Stick To Your Drums

How to Play a Kick Drum
The kick drum (also called the bass drum) isn’t the “showy” part of a drum kit, but it’s essential in creating the right sound for jazz, rock, and many other musical styles. You play the kick drum by pressing down on a pedal with your foot, so it’s important to position yourself and your gear properly before practicing. Once you’re ready to play, practice “heel up” and “heel down” techniques until you develop the muscle memory, stamina, and style needed to bang out some great music!
Method1
Positioning the Equipment
1.Set up your kit on a stable, non-slip surface.[1] If you set up on an uneven or slick surface, your drum kit will slowly slide away from you—or even tip over completely—while you play. For the best results, lay a cushioned drum mat on a solid, level surface to create a base for your kit.[2]
Drum mats are available anywhere drum kits and supplies are sold.
Alternatively, use a thick rug that helps hold the kit in place.
Placing the kit on uncovered wood or tile may cause damage to the floor.
2.Adjust your seat so your thighs are parallel to the floor. Seating height should be personalized based on feel, but start out at this neutral position. If you sit too high or too low, your leg muscles will tire more quickly as you practice.[3]
Use a comfortable seat that gives your legs a full range of movement.
Some drummers prefer a backless stool, while others opt for a backed chair. Either way, drummers are often very particular about their “drum thrones!”
3.Set the pedal where your dominant foot naturally rests. Sit down at the drum kit without the foot pedal in place, making sure that your arms can comfortably reach all the kit’s upper drums. Take note of where your dominant foot—the one you’ll drum with—is resting flat on the floor, and set up the pedal so it is at this spot and aligned with the bass drum.[4]
The pedal used to play a kick drum looks a bit like a car’s gas pedal connected to a swinging mallet (the “be**er”) with a series of chains and springs. Pressing down on the pedal causes the be**er to swing forward and strike the drum.
4.Adjust the be**er angle and spring tension to suit you. Once you have the pedal in the right position, set the be**er’s angle so that it strikes the drum fully when you press down on the pedal. At the same time, adjust the spring tension to fine-tune the amount of downward force you need to make on the pedal.[5]
Check the product manual for your pedal to determine how to adjust the be**er angle and spring tension.
As a beginner, aim to have the be**er at a 45-degree angle to the drum’s face and the floor when it’s in a resting position. Setting the spring tension to its medium range is also a good starting point for a novice.
Taking the time to set up properly doesn’t seem like much fun when all you want to do is blast away on your new drum kit! But it’s worth the time and effort—you’ll learn more quickly and be able to play longer before getting sore.
Method2
Playing “Heel Up” and Variations
1.Lift your knee and heel while keeping your toes on the pedal. “Heel up” and “heel down” technique both start the same way—with your entire foot flat on the pedal. For “heel up,” though, keep the ball of your foot on the pedal as you lift your heel and knee in one motion. Don’t press down on the pedal with your toes just yet.[6]
While “heel down” technique feels a bit more natural at the start, “heel up” is more commonly used because you can play louder and at a faster tempo. “Heel up” works with any type of music, and it’s definitely the technique of choice for rock drummers.
2.Press your whole foot on the pedal to play a note. Drop your knee so that your heel makes contact with the pedal again. As your heel makes contact, press down on the front of the pedal with your toes and the balls of your feet. The be**er will swing up, make contact with the drum, and play a single note.[7]
As soon as the be**er strikes the drum, return to the “lift” position—knee and heel raised, toes on the pedal but not pressing down on it. Keep your foot pressed down for an instant after contact only if you want to “bury the be**er” and deaden the sound of the note.
3.Push your toes down while lifting your heel to play a double note. While lifting your knee and heel, press down on the pedal only with your toes—this plays the first note. Lift your toes slightly just as you begin to bring your knee and heel down, then press down with your entire foot to play the second note.[8]
Getting the timing right here definitely takes practice, but this is a clear advantage of “heel up” versus “heel down” technique—playing double (and even triple or quadruple) notes is more manageable.
4.Use the “skip” to play multiple notes by tapping your toes. The “skip” maneuver is a variation on the “heel up” technique that involves lifting up and tapping down your toes in quick succession on the pedal. As you lift and drop your knee and heel, “skip” your toes back and then forward on the pedal to play multiple notes. Press down with each toe tap to play a note.[9]
With practice, you may be able to play 3 or even 4 notes with one up-and-down leg movement!
5.Try the “heel-toe” as another variation for playing multiple notes. As you’re about to drop your knee and heel down, tap out a note with your toes. Then, lift your toes just enough that you play the second note only with your heel. As you start to lift your heel up, tap your toes down to play a third note in quick succession.[10]
With lots of practice, some drummers can even squeeze in another heel tap and play 4 notes with a single leg movement.
Remember—banging on a kick drum is easy, but really playing a kick drum takes practice!

