines, teachers, videos and friends but nowadays the internet is so packed full of information over the most mundane minutia imaginable when it comes to playing yeah, spring tension is kind of important but we never used to obsess over things like that back in the day...if I played my buddy's kick pedal and it felt better than mine, I said "oh shit dude, what's the deal?" and he'd say "oh yeah, i tightened it up a bit" and that was the end of it...no month long debates, no flame wars, no nothing...it's both good and bad...kids growing up now will be, on average much better informed...but there comes a point where you just have to shut the fuck up and play the damn thing...doofy little things like fine tuning your spring tension are a tiny part of the equation at the end of the day...having the perfect spring tension will NOT make you a better player...if you can execute something, you can execute something, regardless of any pedal adjustment
Totally. I didn’t even know what spring tension was until my second year drumming. It was just never discussed. I went to a drum shop to trade my pedal and he liked how my spring was loose, that’s how I learned.
Hello Stephen! I totally agree with what you share in this video, here I leave my comment. In my personal opinion, I think that changing the tension of the pedal depends a lot on the type of music that the drummer plays, and it also depends on how developed the technique he / she is using and also how hard the muscles have worked in order to increase little by little the spring tension. But what you say is very true. "I am not you, you are you" and only the person who experiences changing tension will know when it is time to increase the tension of the pedal. Thanks for sharing this type of videos, they help a lot. Regards !!! ...
I play heal down. I use the spring attach point that pulls the hardest when the beater's on the head, and use enough spring tension to ensure the beater's off the head about an inch when my foot's relaxed on the pedal. I don't press the beater onto the head, but throw it at the head. Results in a boom instead of a thud.
I played for YEARS with the springs cranked as tight as I could get them. Because I play a lot of fast doubles, and that was always what I was told to do (along with putting a pillow in the drum, which is another story, but I'll say it now. TAKE THE PILLOW OUT OF YOUR DRUM!). A while ago though, I backed the springs down to about half way. Right away it felt better. I had to play for a while before I was completely used to it. But I have so much more control now, and can play a lot more dynamically.
Yeah I was the same way in my younger yrs. Take it out the box and put it right on the bass drum. I've learned about the spring myself as years went by. Now, I leave it on the in between. Where it isn't tight nor loose.
My belief is that for any given drummer, there is a point that becomes too loose, as there is a point that becomes too tight... the goal is to find the ideal middle ground, or "the middle way" as the Buddha says...
I actually had a pedal spring break during a show last week. First time that ever happened. I switched to my spare, but the tension was set so low I had almost no action on the pedal. I went out and bought a couple of packs of new springs to keep with my gear.
I tightened mine to near max as my natural resting position had the beater almost touching the head. That's been working perfectly for me, and I've never had to mess with it.
+Stephen Taylor I like it a bit loose, mainly cuz my bass technique wasnt letting me play what I wanted to and it helps me work on exaggerating my movements. I also play with a jazz technique (controlling that open tone and burying the beater in the head). That helps me play all i need to flat-footed.
Based on my experience, tension is important because I normally play quickly. For control and more gentle volume or finesse, I always play with my heel off the pedal, works for me.
I definitely prefer my pedals to be as loose as I can, in the way that Steve Smith says he wants his pedal feel as close to swinging a drumstick as possible. With more tension, I feel like I am using an unnecessary amount of energy getting the beater to the drum and it is more difficult for me to play to my capabilities.
After almost 13 years of playing double bass and experimenting a lot with this, I ended up with my speed cobra's putting the spring tension to max. After doing so I still didn't like how the beaters were reacting to the drum skin and the energy I was giving through my feet. Then I started experimenting with the tension of the drumskin and tried different beaters. Which again did a lot to my playing. I tend to play with a little tighter tension on the drum skin, to get even more feedback from the rebound. This gives me the consistency that I want in my fast kick patterns and long double bass parts without giving a lot of energy but with the consistency in volume.
As a beginner drummer, a friend (experienced drummer) set up my kit and tightened my pedal to maximum bc he “plays double bass” and prefers blazing speed. To this day, it’s a nightmare for me to kick. I’m going to finally look into loosening that pedal after being motivated by your video how to do it as I only kick on beats 1&3 and I prefer playing slowly (80-120 bpm) anyway. Great video, thank you for motivating me to take a look at that contraption on the floor that has always looked too complex for me to mess around with...until now. 😊
HI STEPHEN. A GREAT LESSON, MANY THANKS FROM CANADA. I SHUT MY CAR TRUNK ONTO THE TOP OF MY PEDAL JUST BEFORE A GIG AND HAD TO BE CREATIVE TO PLAY. DELIGHTED THAT TOMORROW, I CAN GO TO WORK AND SET IT UP PROPERLY.
Thanks for the head's up !! I always set my bass Drum pedals tension a little tighter than usual....! Great for playing A little double strokes...or maybe more strokes....in between Performance... ! Also works great with playing double pedals too. i also set my stool at Medium height to compensate the control strokes..! no problem there...! I guess a medium high tension ...kinda get a bit of both world!!
I've used DW 5000 & Lidwig Speed King pedals most of my playing career. Right out of the gate the Speed King feels best for me. I'm 65 now & my speed has decreased with age but I can still pull off most patterns with the SK. Spring tension feels just right either heel up or down.
Thank you. I just bought another pedal. The tension spring on this new one is way too tight. I am a true amateur drummer. I didn't know anything about adjusting the tension spring. I was so use to my old pedal which wasn't very tight. This new pedal is made totally different. It doesn't have any springs. Thank you for letting me know that there is not a certain way it should be set, but it's about what you are comfortable with. Thanks again.
i've been getting back to drumming and could no longer do doubles at all. So, after a few months finally played with the spring and found I had it loosened almost all the way. tightened it medium and felt better, but med-high and I and I can pull off doubles again. And I can do it barefoot on top of that. I agree with Stephen, it is the main dynamic imo. now to adjust the beater and find the best spot on the pedal for my foot. there is a nice vid Colin Bailey that I like too. last thing is to find some shoes that work for me. for some reason,i play better barefoot.
When I start I use tight tension of springs just because my favorit drummers did it. Then my favorites changes and I now know that it possible to play fast with loose springs and also it provide more poverful stroke because energy dont collect in spring and going to drum.
When my foot is at rest, heel down position, the beater is at about 40 degrees to the head. I keep a medium loose tension on the spring but i set-up the beater angle pretty extreme; like 50 degrees. If the beater ends up touching the skin in that heel down, resting position, the spring is way too loose. I use a DW 9000 and 9002. Best pedal to get any setting imaginable. Thanks for posting.
