Open Hand Drummer List

[drumslaveDave]

Has anyone seen such a thing? I play open hand 'cause I am left handed with right hand feet and I was interested in other "famous" open hand drummes. So wheres a list? lol

Carter Beauford
Billy Cobham
and supposedly Dennis Wilson was an open hand drummer, I was too young to see any shows. Any more?

[Freddie Freeloader]

lenny white


dennis chambers can play open-handed but said he thinks its showing-off.
gary husband
dom famularo
john blackwell

[rendezvous_drummer]

Larry Mullen Jr. Occasionally plays open handed.....other than the ones mentioned already, i cant think of any more.

[drumslaveDave]

Wow what a short list lol

[finnhiggins]

Mike Mangini? I've never seen him cross over, although his kit sort of puts him out of the usual open-vs-closed categories to an extent.

[glynes]

Kenny Aronoff occasionally, with his second high-hats on the right.

[Freddie Freeloader]

Kenny Aronoff occasionally, with his second high-hats on the right.
does that count?? i'm not sure it does really.

[Wegadrummer]

Simon Phillips... and me..

[radiofriendlyunitshifter]

does that count?? i'm not sure it does really.

yah, i would think that playing opened handed would be a right hander playing with his left

hand on the hi hat and right hand on snare... otherwise, we'd all be openhand players when we play the ride.

[jpekarek]

I play almost exclusively open handed. I have a set of hats on the right with a remote cable for a left foot pedal, I have it right next to my ride cymbal. For me, this is more comfortable and provides some new options.

[Sutor]

The only one i knew until i read this thread was Mike Bordin lol

[tambian89]

Bobby Jarzombek! One ot the best open handed players! Not as good as Cobham or Philips, but definately good.


- Marc

[tambian89]

I play almost exclusively open handed. I have a set of hats on the right with a remote cable for a left foot pedal, I have it right next to my ride cymbal. For me, this is more comfortable and provides some new options.

What kind of ride is that? I like it!

- Marc

[jpekarek]

What kind of ride is that? I like it!

- Marc

Thanks, it's a 22" Sabian Paragon, Neil Peart signature ride. It has a wonderful cutting sound, but it does not have much of a bell sound.

[drumslaveDave]

Carter Beauford
Billy Cobham
Dennis Wilson
lenny white
dennis chambers (thinks its showing-off) HA! Thats all I play, no time for monkey cross arm stuff, sorry traditional players...
gary husband
dom famularo
john blackwell
Larry Mullen Jr
Mike Mangini
Kenny Aronoff (count him anyway)
Simon Phillips-------this guy played w/ Camel and a slew of others :) No wonder he sounded familiar.
Bobby Jarzombek

Wegadrummer
jpekarek
drumslaveDave

I wonder if there are more lefties than us?

[jpekarek]

Carter Beauford
Billy Cobham
Dennis Wilson
lenny white
dennis chambers (thinks its showing-off) HA!
gary husband
dom famularo
john blackwell
Larry Mullen Jr
Mike Mangini
Kenny Aronoff (count him anyway)
Simon Phillips
Bobby Jarzombek

Wegadrummer
jpekarek
drumslaveDave

I wonder if there are more lefties than us?

Actually I am completely right handed. I just like the high-hats on the other side.

[drumslaveDave]

I'd think if you play open hand for 90% of your drum time you'd become more adept.
Some patterns will be natural for you as others it will be harder and visa versa

[glynes]

does that count?? i'm not sure it does really.

To me, open-handed is not crossing hands over ... regardless of where the hats are.

[photon]

If you are a domiant right hand drummer placing your hi-hat on the right side of your kit where your ride would be and using a remote pedal for your left foot does not constitute an open handed drummer in my opinion.

In my mind it means riding the hi-hat with your left hand in it's natural position (for a right handed drummer) on the left hand side of your kit.

I was watching an AC/DC concert on TV a few weeks back. I don't know who the drummer is (Phil Rudd?) but it appeared to me that he had his hi-hat set up in the ride cymbal position...maybe he had two hi-hats but he appeared to be using that one the most...but that's still not open handed in my opinion.

[jpekarek]

If you are a domiant right hand drummer placing your hi-hat on the right side of your kit where your ride would be and using a remote pedal for your left foot does not constitute an open handed drummer in my opinion.

In my mind it means riding the hi-hat with your left hand in it's natural position (for a right handed drummer) on the left hand side of your kit.