How to Tune a Snare Drum
No matter how good of a drummer you are, you won't sound like a pro unless you tune your drums. Drums don't have a key like a guitar or piano, but as the heads (the skins that you hit) stretch out they become uneven, loosing tension and the "pop" you want out of a snare. Luckily, all you need to tune a drum is a drum key and little bit of free time before you play.
Part1
Tuning the Resonant (Bottom) Head
1.Turn the snare drum when it sounds "wet" or lacks a sharp, crisp tone. Additionally, if the sound is uneven, it's likely due to a need to retune the drum. The distance from the edge of the drum can affect the sound when hitting it, but ideally, spots equally far from the edge should produce a consistent tone. For example, a spot 2 inches from the right edge should have a similar tone to a spot 2 inches from the top, bottom, or left edge.
You should also retune your snare if you've replaced either head.
If you're having trouble with your sound, particularly the "decay" (how long the sound lasts for), you likely have issues with your bottom head. Always check if it is loose before tuning the top head.[1]
2.Test the bottom head for tightness. Press your thumbs around the edges of the bottom of the drum. It should be relatively tight. Not so tight that it feels hard, but it shouldn't have a lot of give. If you touch your thumb and pinky together on your left hand, then poke the fleshy part of your palm under the thumb with your fingers, you can get a good idea how it should feel.
There should just be a little give.
The resonant head is clear, and has snare wires across it.
3.Unlock the snare wires. These are the thin metal wires running across your snare drum. There are two clamps on either side of the drum that clip the wires down. Unlock them so the snares are free.
If you hit the top of the drum, you'd hear a deeper sound without the ringing, snare-like sound. This means the snares are unlocked.
4.Hand tighten all of the nuts around the top of the head. Just use your fingers to get the sides around as tight as possible, though if you have access to a drum key, it is much easier to use that.
5.Use a drum key to tighten the top-most bolt 1/2 a turn. Rotate the key clockwise 180-degrees to tighten it. Use your thumb to test the head once again. Remember, it should be tight, but still have a few millimeters of give under your thumb.
If it is too tight, turn it back a quarter turn.
6.Use the key to tighten the bottom-most bolt as far as you turned the first one. In order to keep the tension on the drum even, you want to always tighten the bolts in opposite pairs. So, after tightening the 12:00 bolt, move on to the 6:00. Again, test the tightness before moving on.
Think of the drum head as a game of tug-of-war. You want all sides to be pulling on the head equally, otherwise it stretches too far in one direction and becomes uneven.[2]
7.Continue working around the drum head by tightening the bolts in opposite pairs. So, if you move to the bolt at 1:00, you then tighten the 7:00 bolt. Keep moving around the drum like this until you've tightened all of the bolts evenly. There are usually eight total bolts.
8.Test the head with your thumb roughly 1" in from each bolt. Move your fingers around the drum, testing each spot. You want even tension throughout. If it is not even, use the drum key to tighten the loose heads to align with the others.
There should not be any wrinkles across the bottom head when you are done.
Remember, you need some give. Resonant heads are thin, and can snap if over-tuned.

Huge congrats to Kim for passing yet another drum exam! This time a merit in Grade 5!