Thanks for all of the suggestions guys - very helpful indeed!

Here's a bit more info for those that asked: I am currently using a vintage speed king pedal (felt beater) with low spring tension and I have both drum heads tuned up fairly high (with the reso the higher of the two). I have a felt strip along the bottom of the batter head for muffling.

As some of you guys pointed out, I think my problem is that I am digging the beater into the batter head. I play heel up and really need to pay attention laying off the pedal. Im going to experiment with beater tensioning and length, head tensioning, and finally I'm going to give heel down a try for a while and see how that goes. Lots to experiment with and work on! Its always fun though, especially with this kit!

Thanks again guys Bowing

Oh Lord _ What I have to look forward to !!

I've never owned one of these Big Bad-a$$ Bass Dums _ but I'm getting one very soon _ a 28" Leedy _ and didn't even consider the challenge it will present to technique.

It's interesting what you said fungusamugus _ in that the bigger the bass drum _ both precison and stamina will be challenged _ and any sloppiness magnified and even more pronounced.

Recording is always a good idea _ so thats an additional item on my list to hunt down some recording gear. I used to own this very compact Sanyo boombox that I'd record rehersals and gigs with _ it was great because it was so easy and simple to use _ and the recordings were suprisingly good _ I miss that dang thing.

Purdie if you're reading along you suggested cutting small ports at the perimeter of the resonant head _ what size and how many I suppose are relative to the size of the drum ?

Would using one of those old school big woolly beaters help at all _ or tend to just soften the initial attack and volume ?? Calf heads ??

Anyways _ glad I ran into this thread and to the OP James _ Good Luck getting reaquainted with your 26" Vistalite and the new silver dots.

Its been an education for me _ My best to All.

Ohm

This post could not have come at a better time.

I am having massive problems playing my bass drums lately. For whatever reason, I was getting massive rebound from my drums. For the record, I pretty much only play 14x22's; my heads of choice were always SKII batters with mainly clear Ambassadors as resos (never ported). For the past 3 years, I have used a Pearl Demon Drive.

Out of nowhere, I lost the ability to control my beater. After doing a lot fo online research, I have basically tried everything: adjusting my pedal a million ways from Sunday, switching heads and muffling, tuning the heads differently, putting a 5" port in my resos, trying diffferent types of pedals & beaters, and on and on and on. It's like my right leg / foot has totally forgot how to play.

I've been through so much over the past couple of months, I'm wondering if I have changed too much with my gear, and it's just the frustration that is getting to me right now. It's gotten to the point where I've kind of stopped playing. I'm 42 years old. I don't have the time and/or energy to learn how to play again. If I don't figure it out soon, I am seriously thinking about selling off my gear and retiring from playing.

Try an extra long wool beater?

LVB- it seems as we get older we have to RE-invent ourselves in many aspects of life, druming being one of them.

If you play heel up it's way easy to play too hard.

If you play heel down (with your toes) a combo of head adjustment (looser), ports, beater choice, and seat adjustment (a lil higher or lower) depending where you at already--maybe even putting the seat a lil further away from the snare (so your leg is streched more) will help.

Don't throw your love and talent away so easy.

Hope this helps,

I'm 50 and still RE-inventing,

TC G

have to agree, I am 61 and I am not half the drummer I was at 20 that said I do alot of things better at 61 than 20 one of them being understanding my oqn drum mechanics and how to get the most out of what I have left.. I play heel up , my stool used to be set to give me a 90degree angle on my leg to thigh now i have raised it a bit and I have more control as I am a very hard hitter on the BD, as I said before use a felt beater cut a port into the reso head and use felt strips both front and back on a 26 or 24 and you should have no problems moving air and taking some of the bounce out also playing with two loose of a spring on your pedal will lead to rebound unless you have a very active young foot... play away but do not sell you will figure it out...

Switch over to playing funk music. That beater chatter will then be known as ghost notes ;)

I'd suggest going back to basics. Pick a seat height that works for playing heel-down. That same height will probably work for heel-up as well. It's good to be able to play both ways. Play the first page of Stick Control at a really slow tempo keeping an eighth note pattern going on the hihat or cymbal and playing the (L)eft hand notes on the snare and the (R)ight hand notes on the bass drum. Really relax and let the beater rebound off the head. Set up a mirror to allow you to see your foot while you play. Be aware of tensing up and take the exercises that produce the tension at an even slower tempo. My teacher reworked all my strokes at age 53 and I'm playing better than ever. Keep the drums and carve out some more time to get back to the enjoyment of playing.

Those are all excellent suggestions Chappy.

I've just recently got an extra copy of Stick Control _ and I've used that book over the years _ doing many of the things you suggest _ but NOT with the mirror _ so thats a good one to know.

I recently discovered that Ted Reed has a book that I hadn't run across before and can't remember it being widely used as his 'Syncopation for the Modern Drummer'

Progressive Steps to Bass Drum Technique for the Modern Drummer

There is scant information available on the book beyond the general description _ and I can't find any review or recomendations about it at all.

Anyone here work through this book before, or recall it being used?

Ohm

I don't have the Ted Reed book for bass drum but I've worked in the Colin Bailey bass drum book. Reed's Syncopation would be great for bass drum development as well. Alan Dawson's book list tons of ways to use the Syncopation book.

The mirror is a great tool for watching your hands, shoulders, and posture while you practice. My teacher found two areas where I was too tense: my shoulders and, oddly enough, my jaw. So out came his mirror and he had me relax my shoulders and drop my jaw a bit. The results were pretty amazing. I have a mirror in my drum room now and use it all the time.