Blast Beats

[A000]

I'm brand new to them. I can't even play at 100 bpm comfortably.

I'd like to know the proper technique, the different blasts, and exercises to practice them.

Any help is much appreciated.

Thanks!

[Aaron]

Practice slowly. Slower than you'd expect. With a metronome.
One exercise I do is basic two voice syncopation:


H1 = Leading Hand
H2 = Snare Hand
F1 = Leading Foot
F2 = Hi-Hat Foot

H1 xxxxxxxx|--------|--------|xxxxxxxx|
H2 --------|xxxxxxxx|xxxxxxxx|--------|
F1 xxxxxxxx|xxxxxxxx|--------|--------|
F2 --------|--------|xxxxxxxx|xxxxxxxx|



So you play two limbs at the same time all the time (hand and foot), and exchange one at a time. Maintain 16th notes. Cycle through so you've played your right hand and right foot, right hand and left foot, left hand and right foot & left hand and left foot. Doesn't really matter how you swap between if you change foot, or hand, but the idea is practicing disconnecting leading hand and leading foot.

[Vinnie's Ice Cream]

Well said.

Just basically run through all the various combinations to a click. Start baby slow, like 40 bpm. Seriously. You'll be so much better for it.

Print out some blank staff paper and write down the various exercises you can find online, and just cycle through the various possible combinations, keep track of your metronome settings.
Study Gene Hoglan's playing.

Don't lame out like a lot of metal guys do with the whimpy tapping to attain speed easier.

Use Big Powerful Strokes!

You will be god like very very fast if you follow this method.

[Aaron]

Related to Gene; I bought some ankle weights yesterday. They feel odd to play with.

[Vinnie's Ice Cream]

Originally Posted by Aaron

Related to Gene; I bought some ankle weights yesterday. They feel odd to play with.

Indeed. I have noticed a dramatic improvement using them over the last year or so. However I don't do like he does and use them halfway through a live set, that's just nuts.

His doubles over singles exercise is pretty awesome, I would credit that to a large part of my feet getting smoother and locked in with my hands.

[Det_Nosnip]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18oaIznHoOI&feature=related

Say what you will about Roddy, but the man does know his blastbeats...I'd suggest checking out a few of those vids to get you started.

[Vinnie's Ice Cream]

No need man! Roddy said it all in that last interview talkin about how he breeds snakes for a living! He doesn't make any money playing drums. Which is pretty amazing even for a metal drummer constantly playing out with metal bands... oh wait, I see a common theme...


Funny he doesn't mention Gene, who is well regarded as the father of blast beats and popularizing them in the US. *shrug*

Blast beats are basically overlaid or interlaced singles. They are about the simplest form of musical expression on the drum set.

While every type of musical phrase has it's place. I would suggest simply working on double bass technique and making sure your hands and feet are also together, no flams on notes that should be simultaneous.

If you do this, you will be able to play any kind of double bass beats, including blast beats. Particularly considering that the amount of time you may spend "blasting" is tiny compared to everything else.

It would be the same as spending a whole bunch of time on a given fill that you only use .5% of the time, doesn't make a lot of sense right?

Don't fall into the trap of speed and noise. You'll just sound like every other half ass "metal" drummer that walks into GC.

Go through the book 'The Encyclopedia of Double Bass Drumming' to a metronome. You'll be able to play anything you want after that.

And if that book doesn't kick your ass, check out Virgil Dontai's "Double Bass Drum Freedom" and work through that!

[Det_Nosnip]

Well. Tony Williams spent years working on his ride cymbal technique, and certainly a big part of that time was spent getting it up to bop speed. Blast beats are a big part of death/black metal, so if that's what people are looking to play, it certainly can't hurt. You're right that there's not a lot of money in extreme metal, but...I wouldn't say that has any implications for a person's level of expertise. Also, he doesn't mention Gene because Gene isn't a blaster and contributed nothing to the development of blastbeats. He's easily one of the best "metal" drummers of all time, but his style is very different. While I personally prefer Gene's playing, I would still direct people to Roddy if they are looking specifically for help with blasts.

