Thread: Blast Beats???
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Old 02-19-2005, 06:34 PM   #4
TTTSNB
llRLRL rrLRLR
 
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Maryland, USA
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Blast Beats
These are beats mainly centering on an 8th or 16th snare beat. At really fast tempos, many drummers "cheat" by playing the 8th note kick parts alternating, rlrl or lrlr. This is done either because their double kick chops aren't very good, or because they cannot get sufficient volume out of the kick drums for them to cut through the music.
Here are the two most common blasts:

H-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X—
S-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-
B-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-
This is known as the “Suffo Blast”, “American Blast”, or “Hammer Blast”
H-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-
S—-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
B-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
This is the alternating, or “European Blast”
You can also play this open handed or switch the sticking to lrlr
You can also have double bass 16ths in blasts, so:
H-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-
S-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
B-0000000000000000
Known as the “Cannibal Blast”
or
H-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-
S—-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
B-0000000000000000
Known as the “Bomb Blast

One of the craziest blasts around uses a one handed roll on the snare with 8ths or 16ths on kicks and 8ths on the hihat
so:
H-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-
S-0000000000000000
B-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
Known as the “Gravity Blast”
You can also play quarters on the hats, or switch to the ride cymbal, play accents on the ride bell, etc, etc. The possibilities are endless.

Last edited by the thing that should never be; 03-09-2005 at 06:42 PM.
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