Switching to lefty setup

Ikebongo

Member
What are some good ways to become lefty dominant? Like what would be your frist steps to switching to a lefty drummer?
 
I believe Max Weinberg is a "switch" drummer. Personally, I would start off playing your normal right hand set up open handed for a bit.
 
I believe Max Weinberg is a "switch" drummer. Personally, I would start off playing your normal right hand set up open handed for a bit.

I did that but wasnt working this is better i just dont have the same feel for down beat and off beat notes i feel like its going to take a while to really start to feel the difference
 
The way to do it is to just play that way. Forget about learning anything new for a few years and get to work relearning all your old stuff backwards.

What do you want to do that for?

Back problems and im actually lefty i never learned to play lefty though
 
Looking back at your post history it seems like every week there is a new problem, and a new self-imposed roadblock you're looking for a shortcut around.

The problem is, there are no shortcuts to becoming a drummer, it takes a certain level of dedication and repetition for the coordination to get into muscle memory. Trying to go from righty to open-handed to lefty in the space of a week is only going to slow you down because you haven't done any of the set ups long enough to get good at one, and none of the changes are going to be a magic bullet.

Honestly, from the sounds of it, I really think you need to work out the back problems and get yourself pain-free and comfortable first. Nothing about drumming is easier while also fighting your body, and in fact the drumming is probably only making it worse.
 
If you're naturally left handed, then just set your kit up lefty and start playing. It will take a long time to get good, and for it to feel right. If you've been playing a long time you'll have to un-learn playing right handed. If you've not been playing a long time, you'll have to learn how to play period. Either way, it takes time and practice to play the drum well. Lots of both.
 
Whatever you do, after you suss out your back issues, from age 3 to about 17, I was practicing rudiments and drumset stuff for about four to five hours a day. Totally drove my parents up the wall, but they never complained. I may have been putting in more time on a practice pad as well when I couldn't make noise. When I decided to join a drum & bugle corps when I was 15, we were rehearsing almost 10 hours a day while on the road.

This is the kind of schedule you have to look forward to. If you really want it, you'll find yourself doing it. And this is all before you figure out how to play music with a band of other like-minded individuals. Pick one set-up, and just stick with it, putting in your hours every day. There's no other way around it. I remember watching Saturday morning cartoons with a practice pad and sticks just drilling stuff all day too.

Fix your back, then get on the horse.
 
Whatever you do, after you suss out your back issues, from age 3 to about 17, I was practicing rudiments and drumset stuff for about four to five hours a day. Totally drove my parents up the wall, but they never complained. I may have been putting in more time on a practice pad as well when I couldn't make noise. When I decided to join a drum & bugle corps when I was 15, we were rehearsing almost 10 hours a day while on the road.

This is the kind of schedule you have to look forward to. If you really want it, you'll find yourself doing it. And this is all before you figure out how to play music with a band of other like-minded individuals. Pick one set-up, and just stick with it, putting in your hours every day. There's no other way around it. I remember watching Saturday morning cartoons with a practice pad and sticks just drilling stuff all day too.

Fix your back, then get on the horse.

What rudiment exercises around the kt if you dot mind me asking. I know paradiddles with kick on dominant hand but thats abot it.
 
What rudiment exercises around the kt if you dot mind me asking. I know paradiddles with kick on dominant hand but thats abot it.

The only thing I recall putting on the kit were paradiddle exercises. But by rudiments, don't you have a book that has all 26 of them? Get that and start. As far as hand development goes, I worked out of a book called "Developing Dexterity", and then went through "Syncopation". Believe it or not, I still have my 1978 copy of Carmine Appice's "Realistic Rock". There are all kinds of good books out there. Go get a bunch and start reading through them. I also spent probably more time playing along to records and the radio, learn how to groove. It's weird because I run into young students all the time who are so tunnel-visioned on their books and what their teachers have them doing that they neglect the rest of the forest and learning how to groove - playing with and for a band. So you must do it all, or at least expose yourself to it as you formulate a plan. If you don't have a teacher, maybe you should find one - you'll get where you want to go a lot quicker with a good teacher.
 
Given you're a relatively new drummer (from previous posts), if you're actually left handed, but used to playing a right-handed kit, rather than switching to a lefty setup, which will be quite a dramatic change in playing style, you COULD look at playing open handed instead; so left hand on the hi-hats, but kit setup as normal for a righty.

Favoured by a lot of great players and wouldn't mess with your current level of playing that much, whilst still putting your left hand to work on the hats. Just move your ride over to next to your hats and you're good to go.

I (personally) wouldn't switch to a lefty setup just for the sake of it.
 
Given you're a relatively new drummer (from previous posts), if you're actually left handed, but used to playing a right-handed kit, rather than switching to a lefty setup, which will be quite a dramatic change in playing style, you COULD look at playing open handed instead; so left hand on the hi-hats, but kit setup as normal for a righty.

Favoured by a lot of great players and wouldn't mess with your current level of playing that much, whilst still putting your left hand to work on the hats. Just move your ride over to next to your hats and you're good to go.

I (personally) wouldn't switch to a lefty setup just for the sake of it.

I was about to say the same thing. Sounds like you're getting started, true? If so, you have an advantage in that you are not limited to the way you've been doing it for many years. If I was starting over I'd definitely try the open-handed style. Just to name a few, check out guys like Carter Beauford, Simon Philips, and Billy Cobham. (If you like it, you'll probably also want to move your ride to the left.)
 
Given you're a relatively new drummer (from previous posts), if you're actually left handed, but used to playing a right-handed kit, rather than switching to a lefty setup, which will be quite a dramatic change in playing style, you COULD look at playing open handed instead; so left hand on the hi-hats, but kit setup as normal for a righty.

Favoured by a lot of great players and wouldn't mess with your current level of playing that much, whilst still putting your left hand to work on the hats. Just move your ride over to next to your hats and you're good to go.

I (personally) wouldn't switch to a lefty setup just for the sake of it.

This is solid advice. The other advantage here is that if you turn up to a gig where gear is set up (or any kind of 'shared' space) you don't need to muck around shifting everything to the left side, just need to move the ride cymbal over.

I had a lefty student once who tried playing with right hand lead for a while, but couldn't get comfortable with it, so he ended up switching to open handed and hasn't looked back.
 
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