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Heel toe kick drum technique | Drum lesson

heel toe kick drum technique lesson

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In this heel-toe kick drum technique lesson, you will learn the technique as well as exercises to improve consistency, speed and power. The heel-toe kick drum technique is perfect for anyone wanting to improve their kick drum speed.

WHY SHOULD YOU LEARN THE HEEL TOE DRUM TECHNIQUE?

Over the past 20 years or so kick drum techniques have been quickly evolving to catch up with the progression that has been going on with the hands. This started with the introduction of the second kick drum in rock music in the 1960’s but has fast progressed to where we are today.

Double kick now goes far beyond just metal music. It is common to find double kick in some pop songs and electronic music.

Foot technique is now more important than ever as drummers are expected to create more sounds and complex patterns. You can no longer just have one foot on the bass drum and one foot on the hi-hat.

There are many different bass drum techniques available but the heel toe is fast becoming a favourite amongst many drummers.

The heel toe technique combines the benefits of both the heel down and heel up technique to create a seamless double motion on the pedal. With the heel toe technique you will gain:

  • New enhanced speeds you couldn’t previously reach
  • The ability to play at speed over long periods of time
  • Play complex feet patterns almost impossible without this method
  • Faster double stokes for single kick players

WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT?

  • A clearly explained and broken down introduction to learning the heel toe drum technique
  • How to change your thinking when approaching this method
  • A range of exercises to get you started with the heel toe drum technique
  • Advice, tips and exercises for overcoming common sticking points while learning this technique
  • Lesson form Chris Bowling who has been mastering the heel toe technique for the past 5 years in practice, studio and live environments

Heel toe kick drum technique lesson

We hope you enjoy this free drum lesson covering the heel-toe bass drum technique.

Can my pedal types make it easier to do?

It is true that the heel toe technique is easier to do on a longer bass drum pedal, such as the Axis pedals. It is also common to see drummers using direct drive bass drum pedals but this is not essential to the technique.

Direct drive pedals are considered the fastest pedals so combining the technique with this pedal is a favourite amongst metal drummers.

Final thoughts

The heel toe bass drum technique changed my drumming. It allowed me to play double pick patterns that I could only imagine and not translate to the kick.

If you are wanting to go faster and play more complex patterns, make sure you give this technique a try.

The author

I’ve been playing the drums for over 15 years and I still love them! I am mostly a metal drummer but I am currently working on groove and applying rudiments to the kit!

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