Heel Down

When playing drums, there are various different foot techniques and positions we can use, to be able to control the pedals of the drum kit effectively. By learning how to control these pedals, we can then use them to be able to play the foot-based components of the drum kit. These mainly consist of the bass drum and the hihat, but some drummers also like to use other individual percussive instruments, to play on with the feet, like cowbells, which are probably the most common example.

The heel down foot position relates very directly to it's name. This is where the whole foot is placed on the pedal, and when doing this, you should centre your foot on the pedal as much as possible, so that your foot doesn't hang off the sides, or off the back of the pedal, which is the heel plate (the part of the pedal closest to you, when you are sitting correctly behind the drum kit). In this foot position, your heel should sit static on the heel plate, and the rest of your foot should follow up the foot-board, resting on it, making physical contact with it at all times.

From this position, to then actually play the pedal, you just have to push/press downwards with your foot, pushing the pedal down, which pulls the beater into contact with the drum head, or other playing surface, or pulls the cymbals together, if you are playing on the pedal of a hihat stand. You should be moving your foot, by bending it up and down from the ankle joint. When pushing down, you are using your calf muscle, and when pulling up, you are using the muscle along the front of the lower half of your leg.



Playing from the heel down foot position is best suited, and most used for playing at low to medium dynamics. Because there is not a huge amount of movement used in playing this way, this means that not a lot of force can build up on the pedal, when playing various foot strokes, meaning that not a great amount of force ends up getting applied to the playing surface, in comparison to the use of other foot positions and techniques. So playing at louder dynamic levels is best and most comfortably left to using different techniques and foot positions.