Simultaneous Footbass and Footdrums II
post by jefftk (jkaufman) · 2024-08-11T23:50:01.982Z · LW · GW · 0 commentsContents
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Getting ready for this Friday's Spark in the Dark I've modified my rhythm stage setup to support a new way of doing more things at once. I have four velocity-sensitive pedals, which I initially used for drums. Then I added bass as an option, and then year ago I got them set up for drums and bass at the same time. I've ended up using this a lot to accompany mandolin playing: I really like adding bass, especially rocking octaves, but I almost always still want the kick drum.
The biggest problem was that I wanted more chords: choosing between I IV V for major tunes, i bVII vVI for minor, and I bVII V for mixolydian was very limiting. I also noticed that I was almost never using the snare (left toes) in this mode, just the kick (left heel). Let's reallocate the left toe pedal from drums to bass: one pedal for kick and three for bass.
You might think that three pedals would mean three choices, but I chord them. The idea is, in addition to hitting each pedal on its own I can hit two pedals at once.
When playing in major the main options I want, in order, are I, IV, V, vi, ii, iii. Choosing easier patterns for the ones I expect to use more often:
Right heel | I |
Right toe | IV |
Right foot | V |
Left toe | vi |
Both toes | ii |
Left toe, right heel | iii |
This looks like:
It would be possible to use this for minor and mixolydian as well: set it in the key of the relative major (C for Am or Gmix). This is what I do when using all four pedals for bass, but I'm less sure it's the right option here when I have fewer pedals and some of the combinations are pretty awkward. I'll play around with this, but for now I've also put in a second pattern that I can select live (with a choice between mixolydian and minor):
Mixolydian | Minor | |
Right heel | I | i |
Right toe | bVII | bVII |
Right foot | bVII | bVII |
Left toe | V | V |
Both toes | III | III |
Left toe, right heel | IV | IV |
Note that this is slightly different options, in addition to being different footings:
Mixolydian | Relative Major | |
Right heel | I | V |
Right toe | bVII | IV |
Right foot | bVII | III |
Left toe | V | II |
Both toes | III | bVII |
Left toe, right heel | IV | I |
And:
Minor | Relative Major | |
Right heel | i | vi |
Right toe | bVII | V |
Right foot | bVII | IV |
Left toe | V | III |
Both toes | III | I |
Left toe, right heel | IV | II |
This is a lot to keep in my head; I'll know more about what I like after I've played with it enough that it starts coming out naturally.
Here's a very rough example of playing around with it:
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