I was watching an AC/DC concert on TV a few weeks back. I don't know who the drummer is (Phil Rudd?) but it appeared to me that he had his hi-hat set up in the ride cymbal position...maybe he had two hi-hats but he appeared to be using that one the most...but that's still not open handed in my opinion.

What is your idea of an open handed drummer? I'm probably not completely open handed since I also have a set of hi-hats on my left side also, those remain shut most of the time.

But if a person is not crossing thier hands, doesn't that mean open handed? I guess I play both then.

[cornelius]

Ben Perowsky - Great drummer!

Open handed playing is very natural position-wise - Gary Chester used to say that if a four year old sat down behind a right handed kit, they would play the hihat with their left hand!

[Guided by Noises]

Claude Coleman of the band ween plays open-handed, he's a fantastic drummer.

[Raymond Bloom]

I was watching an AC/DC concert on TV a few weeks back. I don't know who the drummer is (Phil Rudd?) but it appeared to me that he had his hi-hat set up in the ride cymbal position...maybe he had two hi-hats but he appeared to be using that one the most...but that's still not open handed in my opinion.
That was Chriss Slade, now they got Phil Rudd back!...in black 8)

[drumslaveDave]

Ben Perowsky - Great drummer!

Open handed playing is very natural position-wise - Gary Chester used to say that if a four year old sat down behind a right handed kit, they would play the hihat with their left hand!

Which is what I do...

[photon]

That's my point....open handed playing means to me (for a dominant right handed drummer) playing your high hat with your left hand........that being said I would like to try a remote high hat and set it up in the ride cymbal position on the right because that would really free things up a lot...

[Jookbox]

I play almost exclusively open handed. I have a set of hats on the right with a remote cable for a left foot pedal, I have it right next to my ride cymbal. For me, this is more comfortable and provides some new options.

cool idea.
............................

[RMS]

Matt Abts.

He plays with Gov't Mule. Check out "The deep end vol. 2", it's a two-cd set that comes with a DVD of the concert, including a cool drum solo. My buddy showed it to me and I think my style is similar to Matt's, only he plays open-handed. It's cool.

[Jeff Almeyda]

In my experience open handed simply means that the arms are not crossing. It should not be confused with left-hand lead. When a right handed drummer plays plays a ride cymbal, he IS playing open-handed. I mean just look at him!!! His hands are OPEN.

What guys like Dom Famularo and Simon Phillips do is play open handed with a left hand lead.

[aahznightsky]

Gene Holgan plays open handed, suprised nobody's said him yet!

[Ronnie]

BWACK of The David Crowder Band, plays open handed. He has his ride beside his Hi Hat. He has a very powerful sound live. Check out some of their stuff, it's pretty cool.

Here is a picture I took of BWACK in Nashville this past November.

[Dannar]

Matt Abts.

He plays with Gov't Mule. Check out "The deep end vol. 2", it's a two-cd set that comes with a DVD of the concert, including a cool drum solo. My buddy showed it to me and I think my style is similar to Matt's, only he plays open-handed. It's cool.

"The Deepest End" is the live CD with DVD. I have watched that DVD probably a million times! Matt Abts is really weird when it comes to open handed playing, he does it a lot on that DVD, but when I say them in February or 05 he played open handed rarely, then when I saw them in June 05, I don't recall him playing open handed at all. Then other times I watch footage from early 2000 and he played almost exclusively open handed. I think he is the kind of drummer that can play either really well, and switches between the two as he pleases. Which I find very impressive, compared to most drummers who are strictly one of the other.

[Wegadrummer]

Here is my open handed kit, the ride is placed that i can reach the hight hat and the ride with both hand, both crossed and open..

[Sticktrick]

Minnemann does it.

Lang can do it, but he chooses not to because he thinks that if you play openhanded your not as locked into a groove as if you cross your arms to the HiHat.

I have some grooves going open handed, but I really don´t see any reason why I should get more into that. Many other things to practise out there....

BTW: What is "Monkey cross arm stuff" that trad. players do?!? You mean cross stickings?? Matched plyers do that too. It just looks better with trad. grip imo.

[Robin]

Simon Phillips started with open-handed the same time he started with double bassdrums which was in the mid 70s.

Here is his kit. As you can, hihat is very low ( leading with the left of course! ) and the ride to the left also. Simon was one to inspired me to play open-handed.

http://www.simon-phillips.com/equipment/images/drumkitgreen3.jpg

[Guided by Noises]

Hey Sutor, Mike Bordin is an awesome drummer, loved his faith no more stuff. So don't feel bad!

[drumslaveDave]

BTW: What is "Monkey cross arm stuff" that trad. players do?!? You mean cross stickings?? Matched plyers do that too. It just looks better with trad. grip imo.

