Bass Drum Control for Basic Rhythms
The most common problem with beginners is co-ordination of the feet. When playing basic rhythms, it is essential to have reliable foot control. Make your hands fit in with the bass drum, not vice versa. The bass drum is the time - the pulse. It does not slow down or speed up according to the rhythm being played with your hands, it stays constant and steady. With regular practice, you come to rely on the bass drum for steady time, which produces a comfortable feeling with the end result of a confident, steady rhythm when you play. As you gain experience, the time can be transferred from your feet to your body, and the regular pulse is "felt" rather than actually played. This enables the experienced drummer to play rhythms within the time with the feet also, thus creating "four way" independence with the limbs. The following exercises are specifically designed for bass drum control. For further studies in independence, refer to "Progressive Rock, Jazz & Funk Drumming".