When I was a kid and I knew everything I used to think that loose was the way to go so that I could do those crazy fast double bass tricks, but now I like them a little bit tighter these days, much better rebound for double hits. The heel toe works better with tight chains or direct drive pedal but loose definitely does not get the job done. I just bought a brand new Tama Speed Cobra double pedal and it's probably the nicest double chain drive I've ever played on.
My pedal has an adjustment for spring angle. I'm able to set the spring so that I mostly kicks in just before the beater hits the head. With medium-loose tension, the spring is assisting the natural rebound of the head (I play with the beater off the head, rather than "burying" the beater.) This gives me the best combination of speed & control. Also, I angle the beater back, so it can swing in a big arc, when I need it to, which allows me to hit harder with less effort. It took quite a bit of experimentation to get the best combination of settings for my playing style, but I'm glad I took the time.
great opening when you dropped the pedal, I almost lost it, I've dropped stuff plenty of times but to see the teacher do it is just funny. I set my spring tension at different settings depending on the drum I'm playing, if I'm playing my 26" I have it med. loose, if I have it on a 22" I tighten it up a little, on a 20" I tighten a tiny bit more. if that makes any sense. it's just the way I have done it over the past 42 years.
I'm working with medium tight right now. Finding small adjustments make big difference depending on the technique. I may do a video with these details...Good vid, thanks!
Good video, interesting discussion. Seems that most people prefer the spring either loose or right tight. I might have another perspective to share. I'm an older drummer and play blues, funk and old geezer rock. I set the hammer length for the best sound off of the drum. I play heel down in my sock feet (big feet, shoes can get in the way) or else with thin soled sneakers. I set the tension so that when my foot is relaxed the beater is a couple inches off of the head. Not too loose, not too tight. Clean strike, clean rebound, not too much work, lots of different sounds. Don't know if it makes any difference to my technique but I've become a fan of direct drive pedals.
Steve I have been playing for over 40 years and it took me awhile to figure it out but I think the tension should be adjusted to the weight of your footwear and your leg weight. I try to wear the same footwear every time I play my set and because I'm a small guy I have a light tension on my springs. I have found that a tight setting the drummer has to use to much leg and ankle effort to push the peddle down and it causes fatigue. Also I use a Ludwig speed king because it has a 2 spring setup inside the posts and has a lot more adjustment than the spring on the side type.
I like it a little tight nothing major. I do double kicks on a single pedal. And my double bass is the exact.. I play fast hardcore punk and grind core and early black metal. Spring tension is 10% 90% is your skill
I think what should be talked about is the type of pedal you're using, as well as the tension. Since i've been playing for many years I have had just about every pedal imaginable. I started on a Luddy speed king, which was very good at the time and also very fast (loose tension). I used the speed kings for 15 years, but also played from time to time with a cameo leather strap pedal.As you might know Camco became DW, at the time these were a very easy to play pedal (with the leather strap) again loose tension. I decided that 15 years and many oily nights that the speed kings had to go. At that time I picked up a rogers pedal. That worked fine and they were strong pedals well made, loose tension. As time went on I switched to DW's 5000's and DW's with a leather strap.i like both pedals but was still searching for that special pedal (s). During this time 90's I started to hear about the custom pedals that were displayed at the namm show. At this point i also bought an Ayotte drum set and I felt the DW's were a bit slow but very nicely made. At the namm i happened to stop by the Ayotte booth ,and lo and behold who is in the same place sharing the booth with Ayotte, the AXIS pedal company. So I sat down at a drumkit, with an pedal on it, and after experiencing high speed formula one riding I found my perfect pedal. Riding the Axis pedals are like driving a Ferrari, you know you're driving something EXTREMELY SPECIAL. Since then I've bought many different Axis pedals because they're always improving the breed. But I've found that there faster pedals are not what I prefer, the X pedals ( a double ) is what i prefer. I also have have several other fine pedals ( Sleismann, Dw 9000's,) that I use on a couple of other kits I own. However AXIS is the Ferrari.Loose tension and I have the control to play as many hours as i want fast or slow, because i'm relaxed on the pedals and they're just a part of me. That's my take on pedals, why burn yourself out struggling or fighting a pedal, you have all the tension you ever need in your everyday life, less tension equals being cool as ice.
Also i think when people ask what their tension should be at they're not looking for the be all end all answer what they're looking for is a good starting point to set up their pedals and than they can go from there until they find what works for them. My suggestion is if you buy new pedals use the factory settings as a starting point because most pedals are shipped ready to play and the settings are what the factory thinks is best for that pedal so its usually best to go with the factory settings. If you buy used pedals i would suggest googling the factory settings and matching them if you can.Settings i like to start with are beaters around 4-5 inches from the bass drum head and springs around half for direct drive pedals,chain drives are probably different.
In my youth I had my spring tension as tight as I could have it. As I've gotten older, and better at my technique and better at playing with my ankles instead of my entire leg, I find myself playing with a much more loose spring. I'd say below medium spring tension. I play all sorts of music, from extremely fast metal to worship at church. Medium loose spring tension with my beater height at 12". I'm currently using the red apple danmar wood beaters.
great video...I play a lot of different music. when it comes to tension I'm all the way up. for speed so I can hit them trips with the doubles when I want to. I play a lot of jazz but I play a lot of metal to. so it took a lot of time and practice to master the floating foot with high spring tension. well worth the effort tho when you can rock dbl bass on single pedal....with both feet....the secret is time and practice
I currently use the stock Tama®/Hoshino® HP30 on my New Imperialstar™ kit, and it has quite a few adjustments. The tension spring, on which I like to set two turns resting preload at the base eyescrew, is roller-locked at its top to a shaft with a clutched beater clamp; resting angle (which affects total swing angles on release) and moment arm (useful for centering beater strike on the kick batter) are clutch-adjusted, with drum-key screw locks. The resting preload should be sweet-spotted to player technique, as some tension is needed for rapid recovery but excess is fatiguing.
Good tip!!! My struggle is having extra hits once in a while so I bury my toes to avoid it. M experimenting the heel up technique with a slide to avoid it too.
I setup my pedal spring tension as loose as I can while still holding the beater in a resting position. I keep my bass drum fairly tight, and I have no hole in the front head to trap the air in the drum. I set the beater height based on its balance point (like a stick grip) so it pivots freely. This produces a rebound similar to a stick on a tom (actually better than loose floor toms) and allows me to play with control AND speed. I'm a firm believer that good technique is the single most important part of both control and speed. I've always seen high spring tension as a way of compensating for bad technique since I often see it being used to overcome lead foot. I'm also kind of a snob.
