Hayman Posted August 8, 2001 Share Posted August 8, 2001 Hi, I've been playing drums for a few years but was never patience enough to work on my basics. I play in a band and I haven't been kicked out yet, so I guess I'm doing ok. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif Well, I've decided to spend more time on the things I skipped and one thing I've noticed is that my left hand is not near as "good" as my right. I'm thinking that if I can even out the differences between the two hands, my playing will be better. So what do you all do to get a "better" left hand? Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KikkyMonk Posted August 8, 2001 Share Posted August 8, 2001 Make sure you can start every exercise with your left. ie instead of doing a measure of sixteenths starting on your right, start on you left. Its a different feel and should start to feel natural - that is how you know your left is getting better. Make sure your accents are the same on both hands. Recording yourself playing is one of the best things you can do as it allows you to see what you do wrong and see what you need to inprove on. Im sure there are other better ideas out there so shoot away! -dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrthirsty Posted August 8, 2001 Share Posted August 8, 2001 A good way to improve your left hand is to play the hi-hat/ride left handed jamming along to recorded music, then as you get more confident try it at rehearsals. Who knows down the road you might actually prefer that to crossing your right hand to play the hi-hat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlhubley Posted August 8, 2001 Share Posted August 8, 2001 Try using basic drum corps warm-ups. 8's, Bucks, Roll exercises, etc. I also find that paradiddles are incredible. I sort of overlooked those earlier on. I have now found that they can really give you more options of grooves, as well as getting around the kit. There was a 2 or 3 part lesson on paradiddles in MD about a year and a half, maybe 2 years ago. Try to locate those. But here are a couple of quick ones to get you started: 1. rlrr lrll 2. lrrl rllr 3. rrlr llrl 4. rlrl lrlr The article showed some great accent patterns that will really work you. Let me know if you want them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djarrett Posted August 8, 2001 Share Posted August 8, 2001 Hey, Richard: All points below are valid. I would also suggest that if you want to bring your left hand up to the level of proficiency as the right that you spend twice the amount of time on your left as you do the right. With time, the balance of power will level out! Also, try doing other stuff with your left hand ... other than drumming. Want a great laugh ... but also a good idea of just how weak this hand is to the other ... try brushing your teeth ... or eating a meal left handed!! Want a real wake up call! DJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ModernDrummer Posted August 8, 2001 Share Posted August 8, 2001 Richard, Although I play a right-handed set-up, I'm left-handed. When I started as a kid, my drum teacher and parents thought it better to learn to play right handed, in case I ever sat in somewhere, etc. So I was switched to right handed playing after a couple of months. LOL, gotta thank them for that. It really helps on the jam nights I've attended lately. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif So, it's possible that I'm just naturally able to work my left hand a bit more. Maybe. I do practice consistently, whether on the kit or on a practice pad or pillow. And try to make sure I work both hands exactly the same, though I play Traditional grip. I do a lot of ghost notes, accents, stuff like that with my left hand when I play. Just my style. One thing I've found that has helped in freeing up the basic single downbeat 'whack, whack, whack' with my left is loosening up my grip. I think this is a bit easier with Traditional grip, 'cause of the way the stick is held. But obviously you can loosen up with Matched grip as well. Currently, my grip is loose enough that if I just hold the sticks and rotate my hands, the sticks will slide out. Also, Freddie Gruber (sp?) has said "If a stick wants to bounce, let it bounce". This I think also helps in adding some improvement and creativity to the left hand. Since this means you're maintaining "relaxed control" (I accomplished it by loosening my grip) over the drumsticks, IMO it's now a bit easier for your body, in this case the left hand, to "play what it feels". Also, just as another suggestion... If you have the ability, something else I started doing as a kid, BECAUSE I was left handed, was playing on a left handed drumset. I was later switched to righty. But I continued to practice left handed from time to time as well, as (at the time) it felt a bit more comfortable. So I'd just practice right handed, then switch stuff around and do it left handed. To be honest, it's much easier if you just have two sets available to you. Like say a right hand set for band rehearsal and a left hand set for at home rehearsal. But even if you do not, if you have a 4 or 5 pc. set, it really doesn't take very long to switch stuff around. Left hand guys here do it at jam nights all the time while the other people are tuning up, etc. It really helps to work not only your left hand more, but everything else as well. I suppose some folks would say it would screw you up, throw off your timing, etc. Perhaps that's true. But I found that it really helped in working toward being completely ambidextrous. Ride with either hand, bass work with either foot (which helps if you play a double bass / pedal set-up), move left or right with equal aplomb. Which of course helps if you have additional equipment on your left side like an auxiliary snare, timbales, etc. I don't know how sound these ideas are accepted as 'drumming theory', and I claim no expertise as a drum teacher, mentor or 'professional' (whatever THAT means). But, these concepts have helped me. Perhaps you may find utility in them, as well. J.B. If you always do what you've always done, you'll always have what you've always had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidereal Posted August 8, 2001 Share Posted August 8, 2001 I won't differ with the sentiments above, because it makes sense to me. But when I asked my teacher about working with the left more frequently he said not to do that. So I've never given my left hand any more attention. I'm not sure why he said this though and he never explained it. Just for the record. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayman Posted August 8, 2001 Author Share Posted August 8, 2001 Thanks to all! I'm sure your advice will help. I've been working hard on these things every day this week. Paradiddles, rolls, left hand on the hats and other things that might be good. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif I have a couple of fun gigs coming up this weekend (opening for UB40 on Saturday, here in Norway). Maybe I can do a little more of those ghostnotes and stuff. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlhubley Posted August 8, 2001 Share Posted August 8, 2001 Ghost notes? Just remember two words and you will be fine, Stick Height. Don't neglect stick height. For ghost notes, just play what you want but with a lower starting point for the stroke. Man, i love ghost notes http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Flier Posted August 8, 2001 Share Posted August 8, 2001 Originally posted by djarrett: Also, try doing other stuff with your left hand ... other than drumming. I was going to say something similar but what I had in mind was not very suitable for a "family oriented" forum. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif But anyway... errrhhh... ModernDrummer, I'm another lefty who plays righty (guitar AND drums). And so is the drummer in our band. I think we have an advantage cuz living in a "right handed world" has forced us to use our right hands for stuff we normally might not, and we naturally have a stronger left hand so we don't have to work on that anyway. I actually find it easier to fret with the left hand on the guitar, and to play the snare with the left hand... it would seem that those tasks require the stronger hand anyway and I don't understand why righties play the other way! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif Ringo is another lefty playing righty and supposedly that's why he played a lot of fills as weirdly as he did, he would start the fills with his left hand and it would change the way they ended up sounding. That must be why right handed drummers have so much trouble imitating him! --Lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ModernDrummer Posted August 10, 2001 Share Posted August 10, 2001 Lee, Well of course, you're 'right'! LMAO! That's what makes us sooooo good! LMAO! Having to adapt to this screwed up, 'backwards' right hand world!! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif I've just began taking up acoustic guitar. I thought I'd start on that, then work on electric. I'm a complete newbie to the guitar, but it just seemed to make sense to me to start on an acoustic, which requires that I push a bit harder on the strings, etc. to properly fret them. I don't know if this is a 'correct' way to do it or not, but it just seemed like a good idea to learn on the type of guitar that requires I 'work' a bit harder. I bought a couple of beginner's books and I'm just teaching myself. Once I get past a certain basic level, where I'm comfortable with fretting, know the notes on the strings accurately, etc. I may then take some lessons. But I'd really be wasting the time of the instructor at this point, IMHO. I've been through the learning curve before on the drums and keyboards, so I'm at least familiar with my own learning curve. For me, right at this point, I'm just trying to familiarize myself with the set-up and get comfortable with the finger movements, etc. But HEY, any suggestions or help thrown by anyone is most certainly welcome! Currently I'm practicing scales, basic fingering patterns and just began learning some chords. And I also agree with Lee about left hand sticking perhaps being a bit easier because the left is our strong hand. Never knew Ringo was a lefty (all the best folks are, you know...) http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif Then again, I never thought much about copying his riffs, just seemed natural. Now I know why, I guess. I agree with rlhubley about watching the stick height for ghost notes, especially when learning the stick work. Though again, I've never given it too much thought. Perhaps because I began so young. Sometimes I'll start with my sticks waaaay over my head, really exaggerated, then play very soft, or gentle ghost notes, etc. to get a smile out of the band. Keeps the practices light-hearted when we goof around a bit. Just something that becomes second nature after a gazillion hours behind a snare, I suppose. Sidereal - Well, as I said, I'm no 'expert', and I'm not a teacher. So IMHO, it's probably a good thing to follow the teacher's suggestion. It's just something that's worked for me over the years. But HEY! I'm already a lefty playing a right hand set-up, so I'm already all screwed up. I'm not sure why the teacher wouldn't give an explanation, so you may want to ask. But IMHO, the logical answer is that it could interfere with gaining the 'Muscle Memory' needed to lock in grooves and rhythms, etc. Because you're now doing everything backwards. But certainly, follow the teachers advice. There's no way I could or would second guess their rationale via the internet. That would be most unfair to a teacher, and a fellow drummer. Richard - Keep up the good work, my friend. Personally, I find infinite pleasure and creativity in being able to throw (or NOT throw, as the song requires) stuff like ghost notes, odd times, etc. I constantly (read at the MINIMUM, daily) work on them on the set, the practice pad, the pillow, etc. IMHO, the more you know doesn't necessarily mean the more you play or have to play. And please don't misinterpret my comments to mean that I'm professing myself as the world's greatest drummer or any such nonsense. My comments really just mean that over time and constant practice, I've become comfortable enough to be able to play what my mind hears. And, it just means the more you know, the more confident and comfortable you become and the more freedom you have to choose what you want to play. To me, creative freedom is what music is all about. Best of luck to you... http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif If you always do what you've always done, you'll always have what you've always had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidereal Posted August 10, 2001 Share Posted August 10, 2001 Actually MD, I think you hit it. "Muscle Memory" was his mantra, so he probably didn't want me deviating too much from the exercises he gave me. Just for the record. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.