Blast Beat — Metal Drumming Technique | MetalForge
Learn blast beat in metal drumming: A blast beat is metal's extreme technique: rapid alternating snare and bass drum strokes with the hi-hat or ride cymbal. ...
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Blast Beat?
A blast beat is metal's extreme technique: rapid alternating snare and bass drum strokes with the hi-hat or ride cymbal. Originally emerging from hardcore punk and grindcore, blast beats became the backbone of death metal, black metal, and grindcore drumming.
How fast are blast beats played?
Blast Beat is typically played around 180-280+ BPM.
Who is the best blast beat drummer?
Pete Sandoval (Morbid Angel) is among the most cited Blast Beat drummers, alongside George Kollias, Inferno, Hellhammer. See the full list on MetalForge.
What are the different types of blast beats?
Blast Beat has 5 main variations: Traditional Blast (Alternating snare and kick on 8th or 16th notes with ride/hi-hat accents); Hammer Blast (Both hands play the snare while feet alternate - creates denser sound); Bomb Blast (Snare accents on beat with constant kick and cymbal 16ths); Gravity Blast (One-handed roll technique using cymbal bounce - see gravity-blast technique); Hyper Blast (Extremely fast blast beats, typically 250+ BPM).