I find spring tension also depends on the beater angle. I used to play a lot of rock and hardcore, so I played heel up, buried the beater, and played with little to no dynamics. For that type of playing, a "normal" beater angle of about 45 degrees and higher spring tension works fine. However, for the last year I've started practicing playing heel down, out of the head, and with more dynamics. Now I put the beater almost at a 90 degree angle (parallel to the floor), which allows one to use a much looser spring tension. This way it's possible to feather the bass drum and gets lots of control/dynamics, but it's still really easy to play fast/hard and bury the beater as well. I highly recommend Jojo's foot technique DVD to anyone who hasn't checked it out. Lots of really useful info there.
Sincerely, I use standard mode, Stephen. I have a Pearl, vintage one. Years ago I've tried to reset it, but lost my speed and control. More tight, more fast and easier to deal with double bass, I guess. Hugs from Brazil!
I'm glad you made this. Good explanation. I have a tendency to have it more loose. But not at the bottom. But! Dude, if I ever make a video? I'll take 5 seconds to intro then START! Everyone thinks they always have to preface things. Get to the meat, then fluff the end.my two cents. And thank you.
I play high spring tension with a high (close to bass drum) beater angle. I have a big foot and long leg so I can apply a lot of force on the bass drum with less effort . I like the responsiveness . I do a lot of doubles and play heal up, and tend to “bury the beater”...I put a lot of force and speed into playing the bass drum
In the beginning it was the speedKing. And then one day the Gretsch EasyFlow pedal, The Camco pedal, D.W.5000.My test on any drum pedal it my right hand can do it my foot could play it. 3in1oil just 📌 pin drop. Watch your Drumeo spot Love it. You are one the best . Tama Hot Dog !
Been drumming for about 8 years now. Really trying to work on my double kick speed since it's something i've ignored my whole time. I currently own two sets of dw double pedals. One is on my kitt but the other one was just sitting there, so when I moved to another city for a year, I brought the spare one. Now I returned home after a long time after playing with my spare and I find that I can't play with the same speed on my regulars that I got on my home kitt. The beater bounces back and hitts my foot when I ramp up in speed and it just feels heavy. Im guessing there is a thing called to much tention. The main pedals were just taken out of the box and put on my kitt, the spare ones had been experimented on and messed with but never played on.
Hey there drummer dude! I use DW-5000 pedals I have 3 of them (what the hell is wrong with me)! Double bass pedals and one is set up with a tambourine. I left them set at the factory setting which is probably in the middle, not too tight, not too loose. So I don't play around with the spring, I just leave it how it came out of the box! I hope that answers your question, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!
I don't play crazy fast too much, but I do have to play some double pedal patterns pretty habitually, and I love the power I get from low spring tension.
I think that there is a balance between spring tension, beater angle, and beater length. I do not believe you can change one without changing the balance between all three. I think that each of us has a sweet spot where we are confortable playing in whatever style we play, and that finding that sweet spot is a matter of making small changes between the balance of spring tension, beater angle, and beater length.
Yup so true. Everyone’s different. I have a friend who is always telling me the best settings he’s realized but they are not best for me and my body. He doesn’t understand everyone’s different, I think it even bothered him that I ended up liking different drums, heads, and pedals than he does too. He got me into drumming so I guess he thought I would just follow his lead forever on gear and settings? Lol.
I use to mess with the tension all the time and then I bought a set of Natal double bass pedals and it's made easier to move the cam with just a tuning key. Takes me a whole second to adjust the can back and forth and now I'm on a good setting that I hit power strokes and double strokes with my bass pedal. Not sure if anyone finds this helpful but look up Natal. They are made a lot like the DW9000's ( I sold my 9000's when I bought the Natal ), but for half the price and with quality.
seat height will also affect pedal tension, higher u sit, more tension is required. I always take pedal when using backline gear, and depending on my mood and gear, I can add 3 turns for more tension, if I'm feeling energetic, but I prefer the tension just above completely sloppy with the beater quite high. Loose tension still produces quick strokes.
I actually have relatively low tension on my springs but I play very fast double bass for thrash metal and other metal as well. There's not as much rebound, but the beater really sinks into the bass drum so I can still get the power even when I play from the ankles. I can get a very powerful and muffled stroke when I lift my entire leg for slower hits, and the lack of rebound stops the beater on the head, which adds to the muffling effect and mutes much of the resonance. That's just my personal preference, from all the videos and tutorials I've seen, everybody says "hurr durr you can do this you can do that but it's all based on pursonal prufurunce hurr durr" so yeah... I had to adjust it to low tension and high beater height as for a "beginner setup", but once I tightened the tension a little bit and lowered the beaters to about 2/3 the height, things just clicked and double bass has never been easier.
The most tension but to where I can comfortably and smoothly control the beater back and forth very slowly between the head and about an inch or two back from the head. Heal down, flat footed. Then it seems to be good for heal up, down, or whatever.
Dude, you are my fave guy to listen to and watch on YouTub. I mean, you are really deep. Seriously so. Thank you so much, your education goes so much further than just drumming, believe me.
This video is crucial for beginners like me. I was wondering why my legs were so sore after a BPM 185 song with a lot of 16th notes double bass rhythm before I saw this video. Thanks for your advice.😝
tension on mine are maxed out currently, but it's just because my springs are worn out. I started a little over halfway tensioned and was comfortable there.
This is great!! I've used factory settings all these years. I've added slightly more tension, as I don't play much feathering. Anyway, I definitely notice a difference. Much less effort to get a desired speed, and power
I think that with tight tension more than speed you increase power of strokes. When I setup my spring tension I like to use my hand on board and bounce the beater like a basketball. It can't be to lose or the beater doesn't come back with enough power neither it can't be too tight or it just doesn't bounce properly. Plus I try to test my flatfoot technique because I use it sometimes...
20+ yr old iron cobra jr double pedal both springs as tight as possible. surprised i didnt break U-joints yet. ive let several drummers practice n gig with it. best 200 bux ever!
I keep it ~medium tension. I like my bass drum pedal to feel like a natural extension of my foot. If it's too loose, it feels like I'm swatting at flies with my foot. But if it's too tight, it feels like I'm trying to start digging a hole. Plus, I value dynamics over speed.
