I'm numero 2 bass. So bassically I am the one who connects the runs and diddles. So I was wondering which position is the hardest to play?

All depends on the runs you have for your school. Generally i say its either bass 2 or 3

I play 2, and that's pretty easy if i don't forget the 16th diddles to connect everything. (which doesn't happen often) Other than that, i find it to be pretty easy.

I think its either the number 2 or number 4 bass because your mostly on the & beats.

Top because this person needs GOOD hands. Basically a Snare drummer on bass.

2nd because timing needs to be perfect. Hand also must be equal to top bass.

3rd because this person has the most notes in the bassline. The smartest and most consistent bass drummer should be on this drum.

4th because like 2nd bass, timing needs to be above average.

5th because this person needs to beat the EFF out of the drum.


All drums in a bassline are hard in their own way. In the HS setting, you see the rookies get thrown on bass drum which is why many high school basslines are garbage.

I've played Top bass and 2nd bass....and, although I had harder licks on top bass to play, I'll go with 2nd bass being the hardest. 2nd bass was fun as hell, but tricky to memorize parts.

2nd has a bunch of splits and seems to be the hardest to me

WIthout repeating the same stuff every da, how do you develop consistency player to player in a college line?

Secondly How is one supposed to achieve the non standard run in a line with players who arent musically mature, and dont have snugglebunny of years of experience. In most HS lines you have to take what you can get.
When speaking about a drum corps, Its pretty mucha non issue.
And college falls somwhere between. you get some crazy experienced people, and others who played snare for 4 years in a garbage HS line, who have trouble playing consisten upbeats.

My thought Is that regardless of how many basses there are, each one has a criteria of what makes a good player of that drum. players 123, and if the line is larger, 4 Need to be musically mature, and as the line gets larger, the musical requirements get less difficult, more becuase larger drums dont articulate well at long distances. Particularly if they are tuned poorly. If yopu can find me 5 HS feshmen and sophomores that can play e's and a'a as consistent as a high school junior or senior, then I wouldnt have the problems I have.
SO Im not nessacerily disagreeing with you, Im just saying the person who asked this question most likely is about to go into high school, or is in a high school level line. SO using that as context,I'd say Toe's assesment is about right

FOr my official position, two is the hardest drum to play, and march well. The only thing it doesnt have to do that all the other drums do, is deal with a large drum. Timing needs to be more detailed and consistent than any other drum. Marching needs to be more consisttant than any other drum, becuase you will be setting the interval for the other 3 behind you, as a result, you need to be more aware of what the 1st drummer is doing, as if he wrong youll need to adjust, musically, and marching(ally?).

Obviously, when it comes to any line (excluding DCI, maybe) you are going to have large discrepancies among players. Like you said, experience and background have a lot to do with playing ability, but just because a Freshman in high school may not be the top-notch counter, doesn't mean that kid should not be exposed to harder/varied material. What exactly are you trying to achieve with your bassline? Players who can consistently play the same thing every single day? or a well-rounded player who, if the opportunity arrives, can play something other than the downbeat(which, I agree, can even be difficult for the least-experienced). I guess my overall point is to broaden the horizons of each player on the bassline. Certainly your top 2-4 basses (given the size of your line) are generally going to have more experience and perform at a higher reading level, but that doesn't mean the 6'4", 250 lb giant hauling around bass 8, can't be given an up-beat every so often. Also, if you teach your lower drums how to play harder material, wouldn't that stand to reason that they could play the "easier" parts that they are generally given?

This is perhaps even more important at the high school level from a teaching perspective, considering the overall goal should be devoted to education. Also, if you teach your lower drums "harder" material, then that places a bassline in a good position to progress over the years. Your bass 5 of 5 could be a Freshman and by the following year due to varied exposure could be marching a higher drum with more demanding parts, which in the long run could make teaching a line less frustrating.