Hey,

        Just curious to see who here plays double pedal. I have an Iron Cobra and love drummers such as Virgil donati and dennis chambers.  I also love odd time and polyrhythms.
It'd be great to hear from anyone who can relate.

We would have to play all these goofy stale big band and jazz charts right in school right.  So we were all pissed at having to do this (except the French kids) but grinned and beared it.

Well my buddy was Swedish...his name was "Olli" and I loved this kid.  He was like "da dahble bass" this and "da dahble bass" that.  All that kid did was double bass licks- "I join this school to play dahble bass hard rock and all I play is stinking jazz"....very funny.

I bet he is a monster on those things now.

I'm more into rudiments on the "dahble bass" more than odd times and poly's.  I also like grouping on the "dahble bass" in 3's and 4's...sometimes 5's and 7's.
I have been practicing doing 2-3, 3-2 stuff lately with the gajate bracket when I get a chance for my ventures into "Polly Land".

I don't care for D.C. as much as V.D.- I think V.D. plays a little hipper for my taste, but I'm not an afficianado on either one of the dudes.

Geeze, and I got all excited that my first experience here as a newbie drummer (at age 30) is playing a bunch of jazz charts.  And I'm not even French.  

I don't get it though, what's "stuffy" about a really swinging big band?  Why need blazing double bass drumming when you've got Art Blakey or Gene Kruppa.  

Then again, I did just go out and buy some Pearl powershifter double pass pedals yesterday... and yeah, the whole double bass thing does rock.  =)

John

Double bass drums or a double pedal are great for expanding your vocabulary on the drums.

Just don't get caught in the I WANNA PLAY DOUBLE BASS IN EVERY SONG TRAP.

As for the Jazzers ? Try playing dynamically a swiss-triplet  with your feet under those swing feels to bring the swinging song to a roaring climax!
One of my students was playing in the school jazz band and the teacher said there was no need to bring his double pedal as it would not be needed for JAZZ. So he showed him the Swiss triplets I taught him and apllied this to an uptempo swing song and everybody smiled including the teacher.
Work on your rudiments with your feet just as you would your hands .
Virgil, Grant Collins, Mike Mangini, Marco Minnemann,and  Thomas Lang are there demonstrating the endless possibilities with their feet.
So just see where you can take it.
But all of this takes patience, perserverance and PRACTICE!
Good Luck              Tim Waterson aka The Drumcanman
                                   www.drumcanman.com