THE
TRUE FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE THE SPEED AND POWER OF THE
BASS DRUM PEDAL PLAYING
" Fast bass drum pedal " does not exist.
" Fast pedal drive " doesn't exist either
Bass drum pedals are just "the tools". It is important to chose a good quality tool. However, we have to accept that the tool is as good as the technique and expertise of the PERSON who operates the tool. Obviously the manufacturers of tools would like you to believe that their particular tools are "fast" or particular design or feature of the tool, eg. chain drive, would make you faster. Good quality tool is an advantage, but not the priority. Good quality tool must have various setting which would help to drummer to adjust the tool towards the particular motion. Great example of that is AXIS LEVER SLIDE SETTING. Tama Iron Cobra has number of quality settings, important to actual operation.
In
reality, mastered motion of your foot would drive any bass drum
pedal .The factors which affect that motion are the true factors
which influence your speed, power and consistency.
WHERE DOES THE SPEED GENERATE FROM
It
is true to say that speed generates from our foot striking the
footplate fast.
That in turn would cause the beater to travel forward and strike
the drum fast.
It is also true to say that you cannot repeat the stroke until
the beater travels backward to striking position.
In order to achieve the speed, both, forward and backward movement
of the beater must be fast.
Actually, FAST RELEASING or backward beater motion would enable
FAST STRIKING or forward beater motion.
FAST
RELEASING or backward beater motion would in fact greatly influence
overall speed of your playing . The moment you strike the pedal
the pressure of your foot is on the footplate . You have to
release the pressure to allow the footplate and the beater to
travel back to striking position . Faster YOUR FOOT releases
the footplate , faster would be the backward beater motion ,
which in turn would enable faster forward stroke .This action
purely depends on speed of YOUR FOOT .The influence of drum
pedal or pedal drive is absolutely irrelevant to this action
.Mr. Lombardo ,Mr Smith or Mr. Chambers , to name just few top
drummers ,would probably play equally fast on any drum pedal.
YOUR
FOOT releasing the footplate , is that major factor which truly
influence the speed of your playing
WHERE DOES THE POWER GENERATE FROM
The
main source of power comes from the swing. One of the typical
examples is golfer striking the ball. The backward motion takes
the club to the furthest point of distance from the golf ball.
Huge forward swing creates enormous power. The power generates
from the weight of the club progressing through the swing
Same rule applies to the beater stroke. Power of forward stroke
would depend on the beater backward motion and the weight of
the beater. . Further point of distance the beater travels from
the drum heads the more powerful the stroke.
This
is taking us back to FOOTPLATE RELEASE. Natural beater rebound
carried by spring tension would take the beater backward .The
only obstacle to this is the weight of your foot on the footplate.
Same as the speed, the power would depend on that fast footplate
release which would enable unobstructed beater backward motion.
You
notice that we do not mention the muscle power. If you drive
your beater with the muscle power, you will not drive far. Only
minimal use of muscle tension would enable free floating beater
motion.
WHY THE INCREASE IN SPEED CREATES DECREASE OF POWER
Faster
we play the more difficult is to actually release the footplate
fast enough and enable the full beater backward motion swing.
The only way to gain speed in such circumstances is to shorten
the swing by striking earlier. Shorter swing would cause less
powerful forward beater stroke
The loss of power is simply down to inability of our foot to
clear off the footplate fast enough and enable unobstructed
beater backward movement.
Number of other factors would influence the speed, power and
consistency. Before we analyze them, it is important to establish
what influence do we have over the footplate movement and the
control over forward and backward beater motion
CONTROL OVER THE FOOTPLATE AND THE BEATER
To achieve the perfect motion the performer should have the
total control over the instrument.
Our hands are in full control over the forward and backward
motion of drumsticks following the stroke the drumstick would
naturally rebound off the drum. We get behind that rebound and
choose the length of the backward swing. Total control over
the backward swing enables total control over the forward stroke.
It is completely different arrangement with the bass drum pedal.
While striking the footplate (forward beater motion), our foot
overcomes the force of the spring tension. We are in total control
of this forward motion.
However, while releasing the footplate we control only lifting
of our foot. The lifting of the footplate (backward beater motion)
is in total control of spring tension.
SPRING TENSION
Imagine
someone holding your hands while you play. That is exactly what
spring tension does to your foot. Each time you strike the footplate,
you play against it.
Spring tension, not our foot is in control over the action of
bass drum pedal. It is the only force, which is returning the
beater and the footplate to striking position. We have to adapt
to that force
The beater would also naturally rebound from the drumhead but
that depends on stroke velocity. We cannot blast the beater
at all times just to get the rebound. We are playing an instrument,
which also require soft, grace notes, accents etc
These
are the options :
TIGHTEN THE SPRING TENSION
Tighter the spring - Faster the rebound. The problem is that
prolonged striking against spring tension builds up muscle tension
and greatly influences the speed, power and consistency.
LOOSEN
THE SPRING TENSION
Lighter feel eases muscle tension so striking feels more comfortable
but the footplate becomes " lazy", and that " response " is
simply not there.
The
importance of " spring tension " would be greatly diminished
if our foot could influence the control over the " backward
" beater motion.
Are we aware of this problem? Ludwig Drum Company certainly
were. The inventor and designer of "Speed King " drum pedal
definitely had the importance of release in mind.
MUSCLE TENSION AND REST
Motion
uses power of movement, not the power of muscles. The perfect
motion should initiate minimal muscle tension. Prolonged build
up of muscle tension has huge impact on speed, power and especially
consistency
Jim Chapin acknowledges the importance of muscle tension by
saying: " The moment you tighten up, everything will freeze
up ". Jim refers to " Moeller " hand technique. The same rule
should apply to foot technique as well. Unfortunately, our foot
operates in different environment which makes the muscle tension
reduction very difficult task
The technology of bass drum pedals does not offer the facilities
for muscle tension reduction. Muscle tension is initiated either
during striking or releasing or in some techniques in both.
THE REST
The
only factor, which would reduce muscle tension, is the rest.
The rest is the major driving force, which holds the key to
power and consistency. Surprisingly, rest is never mentioned
or analyzed.
Muscles cannot sustain constant tension, so the motion of your
technique must include the resting points following the striking
and during the releasing. The rest factor cannot be addressed
simply by reducing the spring tension or engineering the " smooth
pedal drive ". There must be the facility in the footplate design,
which provides the resting point. Bass drum pedals simply do
not have such facility.
We
believe that the most important feature of Vruk technology is
providing the facility for " the active rest in footplate release
". This facility would enable your foot to play fast with sustained
power and consistency.
Analyzing known and less known bass drum techniques would prove
the importance of these factors in practice .You as a drummer
were probably aware of these factors or you simply felt their
influence.
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