History lesson: 100% correct. But: I'm playing heel up and I never bury the beater. It's not true that you would fall off the stool. At least I never fell.... Or I don't 'remember 😜 I simply rest the heel after striking. The heel goes down to rest while the beater is on its way back from the drum head. Maybe that's callerd a "hybrid" technique on the bass drum. Anyhow....sometimes in a low volume environment I would have been glad to have better control with burying the beater. Nothing wrong in mastering both variants equally well!
2 months ago I started learning drums. I can't get away from bury the beater. What I understand from most people is not burying the beater will help with speed. I play heel up which I find normal. I struggle to play heel down. As a total newb I'd like to learn now how to not bury the beater. This video is great. I'll practice this. Edit: I wrote this comment and then went to my drum kit and tried this for like 3 minutes. Excellent concept. It'll take a bit to prefect but this will really help me long term. Thank you
FINALLY!!! Thanks for sharing this video. I can finally proof to my students I’m not crazy. I would add the fact that you can RELAX your leg when is not being used. Nobody buries the stick on the toms, why should you do it on the bass drum? Just use a bit of muffling inside, but let that big drum sound like is meant to.
I naturally fell into the hybrid heel down/heel up technique years ago, and just recently learned I wasn't playing a true heel up technique. This is the first video I've found demonstrating the technique I use. Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone lol
Personally I have found that with a muted deadened kick drum and modern mic’ing it’s unnecessary to play beater-off to get a big sound. Conversely with an open un-muted drum it is more difficult to play beater-in because the sustaining vibrating drum head gives you less stability on which to rest. Of coarse there is “in between” deadenings for which you can adjust your foot position for needs and comfort. Food for thought.
THIS was the video I was looking for. I always let the beater sink into the head and rest it there but I recently started to become annoyed by the sound I produce. Back in the days I always played heel down and was complimented often on my bass drum tone. So now I can get everything!
This is not talked about enough, I made a mistake of playing my first year all heel up and burying the beater. I’m now trying to do a hybrid of heel up and heel down and practicing not burying the beater. It feels weird when you’re used to doing it only one way.
Finally, a video explaining this topic. I’ve been playing just under year and have been burying the beater and just started to develop the method you explained, but I’ve become frustrated since I bought a double kick and it’s impossible for me not to bury it with 16th notes and 32nd notes at the medium to higher tempos.
Nice video but I don't believe burying the beater is a necessary consequence of playing heel up at all. It is just the way most of us naturally do it, because it is more comfortable. Just as beginners often have a very 'buried' tone with a stick when they start also. Gradually they learn to rebound. There is no real reason for leaving your beater in the skin unless it is a purely tonal choice. Some people like that tone.
Interesting video. The technique shown at the end requires you to place the beater against the head without making sound, to prep the next stroke? That doesn't seem very practical. What happens at that awkward tempo where you have too much time to let the beater bounce naturally, but too little time to do that prep step?
Great question. The demo I show is more exaggerated so can be a little confusing. When you cycle the strokes together you are starting heel down, lift your foot and stamp to create the initial stroke. So it's not really starting in the beater on position. With re. tempo, If you were stringing fast noted together (2 16ths, 3 16ths for examples) then the middle stroke would be a normal stroke without the resting position. Does that make sense? If it doesn't just any other questions! Always happy to help D
This all makes sense. However, I still haven't found one video that explains how to do heel-up slide technique without burying the beater. Could you explain?
You can play heel up without burying the beater but you'll always need to return to a resting heel down position otherwise your leg will be dangling in the air and you'll be off balance. To your original question then I think it all comes down to what happens after you do the slide. If you slide and get 2 notes then if you return to a resting heel down position you'll not bury the beater. TBH if not burying the beater is your primary aim then i'd maybe try a heel toe technique for 2/3/4 note runs. The resting position is more baked into the motion instead of needing to be added onto the slide. Hope that makes sense but if not then just reach out on email through my website www.davemajormusic.com
Being stock in one idea kills music. I think you have to master both technic and make music with. In a big rock song or very heavy music i use beater off for example.
