BY STEWART JEAN, ANA BARREIRO, AND JEFF BOWDERS | FROM THE FALL 2019 ISSUE OF DRUM!
If there was ever a musical genre that spawned a multitude of subgenres, it’s heavy metal. Starting with Black Sabbath in the late 1960s, metal has spawned a long list of offshoots, including nu, rap, death, speed, black, Viking, Celtic, sludge, hair, glam, Latin, extreme, power, stoner, thrash, gothic, math, electronic, as well as grindcore and the other “core” sub-subgenres—the list goes on and on. As the old saying goes, however, “It Ain’t Metal Without Double Pedal.” Metal drummers must have amazing double-bass pedal skills like speed, accuracy, power, and endurance, but they must also be able to play complicated ride patterns to compliment those driving foot patterns. Mastering the following exercises will expand your ability to power through the flailing guitar riffs, massive pick sweeps, and screaming vocals that are essential ingredients to metal.
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