How to Play Blast Beats Like a Pro Metal Drummer | MetalForge

Master the blast beat — the signature extreme metal drum technique. Step-by-step guide covering single-stroke, double-stroke, and gravity blast variations, w...

Frequently Asked Questions

How fast should I practice blast beats?

Start at 80 BPM and only increase tempo when you can play clean, relaxed single strokes for 30 seconds without tension. Rushing tempo progression is the leading cause of repetitive strain injury in extreme metal drummers. George Kollias recommends spending months at 100–120 BPM before pushing toward extreme tempos.

Who invented the blast beat?

The blast beat has contested origins — early punk and hardcore bands used proto-blast patterns in the early 1980s. In death metal, Pete Sandoval of Morbid Angel and Flo Mounier of Cryptopsy are credited with developing the technique into its modern form. Dave Lombardo's fast 16th-note patterns on Slayer's 1986 "Reign in Blood" also influenced the technique's spread into thrash metal.

What is the difference between a blast beat and a double bass beat?

A blast beat is a specific pattern combining snare, hi-hat, and kick drum in rapid unison strokes, typically using a single bass drum. Double bass drumming uses two bass drums (or a double pedal) to play alternating kick patterns beneath any groove or beat. George Kollias and Pete Sandoval combine both techniques — their blast beats often include double bass subdivisions for additional density.

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1. Step 1: Build the Foot Foundation: Kick Drum Speed and Endurance — Before adding hands, develop your kick drum single-strokes. Play a continuous stream of even 16th notes at 80 BPM using a single bass drum pedal. The goal is a relaxed, bouncing motion — the beater should rebound naturally off the head rather than pressing into it. Joey Jordison and George Kollias both emphasize the heel-up technique for extreme speeds: the entire foot lifts from the heel rest, allowing the ankle and calf to drive the beater with a whipping motion. Practice at 80, 90, 100, and 110 BPM before introducing the hands. The kick drum is the metronome beneath your blast beat; if the foot falters, the whole pattern collapses. Spend at least two weeks developing isolated kick consistency before proceeding to the full blast pattern. See the double-bass technique page at /technique/double-bass for additional foot exercises.
2. Step 2: Learn the Standard Single-Stroke Blast: Hands and Feet Together — The standard blast beat places one hand stroke on the hi-hat for every kick drum stroke, while the opposite hand plays the snare on the alternating subdivision. At 80 BPM in 16th notes the pattern becomes: right hand hi-hat plus right foot kick, then left hand snare plus right foot kick, continuously alternating. George Kollias describes this as making your limbs breathe the same air — each stroke triggers the next in a chain reaction rather than as independent events. Keep your stroke height low (1–2 inches off the head) for speed and rebound efficiency. Use a mirror or phone camera to monitor for tension in shoulders and forearms. When the pattern feels effortless at 100 BPM, increase by five BPM increments, consolidating each tempo for one full week before advancing. Study the blast beat technique page at /technique/blast-beat for the complete history and variations.
3. Step 3: Add the Double-Stroke Variation: Pete Sandoval's Hyper Blast — The double-stroke blast (hyper blast) uses double-stroke rolls on the hands rather than single strokes — allowing greater speed because the rebound of the first stroke propels the second. The pattern is RR-LL alternation on hi-hat and snare, with the kick drum maintaining its single-stroke pulse beneath. Pete Sandoval's recordings with Morbid Angel on "Altars of Madness" (1989) feature this pattern at extreme tempos. The double-stroke approach demands a well-developed open roll — practice your doubles at 60 BPM with full stick height before reducing height for speed. The key risk is choking the rebound; the stick must be held loosely enough to allow the natural rebound to produce the second stroke. George Kollias advises: always feel the stick bounce, never force it. Dave Lombardo's approach on "Reign in Blood" blends single and double strokes for dynamic variety within blast sections.
4. Step 4: Practice the Gravity Blast: Advanced One-Handed Speed — The gravity blast allows a single hand to play continuous 16th notes without a second hand assisting — freeing the other hand for accents, crashes, or fills while the blast continues. The technique uses a fulcrum-based rocking motion: the stick rests between thumb and first finger, and gravity returns the stick to the head after the upstroke. Practice with your dominant hand on the hi-hat: rock the stick down (stroke), let gravity pull it back up (rebound), rock it down again in continuous motion. George Kollias uses gravity blasts on Nile's "Sacrificial Suicide" to maintain blast pressure while adding snare ghost notes and tom accents. Start at 40 BPM and build over several weeks — this is a genuinely advanced technique requiring patient, daily practice. Once mastered, it dramatically expands what you can express over a blast beat section.
5. Step 5: Study the Masters and Apply Blast Beats Musically — A blast beat is only as powerful as its musical context. Study how George Kollias (Nile) uses brief blast sections as rhythmic explosions between more measured groove patterns — the contrast makes the blast land harder. Pete Sandoval (Morbid Angel) embeds blasts into riff-based frameworks where guitars reinforce the rhythmic attack. Dave Lombardo (Slayer) placed blast-adjacent techniques in "Angel of Death" at a moderate thrash tempo, proving that blast beats are about intensity and placement, not just raw speed. Listen to "Annihilation of the Wicked" (Nile), "Altars of Madness" (Morbid Angel), and "Reign in Blood" (Slayer) with focused attention on how the blast beat enters and exits each musical passage. Record yourself weekly and compare against these recordings — the gap between your recordings and theirs tells you exactly what to practice next.
George Kollias — Complete Gear Setup
Pete Sandoval — Complete Gear Setup
Dave Lombardo — Complete Gear Setup

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