Adjust your bass drum pedal for MORE SPEED 

I'm a metalhead and I'm using your advice to clean up my basics after too many years trying to go for the fancy stuff right away. I've increased my top speed by like 20 bpm by working on my grip at 60 bpm after watching your videos. You might not be the best at teaching high level, ultra fast metal drumming, but your lessons are perfect for getting ready for those things properly.

I'm 60-years-old, been playing since I was 11. I can't even tell you the difference having access to this GREAT INFO would have made when I was starting out (Internet didn't happen for me until I was in my 30's) Stephen, THANK YOU for being an awesome teacher. ** My pedal is dialed in, it's great to know it though. Now I just got to keep it kickin' (pun intended) -- Yeah, I play my Roland TD-17KVX in my small apt. Drum Every day ... and Keep on drumming!!

Hey Stephen! FWIW I am a metalhead but like your channel for the reminders and tips on fundamentals and your humble demeanor. A lot of us learned the hard way that focusing all your efforts on speed and advanced techniques like heal-toe/push-pull/freehand/etc. often means neglecting practicing the skills that actually make you sound consistent, clean, and confident.

Well in a 50 year old self taught drummer who started when he was 15 and played in a whole host of different bands until I was 22 when life got in the way and am now back in the saddle and appreciative of whatever and however advice I can get with so much as a click of mouse…. Quit belly aching and, you don’t know how lucky you are!!

Thank you so much brother I'm 53 years old I have a pearl with pasty symbols and my 15 year old son wants to jam with me and I was really having problems until you enlightened me

Excellent video, I’ve been playing for 45 years and been paid to play for 33. Still learning stuff, still evolving as a drummer. Good useful content and easy to implement. Thank you!

Great lesson - beginner just setting up drumset. Excellent details, thank you.

WOW! I thought I had the correct angle on my pedals, but was probably closer to 30-ish degrees. Just by changing my angles on my pedals to maybe a touch over 45 degrees, I noticed an instant improvement in speed and responsiveness! I cannot wait to practice with my "new" and improved bass drum pedals. Thanks so much!

Value your back to basics for ANY level drummer. You also explain concepts very well. Thanks again.

My first purchase after getting my little starter kit was a double pedal. Thrash and death core are my aim, but without a solid foundation, I don't think I'll stick to it long enough to get there. That, my friend, is why I keep watching your videos.

Don’t sell yourself short! I’m a metal head 🤘🏻 and I find your videos very helpful! All music relates in some way 💯

I’am a metal head and pick up the best tips on this channel.🤘

As a metalhead I really appreciate the information and how you show things. IT's all helped me very much.

I've honestly seen immediate results not only in speed but overall playing of the pedal just by adjusting seat height.

I used to have my beater very close too, when I was starting. Nowadays I have it at around 60°. I do occasionally get bruised feet, if I'm playing barefoot, from the rebound! Anyway, I can verify what you've said, counter-intuitively, it gives more speed and control. Thanks for another great video, you always talk about those small things no one else does and they make a big difference.

This is a very good lesson. I am a rock drummer to help increase speed and power I use a beater angle slightly greater ten a 45 degree angle and use a spring tension slightly less then half way up. for double bass playing I am 62 years old and can play up to 190 - 200 BPM. I use Pearl Red Line Eliminators.

I just got a used kit again. Haven’t played in over 8 years. Managed to audition for my local church and become a part of their lineup now. I know I’m definitely gonna have to put more into playing around with the options and see what works and gives me more room for growth. In the past, everything was based on branding and expectations. Not many people actually adjusted things to unlock the full potential of their equipment. They just kinda let it be. I regret not experimenting because it definitely limited me and made things tougher than they needed to be

First, I want to say your videos have been a great help to me over the past several months. I have need for a cocktail set from time to time. I would love to see you do a video on setting up your pedal for a cocktail set.

Thanks.Been trying to learn how to play for decades.This was great info for me.Self taught.Stay safe!

since I watched this show a while ago I tightened up my spring... fantastic. Mines as tight as it can go now... I don't play softly often fortunately. Like you said something we don't think on much... these details are so important and glossed over at the same time. Thanks for your show.

Hi Stephen, I am learning to play again after a 40 year hiatus and I was pleased to find I did exactly what you suggested on your video as to, how to speed up your pedal with angle and spring tension. I downloaded the 30 days pdf and look forward to seeing the results. I like your style and methods as I have no desire to be glamorous just a good pocket drummer.