Agreed! This doesn't just apply to kick technique. I think it's important to be able to use different techniques to get the desired sound. Sometimes even playing deliberately badly or choking the stick can get the right feel. Thanks for checking out the video 👊
hey man:) thanks so much for this, exactly what i was looking tor. i was wondering if it’s necessary to brush the beater against the head just before lifting the heal, like you showed? it wasn’t audible but i fear that it might be if I try do it that way. Is it possible to do the heal up/heal down without ever touching the head when not doing a an actual hit? Thanks so much❤
"Technique should always be a means to an end, and that end is making good music, and making that music feel as good as possible."
Well said Dave!
Cheers bro! Glad you watched it all the way to the end lol
History lesson: 100% correct.
But:
I'm playing heel up and I never bury the beater. It's not true that you would fall off the stool. At least I never fell.... Or I don't 'remember 😜
I simply rest the heel after striking. The heel goes down to rest while the beater is on its way back from the drum head.
Maybe that's callerd a "hybrid" technique on the bass drum.
Anyhow....sometimes in a low volume environment I would have been glad to have better control with burying the beater. Nothing wrong in mastering both variants equally well!
2 months ago I started learning drums. I can't get away from bury the beater. What I understand from most people is not burying the beater will help with speed. I play heel up which I find normal. I struggle to play heel down. As a total newb I'd like to learn now how to not bury the beater. This video is great. I'll practice this. Edit: I wrote this comment and then went to my drum kit and tried this for like 3 minutes. Excellent concept. It'll take a bit to prefect but this will really help me long term. Thank you
You are welcome. Keep me posted on your progress
FINALLY!!! Thanks for sharing this video. I can finally proof to my students I’m not crazy. I would add the fact that you can RELAX your leg when is not being used.
Nobody buries the stick on the toms, why should you do it on the bass drum? Just use a bit of muffling inside, but let that big drum sound like is meant to.
Glad it was helpful!
I naturally fell into the hybrid heel down/heel up technique years ago, and just recently learned I wasn't playing a true heel up technique. This is the first video I've found demonstrating the technique I use. Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone lol
Nice one! I find the kick drum to be fairly straightforward and just finding what works for you is all that matters.
Same! I've always done a mixture of both like this.
Great explainer Dave, especially the heel up heel down thing thanks 👏🇦🇺✌️
You are very welcome!
Personally I have found that with a muted deadened kick drum and modern mic’ing it’s unnecessary to play beater-off to get a big sound. Conversely with an open un-muted drum it is more difficult to play beater-in because the sustaining vibrating drum head gives you less stability on which to rest. Of coarse there is “in between” deadenings for which you can adjust your foot position for needs and comfort. Food for thought.
Absolutely. Gavin Harrison says the same re a dampened BD. Thanks for checking out the video
THIS was the video I was looking for. I always let the beater sink into the head and rest it there but I recently started to become annoyed by the sound I produce. Back in the days I always played heel down and was complimented often on my bass drum tone. So now I can get everything!
Fantastic!
That made a lot of sense, thank you. This technique explains how to play fast as well if you're a beginner
Thank you
Shocked thia is the only clear video on this topic. Thank you
Glad it was helpful!
This is not talked about enough, I made a mistake of playing my first year all heel up and burying the beater. I’m now trying to do a hybrid of heel up and heel down and practicing not burying the beater. It feels weird when you’re used to doing it only one way.
I think every technique has its place and we should strive to be comfortable with all of them. They each have their own strengths and weaknesses
i play heel down + burying beater and it works well for me tbh 😅 i try to get better at heel up playing currently
Awesome vid, thank you.
Glad you liked it!
Finally, a video explaining this topic. I’ve been playing just under year and have been burying the beater and just started to develop the method you explained, but I’ve become frustrated since I bought a double kick and it’s impossible for me not to bury it with 16th notes and 32nd notes at the medium to higher tempos.
Whatever gets the job done. Glad you enjoyed the video
You can still bury with an actual second bass drum, it’s a no go with a double pedal though.
