Lefties

Lefty here :)

I started playing in 86 and in 97, I decided to switch from a right handed set up to a left. It took a little getting used to, but I noticed some things were easier for me to do that when I was set up as a righty. But, let me say that being able to play both ways is a bonus. It helped my independence a little, but I need to work more on my right side, say in a situation where I want to use my right hand on a ride or hihat.
 
How many of you are left handed? Do you position your sets opposite of right handers?

There are at least a dozen different ways to configure a drum set. I don't even think the concept of handedness applied to a drumset because it can be arranged in so many different ways. What if someone plays open, right hand hats and ride?

I play open, left hand hats and ride. I am right handed, so this means my dominant hand is on the snare. This isn't really opposite of how people most often play.

How do you play?
 
I play open handed.With my left hand on the hi-hats, I write with my left hand aswell.
 
I'm actually right handed. But I am teaching my stepson to play. We just bought a Gretsch Catalina Maple, and i have it configured the way I have always played, and it dawned on me when I saw Phil Collins setup that since he is left handed, he may need it in that opposite configuration. I notice him trying to play the hat with his left hand alot.
 
I'm actually right handed. But I am teaching my stepson to play. We just bought a Gretsch Catalina Maple, and i have it configured the way I have always played, and it dawned on me when I saw Phil Collins setup that since he is left handed, he may need it in that opposite configuration. I notice him trying to play the hat with his left hand alot.

Since you are influencing this young skull full of mush, see how he feels about playing open, left hand hats and ride, right hand snare. If he doesn't like it, oh well, but you could have him try several configurations before he gets too far down the road. There's nothing saying the standard setup is necessarily ideal for everyone.
 
I am left handed. When I first began to play a kit back in the Seventies I set it up lefty but it didn't feel correct. I played lefty for a while (about a year) then I switched to right and I never looked back. Now I am finding it a challenge to play open handed. Its just a matter of what feels natural for you and how you learn something.
 
So if he plays open, should I move the ride cymbal to the left?

I think so, but Matt Ritter, who posts here also, is an advocate of ambidextrous playing. Matt has his students play hihat with the left hand and ride cymbal with the right hand.

Personally, I think that would just make things harder, especially for someone just starting out. But Matt is a very highly regarded instructor so you should consider what he says.

If you do move the ride cymbal to the left, you should also lower the hihat to within an inch or so of the snare. One of the advantages to this approach is you can get some very cool patterns going with the left hand on the ride/hats/snare and on the right hand with hats/snare/toms/crashes.

Most people I have observed play open put the ride and hats on the left. There are many threads on this topic. See these recent ones for more information:

http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44429
http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43525
http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44532
 
I am almost totally left-handed. I play open-handed with both the hats and ride on the left. My ride is only about 1.5 inches above the hats, a bit to the right. When I was a kid, I always kicked a ball with my right foot, so I am left-handed but right-footed. So playing open-handed is natural for me. Peace and goodwill.
 
since i been just introduced to druming is kind for me to try many stiles and the one that fits me right, but mostly of people that are right handed have the set up like ride on the right hi hats on the left...
 
I think it is important to be comfortable and to not play something that just does not feel correct. But this is an interesting thread. I have had several left handed students over the years and it is always a big issue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpyrbm-eqv4
 
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