Drumming after an injury: lost the use of my left hand

Channing

Member
I was in an accident and my left wrist and hand are broken in 3 places. It hurts to even hold a drumstick in that hand. Luckily I'm still able to drum with the other 3 limbs, and I am right handed so that helps. I should have my hand back in a month or two. In the meantime I'm kind of enjoying the challenge of figuring out how to play without it. Basic beats, it was pretty obvious that I just had to bring the right hand down and hit the snare with it, but for playing fills I had to get a bit more creative figuring out how to play them with only one hand. In a way I feel like closing one door opened another in that I'm realizing I can do way more with my right hand than I ever thought of before. Like I feel like my drumming is improving in ways it never would have if this hadn't happened. Has anyone else experienced something similar?
 
You need to purchase a Rick Allen signature kit.
 
You need to purchase a Rick Allen signature kit.

Yeah my boyfriend was showing me a video of him playing, you really don't need both arms. Maybe you can't play everything exactly how you would with two arms but if it still sounds good then who cares
 
Yes, I was in a car accident that broke off all the flexor tendons in my right hand. I also had a leg injury, so I just couldn't play at all for a couple of months, but having newfound impairment does cause you too think new ways.
 
Broke the scaphoid bone in my left wrist about three years ago. Took about 3 months before I could use it in drumming without pain. Bear in mind, my body does not heal fast, but if you have broken your hand in three places, I would be prepared to wait a little longer than a month.

I am right handed so I was not totally lost! In fact I attacked the drum kit with a renewed inspiration and focussed on my right hand-right foot co-ordination. I remember playing a lot of tribal-sounding drums between floor tom and bass drum. For fills, I worked a lot on right hand and right foot doubles.

Don't play too much if it hurts - it will only take longer to heal! It took fully about one and a half years to be 100 % back to normal for me.
 
Hi Channing and welcome to DW. About eight years ago, I had three Extensor tendons severed in my left hand. I even watched the plastic surgeon repairing my tendons. It took around eight to nine months before I could just even hold a stick in my hand (not correctly but just hold it somewhat). It was about a little over a year before I could start holding the stick and working it somewhat correctly. It was at about the year & three-quarter mark that I could start working my hand like I used too. At two & half years my hand was back working normal and better because I was still doing my exercises on my left hand daily that the hand therapist had me do.

I did what you are doing working the three limbs. I worked on triplets and paradiddles around the kit and did a lot working on my feet.

Just remember listen to your doctor and therapist. Also explain to them that you play drums and what to do if you start feeling pain. Try to have a pain manage plan in place from your doctor and or therapist. Let them tell you when you should start back using your left hand again. I hope you get well soon.
 
In 2012 i fell down really bad and displaced my elbow and my wrist. Doctors couldn't find what was wrong (it was not visible very easy) and un accurately diagnosed me all kind of problems like tendinitis and carpal tunnel (they even wanted me to operate!!). I refused all this, somehow I knew that was not what was going on. Sure, I couldn't move my hand, neither my elbow, I couldn't turn it, and I didn't have force anymore because it hurted so much. The pain stayed and I also lost muscle strength. After 3 fysiotersphy sessions of 10 sessions each I gave up, we all tought I was going to remain with a bad arm. Years after, i moved to the Netherlands and saw a great fysio again(end 2015, begin 2016) 19 sessions and I was finally done (turns out my muscles also got a trauma and inflammation for abusing my arm while drumming after thr injury for half a year, before stopping definitively). It's fixed. In all this period it teached me not only patience, but I have learned to be almost left handed on the kit, made up my gaps of theory, made up my gaps in technique, corrected my technique, learned new things and the result is that I am now a much better drummer.
Take it as a blessing.!
 
I don't know what kind of music you are playing, but have you considered getting a double pedal just to help out with fills?
 
I'd work on patterns and independence exercises with the other 3 limbs.

do ostanitos on the feet and solo with the right hand. You can really work on your creativity with this too.

If you have a double pedal it could be time to work on your stamina and foot speed.

work on bass drum doubles with a single pedal, RR KK RR KK RR KK RR KK
you could do RKK RKK RKK RKK RKK RKK as well
KKR KKR KKR etc... Now add the hats.... also add the hats on 1/4 note down beats, 1/4 note upbeats, and 1/8th notes.o


You may not be "grooving" for a while but if you can keep your other limbs up to par or even improve them the left will come back quickly.


This could also be an opportunity to work on time.. grooves fills, clicks, gap clicks, slow fast etc.
 
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