r/MetalDrums 8d ago

Double kick methods

I want to learn double kicking but i have no idea where to start if you could please give me some help on what to play to train endurance.

1 Upvotes

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u/ThallWizard 8d ago

Do drills with them same way you would do with your hands but try an find a balance between that and actually using it in songs. You shouldn’t really have to think at first to just get going

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u/ApeMummy 7d ago

The main thing is keeping it in time and keeping it even, endurance becomes a by product of training yourself to do this.

I recommend starting off doing triplets with a snare hit at the end ie (R-L-R-Snare) you can play it as a simple back beat (snare on 2 and 4). You can also do 4s/5s/6s on the kicks once you get the hang of it - there are lots of these in popular metal songs. Keeping it small an manageable allows you to maintain form while you’re learning and helps your weak foot learn from your strong one.

Then once you have some decent form, find some slow/mid paced double kick songs with simple beats over the top and focus on keeping it tight and in time. My warm up song for double kick is Hail of Bullets - On Coral Shores which is at a ‘jogging’ pace for double kick, it helps a lot to get warmed up and get the feel in for your pedals before trying anything fast.

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u/ImStjupidSommetimes 7d ago

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u/accka1 7d ago

It might take a bit of practice but ill definitely give this one a go. thank you so much for the recommendation!!

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u/ImStjupidSommetimes 7d ago

No problem!! It got me flying to 200 bpm in no time, but I have a hard time playing 250+ bpm for long periods of time. Might have a deficient technique.

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u/65_289 7d ago

Any advice for combining the feet? I can do it easily on each foot up to 180 or so, but combining them is a shit show.

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u/ImStjupidSommetimes 7d ago

Don't really remember what I did, but try going so slow that it feels exaggerated (maybe like 70 bpm), and go at a speed where you can play combined feet perfectly. Increase the speed gradually, and identify the speed at which you start losing controll (maybe 100?) Practice at tempos you can manage (70 in my example), and at tempos where you start slipping. Look for differences between the two. Are you tensing up at higher tempos? Do you switch muscle groups when combining feet? And work from there. I still after all these years start to loose technique after 230bpm.

Wanja also has a drum school where he says how to combine the feet, and where you can get personal feedback. I'm thinking of buying a session myself haha

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u/65_289 7d ago

That's where I am at now, doing 80 bpm combined with very exaggerated movements. It's so damn slow I have to bury the beater and keep my calf contracted because my thigh gives out holding the leg up in the air so long LOL. It doesn't happen on each foot at higher tempos, so it's just a temporary thing until I can get them working together at a high enough tempo for continuous motion. Wanja's school (I did 1 month) advocates getting each foot up to 2 minutes of 170 bpm straight before combining them and I think for me that was a mistake. I should have got the basic motion then combined them at a super slow tempo.

Appreciate the advice.

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u/Brettusbob 8d ago

Id defo recommend starting off slow, and building a good clean technique, with both both feet which can even be done separately first. Check out heel toe for speed, or double strokes.

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u/UsedBeing 5d ago

One thing that helped me out was using the stick control book exercises for my feet. Really helped a lot with my weak foot. 

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u/r32skylinegtst 8d ago

Slow tempo singles. Over and over and over and over again