Timbales & bombo - Auuu!

[montezuma]

Saludos!
Recently I try to play timbales and bombo (the bass drum) at the same time. I do it standing, but after a couple of time me leg is tired and I have to stop playing with me foot. I suppose that my bombo technic is incorrect. Please give me any advices how to play with the bombo.

[Raymond]

What you might have is a case "of using a muscle or muscles" that you are not use to using" or just pure independence situation." Your calf and your hip are used here. (If standing, I guess is your calf more than anything else). Might need to relax, you might be overdoing it, and try to do it naturally. (If you are not use to using a muscle, your muscle will hurt because is "developing" or worst...injured, if you overdoing it. Might need to take a break here)....

Technique of playing the bass drum (or bombo in Spanish) while playing timbales??? Just lean yourself towards your "playing side" and be ready to hit.

How are you using the bass drum??? As part of the "groove or machaca" as a "trap drummer" will do or just to "accentuate" the cymbal hitting (like it was done in the late 70s)? If you are hitting it like a trap drummer, you might consider playing seated because is easier on your legs).

I hope this helps! Saludos!

[Ivan]

I wonder if getting yourself a standing stool - something the height of a bar stool... I wonder if that might help...

Ivan

[montezuma]

Thanks a lot for your advices! I use the bombo durning the marcha and montuno. I use the pattern which i found in Changuito timbales book. And I make an accents with the cymbal too. I saw many concert wher a timbales player played a concert without any stool. So I thought taht mayby my technic of playing the bomgo is not correct (my leg hurts after the first song). But mayby my legs are not use to playing bomgo. So I have to work on it. Thanks a lot!

[Raymond]

I think that if you are going to do the "regular beat" while playing the bass drum (bombo) you will have to develop those legs pretty good. If you do not have the strength yet is going to be awhile before you will be able to master it. Therefore, assuming you are doing everything OK, your legs will hurt naturally because the muscle needs to develop. Is just normal process: no pain, no gain.

I've seen that timbaleros who want to do that eventually they will play seated. Rafael "Tito" de Gracia has a set up that he calls "timbalateria" that is a modified trap drum with timbales and he went seated because is too hard to do it standing up...Even is you have a high throne to sit at it, it limits you. Also, notice Samuel Formell of the Van Van who replaced Changuito...He started playing standing up and decided to go seated and added a full trap drummer set with timbales Samuel is probably the best example in tropical music of somebody who is playing all the parts...

Never saw or never seen Changuito doing this while standing up...But I bet hi got those legs developd pretty good. If you want to keep on playing standing up is going to hurt until those legs become strong enough to deal with it but long periods and to hit with strength. (Is like everything else)...

Saludos!