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Marching bass drum?

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I'm currently in Marching Band at school, doing bass drum. I'm approximately 5'2" and weigh 90 lbs. I've had to use bass drums 4 and 5 because the top 3 are always taken by the experienced people who have played this instrument for about 2 years, and I have only just started. Our last practice, we were only out for an hour, but it killed my back (I had bass drum 5 on) and I could only stand stiffly and did not keep time with my feet. (We wear harnesses and rarely get to have chairs to prop it, even though we are not marching yet.) Seeing as there is really no possible way for me to move up a lighter drum, is there anything I can do to strengthen my back? I have a 3.5 hour rehearsal today (and we are actually going to play a majority of it today, instead of the hour mentioned before.) and I would like to get out of it alive.

Any other tips and advice would do well, too.

How much does bass drum 5 weigh? My school uses Pearl drums.

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  1. That's a typical problem most bass drum players have. Although I personally like the bigger ones because I have a bigger sound, and I don't like playing the smaller ones, because it doesn't really feel like a bass drum. NEVER EVER bend over with a bass drum, you'll end up with a lot of back pain that night. Don't lock your knees, so keep them bent when you're just standing. Uhm... Try to work out often (And I don't mean running, Lift some weights), it will increase your back strength making it easier to play. Put it down as often as possible, and when you put it down, don't bend over, lift it off of your chest rather than bending over and lifting it off that way. Tiger-Balm, Bayer, and any other strong asprin are your friends.

    Well, I played Bass Drum 7 - which was our bottom - in my freshman year of college (That was a lot of work, and yes our drumline was huge), and that weighed close to 100 pounds. Im pretty sure Bass drum 5 is a little bit over 50 pounds, but don't worry, the harness should take most of the weight off, just keep your back arched, and stand up straight.

    After a while you'll get pretty used to it, and it will feel like nothing. Just be prepared to sweat a lot.

    Hope this helped!

    -Akira

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