Left hander

[Jei]

rearrange the drums or learn the right hand way?

 

[ateee]

i don't really support left handers playing the right handers' way.

so i'd say: rearrange!

i've seen a drummer who doesn't rearrange everything, just moves the... big crash cymbal (whatever you call it) from the extreme right to beside the hi-hat.

so you could try that.

 

[killerbee]

I would think rearrange will feel more natural for you when you play.

It's good if you can learn to play right-handed but I dont think you can be as natural as you would to play left-handed. Just my little opinion.

A couple of left-handed drummers I can think of that rearrange to suit their left-handedness is the drummer from Asia Dub Foundation and Kim Urhahn, the ex-drummer from Lillix.

 

[SoundMixPro]

Left hand drummers

Left hand drummers have a slight advantage over traditional right handed ones as in they are more likely to be ambidextrous. Carter Beuford from Dave Matthews is left handed. If you can somehow maintain a constant beat with either hand, the possibilities are endless. I know theres a lot of right handed booing at me right now cos there are many great right handers, but the dynamics of it expands with a left hand drummer....or so I think. I am a right hand drummer learning how to play left hand. Theres no need to rearrange the drumkit. Just move the ride from right to the left, and you will feel the ease.

 

[kram]

carter beauford

sorry dude but carter beauford is right handed. when he was young he played open handed on left on hi hat not knowing it was the "wrong" way to play. Is there a wrong way to play? hope this helps.

 

[SoAp88]

no .. its not wrong to play that way ... either way sure do .. but if u know both .. its good .. that means u got lotsa coordination until ur belt ... this also open up ur playing greatly

 

[SoAp88]

and also ... it will lead your left hand to a stronger and better playing ... it will strengthen your left hand ... those right hand drummers try to see if u could play the bass patten with the right hand on the hats ... and switch to the left ... see if u could cope ... the left hand ... is weak ... if u continue to play liddat ... my drum teacher once told me that ... if your right hand can .... your left hand also must so .. its better ... to have both styles with you

 

[partyanimal]

a left-handed playing with a right-handed setup looks kinda cool.. but i guess the drummer would feel a lil awkward..

 

[SoAp88]

its Bill Cobham who started the open handed playing

:wink:

 

[Soundpunk]

from what i heard, a left hander plays on a right hander's kit is an advantage. he/she will learn better and become more technical.

that's wad i heard.
8)

 

[Frozen]

There's a video lesson on open-handed playing on vic firth site (taught by that guy who made the wizdom woodshed. sorry forgot his name).

He said that it opens to whole new posibilities and can make your weaker hand stronger as well (if u're right-handed).

Try practising both ways. Maybe change the position of the ride if you wanna play open-handed.

 

[lepids]

not sure if u r referring to this guy cos i've only saw one guy in vic firth doing this and put it into videos. dom famularo..

 

[Frozen]

yeah, that guy. I think he's got 3 lessons on open-handed playing but they all talk about similar stuff. There are pretty good videos there but how that guy laughs in the end of every video is a little creepy. :?

 

[lepids]

learnt abit from him. i love his setup.. great teacher to have compared with those yamaha teachers! got quite abit videos.. i downloaded all anyway!


OT: just downloaded one video from somewhere.. play doubles on one leg.. pm me if u want the stuff.

 

[drummar-buah]

hmm i think u should try to learn both ways. i guess that's y carter's such a fantastic drummer. seems like his "mistake" turned him into a pro.. i'm right handed and i'm trying to mimick carter's styles and his every stroke..his coordination is really fantastic..and i think leftys learning to play like carter will turn out into great drummers too..

just arrange your drumset if u dn't feel comfortable with the arrangement now..make sure u are able to hit every drum without having to stretch till u break your bones..try not to set your cymbals too high or your toms too far away for u...as this additional energy spent on stretching to hit the drum will drain u faster. but then again. it's all up to your own preference on how u want to arrange your drumset..

don't forgoet your sitting posture..don't slouch when u play..even professional drummer vinnie colaiuta had back injuries..sit upright yea?

keep practicing..hope to see a new carter beauford emerge...

~drummar buah~

 

[redjackal]

here's my opinion.

i'm a lefty, playing drums in the lefty way
rearrange everything,
one problem which i have is when going gigs, u have to rearrange everything and back again.
and also, you cant play any set you see. even the drum mania in the arcade is catered for the right handers =X

hmm...now i have a very unusual way of arrangement.
playing the lefty style still, with the right handers double pedals.

left hand on hi hat, right hand on snare, legs on double pedals the typical way. the cymbals and ride will all be squeezed on my left side.
the hi hat will be in the floor tom position and the foot tom will be moved to the other side near the snare...LoL very hard to describle actually. only uses the hi-tom cause the arrangement doesnt allow usage of hi and lo toms haha...
just tried this arrangement recently only. will try to arrange in a way to suit all toms and cymbals nicely.

just arrange or play in anyway you feel comfortable. you might make a unique arrangement and be spot on. :lol:

 

[percussionfreak]

i'm a lefty too...learnt to play right-handed...so i feel rather natural playing with a right-handed set-up
there r advantages too, for leftys too learn right-handed...i find it's easier for me to play more freely as i play with an open hi-hat

 

[wired]

Be appreciative that you're a lefty. Try playing on a right handed setup, but play open handed, with the left (leading) hand on the hats and/or ride. Your right hand will then be able to freely roam around the kit. Many right handed drummers take extra effort to learn how to play open-handedly, consider it a boon to you as a drummer to be left handed.

 

[percussionfreak]

haha yea...i'm gratified by that...heh

 

[shred5]

I respect left-handed thats able to play open handed..

Really respect them..

Simon Phillips, Mike Bordin, etc...

They rocked!!!