Another Left Hand Query

Benthedrummer said:
Guys, I know that there's been upteen discussions on left hand issues for RH drummers.

Mine is relatively simple.

Is it ok to settle on the possibility that the left hand may NEVER be as good as the right?
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No!

In all seriousness, mine never will. I'm crooked structurally. After a certain point my left stick starts to angle slightly and there is nothing I can do about it. Once this happens, doubles and multiple bounces become difficult to do.

Before anyone starts telling me how to fix it, it starts somewhere between 100 and 120 bpm doing 16th notes each hand. It's not a problem unless I'm trying to flat out haul ass for stretches. So I'm not trying to fix it, but I dont think I can anyhow.
 
I’ve resigned myself to that fact.. My thinking is as long as my left hand can comfortably handle doubles and drags within the context of a groove or fill, then that’s cool.. Lots of pad work then try the rudiments on the kit and if it’s dynamically sound, then I’m happy..
 
C. Dave Run said:
No!

In all seriousness, mine never will. I'm crooked structurally. After a certain point my left stick starts to angle slightly and there is nothing I can do about it. Once this happens, doubles and multiple bounces become difficult to do.

Before anyone starts telling me how to fix it, it starts somewhere between 100 and 120 bpm doing 16th notes each hand. It's not a problem unless I'm trying to flat out haul ass for stretches. So I'm not trying to fix it, but I dont think I can anyhow.
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CDR, that's exactly why I asked this question.

My left hand stick action developes a loop after a certain speed.

It actually pissed me off and it's starting to get to me now.

You know?.......years of this and it still happens.

The left just can't do what righty does.
 
Tosheus said:
I’ve resigned myself to that fact.. My thinking is as long as my left hand can comfortably handle doubles and drags within the context of a groove or fill, then that’s cool.. Lots of pad work then try the rudiments on the kit and if it’s dynamically sound, then I’m happy..
Click to expand...

I think that may be a healthier approach to take about it.
 
Benthedrummer said:
CDR, that's exactly why I asked this question.

My left hand stick action developes a loop after a certain speed.

It actually pissed me off and it's starting to get to me now.

You know?.......years of this and it still happens.

The left just can't do what righty does.
Click to expand...
Are you crooked also?

I found out last month I have scoliosis. When I sit at my pad, if looking in the mirror, my right side is about an inch higher than my left side. Nothing I can do about that.

I thought about angling my snare to match my angle of crooked, but my right hand does not loop. So that feels like a big no-no.

I just continue to use my pad everyday and try to push it. If it gets faster, cool. If not, oh well.

It doesnt seem to really effect playing the kit. I'm not trying to do doubles and multiple bounce strokes nearly as much.

Singles arent really a problem, it's the starting and stopping of multiples that loops the stick. With singles it just maintains a slight angle.
 
C. Dave Run said:
Are you crooked also?

I found out last month I have scoliosis. When I sit at my pad, if looking in the mirror, my right side is about an inch higher than my left side. Nothing I can do about that.

I thought about angling my snare to match my angle of crooked, but my right hand does not loop. So that feels like a big no-no.

I just continue to use my pad everyday and try to push it. If it gets faster, cool. If not, oh well.

It doesnt seem to really effect playing the kit. I'm not trying to do doubles and multiple bounce strokes nearly as much.

Singles arent really a problem, it's the starting and stopping of multiples that loops the stick. With singles it just maintains a slight angle.
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Mate I don't think that I'm crooked.

As in posture?.......no, I've been pretty astute with my posture...... basically the rod up my butt keeping me straight has a rod up it's own butt.

Crooked as in my left hand?......I don't actually know TBH. The impression that I have is that it's all kosher.....in comparison to the right.

But yeah, thanks bud..... I'll check it out tomorrow and I'll post on here again tomorrow night and let you know.
 
PorkPieGuy said:
You will pretty much always have a dominant hand. However, doing pad work should help a lot. I know it has helped me out tremendously.
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So PPG, what did you do to improve the left?

Was there an active process that you used to get it in line with righty?