Thanks for this video bro,I'm 64 and really never have it much thought until I dismantled it and cleaned it,that's when I realized either my foot was out of time or my bass pedal spring tension was way off and it does matter. Thanks for providing us with all of this valuable information Steven.
@@TheBakerman55 did you go looser or tighter man?
I like the honesty in how you said “ it’s all how you like it and I am not you” meaning everyone plays differently. Great advice! Thank you
I play extreme metal. High tension springs are not good for speed and they do not improve rebound. The only thing it does is make it harder to hit the drum head. And this is not a bad idea if youre trying to build muscle, but i keep my springs as loose as they can be while still returning the beater to the correct position. A kick pedal spring only has one job. That is to keep the beater off the head when you are not playing. It doesnt have to be tense, and more tension slows you down. If you play fast and are having trouble getting rebound, its because your foot is not getting out of the way fast enough. Period. And a way to fix it, an inefficient, incorrect way, is to tighten the spring so tight that the spring actually moves your foot FOR YOU instead of learning the technique to move it out of the way on your own. The idea of tense springs on a kick pedal to increase speed is a very old, and very incorrect myth. Imagine if you would a drummer, who, using his or her hands, play the stick into the head, then leave their hand down pressing the stick into the head. They wouldnt be very fast and wouldnt sound very good. So, imagine that same drummer connecting a bungee cord to the tip of the stick, and connecting the other end of the bungee cord to his or her shoulder, then tightening the bungee so tight, that when they hit the drum and let their hand rest, the bungee would pick the stick up to play position so they could hit the drum again. It would speed them up a little, but it would make them inconsistent and sloppy, it would kill their endurance, and their accuracy would go out the window. And theyd look stupid. The ONLY job of the kick spring is to return the beater, NOT YOUR HEAVY FOOT, back to play position. If there is a rebound issue with a kick drum either you arent getting your foot out of the way to let the natural rebound do its work, or, the head is entirely too loose, or the head is too old and shot. But even an old kick drum usially has enough rebound to be playable. So when you see metal drummers playing fast, and they are struggling, and you can see it in their face, and they have to LEAN THEIR WHOLE BODY FORWARD to do a double bass roll, its because their drum pedals are working against them, and theyre working too hard. This sets up bad technique, and it can cause injury. And the worst part is, bad technique is what caused the drummer to tighten the springs in the first place. One of the first things i do with a student is take their pedals and loosen their springs. They always bitch, especially extreme metal drummers. But i make a deal with them, since theyre always slower and less accurate than i am when we first start, that if after a week, they havent noticed incredible increases in speed, endurance, and control, not only can they put them back tight, but i WILL ALSO tighten my own springs. Needless to say, after the second DAY they notice an improvement, many times, they notice an improvement within 10 minutes, which is about the tine it takes to start getting used to the feel. Then its just a matter of learning to get their slow ass foot off the pedal, then theyre flying. And if you dont believe me, you can try this trick: disconnect your spring on your kick, and with your hand, pull the beater off the head. Then, slide your foot under the beater, but dont push down the pedal. Then, let go of the beater, so that it rests on your foot. Then, do 8th or 16th notes, fast strokes with your foot, like a fast double bass roll, being sure to get your foot out of the way of the pedal after the beater hits the head.... and after just a minute or so, maybe less, you will be able to play that pedal fast as shit, effortlessly, ajd keep the beater coming all the way back to your foot for as long as you keep hitting it. The only job of the spring is to do what your hand did at the beginning of that exercise, and thats to hold the beater in place when youre not playing. Anything else is working against you.
So fuc*** true! I thought i was the only one
Very useful. Thanks!
I’m surely not reading correctly but your test at the end, for some reason I can’t visualize it! No spring but pull beater back and put foot UNDER beater? (Still on top of the foot pedal?) Then letting go of that beater, it falls backwards, away from the head on to your foot? Shoot I’m lost. Help!
More like keep it in the middle in my opinion tightish loosish
Noob here. So you're saying loosen the pedal? I've never messed with it other than setting it up. Just want to make sure I don't screw anything up.
Kinda off topic but that fill was great at 4:30
Agreed. Love tom accenting
I'm glad this guy calls it bass drum and not kick drum. Old-school baby! !!!!!😆😆😆
I would always call it that, but since I started recording and opened a studio.. it's just better to say kick drum. Especially when labeling tracks. To separate it from the bass guitar.
I've been playing for 37 years. I've been forcing myself, awkwardly, to say kick instead of bass during online conversations, lol.
It is a bass drum ,one never kicks his drums ,no.no.no.
It was originally called a kick drum because they didn't use pedals in the roaring 20s. They kicked it with their foot! Kick drum is actually more 'old school' than bass drum
Never kick for me
It is indeed a personal thing. For me the goal is what drives this. The goal for me is so that my right foot can be as loose and fluid and effortless as my hands - meaning that I need to be able to play loudly, slowly, quickly (doubles, moeller, etc), softly with precision AND be able to switch, almost without thinking between toe, heel toe, whole foot, etc. Also when my foot is at rest the beater is about half an inch from the batter head. It took a lot of experimenting between spring tension and the distance beater is from the batter head but I did achieve my goal! Hope this helps!
That opening was great! A little humor is always a good thing. I did the same thing with my first kit, unpacked, hooked up and went at it. Never changed it and am still playing the same pedal 30 years later. Great information. It makes sense for sure and now I want to "adjust"...
Outstanding, this is the best explanation of how something is set I have ever seen, and I got a lesson on how the double stroke is done, I have been playing for 50 years and never been able to learn the rudiments, the fingers catching the rebound is a trick i just can't seem to pick up. Having a Learning Disability hasn't helped,.. For the longest time I have wondered about how the tension on the bass pedal is set, and this video demonstrated well the effects of tightening and loosening in a manor I could easily understand.
Well put Stephen. Very simple explanation. You were like me 35 years ago. Out of the box onto the kit. I played that way for 5 years before even knowing what the tension knob was. Gotta love the interweb :)
I like a loose spring but a Long throw of the beater set high enough to hit the center of my 24" BD. With a long stroke the spring is plenty tight by the time the beater reaches the head. A long stroke provides more volume. I usually place the ball of my foot near the middle of the pedal, not at the toe of the pedal, for less travel distance when playing "heel up". I often play "Heel down", with more foot on the foot board. I authored an article for Modern Drummer magazine in July 1986.
I asked my drum teacher about this but he did not explain me clearly. You are a great teacher. Experiment about rebound and control.
