Double bass drums are an essential part of many modern drumming styles. But if you’re new to playing your bass drum with both feet, getting started can be overwhelming, particularly if your focus is on the faster or more complex end of metal and its associated sub-genres. In a recent video, TesseracT drummer Jay Postones —himself no stranger to playing intricate foot patterns —demonstrates his approach.
Starting with advice on how to choose and set up a pedal, Jay highlights the difference in application between chain-driven and direct-drive pedals, as well as explaining how he has his pedals positioned and set for getting the balance of speed and power.
“I started playing double-kick about 20 years ago…” says Jay, “…and I was terrible. When I first got the pedal I was terrible. I didn’t even know what pedal I was buying, I just went out to my local drum shop and chose the one I thought looked the coolest, and practised until I could kind of do it.
“It’s fair to say that I learned everything the hard way. I just tried, and tried, and tried, and tried. What I’d like to do in this lesson is give you some tips and advice so that you don’t necessarily also have to do things the hard way.”
Jay’s first exercise is a straightforward stamina-building groove featuring constant sixteenth-notes between both feet. Meanwhile, the hands are playing quarter notes on the crash/stacked cymbal, while the snare drum plays on beat three, giving us a halftime feel.
Next up, Jay begins to take things in a more progressive direction by splitting a six-note bass drum pattern into repeated groups of three, then five notes to demonstrate how more complex patterns can be created by adding rests.
Finally, Jay wraps up with an exercise based on TesseracT’s song, Concealing Fate, which features a particularly Djent-y groove which moves between displaced snares and straighter, four-note groupings on the kick.
Full notation for each exercise is available to download for free from Jay’s website, where you can also sign up to Jay’s mailing list or become a member (membership fee applies), giving you access to multiple lessons and courses.
TesseracT also recently announced new album, War Of Being, which is due for release 15 September. You can pre-order your copy here.
