5. Beginner Drum Lesson: Adding the Bass Drum | The White Stripes - “The Air Near My Fingers”

Welcome to Part 5 of this beginner drum lesson series, “The Air Near My Fingers” by The White Stripes.

In this video, we’ll be adding the bass drum into sections 1 and 3 - the crash section and the ‘do do’ section.

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Intro & Demo

00:59 – Coordination

01:32 – Bass Drum Overview, Technique & Tips

02:29 – Posture and Seating Position Tips

03:28 – Slow and Steady Practice of Sections 1 & 3 (Adding the Bass Drum)

04:38 – Practice Tips

05:43 – Bass Drum Notation in Section 1 (Listening & Pointing)

07:42 – Bass Drum Notation in Section 3 (Listening & Pointing)

08:08 – Full Play-Along: Sections 1–4

09:21 – Outro & Well Done!

🪘 Tips from this lesson

Play the crash and bass drum together on beats 1, 3 and 4.

Avoid the “crocodile foot” – keep your foot in contact with the bass drum pedal at all times.

Keep the bass drum beater pressed gently against the skin/pad to help with control and stability.

Slow and steady = fast. Adding the foot is tricky, so take your time and build up gradually.

Watch as I point to the drum notation while we listen to the track.

Mentally, imagine the bass drum as the hammer on count one — wait your turn, stay in time, and take pride in locking in with the music rather than rushing.

Once you’re comfortable, join in with me as we play through sections 1–4, and then try putting the whole song together at home.

And that’s a wrap! thank you for joining me for this video series. I hope you’ve enjoyed and congratulations on playing your first full song on the drums! You should be very proud.

🔗 Links to Parts 1–4 in the series are included below.

1. Beginner Drum Lesson: Playing The Cymbals | The White Stripes - “The Air Near My Fingers”
   • 1. Beginner Drum Lesson: Playing The Cymba...  

2. Beginner Drum Lesson: Playing The Toms | The White Stripes - “The Air Near My Fingers”
   • 2. Beginner Drum Lesson: Playing The Toms ...  

3. Beginner Drum Lesson: Learning Song Structure | The White Stripes - “The Air Near My Fingers”
   • 3. Beginner Drum Lesson: Learning Song Str...  

4. Beginner Drum Lesson: Adding the Snare Drum | The White Stripes - “The Air Near My Fingers”
   • 4. Beginner Drum Lesson: Adding the Snare ...  

🎵 Song: “The Air Near My Fingers” – The White Stripes

🪘 Taught by: Alex | www.drumwithalex.com

💬 Questions? Drop a comment - no question is a silly one!

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