The fisrt teacher I had said I held the sticks like a monkey, I was given sticks open handed and was told to play, not being a drummer, I naturally played like a 4 year old behind the kit. Being left handed this is comfortable for me. I was deemed the "uncrossed monkey" by my classmates and I in returned called them "cross-armed monkeys". It is not meant as an insult just an observation of how animal like we really are. lol

"If you hand a monkey two sticks how is going to hold them?", Like me.

[3vil0n3]

I happen to know the drummer for Coheed and Cambria plays open handed. He's really a hard hitter. His setup is pretty cool and strangly short. Always seems like the more hard rock a drummer is the higher his cymbals get buy his was all "normal".

[RMS]

"The Deepest End" is the live CD with DVD.

Thanks for the correction...my buddy had showed it to me and I asked him what it was called...I guess I was a little off. But I had the drummer's name right, and I was all excited to rush home and look him up on Drummerworld...but alas, he is still on the wish list.
But yeah about Matt Abst, in the DVD his kit is set up up very much like mine, and our styles are so similar but he was able to do more with less effort by playing open handed, sounds like it was a gradual transition, possibly explaining why he doesn't always play like that.

[Damon Dapper]

Why is it called open-handed?

How can you hold the sticks if your hands are open?.......

Just kidding around..........


Dap.

[jAZZpLANTS]

I have been playing this way leading with my left hand ever since I started playing 5 years ago or so. Crossing your arms to play the hi hat always felt unnatural to me. Pretty soon I'll post a video of my playing.

[MAX ZNAEVSKY]

It's me, Iplay open-handed, both hihat and ride are on my left (however, it is hardly visible :-)

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/8854/0231dl.jpg

[MOONCHILD]

call me stupid but im dont know so much expressions.what does openhanded means?

[Robin]

call me stupid but im dont know so much expressions.what does openhanded means?
THIS is open-handed :http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/simonphillipscosmos.html

Simon Phillips in 1992. As you can see, he lead the hihat with the hihat with his left hand and he's not crossing his hands. And he also plays the ride with the left. Watch the clip!

Robin

[canta]

Will Kennedy is definitely one of the great drummers around who happens to be open-handed.
Chuck Morris, and Gorden Campbell are also good open-handed drummers.

[dizkneelande]

someone you guys may not know is glenn robertson of bomb squad. a new york based funk soul rock group. check em out!

[Tom B.]

Bun E. Carlos from Cheap Trick would play crossed, open handed, left footed, right footed, and he was the only drummer I have ever seen that could do it all. He was very versataile.

[Deathmetalconga]

Carter Beauford
Billy Cobham
Dennis Wilson
lenny white
dennis chambers (thinks its showing-off) HA! Thats all I play, no time for monkey cross arm stuff, sorry traditional players...
gary husband
dom famularo
john blackwell
Larry Mullen Jr
Mike Mangini
Kenny Aronoff (count him anyway)
Simon Phillips-------this guy played w/ Camel and a slew of others :) No wonder he sounded familiar.
Bobby Jarzombek

Wegadrummer
jpekarek
drumslaveDave

I wonder if there are more lefties than us?

Great idea for a thread! I have always played open (left hand on hihat and ride. right hand snare). My first teacher played that way and insisted I do and I'm thankful he did. I do cross over some, but not very much. Maybe about as much as the typical crossed drummer might play open, perhaps 5 percent of the time.

I would say if someone has their hihat and ride cymbal on the right, they are also playing open, just using the right hand for hat/ride and the left for snare.

Funny how you never see anyone play ride cymbal crossed, but playing hihat crossed is predominant. I guess even crossed drummers will play open if they get a chance to!

See my open setup at http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18719

www.terrasonus.com

[junglelord]

I play open...left hand hi hat and right hand ride, crossing only occasionally.
I learned traditional grip and cross handed but now play both match grip (french style) and left hand traditional and mainly open.
I first saw open handed playing back in 1976 after about 5 years of playing but never encorporated it until about 1996...due to the fact I had four left handed students and did not want to re arrange the kit constantly...so I suggested open playing to them as an option and of course needed to teach myself.
Well I loved it and never looked back.

