Pearl BD10 Bass Drum Practice Pad
- Formulated for extremely low noise and realistic feel
- Universal fit
- Compensates for different floor surfaces
- Wide pad accommodates double pedals
- Provides a solid support base for bracing
Product Description
The BD-10 bass drum practice pad is a compact and highly stable pad that can adapt to double pedals and folds for easy transport…. More >>
Overall, this pad is very sturdy, and certainly provides realistic feedback while remaining relatively quiet. The only negative is in the method that the pedal mates up to the pad. The bar where it clamps on is on an adjustable swivel, but the wing nuts don’t stay all that tight under use so the pedal will tend to rise up a little in the middle. Overall though, this is still a great pedal and I would recommend it.
Rating: 4 / 5
Comment by J. Allgood — October 11, 2009 @ 11:34 am
My motivation for purchasing this pad was the segment on single pedal exercises and technique in John Blackwell’s Technique, Grooving and Showmanship DVD (ASIN B00008K9HV). If you haven’t heard or watched Blackwell, he is incredibly fast on a single pedal, so his tips were important.
What is good about this pad is it does not have the same rebound as most bass drums, making you work a bit harder during practice. It will work with single or double pedal configurations, and folds down to get out of your way when you are not using it.
I practice by first spending an hour using the exercise technique Blackwell recommends, which is to sit without a pedal and do quarter notes with your right foot, heel down, and rocking your left foot so that your toe is down on 2 and 4. This exercise builds calf strength and also locks in basic timing. Next I spend an hour on this pad with a single pedal, starting with the same pedal-less exercise I just described, then working to 16th notes. Sometimes I use a muted hi-hat for my left foot. I focus on both speed and accents with this pad, and I also have a piece of heavy cloth over the strike area to dampen the small amount of rebound this pad has to make me work harder. The dampening is akin to using pillows for stick practice – when you practice without any rebound your speed dramatically improves when you get on your set and play.
Of course, this pad is also an outstanding general practice tool that works well when you are using mesh heads and cymbal mutes, or a practice pad set.
Rating: 5 / 5
Comment by Victoria Tarrani — October 11, 2009 @ 1:47 pm