crazy hands and super hands

toddy

Platinum Member
A simple questionnaire to which you may give your opinion, if you are that way inclined;


  1. Do you play with your right hand on the hi-hat and your left hand on the snare, is there a reason for this?
  2. Do you play on the ride cymbal on your right side, with your left hand? If not, is there a reason for this?
  3. What is the main/primary advantage to the method you employ. Be it closed, open, or other.
  4. Would you rather you had have been taught to play with a different method? If so, why?
  5. Is the whole concept referenced in this questionnaire unnecessary to begin with? If so, do you wish you had have chosen not to answer?
Cheers!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRS41-7MTSs
 
A simple questionnaire to which you may give your opinion, if you are that way inclined;


  1. Do you play with your right hand on the hi-hat and your left hand on the snare, is there a reason for this?
  2. Do you play on the ride cymbal on your right side, with your left hand? If not, is there a reason for this?
  3. What is the main/primary advantage to the method you employ. Be it closed, open, or other.
  4. Would you rather you had have been taught to play with a different method? If so, why?
  5. Is the whole concept referenced in this questionnaire unnecessary to begin with? If so, do you wish you had have chosen not to answer?

1. Yes - it's the way I was taught and now feel most comfortable with. I switch to open handed when context dictates.

2. No, that would be uncomfortable, blocking the rest of the drums.

3. None other than what is most comfortable to me.

4. No.

5. I don't know if it's necessary or not without knowing the wider context. I haven't lost anything other than two minutes by answering, so no.
 
A simple questionnaire to which you may give your opinion, if you are that way inclined;


  1. Do you play with your right hand on the hi-hat and your left hand on the snare, is there a reason for this?
  2. Do you play on the ride cymbal on your right side, with your left hand? If not, is there a reason for this?
  3. What is the main/primary advantage to the method you employ. Be it closed, open, or other.
  4. Would you rather you had have been taught to play with a different method? If so, why?
  5. Is the whole concept referenced in this questionnaire unnecessary to begin with? If so, do you wish you had have chosen not to answer?
Cheers!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRS41-7MTSs

1) Yes. Reason? Feels right? We lead a lot of grooves with our primary side... That's where our bass drum is, and where we ride constantly with the primary arm.

2) No, not primarily. Answer is mostly the same as number one. I do plenty of two-handed ride work, but mostly my right hand is playing my ride.

3) I've sat at a few symmetrical kits before, and it felt cluttered and center-heavy to me. I like the feeling that my kit is setup with two sides, like I am. Each side feels like it's dedicated to different things, and it's easier for me to play than something that spreads out from the center in an "even" way. Sometimes a groove will require playing "open" and I don't mind, but normally, it's more comfortable to keep the most constant "riding" on my primary hand.

4) No. I don't see myself as being limited by an asymmetrical setup, so I don't need to change it.

5) This is a bit weird. You're obviously just exploring open-handed kit setup options, so why not just talk about it? Do what feels right to you, not what gets the most votes in a survey.
 
A simple questionnaire to which you may give your opinion, if you are that way inclined;


  1. Do you play with your right hand on the hi-hat and your left hand on the snare, is there a reason for this?
  2. Do you play on the ride cymbal on your right side, with your left hand? If not, is there a reason for this?
  3. What is the main/primary advantage to the method you employ. Be it closed, open, or other.
  4. Would you rather you had have been taught to play with a different method? If so, why?
  5. Is the whole concept referenced in this questionnaire unnecessary to begin with? If so, do you wish you had have chosen not to answer?
Cheers!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRS41-7MTSs

1. Yep, I have always played crossed over

2. I never ride with my LH. Generally my RH rides and my LH plays accents and ghosts

3. None. I've always wanted to learn other things rather than learning to ride with my LH

4. I would rather have been taught to play from the get go

5. It's for you to say whether it's unnecessary or not - you devised it so I assume you had an aim. I don't regret answering although seeing Super Hans wasn't exactly a high point (no pun intended, but whatever)
 
A simple questionnaire to which you may give your opinion, if you are that way inclined;


  1. Do you play with your right hand on the hi-hat and your left hand on the snare, is there a reason for this?
  2. Do you play on the ride cymbal on your right side, with your left hand? If not, is there a reason for this?
  3. What is the main/primary advantage to the method you employ. Be it closed, open, or other.
  4. Would you rather you had have been taught to play with a different method? If so, why?
  5. Is the whole concept referenced in this questionnaire unnecessary to begin with? If so, do you wish you had have chosen not to answer?
Cheers!

1/ Yes - It's what everyone did when I was first turned on to drums, so I did the same.

2/ No - reason = that would be very silly.

3/ It's the only method I'm comfortable with.

4/ Yes - I wish I'd started out open handed = big advantages.

5/ Yes - obviously not ;)
 
The series of questions seem confusing, at least to me.

Confusing meaning, what answers are you seeking?

One hand does one thing and the other does another thing, whether its the right or left. If this is about open-handed drumming, then if a (right-handed) drummer who plays open handed placed a HH to his right and reversed his rack tones, effectively, he is playing (left-handed) in a sense.

Its all about time and space and the method employed to achieve it really doesn't matter. As a "traditional" right-handed drummer, you learn enough over the years in any particular circumstance(song/arrangement) where one can "reverse" sticking for a moment to achieve a certain groove/fill/spacing etc.
 
