How to program double Bass drum beats
Double Bass drum beats have been a constant in Metal music since the early 80s. Ever since their introduction, their heavy pounding and driving force has struck fear into the heart of non-believers.
That might be a bit of an exaggeration right there. But in all seriousness, double Bass drum beats play a major role in Metal drumming. Fortunately, they are really easy to program. Given their impact, you might almost feel ashamed at how easily you can get a professional sounding groove going.
Here’s how you do it. First, place a Snare drum hit on beats two and four. Now set your grid to 1/16 notes if you haven’t done so already, and place a Bass drum hit on every single 1/16 note in the measure. Add the accompanying element of your choice (Hi-hat, Ride, or Crash cymbal) on every 1/4 or 1/8 note and you’re done. Here is what it should look like.
This also works with 1/16 notes triples.
For faster tempos, where the 1/16 triplet variant would sound ridiculous, you can use 1/8 notes triplets.
Like on previous occasions, you are free to add additional Snare drum hits to make the rhythm more interesting.
This is just one example of many. Get creative and try out different variations. Also, keep this approach in mind whenever you need to incorporate accents corresponding to the guitar, bass, or vocal riff in your drum tracks. Just put a Snare drum hit wherever the accents are.
You can also break it up a little, and don’t use the Bass drum all the way through the pattern. In order to keep it powerful, I’ve used bursts of 1/32 notes on the Bass drum in the following example.
Here’s a variation of the above groove with 1/16 notes triplets.
If these Bass drum bursts are not what your song needs, try groups of four to eight 1/16 note Bass drum hits and experiment with their position within the measure. Here are a few examples.
Alternatively, fast bursts and slower double Bass drum patterns can be combined. While the possibilities are once again endless, here is an example.
Needless to say, you don’t have to stick with your Snare drum on beats two and four only. Go back to the Rock chapter and check out the section about Snare drum comping again. Apply it to your Metal tracks in combination with the double Bass drum beats from above to get even more interesting grooves.
This article is an excerpt from #HitIt — The Ultimate Guide to Programming Drums.
The book covers grooves, fills, and techniques for Pop, Rock, and Metal as well as how to make programmed drums sound natural.
The book can be downloaded from www.drumprogrammingguide.com where you can also find additional information, a free sample and videos.
