What is Bass Drum?

The Drum kit

1 Bass drum | 2 Floor tom | 3 Snare | 4 Toms | 5 Hi-hat | 6 Crash cymbal and Ride cymbal

Other components

China cymbal | Cowbell | Sizzle cymbal | Splash cymbal | Swish cymbal | Tambourine | Wood block | Rototom

A bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. There are three general classifications of bass drums: the concert bass drum, the 'kick' drum, and the pitched bass drum. The type usually seen or heard in orchestral or concert band music is the concert bass drum. The 'kick' drum, struck with a beater attached to a pedal, is usually seen on drum kits. The third type, the pitched bass drum, is generally used in marching bands and drum corps. This particular type of drum is tuned to a specific pitch and is usually played in a set of three to five drums. It is the largest drum of the orchestra.

Usage

It is used in orchestral music, concert band music, marching music, and throughout 20th century popular music as a component of the drum set for jazz and rock styles.



In popular music, the bass drum is used to mark time. In marches it is used to project tempo (marching bands historically march to the beat of the bass). A basic beat for rock and roll has the bass drum played on the first and third beats of a bar of common time, with the snare drum on the second and fourth beats, called "back beats". In jazz, the bass drum can vary from almost entirely being a timekeeping medium to being a melodic voice in conjunction with the other parts of the set. In classical music, the bass drum often punctuates a musical impact, although it has other valid uses.

An orchestral, or concert bass drum is quite large, about 36" in diameter, and is played with one or sometimes two large, padded mallets. Usually the right hand plays the drum and the left hand muffles it. When played with both mallets, a knee or forearm can be used for damping.

Many different timbres, or sound-colors result depending on how and where the drum is struck. Implements used to strike the drum may include bass drum beaters of various sizes, shapes, and densities, as well as keyboard percussion mallets, timpani mallets, and drumsticks. Concert bass drums can sometimes be used for sound effects. e.g. thunder, or an earthquake.

In a drum kit, the bass drum is much smaller, most commonly 22" or 20" in diameter. Sizes from 16" to 26" diameter are quite normal, with depths of 16" to 22", 18" or 16" being normal. The "Standard" bass drum size is 22" x 18", but some companies make exceptions. Sonor kits feature 22" x 17½", and Ludwig makes a 26" x 16", where as the Yamaha and Mapex make kits in which the bass drum is essentially a floor tom on its side.

The kit drum is usually more heavily muffled than the classical drum, although it can be a bit "boomy". But this can be stopped by placing a pillow or a blanket against the back head to produce a shorter "thud". If the drum is not muffled, then the two skins must be correctly tuned. It is played using a pedal operated mallet, which a right-handed drummer will conventionally operate with the right foot. This pedal is a metal frame in which a pedal and beater are mounted. The pedal pulls a drive mechanism downward and this rotates the beater forward. The most common drive is a chain, but direct drive via a metal bar, and belt drive are also featured. The pedal beater is usually felt, but some are made from wood, plastic, metal, and even rubber.

Usually, the front head of a bass drum has a hole in it to allow air to escape when the drum is struck for shorter sustain (this can also deepen the pitch of the drum, depending on tuning). Muffling, such as pillows and blankets, can be installed through the hole without taking off the front head. The hole also allows microphones to be placed into the bass drum for recording and amplification. In addition to microphones, sometimes trigger pads are used to amplify the sound and provide a uniform tone, especially when fast playing without decrease of volume is desired.

One of the many ways to use the foot to hit the pedal is the heel-toe technique, or the "powerslide," where the drummer first puts down the heel and rolls onto the ball of the foot. This method uses a rocking motion and makes it easier for the drummer to hit the pedal quicker. Another variation is the toe-heel method, where the foot is played heel-up, so that the toes play the first stroke, then the foot shifts forward to a flat stance so as to drive the pedal into another stroke.

Double bass

In some forms of jazz and many forms of heavy metal and some more extreme forms of punk, two bass drum pedals are used, one operated by each foot. The idea for the double bass drum setup came from legendary jazz drummer Louie Bellson when he was still in high school. Originally two tuned bass drums were used for this, but a double pedal on the same drum using an extension mechanism is now more common, due to lower cost and ease of tuning. Although a double pedal will help conserve space, drum resonance is affected by having two beaters playing one drum which is why drummers may opt for the classic two bass drum setup. Some drummers have also experimented with two different bass drum tunings, sometimes combining this with double beaters so as to have more than two pedals.

With two feet playing bass drum, many of the techniques of snare drum playing (such as rudiments and rolls) can be performed on the bass drums.

Hi-hat

Many drummers use a drop-clutch mechanism in order to disengage the top hi-hat and free both feet while double bass playing. This results in the hi-hat producing a closed sound until the hi-hat foot is available. The mechanism is disabled by fully pressing on the hi-hat pedal again. Another solution to produce closed hi-hat sounds is by mounting an X-hat on the kit, thus leaving the main hi-hat for the open sounds.

