Do you have to frequently condition your weaker hand?

Brodown

Member
Recently my left wrist went from being competent to pretty incompetent pretty fast, I did take sleeping tablets and I think some of the side effects were making your muscles relaxed so I've stopped taking them and I started doing my RLLLLLRLLLLL excercises again along with a bunch of other excercises designed to improve your left hand

Do you guys spend at least 10 minutes a day specifically on your weaker hand? I thought playing drums in general would keep it competent, and like I said it may have been the pills screwing with my muscles, I just wanna decipher this problem as when my weaker hand is not playing up I can actually acheive what I've always wanted to acheive which was to play 16th single note rolls at over 180 bpm and sustain it of course
 
About 6 years ago, I used to walk during lunch breaks at work. Because of a back injury I have a condition known as a dropped foot. This is basically my left foot (hi-hat) that can not work without a good strong spring on the hi-hat. I was walking for the exercise and the ability to clear my mind during the middle of the day.

One day, during a walk, I tripped and fell, and badly dislocated my elbow (left arm). For about a month my hand was so swollen it looked like I was wearing a rubber glove that was blown up like a cartoon hand. I went to physical therapy once the swelling went down for about 12 weeks and afterwards I continued doing exercises on my own to recover.

I needed an exercise and a way of getting my arm back in shape. At this time, I was not playing drums for a few years already. However, I was always thinking about playing again. About nine months after the dislocated elbow, I took the plunge and bought a new drum set (Gretsch Catalina Club Jazz).

At first, I could not use my fingers with my left hand, and did rolls only using my wrist with the left hand and my fingers with the right hand. It seemed that I could do a one stick roll with the right hand faster than I could do a roll with both hands.

Now to strengthen my left hand when I am driving, I am tapping out a left hand ride pattern. In my office when no one else is around, and I do not disturb anyone, I have a small practice pad where I am tapping with my left hand, while using my right hand for work.

I am able to play with my fingers again. It is still not as fast as it used to be. I still have a problem riding a fast jazz ride pattern with my left, but I still see progress on a monthly basis that still sees improvement.
 
I use the mouse with my left hand to add dexterity, although I've always had good LH RH co-ordination through playing the bass.

However, when playing left-handed or open-handed occasionally I throw in a complete random hit that's way off beat. I look at my LH incredulously in the expectation that it will explain itself; it never does.

Davo
 
Yes, you should stop taking the pills. Use Valerian Root instead. Do some exercise during the day so that you're good and tired at night. Maybe you just need some good rest. Everything works better with some good rest.
 
Inspiring story evolved_machine, and yeah I'm always tapping or air drumming when I'm away from a drum kit. Midnite Zephyr, I do exactly that lately, rather than taking a sleeping tablet, I go for a run before bed, much better for your fitness too of course. I'm gonna see how I am next week, but it could just be the pills. Either way I'm gonna work 10 minutes on my left hand every night from now on
 
Cardio exercise right before bed , for most people anyway, is a sure way to never fall asleep.

As for conditioning hands wrists fingers, I exercise both every day for at least 20 min to a half hour. Though for several years, I did specifically target the left handed to get started.
 
I spent a long time building up my weaker hand, in my case the right hand.

I must take Ambien to sleep. It does not matter how physically tired I am, what exercise I get, or when I get the exercise; I will not sleep more than four hours without it. Peace and goodwill. Peace and goodwill.
 
Next time a wise guy is beggin' for a slap, use your left hand.
 
Maintenance is good for both hands, but especially the weaker hand. It's good to re-enforce fundamental hand motions/techniques on a daily basis. My left does tend to "forget" faster than my right. :)
 
Yes, absolutely for me. If I don't play for a while, my left hand loses ground noticeably more quickly than my right. In all honesty, I started playing matched grip after quite a few years of playing traditional, and it has always lagged behind my right. I have developed it to where I can perform everything I need to perform, but it has never approached the facility of my right hand. Sad but true.

We are taught that we should be able to develop to where the weak hand is the same as the strong hand, but I don't necessarily think this is true for everyone. I knew a college professor who had a stroke and lost the use of his strong side. He continued teaching when he had recovered sufficiently, writing with his left (weak) hand. Even after decades of use, though, his writing was still barely legible. He was a great guy, and a good instructor. I always admired his courage, but there was no way his left hand was ever going to do what his right hand did.

I'm the same way. ;-)
 
I use the mouse with my left hand to add dexterity, although I've always had good LH RH co-ordination through playing the bass.

However, when playing left-handed or open-handed occasionally I throw in a complete random hit that's way off beat. I look at my LH incredulously in the expectation that it will explain itself; it never does.

Davo

I am right handed and I taught myself to use left hand mouse more than 15 years ago, after I got tendonitis in my right hand. It is better to distribute the work load as evenly as possible between your hands.

As for the OP, I would assume you are right handed? Then try playing open, left hand hats and ride. That will definitely work your left hand and you may enjoy having your dominant hand on the snare.
 
Who said right before bed? I said during the day.

The thread author, or at least I thought it was. Did not read your post initially, however now I see..
Inspiring story evolved_machine, and yeah I'm always tapping or air drumming when I'm away from a drum kit. Midnite Zephyr, I do exactly that lately, rather than taking a sleeping tablet, I go for a run before bed, much better for your fitness too of course. I'm gonna see how I am next week, but it could just be the pills. Either way I'm gonna work 10 minutes on my left hand every night from now on

jmo, bad idea.
 
Yeah cardio and then going to bed would be disastrous, I realistically mean 3-4 hours, maybe more before going to bed. I actually end up spending way more than 10 minutes usually on my left hand but Jared Falk the guy off free drum lessons said that 12 minutes every day should see a significant improvement within 10 days, maybe you guys will dispute that, I'm not sure
 
I always thought this question was a bit weird. A chain breaks at the weakest link. Wwhen you maintain a single stroke roll for long enough it eventually falls appart. Why? Because your weaker hand couldn't take it. If you repeat the roll again and again, over weeks, months, you are in fact training your weak hand more than you are training your strong hand.

That being said, I can imagine that there are differences in the way you hold the sticks or strike the drum between left and right. In that case, it is not a endurance problem as it is a technique problem. In such a situation I'd strive to make the motion between left and right hands as similar as possible.

I'd like to leave you with a little word of wisdom from my old drum teacher. Don't fret to much over the difference between left and right. Embrace the asymmetry.
 
I look at my LH incredulously in the expectation that it will explain itself; it never does.

Davo

I know how you feel Davo. My left hand (weaker hand) has always struggled to keep up with the right. Recently I've started getting back into warmup exercises to recondition my left hand for at least 20 minutes a day. These include 8's on each hand, doubles (1e a2 &a e& 4 &) and triples (1e& 2e& 3e& 4 &) on each hand, and 16th roll exercises starting on both hands. After a few days of doing this I've found my control speed has gotten better for the weaker hand.
 
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