I ask because I repeat the same exercise with left and right.

So maybe all I'm doing is essentially worsening the left by reinforcing further bad habits?....I dunno.
 
Benthedrummer said:
So PPG, what did you do to improve the left?

Was there an active process that you used to get it in line with righty?

I ask because I repeat the same exercise with left and right.

So maybe all I'm doing is essentially worsening the left by reinforcing further bad habits?....I dunno.
Click to expand...

For me, it's more about the time that you put in more than anything. I make sure to work the left just as much as I work the right.

Ok, it's a little crazy, but here's what I do:

I've rigged a practice pad on my treadmill.

tread1.jpg

What I do, is I'll put on my Beats headphones, and I'll walk (usually at a slow pace but for a long-ish time). I usually listen to country music or 90's rock while I walk. I only know maybe 4 rudiments, so I'll do a different rudiment through different parts of the songs. For example, I may do a single-stroke roll through verse one and then paradiddles in the choruses. Then, I may do doubles during verse two, and then go back to paradiddles during the chorus again. I might do flam-taps (alternating right and left on the taps) during the bridge. Or I might do singles through the whole song. After 30-45 minutes of this, you should have a pretty good workout, and chances are your forearms will be pretty tight...oh and you've gotten a little cardio in to boot! It's more about working out both hands/arms equally, and by default, you left arm/hand will get a nice workout. I never do "just left" exercises.
 
PorkPieGuy said:
For me, it's more about the time that you put in more than anything. I make sure to work the left just as much as I work the right.

Ok, it's a little crazy, but here's what I do:

I've rigged a practice pad on my treadmill.

View attachment 131660

What I do, is I'll put on my Beats headphones, and I'll walk (usually at a slow pace but for a long-ish time). I usually listen to country music or 90's rock while I walk. I only know maybe 4 rudiments, so I'll do a different rudiment through different parts of the songs. For example, I may do a single-stroke roll through verse one and then paradiddles in the choruses. Then, I may do doubles during verse two, and then go back to paradiddles during the chorus again. I might do flam-taps (alternating right and left on the taps) during the bridge. Or I might do singles through the whole song. After 30-45 minutes of this, you should have a pretty good workout, and chances are your forearms will be pretty tight...oh and you've gotten a little cardio in to boot! It's more about working out both hands/arms equally, and by default, you left arm/hand will get a nice workout. I never do "just left" exercises.
Click to expand...

Absolutely fantastic idea PPG....... really good.

I might steal your idea regarding the song process.

So yeah, maybe it is a case of just working lefty the same as righty.

Thanks man, very helpful.

I appreciate you sharing this with me.
 
Bask in the asymmetry

otherwise you'll sound so-even you'll cancel your self out
 
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Benthedrummer said:
Absolutely fantastic idea PPG....... really good.

I might steal your idea regarding the song process.

So yeah, maybe it is a case of just working lefty the same as righty.

Thanks man, very helpful.

I appreciate you sharing this with me.
Click to expand...

Sure thing! I hope it helps. :)
 
I've been focusing on the left hand pretty steadily for 2-3 years now and it's paying dividends. It's MUCH better than it used to be. But alas, nowhere near my right (25 years of dominant experience). Here's what I do (a few simple things):

I warm up playing 16th notes accenting the quarter note beat with my left hand. From a recent DW thread on developing single-stroke speed (can't find the thread at the moment), presently I'm starting at 145 bpm's doing this for a timed minute. Then increase by 2 bpms to 147, then to 149, etc. up to 155. The left hand quarter note accents has really strengthened my left hand. Additionally, the left hand downbeat accent followed by the left hand softer "&" is developing a better pulse feel for left-hand riding. While doing the exercise I pay close attention to my grip, the movement of my stroke and fingers trying to mimic the right hand. Warming up and doing exercises, I always use marching sticks.

(As an aside, I also warm up my feet on double pedals doing the same 16th note exercise at the same tempos, alternating with the hands exercise. In 12-15 minutes I'm fully warmed up and playing relaxed.)