Recently, a single foot double pedal has been developed. It acts like a single pedal, but it hits on the downstroke and the upstroke. This allows the drummer to perform fast bass beats while keeping their other foot free to use the hi-hat. Most of these single foot double pedals have a mechanism to "lock" the double beater into single beater mode. The mechanism disengages the upstroke beat to allow the drummer easier access to simpler, less complicated beats. The mechanism is engaged by pushing down on a lever extending to the right of the pedal, and dis-engaged by pushing down on the same lever once more. In addition, drummers can also get a triple kick double pedal, which combines the single foot double pedal with an extension mechanism for the third pedal, which is operated with the left foot.

Techniques

Double bass drum techniques were first used by jazz artists such as Ray McKinley, Louie Bellson and Ed Shaughnessy in the 1940s and 1950s, and popularized in the 1960s by rock drummers Ginger Baker of Cream and Keith Moon of the Who.^[1]

The most common method of double bass playing is a "heel-up" technique: the pedals are struck with the ball of the feet using force primarily from the thigh as opposed to the ankles when using the "heel-down" technique. Most drummers play single strokes, although there are many who are also capable of playing doubles or paradiddles. Musicians such as Thomas Lang or Virgil Donati are capable of performing impressively complicated solos on top of an ostinato bass drum pattern. Thomas Lang, for example, has mastered the heel-up and heel-down (single- and double-stroke) to the extent that he is able to play dynamically with the bass drum and to perform various rudiments with his feet.

A more difficult method is the "heel and toe" technique: the foot is suspended above the foot-board of the pedal and the first note is played with the heel. The foot snaps up, the heel comes off the footboard, and the toes come down for a second stroke. Once mastered it allows the player to lay down very rapid rolls on the bass drum. Noted players include Nicholas Barker, Jan Axel Blomberg, Tim Waterson, Chris Adler, Joey Jordison and Danny Carey. The technique is commonly used in death metal and other extreme forms of music.

In certain types of heavy metal and punk, drummers play a constant stream of rapid-fire notes on the bass drum, and the ability to play evenly at extremely high tempos is a skill prized within the heavy metal scene. Many extreme metal, thrashcore and Grindcore drummers use a combination of fast double bass drum patterns, the snare, and the cymbals to create blast beats.

Triggering

In heavy metal, some drummers use triggered bass drums. Triggered bass drums are drums furnished with sensors that are connected to a sound module. This way the drum produces a certain sound assigned from the sound module once the head has been struck by the drummer's foot (or stick). There are various reasons why triggers are advantageous. Firstly, it allows drummers to focus more on speed and less on volume: because at very high speeds it becomes impossible for the legs and feet to make as large motions as when playing slowly, so the volume of the bass drum hits necessarily diminish. Triggers will produce a sound whenever the bass drum head is struck, so a drummer can gently tap on the head at a very fast rate and still create the sound of a full-on fast drumbeat. Secondly, a drummer can assign any desired sound from the sound module to the bass drums, making triggers practical for somebody who plays two bass drums, for it is impossible to tune two drums to precisely the same note, since no drum is ever identical as the other (not even in case of same brand, model and dimensions). Even players using a double pedal experience this to some degree, as the two beaters hit different spots in the head. In addition, at extremely rapid speeds, the sounds produced by an untriggered bass drum, being at a very low frequency, may become indistinguishable and the effect will be a rumble rather than a series of notes. A triggered bass drum sound often has an audible treble portion, called the "click" due to its sound, guaranteeing that even at high tempos each note will be clearly audible (this can also be achieved by substituting the usual felt beater head with one made of wood or rubber). Triggers may also be useful for touring bands who play concerts night after night in venues with different acoustics and various levels of sound quality. The triggers make one less hassle in preparing the drum kit for concerts.

However, using triggers has its drawbacks. Calibrating triggers can be time consuming. It can be difficult to calibrate in the beginning: often before calibration a trigger will either produce a flurry of notes from only one hit, or will produce only a few notes when many hits are made. Using quality triggers and spending a large amount of time fine-tuning the sensitivity of the triggering equipment is almost always necessary. Furthermore, triggered bass drums may diminish the potential for dynamic playing: whether the drum is struck softly or heavily, the signal produced by the transducer will be at a constant volume (though dynamics are possible, depending on the type of trigger used). Whilst in some cases this is desirable, such as in a death metal band, where the use of dynamics is less needed, it is not in a more sensitive setting such as jazz or fusion music. Finally, a triggered bass drum will almost never sound like a real bass drum, even if the sound produced by the trigger is a recording of a real bass drum, as subtleties of individual hits are lost due to the uniform sound produced. In order to alleviate this to some degree, often a recording drummer will choose to employ a mix of trigger and microphone when recording the bass drum.

Marching bass drums

The "bass line" is a unique musical ensemble consisting of graduated pitch marching bass drums commonly found in marching bands and drum and bugle corps. Each drum plays a different note, and this gives the bass line a unique task in a musical ensemble. Skilled lines execute complex linear passages split among the drums to add an additional melodic element to the percussion section. This is characteristic of the marching bass drum — its purpose is to convey complex rhythmic and melodic content, not just to keep the beat. The line provides impact, melody, and tempo due to the nature of the sound of the instruments.