Hello Stephen, this is very inspiring and encouraging! Thanks for this presentation!

Very helpful! I need to adjust my angle and tighten the tension a little.

Incredibly useful video! Thanks brother!

So many great tips in this. For myself, all I can say after a lifetime of playing, and doing this-then that, at gigs…try different things and see what works for you! No two players are the same. You WILL find “your” setup after experimenting. 🇨🇦👍🏼

Cheers mate. Self taught and never knew about the 45 degree angle. I knew something was wrong with my kick set and could never figure out what. I’ve tried everything else and can’t wait to try out some doubles on the kick!

Great tips! Thanks! And now I need to do some pedal maintenance---thanks for the reminder!

Hi Stephen. Thanks for your videos, they are helping a lot because I am new to drums. I would like to point out that it was difficult for me to kick 2 consecutive beats with control (let say on 3 and 3&). Suddently I realized that I had full control and it was easier to kick precisely. I then looked at my pedal and I saw that my foot had slipped toward the chain. It was one inch from the chain instead of 2 inches. I like it this way. I have more control as if I was "cutting" my baseball bat just like Matty Alou was doing. For now, this foot placement makes my drum playing better.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!! After watching this video I found out the beater was too tall, too much foot board and not enough spring tension. Rebound was abysmal and I always thought it was me. I also have a DW9000 so I cheated and used your pedal for reference. I also placed enough spring tension where at rest my foot was "half way" and wow does it ever make a difference!

Beater head angle. This is a must and a great suggestion. Thanks for the excellent video on how to improve accuracy along with speed.

Hey bro thank you for the info that is freaking awesome I just figured out that you were so right on the 45 degree angle and it made my life and my bass drum sound so much better thank you

Hey Stephan you are totally correct as far as the pedal setup. The only thing I notice that I do differently, Is I have a much longer thro on the pedal. It makes it way easier to get three or four strikes as well as two triplets back to back. I was taught this by someone who set up his pedal the same way Bonham did. That was with the tallest, longest throw. possible without the beater detaching from the pedal. I have a friend that keeps a short throw and even though he has somehow doubled his speed, It is nothing compared to what he could be doing with a longer throw. I adjust my spring tension as loose as it can go yet with the maximum response time. however not so tight that my calf cramps up or starts to strain. the down side to the long throw is that some will complain that the beater is coming back too far and hitting their shin. That can be minimized by scooting the thrown back. the placement of my foot will be not too high that it chokes out your speed and not too low that it feels like it is taking too much effort to contact the head

Most important information was at 11.45 minutes til 12 minutes,this has helped me very much,sorry thank you,stephen,greets from holland

You covered and gave a layman's understanding with visual and audio thanks for reinforcing this profoundly insurmountable concept, fist bump! 🤜🤛

That was great 👍. I can use each one of the 3 Steps!

Stephen, such a good job on this video. Honestly totally explains why drummers of today, even very young ones, have ever increasing skill levels compared to drummers when I began pro drumming. I talking about the internet and fabulous content like yours which really shortcut a way to skill improvement. This is so awesome, and you really hit on all the important knowledge a newer drummer needs to get on the right path quickly. I can't help but contrast this with my own history when I turned pro in 1973. I learned all of these things the hard way. I was generally not miked as a rule, and developed a heel up and ball of my foot back on the board for power and much needed volume. When I'm at a gig to play softly, I switch to heel down and results very much like illustrate here. I had to learn on the fly, thank God it didn't take me long as many players still need your advice. I've seen this with many other players that have never learned these things which make playing easier. Thank you for a job well done.

Well done! I learned a lot, thanks.

I use double bass pedals and I watch you! Keep spreading the knowledge

I just adjusted beater angle and spring tension. In 5 seconds I noticed a difference.👍👍. And now for some serious practice😬😬

Very good advices

your kick asss dude. much love. keep up the great work.

This dude is so awesome

Great video dude!

Great Tip Thank You Brother/Take Care!

Spring tension for sure !!!

Hi l really enjoy the content you are putting out! What material can you recommend for the further development of 4 way coordination to an intermediate/ advanced level?

Thanks!

Thank you Stephen for the tips. What about beater height? As well as that weight on the shaft that DW includes? Thank you for the 30 day guide.

Stephen question about kick. When I bury the beater and hold it there. Instead of one note, it sounds like the beater is hitting 3 or 4 times. Like a roll with your stick. I hope I explained that so toy understand. Thanks, your videos are top notch.

definitely the spring tension for me, i have the DW9002 and it´s amazing and smooth but when i do douple´s, my legmuscles cramp up and i have to push more to make the action happen, maybe I need adjust it more, thank you for a great video lesson

I'm a huge metal head, but the lessons you give are very helpful.

