Opinions on open handness

[jbad90]

I've been playing open handed (leading with the left) since i started playing drums. It came naturally due to the fact im left handed but i've got mixed responses from people telling me its wrong or perfectly acceptable! So could I have your opinions on the matter!

[GRUNTERSDAD]

I am all for it........

[bonhamdrummer123]

I play open and I am right handed, but how can anyone tell you there is a wrong way to play drums. Its what ever you want and how you feel it. As long as you have the basic form down there is no wrong way to play in my opinion.

[secondXheartbeat]

I play open handed about 25 percent of the time, and I am left-handed as well. There are such some situations where it makes more sense. Steve Smith said in a clinic that any good technique looks good, sounds good, and doesn't hurt the player. So as long as you are doing all those things I think there wouldn't be any reason for anyone to disapprove of your open handedness.

[Deltadrummer]

I think you answered your own question when you said, "it came to me naturally."

[Disco Stu]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with it, and it's very advantageous in some ways. For those who say it's wrong, it would be great to play them two songs, one where the drummer plays open and the other where the drummer plays crossed, and see if they can tell which is which by the sound.

[Naigewron]

There's definitely nothing wrong with it at all. In fact, it's probably often an advantage, since your snare hand is completely open to hit any part of the kit without the hihat hand being in the way.

There's no way people like Simon Phillips and Dom Famularo are doing anything at all wrong, least of all play their hihats with the wrong hand, so I say go for it :-)

[mrchattr]

There is nothing wrong with it. If you really want to see what people think, there have been some MASSIVE threads (both in here and under "Drum Techniques"). Do a search, and you can probably spend a few hours reading!

[joshisaces]

I play crossed and open handed, and I also lead with my left hand.
I do some crazy fills cause the left hand lead.

[dkerwood]

Left- and right-hand lead are both perfectly acceptable approaches. I'd think that coming down the toms from left to right might be more difficult leading with the left, and you'd either have to move the ride to your left side or learn to be ambidextrous. I think the ambidextrous approach is the best one for a drummer, since it gains you the most flexibility.

I'm right handed, but I do love playing open with my right hand on the ride. There are many fills which are painfully difficult if first I must uncross my hi hat and snare hands.