# Single vs Double Bass Pedal: Why Metal Lives on Two Beaters

> Why metal drumming runs almost entirely on double bass pedals — plus how a slave pedal and drive shaft actually work to fire a second beater on one bass drum head.

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## Why metal lives on double pedals

A single pedal gives one foot, one beater, and one stroke at a time — enough for most rock and traditional heavy metal grooves. Modern metal asks for far more: blast beats, constant sixteenth-note kick patterns, and rapid alternating footwork that a single foot simply can't sustain on its own. Across the verified metal roster, the overwhelming majority of drummers — from groove metal through death, black, and technical metal — run a double pedal rather than a single one. The exceptions cluster around doom, traditional heavy metal, and groove-oriented playing where the pattern genuinely doesn't call for two beaters.

## How a double pedal actually works: the slave pedal

A double pedal setup uses two separate footboards. The primary pedal clamps onto the bass drum hoop exactly like a single pedal would and drives the main beater. The second footboard — the slave pedal — sits where a hi-hat pedal normally would, under the drummer's other foot, and doesn't touch the drum at all. Instead, pressing the slave footboard turns a drive shaft that runs across to the primary unit, which fires a second beater against the same bass drum head. Both beaters strike the one head, so to a listener it sounds identical to two separate bass drums.

## Drive shaft basics

The drive shaft is a metal rod that runs along the floor in front of the kit, connecting the slave pedal to the primary pedal via a universal joint at each end. Those joints let the shaft transmit the slave pedal's motion to the primary unit's cam even though the two pedals sit at a slight angle to each other. Because everything routes through a single drive shaft, a double pedal only requires one bass drum — no need for two full-size kick drums to get two-beater speed and patterns.

## Reference Table

| configuration | mechanism | bestFor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Single pedal | One footboard, one beater, mounted directly on the bass drum hoop. | Doom, traditional heavy metal, and groove-focused metal where two feet aren't needed for the pattern. |
| Double pedal | A primary pedal mounted on the hoop plus a slave pedal, linked by a drive shaft that runs along the floor and turns a second beater on the same head. | Blast beats, sustained sixteenth-note kick patterns, and virtually every other modern metal subgenre. |

*Table source: [Drumeo — How To Set Up Your Double Bass Pedals](https://www.drumeo.com/beat/double-bass-drumming-setup-tips/)*

## FAQ

**Q: Single vs double bass pedal — what's the difference?**
A: A single pedal drives one beater with one foot; a double pedal adds a slave pedal under the other foot, linked by a drive shaft, so both beaters strike the same bass drum head. Most modern metal — blast beats, sustained sixteenth-note kick patterns — is built around the double pedal's two-beater speed.

**Q: How does a slave pedal work?**
A: The slave pedal sits where a hi-hat pedal normally would. Pressing it turns a drive shaft that runs across the floor to the primary pedal, which fires a second beater against the same bass drum head the primary pedal is mounted on — no second bass drum required.

**Q: Do you need two bass drums for a double pedal?**
A: No. A double pedal fires two beaters at one bass drum head through a single drive shaft, which is exactly why it replaced the two-bass-drum setups common in earlier metal — same two-beater sound and speed, one drum, less to carry and mic.

## Sources

- [Drumeo — How To Set Up Your Double Bass Pedals](https://www.drumeo.com/beat/double-bass-drumming-setup-tips/)

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- [Live page](https://metalforge.io/pedals/single-vs-double)
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*Last updated: 2026-07-12 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*