[Vinnie's Ice Cream]

Um the Jazz ride cymbal beat is used almost 100% of the time in some form or another in jazz. Blast beats maybe appear 5-10% of the time in metal... if that. Non the less... this part blows me away dude.

Originally Posted by Det_Nosnip

Also, he doesn't mention Gene because Gene isn't a blaster and contributed nothing to the development of blastbeats.

And now the teacher shall be taught. And I thought you were big into the metal?

There is an actual blast beat named after Gene, "The Hoglan Blast"

Gene was playing blast beats in Dark Angel - In 1983!
In 1985 they released their first album. Derek Roddy was still in grade school.

In a section of his DVD designated on blast beats, Gene personally lists albums he played blast beats on very very early on in his career. It's a LONG list. The guy has played on so many metal albums it's nuts. He talks about developing them further after seeing some metal bands (drummers) do similar concepts in europe.

Then he goes on to demonstrate how he evolved the concept of blasting while referring to the albums of which those examples can be found.

I know people like to make up history, but this is something that is carved in granite documented fact. You can go listen to the albums yourself.

Gene is famous for his blasts, has a particular one named after him and by all rights is essentially the originator of using it metal, more to the point, popularizing it's use in metal.

The guy is a blast machine. You should really watch his DVD and listen through Gene's discography.

Scroll to :58 seconds in for a short example.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSGkxNpP8aU

And interestingly enough, Gene credits Stevie Wonder for creating the blast beat -

" I love Stevie Wonder's drumming, he is an amazing drummer, my favorite, totally. And the father of the blastbeat, oddly enough. "

[Det_Nosnip]

I've watched his DVD, and eaten the accompanying M&Ms, lol.

Josiah, using "metal" as a broad term is like using the term "jazz." By your use of the word, your statement is false...there are entire subgenres of jazz that are not swung and do not use the traditional pattern (fusion being the most obvious example).

You are absolutely right that blastbeats appear 5-10% of the time in "metal," but nobody plays "metal." If you're looking at extreme metal (which most people who want to blast are), then the number is closer to 90%.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cac2-dTkayY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BI4_NMxPb8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o7SamPkmeg

Note: Roddy does not play on any of those tracks.

The biggest difference between Gene's classic "blasts" and the modern blastbeat is that Gene's were 8th notes (basically, a fast polka) while Roddy, Sandoval, etc play 16th note blasts. While Gene's early work certainly was important in the development of blastbeats, he isn't known for playing what most consider a "blast beat" nowadays. ...and thank God. I find what he plays much more interesting and musical.

BTW here's what Gene calls "blasting" from the 80's:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEWLbgqCkUk

[Vinnie's Ice Cream]

Well your blatantly wrong again. This stuff is all over Youtube you know right?

Gene contributed to it, in no small manor. Gene set the foundation for blast beats in american aggressive electrified music (call it whatever the fuck you want, you're arguing semantics and you know it). Gene has a blast beat named after him. Roddy does not.

Ipso Facto - " he doesn't mention Gene because Gene isn't a blaster and contributed nothing to the development of blastbeats. " is an entirely incorrect statement.

Originally Posted by Det_Nosnip

The biggest difference between Gene's classic "blasts" and the modern blastbeat is that Gene's were 8th notes (basically, a fast polka) while Roddy, Sandoval, etc play 16th note blasts.

First off. The man is not dead. He still plays drums.

I just think you haven't been exposed for one reason or another to the mans playing.

Scroll to 1:13 in, Gene playing with SYL , that ain't no 8th notes... those would be, what do you call them? 16th notes. Yes because his feet are playing 32nds.
SYL is FULL of this stuff. Again, one of MANY examples that took less then 60 seconds to find.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hje75_zd3oU

[Jeffs Carrot]

Gene definitely has his hand in blasting

So many have copied his technique which is considered staple blasting now

[Det_Nosnip]

Originally Posted by Vinnie's Ice Cream

Well your blatantly wrong again. This stuff is all over Youtube you know right?

Gene contributed to it, in no small manor. Gene set the foundation for blast beats in american aggressive electrified music (call it whatever the fuck you want, you're arguing semantics and you know it). Gene has a blast beat named after him. Roddy does not.