Nice topic to discuss man!! Personally i think that power playing depends on what is the selected technique someone chooses so with heel down you can't play loud much enough and you loose consistency so you must turn to heel up way to eliminate weak kicks and more consistent. So the 45degree isn't the point so much i think!Also talking for spring tension as much tight you have it depends on what genre you play.A metal drummer must get it lower at tension to achieve speeds and select the heel up to balance the speed with the attack so will have and loud hits and great speeds.

Would the beater angle tip still apply to electric drums like Roland KDA-22 conversion where power isn’t a factor as much? Good tips overall! Thanks.

Great tips, going right now to try out his information. I have a question where can I get the practice drum heads you use, I have a sound issue where I live. Take a fan.

I've only been playing for a few years, and I've never liked the feel of my Yamaha kick pedal. I just assumed it was that this Yamaha is an inexpensive pedal. I had even considered upgrading to a DW. After watching this, I realized the out of the box beater angle for my pedal was around 60°. I adjusted it to the 45° you recommended, and wow. It feels so much better. What a simple change! Thanks!

Nice tips.

😐 sometimes it simply depends on the pedal. My advice, go to a music shop and test the pedals. I went to Sam ash in nyc and they had pedals you can try out. My winner? Iron cobra. So effortless, quick response. I guess that's why they're so popular. Dyna sync is so expensive!😢

Thanks! Been playing for years. Suddenly , I am having trouble with the kick? I will see if these tips help me. Greg A.Miranda

I think the lubricant you're thinking of is remoil it's a dry gun lubricant it's perfect for a pedal application.

Excellent

Use an under desk elliptical trainer to increase your foot and leg strength at the drum pedals. Go forward and back pedal on the trainer. Use when computing, watching TV, etc. Get a mobile design for easy placement.

Experiment with different springs too for your pedal say if you have it maxed out and still isn't that great of tension or rebound? Go with a tougher spring! Or you might need a new spring if it's old?

If you bring your bass drum head a little bit more forward tilt it can help you with your beater reaching the head when playing softer. IMO.

Thank you for these videos. Do you have a video on how to best place your foot on the kick pedal? I've been told to press with my toe, but I see you using your whole foot.

I am a metal head and I endorse this video :)

I need a pedal with a very strong spring. I can play super fast if I have that rebound , that return tension. I got an iron cobra? Last time and it was so weak I couldn't get the speed. The other pedal I used decades ago that worked well for me was a speed king? I used the two tension screws at maximum and I could do double base type stuff with one pedal. What pedal should I use nowadays?

I just purchased a new drum kit with a small 18 inch bass drum after trying it out just twice and not having touched the drums for 6 months I'll make sure I'll take time the next time I use them to get the beater angle corrected and use a bass drum riser so that the the beaters on my new drum workshop 50th anniversary double pedals so they are hitting the centre of the bass drum and not the top of the head

Thank you so much for the video. It's very helpful. I have a question that I hope you can help me with. I play heel up and I bury my beater. When my spring is tight, my pedal sometimes makes unwanted hits when I bury the beater. I hope you know what I mean. I hit the bass drum, and then because the tension is high, the pedal has an extra unwanted hit. How do I avoid that?

Stephen I play jazz at low volume low power always. I struggle with Samba bass drum rhythms that are 190~220BPM. I guess I need lower spring tension and a “higher “ angle (less distance between beater and bass drum head)??

I have to play on a practice room kit with whatever's there. Pock marked heads, collapsing and sliding stands, pedals that don't attach properly to bass drums and have never been adjusted.

what would be an optimised foot pedal for pretty much exclusively playing fairly quietly. so its not louder than playing with rods for example? one other question. do you think vaseline would work well for the pedal lubricant

Glad that intro Nashville commercial rock musick was so quick like ! Great info tho for sure

Adjust less beater angle. Also noticed both beaters weren’t equal. Will try adjusting spring tension too. See what works best. Cheers

I’m a metalhead, but I watch your channel because I believe you can always learn something from other styles.

As far as lubricating the pedal, I tried "dry lube". It did nothing but make a mess. Dry lube, in my experience as a mechanic too, anything "dry" can't lubricate like a good grease. I use marine grease. it goes on where I need it. It doesn't leak like other grease and it makes the pedals perform nicely. I use it on all my moving hardware. But Graphite and similar lubricants, to me, would wear things down and cause friction. It's dry and can feel gritty. You don't want that. Spray lubricants, on the other hand, don't work for long, disappears, leaving you dry again.