Metal drummer here for several years, I’ve always kept it medium-tight (Speedcobras) ever since I learned when I was like 8 years old. Just always enjoyed the feel. I feel that’s the best precision I can achieve, but I’m going to experiment with extremely loose springs after watching this, just to see what happens.
what happened
@@BobGnarley. he died
@@destructionman1 🤣😅
same, i got a speed cobra 910 and keep it medium tight. works just fine for me
Super loose - enough to keep everything in the right place, but with as little effect on the action as possible. Use the foot like my hands: rebound and technique to get notes out. Helps with sensitivity/feel and accuracy at lower volumes too.
When I was starting out, I just cranked it as tight as it could go, and then I started studying jazz and fusion stuff - needed more control, started learning how to use my foot instead of the pedal to get the notes out quick.
I personally used medium tension on my single pedal, but I've slowly adjusted to a tighter spring tension now that I have a double. Thanks for the video explanation, it helped me understand WHY I like tighter tension at higher speeds. Knew it worked better, had now idea why.
Go as lose as you can that still comes back enough to play fast. Any more is wasted effort.
@@larrytate1657 horrible advice for someone who likes to play to metal and hard rock. Don't share your opinions as facts.
@@larrytate1657 everybody in these comments seems to agree with you, what you're all forgetting about is sound quality. With a lower tension you can play just as fast, but you'll be pressing your luck to find an audio tech that can pick up your kick at all.
Just bought a DW 3000. I just left it at the default/factory setting (medium) and it works well. Smooth pedal for the price.
Haha, his videos are always the same: "make youre own thing, play, what and how YOU wanna play!" And even thoug, he is one of the best drumming youtube teacher i watch. Thank you so much for the inspiration!
Very well said with 2 caveats:
1. What’s the point of the drums playing in background? Distracting.
2. Would like to have seen you actually adjust to medium spring.
I have a Perfect Balance pedal that feels very smooth and controllable at all spring tensions. I played it with pretty loose spring tension for a couple years as I was playing a lot of quiet but more intricate music, and I liked the extra control at low volumes. Now that I'm playing more medium volume stuff, I play it at kind of a stock, medium tension and loving it. No matter what I'm playing though, I like to lean towards loose rather than tight.
Thanks Steve. Been having trouble with my double base pedals. After watching your vid re adjusted the springs tensions...what a difference. Much more control and no foot or leg pains.
I mess with my spring tension on "modern" pedal, but I can't play anything like I can play my old Speed KIng. Just love those double compression springs with cams.
I like a medium spring tension.
From there I can change the feel by moving the fulcrum (ball of the foot) on the footboard. I'm not the type to skip across the pedal like Gadd or Mayer. I'm more the type to "stroke out" my foot patterns, and "float"(?) The heel as it usuall sits very low over the heel plate.
Pedals are 1997 DW5002AH. They're the original narrow foot board, single chain pedals. I have two sets.
I also have a dw fat footboard double chain accelerator pedal that I used on a gazillion gigs over the eighteen years I've had it.
Lastly, I just picked up a used dw 5000 Turbo like I had in 93. No stabilization plate. Folds up great in the hardware bag. Great for the acoustic / jazz / cover gigs where I don't do any double kick work. Also, the nostalgia feels good!
"Reeeeaaal professional, Stephen"
Man, your approach to everything is great. Your outlook has really taught me to relax and just have fun with drumming.
I've played a long time with a real tight pedal , but speed didn't just come out of your pedal. For beginning it helps, but it's practice ! The right foot technique und practicing over years ! So I changed into medium tension, and it feels much better. I players Nu Metal, and it isn't about playing fast all the time. Kiks all over the beat, they are so much easier with a medium and controlled pedal.
For gigs always bring my own pedal. This makes playing so much easier and comfortable.
right on the money, I recently cranked up the tension hoping it would improve my speed, but mostly it just wore out my foot faster and made everything else more difficult to play. settled on a low to moderate tension instead. thanks for the vid!!
I learned how too play drums on youtube. Have never had an actual lesson. Your channel broadens my view more and I appreciate it. Thank you
I liked it fairly tight [not all the way] because it helped with double bass. But I tried loosening it because I was having trouble with bounce-back and ghost notes throwing off my playing after some bass drum head-swapping; and found loose was kinda nice. Problem was, it made quick hits via heel-toe really tricky. All about tiny adjustments!
he makes a good point in the first couple minutes of this video...when us "older" guys (30+) were first learning, there was practically nothing for information out compared to what we have now...don't get me wrong, we had magazines, teachers, videos and friends but nowadays the internet is so packed full of information over the most mundane minutia imaginable when it comes to playing
yeah, spring tension is kind of important but we never used to obsess over things like that back in the day...if I played my buddy's kick pedal and it felt better than mine, I said "oh shit dude, what's the deal?" and he'd say "oh yeah, i tightened it up a bit" and that was the end of it...no month long debates, no flame wars, no nothing...it's both good and bad...kids growing up now will be, on average much better informed...but there comes a point where you just have to shut the fuck up and play the damn thing...doofy little things like fine tuning your spring tension are a tiny part of the equation at the end of the day...having the perfect spring tension will NOT make you a better player...if you can execute something, you can execute something, regardless of any pedal adjustment
manifestgtr. This is the best comment.
Totally. I didn’t even know what spring tension was until my second year drumming. It was just never discussed. I went to a drum shop to trade my pedal and he liked how my spring was loose, that’s how I learned.
Well said sir! I'm actually finding myself obsessing over small things like that, :( thanks for the reminder!
Ok boomer
Smallest tweak but made the biggest difference. Unreal thanks
Hello Stephen! I totally agree with what you share in this video, here I leave my comment. In my personal opinion, I think that changing the tension of the pedal depends a lot on the type of music that the drummer plays, and it also depends on how developed the technique he / she is using and also how hard the muscles have worked in order to increase little by little the spring tension. But what you say is very true. "I am not you, you are you" and only the person who experiences changing tension will know when it is time to increase the tension of the pedal. Thanks for sharing this type of videos, they help a lot. Regards !!! ...
I play heal down. I use the spring attach point that pulls the hardest when the beater's on the head, and use enough spring tension to ensure the beater's off the head about an inch when my foot's relaxed on the pedal. I don't press the beater onto the head, but throw it at the head. Results in a boom instead of a thud.
I played for YEARS with the springs cranked as tight as I could get them. Because I play a lot of fast doubles, and that was always what I was told to do (along with putting a pillow in the drum, which is another story, but I'll say it now. TAKE THE PILLOW OUT OF YOUR DRUM!). A while ago though, I backed the springs down to about half way. Right away it felt better. I had to play for a while before I was completely used to it. But I have so much more control now, and can play a lot more dynamically.
