No, this isn’t a post about relationships. My girlfriend probably wouldn’t appreciate that much. As you can probably tell from the picture, it’s about a weird contraption that you step on, otherwise known as a “kick pedal.” “What’s that,” you ask. “No I didn’t ask that,” you say, “get on with it.” Sorry but not everyone is as brilliant as you.

The kick pedal is what a drummer uses to hit the kick, or bass, drum. The one in the picture is the same kind that I use. In fact, I’ve used the same one for about 8 years. So what’s the deal with “being single?” Let me show you what some people use.

This is a double kick pedal. It works the same way as a single except you use both feet to rapidly hit the kick drum in succession. There are a lot of good uses for this device that are most prominently found in metal songs. Lars Ulrich of Metallica is famous for his double-kick work. They aren’t restricted to metal either, as Carter Beauford of the Dave Matthews Band uses them to great effect.

Why do I dislike these things? There are a few reasons. First (and least) of all, they’re awkward. Transporting and setting them up is not easy. I’ve dealt with them in the past so you’ll just have to take my word for it. Second, they require an entirely unique kit setup because you have to make room for the second pedal. It obviously can be done and people get comfortable with it, so that’s a small complaint. The real reason I don’t like these things is as follows.

Let me preface this by saying that I’m no expert when it comes to different drumming styles. I come from the John Bonham (Led Zeppelin) school of drumming which is simple, driving, and loud. That said, I see and hear a lot of drummers use these double kick pedals in a way that I can best describe as cheating.

Here’s an example. If you have our new album, listen to the first track, “Write it Down” (or check out our Myspace). At 39 seconds in, there’s a little drum fill that sounds like three fast kick hits. Some drummers would use their double kick pedal to hit the kick drum three times in a row. Sure, that would sound just about the same. But I create the same effect using one kick pedal and a floor tom (here’s a photo of a floor tom in case you’re drumming-impaired). The fill is simply two fast kick hits on the single pedal followed by one tom hit. Three quick hits in succession. It takes practice, but once your foot is fast enough, you can do just about anything on a single pedal that most people do on a double.

Here’s another example from our album. In “Bad to Good,” at 2:31 there’s a big drum fill. It’s a pretty standard fill consisting of double hits. Two kick, two snare, two kick, two tom, two kick, two tom, etc. Again, some people would use a double kick pedal to get those fast double kick hits. But why bother when you can achieve the exact same thing with a single?

Ok one more…this one is way more simple. In “What If…” in the second and last choruses (1:58 and 2:51) I throw in a couple of fast kick hits. This is something that I hear KoRn’s drummer do all the time, except he uses two kick pedals to do it. That, my friends, is lame.

I don’t think I’m the cat’s pajamas or anything. I’m just proud of my foot’s ability to hit the kick pedal pretty quickly. The point of this post, I suppose, is to inspire veteran and potential drummers. If you use or are thinking of using a double kick pedal, make sure you’re putting it to good use. Come up with intricate fills that couldn’t be replicated on a single pedal. Or if you’re already using a double kick pedal to do fills like the ones I described, try ditching your second pedal and figuring out how to do it all on one. Your foot will thank you.