Great video! I'm gonna continue burying the beater, it feels way more comfortable for me and I use E-drums anyway so I don't hear a difference :D
This is a really solid video. Thank you!
You are very welcome
Excellent video as usual Dave, and I loved the history lesson. ;-)
Thanks mate! Cheers for watching as always
Love your man!
Thanks so much 💕🥁
Nice video but I don't believe burying the beater is a necessary consequence of playing heel up at all. It is just the way most of us naturally do it, because it is more comfortable. Just as beginners often have a very 'buried' tone with a stick when they start also. Gradually they learn to rebound. There is no real reason for leaving your beater in the skin unless it is a purely tonal choice. Some people like that tone.
Interesting video. The technique shown at the end requires you to place the beater against the head without making sound, to prep the next stroke? That doesn't seem very practical. What happens at that awkward tempo where you have too much time to let the beater bounce naturally, but too little time to do that prep step?
Great question. The demo I show is more exaggerated so can be a little confusing. When you cycle the strokes together you are starting heel down, lift your foot and stamp to create the initial stroke. So it's not really starting in the beater on position.
With re. tempo, If you were stringing fast noted together (2 16ths, 3 16ths for examples) then the middle stroke would be a normal stroke without the resting position.
Does that make sense? If it doesn't just any other questions! Always happy to help
D
Great video, thanks!
You're welcome!
Brilliant video!
Thank you
I prefer Full Step Technique `cause it allows you to switch to Up or Down whenever you want while playing
That's true. I probaby do that subconsiously as well.
This all makes sense. However, I still haven't found one video that explains how to do heel-up slide technique without burying the beater. Could you explain?
I may be mistaken but he says if you play heel up then it naturally buries the beater. They go together.
@@t-bone6467 That's absolutely not the case, you CAN play heel up without burying the beater.
@@MetallicaRocksss ok I misunderstood what he said then.
You can play heel up without burying the beater but you'll always need to return to a resting heel down position otherwise your leg will be dangling in the air and you'll be off balance.
To your original question then I think it all comes down to what happens after you do the slide. If you slide and get 2 notes then if you return to a resting heel down position you'll not bury the beater.
TBH if not burying the beater is your primary aim then i'd maybe try a heel toe technique for 2/3/4 note runs. The resting position is more baked into the motion instead of needing to be added onto the slide.
Hope that makes sense but if not then just reach out on email through my website
www.davemajormusic.com
Ive always buried, it's actually quite uncomfortable leaving my ankle pointing up like that
Being stock in one idea kills music. I think you have to master both technic and make music with. In a big rock song or very heavy music i use beater off for example.
Agreed! This doesn't just apply to kick technique. I think it's important to be able to use different techniques to get the desired sound. Sometimes even playing deliberately badly or choking the stick can get the right feel. Thanks for checking out the video 👊
Great lesson, points & history here 👌🏽
Glad you enjoyed it bro. Was it worth the wait?? lol
@@DaveMajor yes indeed. Very nicely done. Great content as usual 👌🏽
Thanks bro! Hope you and the family are well :)
I literally can't bury the beater. My teacher taught me to never do it, so whenever I try, it makes kind of a roll you know?
Yeah i know, Do you have a port in your bass drum? If you don't you won't be able to bury without that flutter
@@DaveMajor yeah I do have a port and I've always had. It's all about technique tho, but I dont feel like it's worth it to practice it honestly
hey man:) thanks so much for this, exactly what i was looking tor. i was wondering if it’s necessary to brush the beater against the head just before lifting the heal, like you showed? it wasn’t audible but i fear that it might be if I try do it that way. Is it possible to do the heal up/heal down without ever touching the head when not doing a an actual hit?
Thanks so much❤
That happens when slowing it down to demo it. When you speed it up the touch isn't noticable
1:53
Did you just...
Why so you’re not meant to play off the head with heel up?
I’ve been doing that shiz for ages, is that bad for my back?
3:36 lol kick drum 🥁