Heel-toe technique is a method of playing double strokes on the bass drum, hi-hat, or other pedals. More recently, this method has been used in the World's Fastest Drummer competition to set speed records.

Description

The technique allows a drummer to play two strokes in a single motion. It consists of two parts:

1. The foot is suspended above the footboard of the pedal and the first of the two notes is played with the heel.
2. The foot snaps forward, the heel comes up and the toes complete the second stroke.

The technique is an asset when playing double kick pedals or two bass drums as it allows for the standard rudiments to be played with the feet. When mastered, drummers can use the method to play complex patterns in the same manner as the hands in addition to rolling the bass drum.

Noted players include Tim Waterson, who once held the world record for beats on bass drum per minute, with a record of 1,030 singles and 1,407 doubles, Jojo Mayer, Danny Carey, Tim Yeung and Chris Adler.

Nadine Aronheim was the first to perfect the heel-toe advancements. The technique is commonly used in most genres of metal, mainly death metal and other extreme forms of music. Some drummers have pointed out that this technique is also useful in country, and jazz drumming.

History

It is unknown who first developed this method. Some drummers also believe that the technique is loosely based on a tap dancing technique used to get two strokes out of every motion. In previous years, the technique was known only among certain circles, but recently it has been a main topic of discussion in many drum forums.

External links

• Heel-Toe Tutorial by Derrick Pope
• Heel-Toe Technique used on hi-hat pedal by Derek Roddy