Yeah I was the same way in my younger yrs. Take it out the box and put it right on the bass drum. I've learned about the spring myself as years went by. Now, I leave it on the in between. Where it isn't tight nor loose.
Oh my GOD. I couldn't figure out why I can't progress with my kicking speed and NOW I REALIZE WHY. This saved me!!! 🙏🙏
My belief is that for any given drummer, there is a point that becomes too loose, as there is a point that becomes too tight... the goal is to find the ideal middle ground, or "the middle way" as the Buddha says...
I actually had a pedal spring break during a show last week. First time that ever happened. I switched to my spare, but the tension was set so low I had almost no action on the pedal. I went out and bought a couple of packs of new springs to keep with my gear.
I tightened mine to near max as my natural resting position had the beater almost touching the head. That's been working perfectly for me, and I've never had to mess with it.
+Stephen Taylor I like it a bit loose, mainly cuz my bass technique wasnt letting me play what I wanted to and it helps me work on exaggerating my movements. I also play with a jazz technique (controlling that open tone and burying the beater in the head). That helps me play all i need to flat-footed.
Based on my experience, tension is important because I normally play quickly. For control and more gentle volume or finesse, I always play with my heel off the pedal, works for me.
I definitely prefer my pedals to be as loose as I can, in the way that Steve Smith says he wants his pedal feel as close to swinging a drumstick as possible.
With more tension, I feel like I am using an unnecessary amount of energy getting the beater to the drum and it is more difficult for me to play to my capabilities.
U won't be able to do tighter and more,complex/compact bass patterns with it too loose
Thank you & very well said, loosen ur spring tension fellow drummers if u want a strong foot & great muscle memory
After almost 13 years of playing double bass and experimenting a lot with this, I ended up with my speed cobra's putting the spring tension to max. After doing so I still didn't like how the beaters were reacting to the drum skin and the energy I was giving through my feet. Then I started experimenting with the tension of the drumskin and tried different beaters. Which again did a lot to my playing. I tend to play with a little tighter tension on the drum skin, to get even more feedback from the rebound. This gives me the consistency that I want in my fast kick patterns and long double bass parts without giving a lot of energy but with the consistency in volume.
As a beginner drummer, a friend (experienced drummer) set up my kit and tightened my pedal to maximum bc he “plays double bass” and prefers blazing speed.
To this day, it’s a nightmare for me to kick.
I’m going to finally look into loosening that pedal after being motivated by your video how to do it as I only kick on beats 1&3 and I prefer playing slowly (80-120 bpm) anyway.
Great video, thank you for motivating me to take a look at that contraption on the floor that has always looked too complex for me to mess around with...until now. 😊
HI STEPHEN. A GREAT LESSON, MANY THANKS FROM CANADA. I SHUT MY CAR TRUNK ONTO THE TOP OF MY PEDAL JUST BEFORE A GIG AND HAD TO BE CREATIVE TO PLAY. DELIGHTED THAT TOMORROW, I CAN GO TO WORK AND SET IT UP PROPERLY.
Glad it helped Bob...sorry about the bad luck with the pedal!
Another helpful video. Thanks Stephen. SDS is greatness.
Thanks for the head's up !! I always set my bass Drum pedals tension a little tighter than usual....! Great for playing A little double strokes...or maybe more strokes....in between Performance... ! Also works great with playing double pedals too. i also set my stool at Medium height to compensate the control strokes..! no problem there...! I guess a medium high tension ...kinda get a bit of both world!!
I've used DW 5000 & Lidwig Speed King pedals most of my playing career. Right out of the gate the Speed King feels best for me. I'm 65 now & my speed has decreased with age but I can still pull off most patterns with the SK. Spring tension feels just right either heel up or down.
Thank you. I just bought another pedal. The tension spring on this new one is way too tight. I am a true amateur drummer. I didn't know anything about adjusting the tension spring. I was so use to my old pedal which wasn't very tight. This new pedal is made totally different. It doesn't have any springs. Thank you for letting me know that there is not a certain way it should be set, but it's about what you are comfortable with. Thanks again.
i've been getting back to drumming and could no longer do doubles at all. So, after a few months finally played with the spring and found I had it loosened almost all the way. tightened it medium and felt better, but med-high and I and I can pull off doubles again. And I can do it barefoot on top of that. I agree with Stephen, it is the main dynamic imo. now to adjust the beater and find the best spot on the pedal for my foot. there is a nice vid Colin Bailey that I like too. last thing is to find some shoes that work for me. for some reason,i play better barefoot.
When I start I use tight tension of springs just because my favorit drummers did it. Then my favorites changes and I now know that it possible to play fast with loose springs and also it provide more poverful stroke because energy dont collect in spring and going to drum.
Thank you! I had the opposite idea of how adjusting the tension worked.
When my foot is at rest, heel down position, the beater is at about 40 degrees to the head.
I keep a medium loose tension on the spring
but i set-up the beater angle pretty extreme; like 50 degrees.
If the beater ends up touching the skin in that heel down, resting position, the spring is way too loose.
I use a DW 9000 and 9002. Best pedal to get any setting imaginable. Thanks for posting.
Martin Laporte 50° being insanely large or small.
When I was a kid and I knew everything I used to think that loose was the way to go so that I could do those crazy fast double bass tricks, but now I like them a little bit tighter these days, much better rebound for double hits. The heel toe works better with tight chains or direct drive pedal but loose definitely does not get the job done. I just bought a brand new Tama Speed Cobra double pedal and it's probably the nicest double chain drive I've ever played on.
My pedal has an adjustment for spring angle. I'm able to set the spring so that I mostly kicks in just before the beater hits the head. With medium-loose tension, the spring is assisting the natural rebound of the head (I play with the beater off the head, rather than "burying" the beater.) This gives me the best combination of speed & control. Also, I angle the beater back, so it can swing in a big arc, when I need it to, which allows me to hit harder with less effort. It took quite a bit of experimentation to get the best combination of settings for my playing style, but I'm glad I took the time.
great opening when you dropped the pedal, I almost lost
it, I've dropped stuff plenty of times but to see the teacher
do it is just funny. I set my spring tension at different settings depending on the drum I'm playing, if I'm playing
my 26" I have it med. loose, if I have it on a 22" I tighten it up
a little, on a 20" I tighten a tiny bit more. if that makes any
sense. it's just the way I have done it over the past 42 years.
I'm working with medium tight right now. Finding small adjustments make big difference depending on the technique. I may do a video with these details...Good vid, thanks!