Second, I try to ride left hand / open on the hi-hat as often as possible when playing with the band and gigging. Usually these are songs with 130 bpm tempos or less and not too complicated. I have certain songs, that I just always play open handed now. I'm figuring that simple time alone riding left hand will pay off (and is).

All that said, when I really need the beat and touch to groove, I revert back to the right hand lead. There's no substitute for the touch & feel of the years' of experience of my right hand ride. The left will probably never be equal but I've found that developing my left has paid wonders in opening up new ideas and new fills.
 
PorkPieGuy said:
I've rigged a practice pad on my treadmill.

tread1.jpg
Click to expand...


THIS IS AWESOME!
 
PorkPieGuy said:
For me, it's more about the time that you put in more than anything. I make sure to work the left just as much as I work the right.

Ok, it's a little crazy, but here's what I do:

I've rigged a practice pad on my treadmill.

View attachment 131660

What I do, is I'll put on my Beats headphones, and I'll walk (usually at a slow pace but for a long-ish time). I usually listen to country music or 90's rock while I walk. I only know maybe 4 rudiments, so I'll do a different rudiment through different parts of the songs. For example, I may do a single-stroke roll through verse one and then paradiddles in the choruses. Then, I may do doubles during verse two, and then go back to paradiddles during the chorus again. I might do flam-taps (alternating right and left on the taps) during the bridge. Or I might do singles through the whole song. After 30-45 minutes of this, you should have a pretty good workout, and chances are your forearms will be pretty tight...oh and you've gotten a little cardio in to boot! It's more about working out both hands/arms equally, and by default, you left arm/hand will get a nice workout. I never do "just left" exercises.
Click to expand...

That's pretty cool. I have created the same sort of set up on my treadmill.

My left (weak) hand is a constant source of frustration. My problem is that when I think about what it's doing it instantly gets very jerky, losing any rhythmic flow. I have been able to overcome this by repeated practice to the point that I don't think about it, autopilot if you will.

If I get to that point then I can start to focus on it again and make some adjustments while keeping the flow. This process takes a while. Right now I'm working on triplets. So, metronome set for triplets at 60-70 BPM. I match that speed just with the right hand, then try to add the left in between the clicks. The result is 120-140 BPM triplets againt a 60-70 BPM triplet click.

Its weird because 120 BPM triplets is easy, but set the Met at 60 and start only with the right and slowly add the left between clicks; challenging. My left loses all rhythmic ability. I just started this a couple of days ago and it should be much better by the end of this week, but those first couple of days... Damn.

One thing I did to help my left was I dedicated a week to playing only left hand lead. Open handed on the kit and left hand lead only on the pad each day. This has been an eye opener. Frustrating at first to be sure.
 
So for C. Dave Run........as mentioned, I was going to get back to you regarding the left hand.

So after practice, I didn't notice a damn difference between the left and right hand.

Same angle, same this, same that.

It must be a finger thing or sumfin that I can't see.

Maybe Pork Pie Guy is on the button with his idea.

I just gotta keep on keeping on, push through it and repeat, repeat, repeat.

Just like a washing machine.
 
Benthedrummer said:
Is it ok to settle on the possibility that the left hand may NEVER be as good as the right?
Click to expand...

It's OK, it's just not true.

1. Play Stick Control / Accents & Rebounds, play LH lead exercises twice as long as RH lead.
2. Do it in front of a mirror, make sure stick heights are the same, correct funky motions.

That's it, you just have to do it.

"Being as good as" your right doesn't mean they're both good at the same things on drum set. You should just be able to lead with your left and get an even sound playing snare drum stuff.
 
toddbishop said:
It's OK, it's just not true.

1. Play Stick Control / Accents & Rebounds, play LH lead exercises twice as long as RH lead.
2. Do it in front of a mirror, make sure stick heights are the same, correct funky motions.

That's it, you just have to do it.

"Being as good as" your right doesn't mean they're both good at the same things on drum set. You should just be able to lead with your left and get an even sound playing snare drum stuff.
Click to expand...

Thanks Todd.
 
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