Components

A bass line typically consists of between four and five musicians, each carrying one tuned bass drum, although variations do occur. Smaller lines are not uncommon in smaller groups, such as some high school marching bands, and several groups have had one musician playing more than one bass drum, usually small ones, with one mounted on top of the other.

The drums are typically between 16" and 32" in diameter, but some groups have used bass drums as small as 13" and larger than 36". The drums in a bass line are tuned such that the largest will always play the lowest note with the pitch increasing as the size of the drum decreases. Individually, the drums are tuned higher than other bass drums (drumset kick drums or orchestral bass drums) of the same size, so that complex rhythmic passages can be heard clearly and articulated.

Unlike the other drums in a drumline, the bass drums are generally mounted sideways: the two drumheads don't point up and down, but left and right. This results in several things. First of all, to ensure that a vibrating membrane is facing the audience, bass drummers must face the end-zone (outdoor groups usually march on a football field; indoor groups in a gym: in either case, the drum head still points toward the audience) and so are the only section in most groups whose bodies do not face the audience. Consequently, bass drummers usually point their drums at the back of the bass drummer in front of them, so that the drum heads will all be lined up, from the audience's point of view, next to one another in order to produce optimal sound output.

Playing a marching bass drum

Since the bass drum is oriented differently than a snare or tenor drum, the stroke itself is different, but the fundamentals remain the same. The drum is mounted on the chest, with the heads pointing to the left and to the right. The arm is bent at the elbow and the forearms are held parallel to the ground and nearly parallel to the drum head. The hands hold bass mallets in such a way as to place the center of the mallet in the center of the head.

The motion of the basic stroke is either similar to the motion of turning a doorknob, that is, an absolute forearm rotation, or similar to that of a snare drummer, where the wrist is the primary actor, or more commonly, a hybrid of these two strokes. Bass drum technique sees huge variation between different groups both in the ratio of forearm rotation to wrist turn and the differing views on how the hand works while playing. Some techniques also call for the use of fingers supporting the motion of the mallet by opening or closing.

However, the basic stroke on a drum produces just one of the many sounds a bass line can produce. Along with the solo drum, the "unison" is one of the most common sounds used. It is produced when all of the drums play a note at the same time and with a balanced sound; this option has a very full, powerful sound. The rim click, which is when the shaft (near the mallet head) is struck against the rim of the drum, either solo or in unison. Rimshots are rare and usually only happen on the top drums.

The different positions of the typical 5 man bass line each require different skills, though not necessarily different levels of skills. Contrary to the popular belief that "higher is better," each drum has its own critical role to play.

Bottom, or fifth bass, is the largest, heaviest, and lowest drum in the drumline. Consequently, it is used frequently to help maintain pulse in an ensemble and is thus sometimes referred to as the "heartbeat" of the group (the bottom bass was also often referred to as the "thud" bass in days gone by, indicating that many of their notes were the last one at the end of a phrase). Although this player does not always play as many notes as fast as other bass drummers (the depth of pitch renders most complex passages indistinguishable from a roll), his or her role is absolutely essential not only to the sound of the bass line or the drum line, but to the ensemble as a whole, especially in the case of parade bands.

Fourth bass is slightly smaller than the bottom drum (generally two to four inches smaller in diameter) and can function tonally similarly to its lower counterpart, but usually plays slightly more rapid parts and is much more likely to play "off the beat" - in the middle rather than at the beginning or end of a passage.

Third bass is the middle drum, both in terms of position and tone. Its function is usually that of the archetypical bass drum. This player plays an integral role in the actual rendering of complex linear passages.

Second bass has arguably the most difficult job in the drumline. This player's parts are very likely to be directly adjacent to the beginning or end of a phrase and less likely to be on a beat, which is highly counter-intuitive, especially to a new player. Sometimes this drum can function about the same as the top drum, but usually the second and top drummer function as a unit, playing very rudimentally difficult passages split between them.

Top, or first, bass is the highest pitched drum in the bass line and usually starts or ends phrases. The high tension drum heads allow this player to play notes that are just as taxing as those of the snare line, and often the top bass will play a part in unison with the snare line to add some depth to their sound.

Muffling a marching bass drum

There are a few different ways to properly muffle a marching bass drum. Unlike the bass drum on a drumset, muffling should not lie inside the drum and should only be a thin strip of foam (opposed to a blanket or pillow) about 1.25 to 1.75 inches thick. The foam can be glued to the outside part of the head, glued to the inside of the shell protruding about a quarter inch past the bearing edge so when the head is put on the drum, it presses onto the foam, or with Evan's and Remo Powermax heads, it can be "wedged" in between the inside part of the head and a clear ring that goes all the way around the head. In each case, the foam should be glued or placed at the edge of the head, right up against the rim.

Recommended foam to use for this is either mattress foam or air conditioning foam and can be purchased at most home improvement stores.

Audio samples

External links

• MarchingHeads.com- Custom Marching Band drumheads made with your band's name, photos and mascot.
• How To Record The Perfect Kick Drum Sound- Tips on recording your bass drum

References