A simple questionnaire to which you may give your opinion, if you are that way inclined;


  1. Do you play with your right hand on the hi-hat and your left hand on the snare, is there a reason for this?
  2. Do you play on the ride cymbal on your right side, with your left hand? If not, is there a reason for this?
  3. What is the main/primary advantage to the method you employ. Be it closed, open, or other.
  4. Would you rather you had have been taught to play with a different method? If so, why?
  5. Is the whole concept referenced in this questionnaire unnecessary to begin with? If so, do you wish you had have chosen not to answer?
Cheers!

1 - Yes, it's the "conventional" way to play for a right handed drummer. I play open handed too since I have 2 hi-hats, one on the left and one on the right.

2 - No, it feels awkward to play this way, although I play the ride cymbal with both hands sometimes for certain patterns.

3 - I'm a traditional player in the approach of the drumset, wherever it's an advantage or not doesn't really cross my mind, but it works for me.

4 - Not really, I'm quite happy with the way I play, however, I would have loved a teacher since day one and worked and practiced more the fundamentals.

5 - I don't know if this questionnaire is necessary to me, lol, but it must be of some relevance to you Toddy :)
 
So far as I know, every piano has the treble keys to the right and the bass keys to the left. If you're going to be a serious pianist, you need equal facility with both hands.

I look at drums the same way. Although I can't yet, I should be able to lead with either hand. Initiate or end fills with either hand. I play a lot of blues and the left hand in shuffles does just as much as the right hand. In fact I often simplify the right hand when playing with people who don't have such good time and just use the left to create the shuffle feel.

Right now, I'm working on a reversing triplet thing that's stretched out over 16. KRLK LRKR LKLR KRLK. The idea is to do linear fills moving it around the kit with the reversing hands. This is really driving home the equality of both sides things. Guys like Aaron Spears can do this at blazing speeds. I'm still down at 16th notes at 120.
 
1. Yes; The reason is I play mostly traditional grip.
2. No; Same reason as 1, but I do occasionally cross my left hand over to my floor tom in solos and fills.
3. The primary advantage is that traditional grip with the left hand on the snare makes for great snare drum "chatter" on jazz tunes.
4. I was taught to be able to play either way and I can when I use a match grip, so no.
5. I have no clue how to answer this. I answered because I like the topic.
 
1. Yes because Ringo did
2. No. Because Ringo didn't
3. The advantage is because I look cool
4. Yes. Open. Then I would be better than Ringo
5. Yes. See 1 thru 4 above.
 
But Ringo was naturally left handed so he could easily have played open. But he had such a great push/pull technique with his right hand that he didn't need to. He could look like a regular drummer.
 
  1. Do you play with your right hand on the hi-hat and your left hand on the snare, is there a reason for this?
  2. Do you play on the ride cymbal on your right side, with your left hand? If not, is there a reason for this?
  3. What is the main/primary advantage to the method you employ. Be it closed, open, or other.
  4. Would you rather you had have been taught to play with a different method? If so, why?
  5. Is the whole concept referenced in this questionnaire unnecessary to begin with? If so, do you wish you had have chosen not to answer?
Cheers!

1. - Depending what I'm doing - both (but rarely). 99% of the time I cross right over left. Why - because it's how I learned and is now what feels comfortable to me.

2- I play the ride set up on my right with my right hand. Why - because it's how I learned and is now what feels comfortable to me.

3 - No, I have never wished I did it differently.

4 - It's seemingly relevant to you since you asked. If you want to experiment - do it.
 
[*] Do you play with your right hand on the hi-hat and your left hand on the snare, is there a reason for this?
[*] Do you play on the ride cymbal on your right side, with your left hand? If not, is there a reason for this?
[*]What is the main/primary advantage to the method you employ. Be it closed, open, or other.
[*]Would you rather you had have been taught to play with a different method? If so, why?
[*]Is the whole concept referenced in this questionnaire unnecessary to begin with? If so, do you wish you had have chosen not to answer?
[/LIST]
Cheers!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRS41-7MTSs
1. Yes. When I started I didn't know I could think about that. I didn't knew anything different.
2. No. The point is to ride on whatever cymbal with the same hand always.
3. Right hand leads on cymbal riding. And it's what I'm used to.
4. No. Nowadays I practice things open handed from time to time. But I'm glad I play
the HH/Ride with my right hand, because I like to have my ride mounted on the right
side, which I couldn't really if I was playing open handed. (Except on my jazz setup,
where I have rides on my left and my right side.
5. If I wouldn't have wanted to answer, I wouldn't have. :)
 
But Ringo was naturally left handed so he could easily have played open. But he had such a great push/pull technique with his right hand that he didn't need to. He could look like a regular drummer.

Actually that's funny, a friend of mine and also my former drum teacher were both left handed, and both had trouble with left hand lead! Both of them had teachers who recommended that they learn to play right handed so that they could play on any drum kit, and to strengthen their right hands because their left hand was already naturally strong. So both of these guys have strong left hands, but they have developed their left hands in the traditional role that right handed players use it.

In fact I'm right handed, and because I practiced left hand lead for a while, I was better at leading with my left hand than both of them, although it was extremely difficult at first, I felt like I was learning to play drums all over again.

I was at first really surprised that they weren't ambidextrous, but I suppose that if you never put any practice into coordinating your other limbs with your left hand you won't have a natural ability to do it even if you're left handed.
 
Also, when you play Jazz as a RHer you learn to play very intricate patterns with LH on the snare. When you swap over and lead with the LH you realise your RH cannot play those intricate patterns that your LH does or if you do the LH on the hat or ride screws up!

So it's all learnt and programmed in.

Davo
 
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