What about the beater shaft memory lock? or is it a weight? maybe both?!

How do I get your PDF 30days…. Like this lesson like to see more

One of the best and easiest hacks was taking my shoes off and playing with socks on. It allowed me to really feel the pedal.

Brother what does it mean if I’m pulling my beater back and the pedal sticks upright? Like it doesn’t bounce like yours with the beater. Is the hinge on the floor board like the foot pedal compromised keeping it from bouncing like that?

Hi Stephen. Another great video. All tips were very helpful. How much are you "resting" your foot on the pedal? Should I have any weight on the pedal when it is at rest? Thank you.

Very helpful, even for an old codger like me

One word: synergy ;) Okay that was tongue in cheek but there is that going on here so kudos for taking this on. There are so many parts that go into good foot control and speed. And I'll define speed just as being fast enough to do what you need to in the genre you normally play in as opposed to speed metal drummers or those guys who value speed above all else... people who actually try to play as fast as humanly possible, which I find amusing. One thing you left out, two things actually, and I think I saw you cover the other one in a different video. That's seat height or playing height. Tangent: go watch a video of BJ Wilson. Fantastic drummer who played so low you could only see hands flying all over the set and maybe catch a glimpse of his head above the toms./tangent. The second thing is pedalboard height. Many modern pedals have board height and beater angle adjustability. Pedalboard height and seat height are probably the two main variables for me. Beater angle at 45 or slightly more is fine w/ me. So... my only real point here is that all these things have an importance and getting them all sorted out is no small accomplishment. Then of course there is what notes to play andwhat notes NOT to play. Taste and feel. Great video as usual.

Sir,other than pedal technique, is it important to choose a good pedal? Is there any pedal model you recomend?

What is a perfect diagonal angle?

I have a Donner DED-200 kit, and I can't find any way to adjust the beater angle.

What about how the beater head is positioned.

I mistakenly cranked the spring tension for speed playing with double pedals. I played an open mic with one pedal with looser tension what a difference. I can play with one pedal what I used to require two. I can still play 180 BPM with loose setting on Iron Cobra. I'm not a metal player so super fast not important I just want to be able to do everything.

I made all the adjustments to my pedal when I first got it and it has never earned up to being a fast pedal. It is an Alesis pedal that cam with the electronic drums. My next trip to town will be to purchase a DW5000.

Very helpful video as always. New drummer but ultimately want to play double kicks so for my first pedals I went with Tama speed cobras. The footboards are so long I think they might be working against me because at the store I tried an average sized pedal and it was WAY less effort to play. I’m a girl, size 8 in men’s shoes. Is the long footboard a mistake or what doesn’t kill me will make my foot stronger?

Just crank the life out those springs and practice, practice, practice till you can control it in a relaxed manner. Power will suffer but don't push it so you tension up. Slow and precise.. makes perfect and powerfull over time 🤘😎

Adjust the length of the beater so it’s one 1-2 in past center, works much like adjusting beater angle past 45.

My bro I took your advice and in less than 5 minutes or 5 minutes I am sounding pretty good on my Kik thank you man it's on to Alice in chains LOL

I've had a DW 3000 double pedal for 8 years and never adjusted it..... This video hopefully is just what I need, cuz doing quick doubles on a single right side pedal piss me off, because the pedal feels slow.

I am using a 1970's Rogers pedal. Are the modern pedals much better? I live far from any good drum shop to compare

I have a DW 9000 right now I'm using it with the strap rather than the chain something different

what about us heel up players?

Boy am I glad that I watched this, I was thinking that my technique wasn't that great, but when I investigated my pedal, I noticed that the bearing race had popped out of its housing on one side. I took my pedal apart and carefully bent the die cast frame back to where it should be, and now the beater shaft is solidly in place again. I was just marveling at how I was getting great reflex from my Aquarian super kick II, not noticing that my pedal was falling apart. It is quarter after 3 in the morning, so I will have to test it later this evening, but I think it is good to go. Thanks for the video.

That is so funny, I have those exact pair of slippers and they are always coming untied, just like that.

Just curious to what will happen if you raise your beater another 1.5". Let me know because my guess is you will get more speed and power.

What do you think about shortening the beater arm? I have found that it moves more quickly and sacrifices minimal volume.