Show summary ▾ It’s hard to practice marching bass drum alone because you can’t hear how your part fits in with the rest of the bass line. There are hundreds of exercises in this playlist that can help you simulate practicing with the rest of the line. The BASSics and Splits Timing exercises mute and unmute different parts; you’ll see what I’m talking about when you try them. The other timing exercises and permutations will help you improve your timing. Make sure to mark time while practicing these and watch this video if you need help with that.

Show summary ▾ BASSics focuses on practicing splits with one other bass drummer, like hand-to-hands, split twos, and split fours with a variety of rhythms from 8th notes, to quintuplets, and more. The exercises simulate practicing with another bass drummer. I’d highly recommend practicing the drum two parts and playing along to the sheet music while you mark time. If you need help marking time, watch this video.

Show summary ▾ Splits Timing uses the same approach as BASSics with even wackier splits like laser beams that move down or up the drums, split between 3, 4, 5, or even 6 drums. Not to mention, classics like splits timing 16, which is better known as “Bucket Game” or “Obesity” and is commonly played at bass drum auditions. Although these exercises are advanced, the timestamps of each video allow you to select a BPM as slow as 20 BPM, so you can start super slow and let it speed up one click at a time. If you need help marking time to these exercises, watch this video.

3 drum - 4 drum - 5 drum - 6 drum

Show summary ▾ If you’ve managed to work through all of the BASSics, Splits Timing, and Timing exercises, these marching bass drum permutations will keep you entertained. These exercises cover 3, 4, 5, and 6-drum setups, challenging you to run complex runs and split patterns across the entire ensemble. Lean on the timestamps in the description to break down the runs at a slow tempo, focusing on maintaining consistent sound quality and exact rhythmic spacing before speeding up. But again, focus on these to work through a specific split AFTER you’ve spent time in the other marching bass drum exercises.

All - 8th - Triplet - 16th

Show summary ▾ Whether this is your first season marching bass drum or you’re a seasoned veteran on a world-class drumline, you need to spend time practicing these timing exercises. These timing exercises are essential for bass drummers looking to lock in their internal clock while marking time. Use the timestamps in the description to practice at different tempos, but slow these play-alongs way down if you really want to work on your timing. If you need extra help marking time to these exercises, watch this video.

All - Basics

Show summary ▾ If you’re having difficulty switching from one rhythm to another while playing or marking time, these playlists are designed to help. The “basics” playlist has fundamental (e.g., quarter, 8th, triplet, and 16th note) rhythms that help you develop a solid foundation for transitioning in and out of various rhythms. And the “all” playlist has some wackier rhythms like septuplets (sevenlets), 5:3 8th notes, and other goofy rhythms that modern bass drummers like to play. If you want to practice them, I’ve got you covered with this playlist.

Show summary ▾ exercises in this playlist are from the Kannapolis Independent Percussion (KIP) marching bass drum packet for the 2027 season. These exercises allow you to practice as if you were playing with the rest of the bass line, which will help you prepare for drumline auditions. Use timestamps in the description to jump to a specific bpm and watch this video if you need help marking time.