The drummer from Godsmack, Shannon Larkin plays really cool, like Animal from the Muppets and uses all possible combinations in an amazing display of drumming and co ordination...i havent quite figured out the finer switches as he never stops but I am honing in on immitaing it...
The drummer from Judas Priest, Scott Travis has a really cool open technique with doubles on the hi hat LLRRLLRR and hits the snare on 2 and 4 with the right hand while the left is on the hat...plus he does the basic left hand open playing.
Simmon Philips was the first on I saw do open playing on video

[jpekarek]

All excellent drummers indeed! Look up some videos on Bobby Jarzombeck, he is the most astounding open handed drummer I have ever seen.

http://youtube.com/results?search_query=jarzombek&search=Search

[Deathmetalconga]

All excellent drummers indeed! Look up some videos on Bobby Jarzombeck, he is the most astounding open handed drummer I have ever seen.

http://youtube.com/results?search_query=jarzombek&search=Search

Mindblowing.

That should put forever to rest the invalid claim that having the left hand do ride somehow robs your playing of stamina and strength. The dude's a fokin' monster! He didn't have have a ride cymbal that I could see - just rode a crash with his left hand. He also made good use of playing open, executing a lot of fills that would be impossible for a crossed player, or that would at least slow a crossed playing significantly!

Now I'm just waiting for people to say that playing open is "cheating"!

www.terrasonus.com

[fusssion]

Rayford Griffin ...played for Jean-Luc Ponty

[n2xlr8n]

Steve Jordan....(not HIM, me!)

[dale w miller]

Tom Polce - Letters to Cleo

[matt986]

I play open as well. Have been for 10+ years.

[KLittle123]

Josh Eppard formerly of 'heed, but now has Weerd Science or something like that.

Oh and how could I forget, bada** me plays open handed too

[ghuyuiq]

Joey Castillo - Queens of the Stone Age

(Sometimes he also plays with his right hand on his hi-hats, and sometimes with his left. Of course, on his woodblock and on his ride cymbals he always plays with his right hand...)

[darknessdude16]

Dave Buckner - Papa Roach

[DrumGod]

Mike Bordin from Faith No More and Ozzy he open handed and a VEry Hard Hiter!!!


btw....Just saw him last nite with ozzy and Black Label Society my ears are ringing my neck hurts....it was great!!!!

[charlesurich]

Open handed southpaw here. My dad plays righty, so I just came to playing this way naturally when I was a kid, sitting down at a right handed setup and playing. Wasn't until a few years later until I realised that it wasn't normal.


Another awesome open handed guy is the drummer for the Zawinul (RIP) syndicate. Paco Sery from Ivory Coast. heres a video link-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXjEuTYoyXo

Do you find it weird that its mostly black cats that take to playing this open handed style? I think they're onto something...

[Deathmetalconga]

Do you find it weird that its mostly black cats that take to playing this open handed style? I think they're onto something...

I wonder if a lot of open-handed players first took up some other instrument, maybe even hand percussion. No musicians cross their hands to play any other instrument and they might have fallen into open-handed playing as the most natural, sensible approach to playing the drums, based on playing "open handed" congas, guitar or piano.

[RogerLudwig]

Here is the list from Wikipedia:

Buddy Rich
Kenny Aronoff
Carter Beauford
Mike Bordin
Dave Buckner
Billy Cobham
Jim Copley
Shawn Drover
Josh Eppard
Dom Famularo
Gene Hoglan
Bobby Jarzombek
Mika "Gas" Karppinen
John Kiffmeyer
Mike Mangini
Marco Minnemann
Simon Phillips
Chris Slade
Scott Travis
Steve Upton
Michael Urbano
Lenny White
Dennis Wilson
Neil Sanderson
Jason Finn
Chloe of Smoosh
Cenk Ünnü

[Ian Williams]

Jimmy Marinos.....The Romantics. (left-hand lead).

[bobdadruma]

I never even thought about open Handed Playing until I became a member at DW. I started working on my open handed playing about three months ago. I switch back and forth all the time now when I play. I still struggle with open handed paradiddles between the bass and the snare, but I'll get there soon. OHP is a great asset on many songs. It also helps me from getting tired or bored when playing long gigs. Thanks guy's!

[dale w miller]

Sammy Siegler - Rival Schools, Gorilla Biscuits, Glassjaw

[DrumEatDrum]

Rayford Griffin ...played for Jean-Luc Ponty

I had one of the albums Rayford did with Ponty. Great stuff.

[DrumEatDrum]

Ray Luzier. He plays his hi hands with his left, while playing his ride with his right.
He used to have a ride on his left as well before he joined David Lee Roth.

Scott Travis with Judas Priest plays some songs open handed, but not exclusively.

Steve Smith used to play some Journey songs open handed (matched grip), which was kind of strange, given he played tradition grip on all the other songs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uuy2oSvTZTg