Almost fully cranked :D I like a really fast response especially for flat foot, swivel, and heel toe technique. :D
Good video, interesting discussion. Seems that most people prefer the spring either loose or right tight. I might have another perspective to share. I'm an older drummer and play blues, funk and old geezer rock. I set the hammer length for the best sound off of the drum. I play heel down in my sock feet (big feet, shoes can get in the way) or else with thin soled sneakers. I set the tension so that when my foot is relaxed the beater is a couple inches off of the head. Not too loose, not too tight. Clean strike, clean rebound, not too much work, lots of different sounds. Don't know if it makes any difference to my technique but I've become a fan of direct drive pedals.
Since you have big feet and like direct drive have you tried axis long boards? A friend of mine has one and it's pretty nice to play.
Steve I have been playing for over 40 years and it took me awhile to figure it out but I think the tension should be adjusted to the weight of your footwear and your leg weight. I try to wear the same footwear every time I play my set and because I'm a small guy I have a light tension on my springs. I have found that a tight setting the drummer has to use to much leg and ankle effort to push the peddle down and it causes fatigue. Also I use a Ludwig speed king because it has a 2 spring setup inside the posts and has a lot more adjustment than the spring on the side type.
I like it a little tight nothing major. I do double kicks on a single pedal. And my double bass is the exact.. I play fast hardcore punk and grind core and early black metal. Spring tension is 10% 90% is your skill
I think what should be talked about is the type of pedal you're using, as well as the tension. Since i've been playing for many years I have had just about every pedal imaginable. I started on a Luddy speed king, which was very good at the time and also very fast (loose tension). I used the speed kings for 15 years, but also played from time to time with a cameo leather strap pedal.As you might know Camco became DW, at the time these were a very easy to play pedal (with the leather strap) again loose tension. I decided that 15 years and many oily nights that the speed kings had to go. At that time I picked up a rogers pedal. That worked fine and they were strong pedals well made, loose tension. As time went on I switched to DW's 5000's and DW's with a leather strap.i like both pedals but was still searching for that special pedal (s). During this time 90's I started to hear about the custom pedals that were displayed at the namm show. At this point i also bought an Ayotte drum set and I felt the DW's were a bit slow but very nicely made. At the namm i happened to stop by the Ayotte booth ,and lo and behold who is in the same place sharing the booth with Ayotte, the AXIS pedal company. So I sat down at a drumkit, with an pedal on it, and after experiencing high speed formula one riding I found my perfect pedal. Riding the Axis pedals are like driving a Ferrari, you know you're driving something EXTREMELY SPECIAL. Since then I've bought many different Axis pedals because they're always improving the breed. But I've found that there faster pedals are not what I prefer, the X pedals ( a double ) is what i prefer. I also have have several other fine pedals ( Sleismann, Dw 9000's,) that I use on a couple of other kits I own. However AXIS is the Ferrari.Loose tension and I have the control to play as many hours as i want fast or slow, because i'm relaxed on the pedals and they're just a part of me. That's my take on pedals, why burn yourself out struggling or fighting a pedal, you have all the tension you ever need in your everyday life, less tension equals being cool as ice.
Also i think when people ask what their tension should be at they're not looking for the be all end all answer what they're looking for is a good starting point to set up their pedals and than they can go from there until they find what works for them.
My suggestion is if you buy new pedals use the factory settings as a starting point because most pedals are shipped ready to play and the settings are what the factory thinks is best for that pedal so its usually best to go with the factory settings.
If you buy used pedals i would suggest googling the factory settings and matching them if you can.Settings i like to start with are beaters around 4-5 inches from the bass drum head and springs around half for direct drive pedals,chain drives are probably different.
In my youth I had my spring tension as tight as I could have it. As I've gotten older, and better at my technique and better at playing with my ankles instead of my entire leg, I find myself playing with a much more loose spring. I'd say below medium spring tension. I play all sorts of music, from extremely fast metal to worship at church. Medium loose spring tension with my beater height at 12". I'm currently using the red apple danmar wood beaters.
great video...I play a lot of different music. when it comes to tension I'm all the way up. for speed so I can hit them trips with the doubles when I want to. I play a lot of jazz but I play a lot of metal to. so it took a lot of time and practice to master the floating foot with high spring tension. well worth the effort tho when you can rock dbl bass on single pedal....with both feet....the secret is time and practice
I currently use the stock Tama®/Hoshino® HP30 on my New Imperialstar™ kit, and it has quite a few adjustments. The tension spring, on which I like to set two turns resting preload at the base eyescrew, is roller-locked at its top to a shaft with a clutched beater clamp; resting angle (which affects total swing angles on release) and moment arm (useful for centering beater strike on the kick batter) are clutch-adjusted, with drum-key screw locks. The resting preload should be sweet-spotted to player technique, as some tension is needed for rapid recovery but excess is fatiguing.
Good tip!!! My struggle is having extra hits once in a while so I bury my toes to avoid it. M experimenting the heel up technique with a slide to avoid it too.
I setup my pedal spring tension as loose as I can while still holding the beater in a resting position. I keep my bass drum fairly tight, and I have no hole in the front head to trap the air in the drum. I set the beater height based on its balance point (like a stick grip) so it pivots freely. This produces a rebound similar to a stick on a tom (actually better than loose floor toms) and allows me to play with control AND speed. I'm a firm believer that good technique is the single most important part of both control and speed. I've always seen high spring tension as a way of compensating for bad technique since I often see it being used to overcome lead foot. I'm also kind of a snob.
Great Lesson on the Pedal, he made it very easy to understand.
Good stuff. This is the best video I've seen on the topic.
I find spring tension also depends on the beater angle. I used to play a lot of rock and hardcore, so I played heel up, buried the beater, and played with little to no dynamics. For that type of playing, a "normal" beater angle of about 45 degrees and higher spring tension works fine. However, for the last year I've started practicing playing heel down, out of the head, and with more dynamics. Now I put the beater almost at a 90 degree angle (parallel to the floor), which allows one to use a much looser spring tension. This way it's possible to feather the bass drum and gets lots of control/dynamics, but it's still really easy to play fast/hard and bury the beater as well.
I highly recommend Jojo's foot technique DVD to anyone who hasn't checked it out. Lots of really useful info there.
Sincerely, I use standard mode, Stephen. I have a Pearl, vintage one. Years ago I've tried to reset it, but lost my speed and control. More tight, more fast and easier to deal with double bass, I guess. Hugs from Brazil!
good info, brother, but you get this like just for keeping that intro.
