After playing drums for over 20 years, I couldn't stand it anymore.  I really wanted to fuggah duggah.  Mind you, I always try to play tastefully and not overplay.  But there have been times with my rock band where I've wanted to fuggah duggah during the "bombastic/shoot your wad" endings.   Not only did I want to fuggah duggah with 16th bass drum notes, but I wanted to do the thingy where you do SNARE/SNARE/BASS/BASS  and/or the TOM/TOM/BASS/BASS thing really fast. (Are those called quads, by the way?)

Anyways, I bought a floor model double pedal for quite a low price, and am now learning how to fuggah duggah. I'm practicing on my brand-new Roland TDS-20 electronic drumset.

Anyways, it's tough learning to fuggah-duggah.  For those of you that do, I have a few questions. Also, keep in mind that I usually play heel-down.

1. My first goal is to get EVEN 16th notes fuggah duggahs. This is tough. What winds up happening, as I go faster, is that they start to sound more like flams. I know there's no substitute for practice.  What do you guys like to do? Paradiddles between the feet? Just playin 16th notes at slower tempos? Etc?
2. Those of you who fuggah-duggah....do you play heel up or heel down? And why?
3. Have any of you learned to fuggah duggah after a few decades of playing single-bass? Were you successful? How much of an investment of time did you put in?
4. Where do you apply fuggah duggahs in a tasteful way? Examples, please.

I'm not looking to fuggah duggah though every song or even use it on every song.  Rather, in all seriousness, maybe use them in a solo spot, at the end of certain songs for a dramatic effect, and maybe for a few "Steve Smith/Separate Ways" kind of fills, but only here and there.

Thanks for any replies!

There is no "h" in "fugga", nor is there one in "dugga."

Like many other things, practice consistency. Play your sixteenths and whatever else at tempi where you can play them effortlessly, no matter how slow that might be. After a while, increase the tempo slightly. Never let yourself get tense. Never let the notes become uneven.

Fuggaduggas are rarely taseful because there are limited variations and they're all very upfront, lacking subtlety and screaming to be heard. Tasteful fuggaduggas are like a pink sport coat. Somewhere, someone's going to look good in it, but you'll see a lot of ridiculousness before you find that guy.

Thanks for the post, Poopster. Good advice. 

You say fugga duggas are rarely tasteful.  Could you give an example or two where you think they ARE tasteful?

Thanks...

Tasteful fugga dugga?

It's not exactly fugga dugga but Billy Ward's opening fill on "Step Inside" from Two Hand Clapping is a pretty cool use of a double pedal. You can download that song from Modern Drummer's web site: http://www.moderndrummer.com/mp3.asp

*sniff sniff* I feel so un-loved.

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What's better than playing bucket drums? Playing bucket drums on fire, that's what.

Yes, brilliant, another Poopy Hall Of Fame saying.

I think Billy Ward  does tasteful Fugga Dugga, in fact, I heard one on the trailer for Big Time.

The eveness thing, it will be as hard as making your right hand equal to your left in precision and strength.That will take practice.

I think loose to moderate spring tension helps, so your foot muscles are not fighting the constant resistance.Your fighting the tendency of pedal bounce with higher settings.

My band  doesn't like bombastic endings,it's pretty much get it done quick.

Good Luck.

tasteful fugga dugga? background music os a good place to start....

i second that step inside vote... thats a beautiful duet.