Ipso Facto - " he doesn't mention Gene because Gene isn't a blaster and contributed nothing to the development of blastbeats. " is an entirely incorrect statement.



First off. The man is not dead. He still plays drums.

I just think you haven't been exposed for one reason or another to the mans playing.

Scroll to 1:13 in, Gene playing with SYL , that ain't no 8th notes... those would be, what do you call them? 16th notes. Yes because his feet are playing 32nds.
SYL is FULL of this stuff. Again, one of MANY examples that took less then 60 seconds to find.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hje75_zd3oU

Josiah...why are you playing dumb? I'm the one who exposed you to Gene in the first place!

Gene playing something resembling a blastbeat in 2008 does not prove he invented them. In the very same DVD you keep pushing, he admits that he has borrowed what others (Roddy, Sandoval, Kolias) have done, but that traditional blasting isn't usually his thing. When modern blastbeats were invented, Gene was playing some fantastic music with the band Death. SYL is a recent thing and is the first time he's started playing anything resembling a blastbeat...again, 10 years after Pete Sandoval.

I really don't get what your argument is. If you're trying to argue that Gene is a better drummer than Roddy, I'm not going to dispute that. If you're arguing that Gene's DVD is a great resource for building chop & technique, I'm not going to dispute that either. If you're arguing that Gene is the end-all, be-all of BLASTING, though...then you're simply wrong. I know you're not much of a metalhead, but please stop pretending that you are an authority on extreme metal. Roddy's DVD showcases the various types of blastbeats and has specific exercises geared towards developing this technique. I would not recommend it to anyone except...*wait for it* somebody asking specifically for help on how to play blastbeats (see: the threadstarter)!

[Aaron]

Any wonder we have no new members round here when you all argue constantly about inane things, and the community thread is full of discussion of guitar luther work. Sigh.

A000; invest in a click track (there's tons on both iPhones and Android based smart phones), and go through your rudiments (Stick Control if you don't own a copy) on each limb independently. Then combine them together using the exercise I listed above, and as Josiah and Ted have said; research the giants of the genres and study them. Oh and I'll also say; practice evenly on ride, hat and other cymbals; I found that I did all my blasting work on the ride and when I moved across to the hi-hat I felt stifled for a while.

[Seafroggys]

Yeah this is a really stupid argument of semantics.

[tard]

Originally Posted by Det_Nosnip

Josiah...why are you playing dumb?l

I dont think he is playing.

Originally Posted by Det_Nosnip

I know you're not much of a metalhead, but please stop pretending that you are an authority on extreme metal

Or an authority on anything else for that matter.

[Pearl2004]

Tard? Really I used to have respect for you man.... These spamming posts only prove jos right... I'm mostly on Josiah's side in this battle but I respected you and I dont want to see you make an ass of yourself, but it may be too late

[tard]

Originally Posted by Pearl2004

Tard? Really I used to have respect for you man.... These spamming posts only prove jos right... I'm mostly on Josiah's side in this battle but I respected you and I dont want to see you make an ass of yourself, but it may be too late

Like I really give a fuck and besides I posted earlier I am only doing to Jos what he has been doing to me for months, taking his side just proves that your one of his little drones too, its ok for him to troll everyone but the minuet someone trolls him you all take his side...lol, like I said a bully and his flunkies.

[Det_Nosnip]

Please don't take my disagreement with Josiah as an acknowledgment of your little spat with him. Josiah is a great player with tons of playing experience, much of it professional, and he has made some great contributions to the board over the years. If you have something to say about the topic (blastbeats), then you're more than welcome to post...but let's avoid the personal attacks, shall we?

[tard]

Originally Posted by Det_Nosnip

Please don't take my disagreement with Josiah as an acknowledgment of your little spat with him. Josiah is a great player with tons of playing experience, much of it professional, and he has made some great contributions to the board over the years. If you have something to say about the topic (blastbeats), then you're more than welcome to post...but let's avoid the personal attacks, shall we?

So its ok for him to attack me for months, I just cant do it back, yeh, ok, I understand now!