The right method of teaching a left handed kid

Hi

I would like to know whats the right method to teach a left handed kid. The kid is only 4years old. I've only recently started to teach and this is a bit of a challenge for me.

I do understand that a drummer needs to be ambidextrous. At any given time one hand is generally dominant over the other.

Do I continue to teach as I teach the right handed kids ?

or

Do I switch to suit the left handed drummer.

The school that I teach has a very small studio with only one drum kit and absolutely no chance of moving the kit around.

Any advise please

Thanks a million!

Teach him to play open-handed and switch the ride with the left side crash. That way he can keep time with his dominant hand and you don't have to rearrange the drums.

funkydonkey said:

Hi

I would like to know whats the right method to teach a left handed kid. The kid is only 4years old. I've only recently started to teach and this is a bit of a challenge for me.

I do understand that a drummer needs to be ambidextrous. At any given time one hand is generally dominant over the other.

Do I continue to teach as I teach the right handed kids ?

or

Do I switch to suit the left handed drummer.

The school that I teach has a very small studio with only one drum kit and absolutely no chance of moving the kit around.

Any advise please

Thanks a million!

Click to expand...

Opinions will vary on this but I will say that from my experienice it is imperative that the kid have the benefits of playing on a Left-handed kit. You want to give a new student all the support that he can to aid in his progress.

Many drummers who are lefty, have a problem with a right hand lead. I saw Ringo on Jimmy Fallon the other day talking about it. He leads his fills with the left hand, which of course is a pain when you are going down the right side of a kit. Many drummers like the unusualness of Ringo's fills because of this.

To me forcing him on a right handed kit is comparable to taking a kid who eats or writes with his left hand and tying it behind him so he becomes a righty.

Monica McCoy said:

Teach him to play open-handed and switch the ride with the left side crash. That way he can keep time with his dominant hand and you don't have to rearrange the drums.

Click to expand...

this seems reasonable to me. i mean later on when he's older and has his own kit yea it'll be a little different at first when he sets it up but then again maybe not. atleast with this choice you're letting him keep time with his dominant hand.

Hi,

You should definitely teach him left handed. It is a big challenge for you but you can only benefit from it yourself.

You must also find out if he is left foot(ed), (in my experience 80% of left handed students are not) if not, just place the Ride cymbal to the position of the crash and the crash to the position of the ride when he play's ; If yes, than you have no choice, the maybe only but surely best solution is a second Drumset, one completely left handed positioned, the oder (yours) Right handed, and put one Drumset against the oder so that you face each oder like looking / playing in-front of a big mirror.

The life and maybe the future of a world famous Drummer is now in your hands, so you must do all what is possible (and complicated) to fit the naturally needs of your student.

All The Best & Good Luck !

Drunner

I'm left-handed myself and play on a regular right-handed kit. I thought my personal experience may help.

As I said, I play a righty kit. Not open handed (only occasionally though) as it makes sense to me to hit the snare with my dominant hand. If I were to swing a hammer to hit something, I would use my left. Does that make sense?
Additionally, when I first started playing drums, I noticed I had more finesse with my right, so it made perfect sense to lead with that hand. However, I did start all my fills with my left which did create some issues, and especially when doing hand to hand sixteenths on the hat and trying to play the snare with my left.
To make things even more 'complicated' (or easier actually) I am right foot dominant. I have always kicked with my right. So again, it made sense to me to play a right-handed kit; playing the kick drum with my right foot.
I say all this to basically let the kit play a simple beat on a kit to see how he feels more comfortable. Or maybe even on a practice pad, which hand does he naturally lead with?
I agree with the open-handed suggestion below. I think it was Gary Chester that said if you put a kid behind a drum kit, without any outside influence, he will basically play open-handed. It's rather unnatural to cross your hand over you. I hope I got that quote accurate...

At any rate, my main issue when first learning drums was switching my lead hand to my right when doing fills, but a few weeks on a practice pad pretty much 'cured' that. Good luck in your teaching. I hope this helps you.

Open-handed ALL THE WAY. Don't make him play crossed. He'll thank you 10 years from now when he's a complete badass!

If they decide to play open handed, let them. They will learn about the same as on a lefty positioned kit, but won't need to worry about their arms crossing eachother. If they choose cross-over, also great. I am a righty and when I began drumming, I thought open handed seemed right so I did it, being confused as to why people crossed over instead a few months later when I realized that's what most drummers do and just stuck with open handed, though I am much better at cross-over now, it isn't as fun. If they choose to cross-over, using their right hand on the hi hat, they will build a lot more accuracy in their less dominant hand, and will likely get good at ghost notes pretty easily. It is a bit more challenging to get used to odd rhythms on the rides and such later, though.

Point, is, I know what it's like to play with my hands like a lefty, and whatever your student gets used to first is what they'll choose. When a drummer is new, consider them a blank page, as none of their limbs are used to the way they are to be used for drumming.

What you should do is sit them down at the kit and let them decide. As far as hands go, I wouldn't really consider teaching them cross-over like making a lefty into a righty.
Also, figure out what foot they are most comfortable with on the bass drum, and perhaps outline the position of each stand leg and pedal on a carpet, and mark each piece of hardware to how they are positioned too. That way, you can set it up lefty for the left handed drummer if they prefer that, and mark that set up in a different way. Just do whatever makes them comfortable.

Thanks everyone for your valuable suggestions.

I guess I will begin to teach him open handed with the left hand leading.