In this lesson you will be developing your double kick playing by playing two notes on the hands followed by two on the feet, so the feet will be copying what the hands play. You will start the exercise as quarter notes, then switch to eighth notes and finally sixteenth notes. The aim here is to build up your foot speed and co ordination so you can throw in short bursts of double kick into grooves and fills.
When playing these exercises make sure your left foot is playing at the same volume as the right. Because this is generally your weaker foot it may need some attention.
Quarter Note Exercise
First of all play two quarter notes on the hands as a single stroke roll. Follow this with two quarter notes on the feet using the same 'sticking' idea. So you'll play: Right Hand, Left Hand, Right Foot, Left Foot. That looks like this:
TASK
- Using the 2 minute rule, get the exercise up to a tempo of around 160bpm.
Eighth Note Exercise
Next you are going to take the same exercise and double all note values. The only difference here is how you count the exercise and the speed you play it at.
TASK
- Using the 2 minute rule, get the exercise up to a tempo of around 150bpm.
Quarter Notes To Eighth Notes
Before progressing to the sixteenth note exercise try playing the quarter note exercise followed by the eighth note exercise. This is a great way to try and push the speed of the eighth notes.
TASK
- Using the 2 minute rule, get the exercise up to a tempo of around 150bpm.
Sixteenth Notes
In the final exercise you will take the same concept again but apply it to groups of sixteenth notes. As with the previous exercise, the only thing that is changing is how you count the notes and the speed you play them at.
TASK
- Using the 2 minute rule, get the exercise up to a tempo of around 120bpm.
Eighth Notes To Sixteenth Notes
I'll finish this lesson with an exercise where the first bar is played as the eighth note exercise and the second bar is the sixteenth note exercise played twice. As with the crotchet to quaver exercise, this is a great way to try and push the tempo of your sixteenth notes.
TASK
- Using the 2 minute rule, get the exercise up to a tempo of around 130bpm.
