Hey all, I've been rehearsing on my cocktail kit and got it sounding okay.
One thing I'm experiencing is a sharp pain in my non-bass drum pedal foot from stepping back on it to balance myself. How do you all stand when you play and manage to keep the bass drum pedal going?
"sports injury" due to cocktail drumming?
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palacki808
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Heel up or heel down?
Do you play heel up or heel down?
Most drummers I know play heel up, using a combination of their leg and ankle to kick the bass. I play like this too, on a sit down set.
When I first started playing standing up I also had pains in my non-pedal foot. I learned that playing heel down where all the action takes place in your ankle can help this because your heel is indeed down on the base of the pedal and it deosn't move. With your pedal foot helping to support your wieght as well as balance, you'll be much more comfortable during the gig.
The only problem with playing heel down (for me at least) is it took alot of practice. I'm still not as quick as I was playing with my heel up on a standard set, but I continue to practice like this because I will eventually have the same feel if I practice enough.
-Joe
Most drummers I know play heel up, using a combination of their leg and ankle to kick the bass. I play like this too, on a sit down set.
When I first started playing standing up I also had pains in my non-pedal foot. I learned that playing heel down where all the action takes place in your ankle can help this because your heel is indeed down on the base of the pedal and it deosn't move. With your pedal foot helping to support your wieght as well as balance, you'll be much more comfortable during the gig.
The only problem with playing heel down (for me at least) is it took alot of practice. I'm still not as quick as I was playing with my heel up on a standard set, but I continue to practice like this because I will eventually have the same feel if I practice enough.
-Joe
Pain!
Hey Jeff,
I'll bet everyone who actually gigs on Cocktail Drums will have experienced some sort of pain at some point!
I spent a lot of time adjusting my pedal so that it is at a confortable playing angle and tension for stand-up. (I'm lucky because the old slingerland leg/pedal combo is HIGHLY adjustable) I find that the best position for me is with the pedal much lower (flatter) than when I play sitting down. This way my ankle is not bent up so far and I get a better balance overall. It also lets me switch between heel up and heel down playing very quickly and comfortably. As far as power, the fact that I can drop my whole weight into the pedal if I need to makes the pedal work with a shorter travel.
I also find that I 'fidget' a lot when I play. Meaning that I shift my weight, change my stance, angle of my feet, heel up/down as I'm playing. On an easy song I will sometimes play the kick with the other foot just to give it a break from being leaned on! I find that adding this variety really relieves the stress on my legs and back. It can get really tough if you stay in one position and then get fatigued and tighten up. Remember to keep it as relaxed as possible!
Hope this helps,
John
I'll bet everyone who actually gigs on Cocktail Drums will have experienced some sort of pain at some point!
I spent a lot of time adjusting my pedal so that it is at a confortable playing angle and tension for stand-up. (I'm lucky because the old slingerland leg/pedal combo is HIGHLY adjustable) I find that the best position for me is with the pedal much lower (flatter) than when I play sitting down. This way my ankle is not bent up so far and I get a better balance overall. It also lets me switch between heel up and heel down playing very quickly and comfortably. As far as power, the fact that I can drop my whole weight into the pedal if I need to makes the pedal work with a shorter travel.
I also find that I 'fidget' a lot when I play. Meaning that I shift my weight, change my stance, angle of my feet, heel up/down as I'm playing. On an easy song I will sometimes play the kick with the other foot just to give it a break from being leaned on! I find that adding this variety really relieves the stress on my legs and back. It can get really tough if you stay in one position and then get fatigued and tighten up. Remember to keep it as relaxed as possible!
Hope this helps,
John
I suggest getting your body an inch higher to your pedal. It gives a little less stress on your kick foot and gives you a better balance stressing your other foot less. I stack carpet and I know someone here uses a stacker on their DW pedal. This would help even more. Set up is truely the thing all players must to with a Cocktail kit, spend hours and hours, cause once you get it right, they are very easy to play.