I'm 100% professional 95% of the time...
I'm glad you made this. Good explanation. I have a tendency to have it more loose. But not at the bottom. But! Dude, if I ever make a video? I'll take 5 seconds to intro then START! Everyone thinks they always have to preface things. Get to the meat, then fluff the end.my two cents. And thank you.
I play high spring tension with a high (close to bass drum) beater angle. I have a big foot and long leg so I can apply a lot of force on the bass drum with less effort . I like the responsiveness . I do a lot of doubles and play heal up, and tend to “bury the beater”...I put a lot of force and speed into playing the bass drum
In the beginning it was the speedKing. And then one day the Gretsch EasyFlow pedal, The Camco pedal, D.W.5000.My test on any drum pedal it my right hand can do it my foot could play it. 3in1oil just 📌 pin drop. Watch your Drumeo spot Love it. You are one the best . Tama Hot Dog !
Been drumming for about 8 years now. Really trying to work on my double kick speed since it's something i've ignored my whole time. I currently own two sets of dw double pedals. One is on my kitt but the other one was just sitting there, so when I moved to another city for a year, I brought the spare one. Now I returned home after a long time after playing with my spare and I find that I can't play with the same speed on my regulars that I got on my home kitt. The beater bounces back and hitts my foot when I ramp up in speed and it just feels heavy. Im guessing there is a thing called to much tention.
The main pedals were just taken out of the box and put on my kitt, the spare ones had been experimented on and messed with but never played on.
Hey there drummer dude! I use DW-5000 pedals I have 3 of them (what the hell is wrong with me)!
Double bass pedals and one is set up with a tambourine. I left them set at the factory setting which is probably in the middle, not too tight, not too loose. So I don't play around with the spring, I just leave it how it came out of the box! I hope that answers your question, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!
I don't play crazy fast too much, but I do have to play some double pedal patterns pretty habitually, and I love the power I get from low spring tension.
Thanks I never though of spring tension until now!
I think that there is a balance between spring tension, beater angle, and beater length. I do not believe you can change one without changing the balance between all three. I think that each of us has a sweet spot where we are confortable playing in whatever style we play, and that finding that sweet spot is a matter of making small changes between the balance of spring tension, beater angle, and beater length.
Yup so true. Everyone’s different. I have a friend who is always telling me the best settings he’s realized but they are not best for me and my body. He doesn’t understand everyone’s different, I think it even bothered him that I ended up liking different drums, heads, and pedals than he does too. He got me into drumming so I guess he thought I would just follow his lead forever on gear and settings? Lol.
I use to mess with the tension all the time and then I bought a set of Natal double bass pedals and it's made easier to move the cam with just a tuning key. Takes me a whole second to adjust the can back and forth and now I'm on a good setting that I hit power strokes and double strokes with my bass pedal. Not sure if anyone finds this helpful but look up Natal. They are made a lot like the DW9000's ( I sold my 9000's when I bought the Natal ), but for half the price and with quality.
I don't touch the spring tension ... I took my pedal out of the box ... put it on and it's fine ;)
Anthony Pilloy
Where can I buy me one of those?
That’s the frustration free method. Good way to go.
I got one of those perpetual motion pedals... you just tap it once and it goes the whole song
seat height will also affect pedal tension, higher u sit, more tension is required. I always take pedal when using backline gear, and depending on my mood and gear, I can add 3 turns for more tension, if I'm feeling energetic, but I prefer the tension just above completely sloppy with the beater quite high. Loose tension still produces quick strokes.
Love your approach to teaching...you are an Excellent drummer and I always get a laugh as well as practical knowledge from your lessons. Thank You~!
I actually have relatively low tension on my springs but I play very fast double bass for thrash metal and other metal as well. There's not as much rebound, but the beater really sinks into the bass drum so I can still get the power even when I play from the ankles. I can get a very powerful and muffled stroke when I lift my entire leg for slower hits, and the lack of rebound stops the beater on the head, which adds to the muffling effect and mutes much of the resonance. That's just my personal preference, from all the videos and tutorials I've seen, everybody says "hurr durr you can do this you can do that but it's all based on pursonal prufurunce hurr durr" so yeah... I had to adjust it to low tension and high beater height as for a "beginner setup", but once I tightened the tension a little bit and lowered the beaters to about 2/3 the height, things just clicked and double bass has never been easier.
The most tension but to where I can comfortably and smoothly control the beater back and forth very slowly between the head and about an inch or two back from the head. Heal down, flat footed. Then it seems to be good for heal up, down, or whatever.
Dude, you are my fave guy to listen to and watch on YouTub. I mean, you are really deep. Seriously so. Thank you so much, your education goes so much further than just drumming, believe me.
Thanks so much...humbling to hear. So glad the videos help so much!
Fantastic instructor non biased solid technical advice 👏
Steven, your new background drums 🎶 🎼 🎵 that are playing are a great way to add entertainment value per video. Smart addition. 👋🏻😜👍🏻🇺🇸
Great video on an overlooked and underdocumented topic! Thanks for posting!!!
This video is crucial for beginners like me. I was wondering why my legs were so sore after a BPM 185 song with a lot of 16th notes double bass rhythm before I saw this video. Thanks for your advice.😝
You bet Danny!
THANK YOU SO MUCH for this video!!!! 🥁🥁🥁🔥🔥
tension on mine are maxed out currently, but it's just because my springs are worn out. I started a little over halfway tensioned and was comfortable there.
This is great!! I've used factory settings all these years. I've added slightly more tension, as I don't play much feathering. Anyway, I definitely notice a difference. Much less effort to get a desired speed, and power
Excellent explanation. I wish I had watched this video 20 years ago!
Glad it helped!
I think that with tight tension more than speed you increase power of strokes. When I setup my spring tension I like to use my hand on board and bounce the beater like a basketball. It can't be to lose or the beater doesn't come back with enough power neither it can't be too tight or it just doesn't bounce properly. Plus I try to test my flatfoot technique because I use it sometimes...
20+ yr old iron cobra jr double pedal both springs as tight as possible. surprised i didnt break U-joints yet. ive let several drummers practice n gig with it. best 200 bux ever!
I keep my spring tension vary loose. Only enough tension to help the pedal bounce back once it strikes.
Thanks man, i have some demon drives coming in and i didn't understand spring tension until now
I was just thinking yesterday that I should take a look online, learn about this stuff!
In my opoinion the first thing you should control is the angle of the beater. If this thing is ok for you, you can adjust the tension.