Strength, Speed, Endurance and Control for Single Bass Drum Players

This book from Modern Drummer founder Ron Spagnardi will help drummers using a traditional single bass set-up attain the most effective and efficient results from their playing.

Building Bass Drum Technique has been written for single bass drum players who wish to devel­op a greater level of bass drum foot strength, speed, endurance, and control.

Though many of today's drummers have opted for double bass drums and double bass ped­als, an equally large number have remained with the traditional single bass drum setup. Development of the foot on a single bass drum can present quite a different challenge from dou­ble bass drums or double pedals. This book has been written to help the single bass drum play­er attain the most effective and efficient results.

Building Bass Drum Technique is designed in a very simple, methodical manner. The book's eight sections offer bass drum development exercises using:

• 8th notes
• Triplets
• Two common 16th-note figures
• Straight 16th notes
• 16th-note triplets
• 32nd notes

Each section of the book is divided into five parts:

• Part 1 presents a speed and endurance program with an accompanying progress chart.
• Part 2 is a study in the use of accents with the foot.
• Part 3 offers a solo using bass drum alone.
• In Part 4 a selection of hand and foot patterns helps to further develop bass drum speed, control, and hand/foot coordination.
• Part 5 is a sum­mary of the entire section with a solo that further enhances the hand and foot reflex action.
• Finally, in the last section of the book, five challenging solos are presented using combinations of the previously studied material.