Advice For Left Handed Drummers 🥁

[@ElBoyoElectronico]

I am lefthanded and started of playing righthanded. After a year I started to rearrange my kit to a lefty setup and have never looked back. Leading with my dominant hand was a game changer to the development of my playing! Yes, it sometimes sucks when playing gigs, but I am able to rearrange the drumset quicker than a lot of righthanded players that just adapt their cymbal placement.

[@galwaytribesman9289]

What happens though if you're a lefty with a dominant right foot that's another problem. If I was to set up a kit left handed I can't play bass drum with my dominant foot. I'm a lefty but say it I was to kick a ball It feels most natural to kick it with my right foot because it's the dominant one.

[@blargenspargle]

With regards to accomodating you could label the hand parts "dominant" and "non dominant" ( D and N for short). I am a lefty drummer and this is basically how I translate "right-handed" things inside my head.

[@dariusritchi7906]

My "dominant hand" changes while I play...also, sometimes I achieve perfect snap with an ideal pivotal fulcrum in the left sometimes my right achieves a better fulcrum...as percussionists, all we need to do is match the lesser to the greater and that's what makes two hands sound like one, twice as fast when needed

[@peanutpeanut123]

My advice for any left hander starting out ......switch the kit to left handed set up with hats on right and floor tom on left. To lead with left hand into fills is sooo important for natural feel and development. Wish I did this, but got good with right foot on bass pedal so too tricky to switch now.

[@guymondo]

Self taught leftie for 57 years at last count. Learned lots of bad habits which eventually opened up unique pathways, possibilities and musical personality. BTW. At 66, am still playing Rock based music semi professionally and learning new concepts through wonderful platforms like yours 🥁💜

[@jamieertley310]

I'm an openhanded player and the thing that helped me the most was re-arranging the toms so I could still lead with my left hand without getting tangled up. Today I have a floor tom on both sides so I can once again do more without having to cross my arms as much and become my own worst enemy :D

[@JewettMusic]

I'm right handed, and I've never had any issues learning something left handed on the kit. It's slow, but so is learning to do anything without tension in your muscles. As well, a lot of pop songs are produced with toms playing a rhythm at the same time as a beat, you could only play those beats open handed (I guess you could reach under for the toms, but that's even harder), so I've spent a lot of time playing with my left hand on the hi hat and snare lately. Don't be discouraged to learn to do something with your non dominant hand. Especially left handed guitars. While it is difficult to hold the pick with your left hand at first, the hard part really is the fretboard when you get to more advanced stuff, at which point you're better off with your dominant hand on the fretboard.

[@Wes_Master]

I’m left handed and I always rearrange the kit fully. Playing right handed feels fundamentally wrong and playing open handed is really limiting for me; I can play the most basic hi hat grooves without becoming disoriented but not much beyond that. It is annoying when I play on acoustic kits because almost all of them (that I’ve seen anyway) are pre-set for right handed players. But I’ve got into a rhythm for swapping the kit around in a timely manner. And my personal kit is always left handed which is lovely.

[@Biohazarus]

Newby, lefty here, just started and my left hands tries to go wild and wondered why. Lile your suggestions. Did a few tries reversing hihat and snare. Feels a world of difference... Not sure I would reverse the classroom kit but will give a shot at open handed.

[@brodyagabomzh]

Oh..... I'm lefthanded. For last 15 years i try to learn play drums, with righthanded setups. But last month i play on my first e-drums, i set it for the left hand. It's sooooooooooo different feelings, so i start to play much better! I don't have job, i don't have girl, but i have drums, and it makes me happy enough for that moment of life.

[@alhypo]

I'm right-handed but I started playing in a 1920s jazz band a few years ago. The band owns a period appropriate trap kit and the leader wants me to play it for authenticity. But the hi-hat stand is very short which makes playing right-handed impossible because it's basically lower than the snare drum rim. So I've found myself just playing time with my left hand and comping with my right on snare. And I actually kind of like it. I certainly do not have the independence I have playing time with my right hand but I'm working on it.

[@walriley48]

Lefty, playing a right handed setup open handed, here. Learned this before t’interweb was even invented. Didn’t know my right foot on bass drum was a disadvantage because I thought that was just how it is for drummers, but open handed meant that I could thrash the snare at gigs for extra visual appeal! Open handed has its limitations but it’s also a lot of fun. Currently trying to go down the Simon Phillips route of leading with either hand. Slow progress, but I’m in it for the long haul.😅

[@jc3drums916]

When I started drumming, I played right-handed, because I didn't know any better. By the time I tried open handed playing, I was advanced enough that I didn't want to re-learn all of my coordination, and switched back after about a year. I'd say the worst thing about leading with the non-dominant hand isn't starting fills. There are two things actually: 1) not having as much speed and endurance when playing the hi-hat or ride (my RH is maybe 5-10 BPM slower than my LH when I have to play for longer than, say, 8 measures), and 2) it's more difficult to keep the hi-hat or ride in time when one or more of the other limbs deviates from the grid a little, because the non-dominant hand naturally wants to follow rather than lead. Unless you know for a fact that you will never have to share a kit, open handed is the most practical way to play.

[@julianlamb8489]

Hey brother the combination of left foot and left hand on hihat can eleviate alot of those impediments you were speaking about

[@NikkLiberos]

I can adjust to playing kind of open handed, but I have noticed that I am very heavily right-footed, which means that I cannot switch what kick and snare do. Therefore, I have resorted to standard double kicker, clamping the hi-hat to the bass drum and having the lower floor tom to my left. When it comes to hand notation, I automated that R is left and L is right MANY years ago. Fully mirroring the kit at gigs sucks for me, the other drummers and FOH tech at clubs, so there's that.

[@markielinhart]

I’m a lefty Emma in that I write with my left hand. And I kick a football with my left foot and play (?) tennis left handed. However, I bat right handed, and golf (?) right handed. So, when it came to being a #lockdownlearner on the drums I was everywhere with every permutation! Sorted it now, my bop drum set is set right handed and I play open handed. The only concession is that the ride sits above the rack tom and the crash to the right. Oh, and I have added a drop hihat clutch and have double bass pedals which gives me some flexibility in that dept… ✌️

[@TheMilford]

I play open-handed and move a couple pieces around, like the ride and my biggest floor tom (which is actually a gong drum) to the left of the kit… practice your paradiddles and you can make those right-handed leaded fills more fluid.

[@youngbull0]

Hi Emma, I’m right handed but, I have a suggestion for future lesson for ya that the righties and lefties will appreciate- exercises that help separate your foot and hand on each side so they can play unique patterns. For example, Creep seems like a good song for beginners but I’m having a tough time separating the right hand on the high hat from the bass drum pattern. Thanks for putting so much time and energy into this awesome content!!!

[@love_to_learn_drums]

Thank you for the great suggestion! I'll add it to my list 😊

[@youngbull0]

Sweet, thanks Emma! @@love_to_learn_drums

[@larissareich6093]

I am left handed and my drumset is completely mirrored. I have no problems with it playing normally, but the thing making it difficult to learn with drum schools and drum apps (yes, even the ones you pay higher money) are only right sided and I always need to rethink/swap it in my mind, so it is harder for me to play the grooves given.

[@Person-bp7qk]

2:44 maybe you could right "h" for hi hat instead of R

[@CuzaAlino]

Sometimes drummers use alternating L and R sticks to play the hats. That's the reason she labeled it as R.

[@Person-bp7qk]

@@CuzaAlino fair enogub

[@michaelevans9881]

What I have found in teaching terms to my left level experience is..don't expect anything..go with the flow and experience the experience..playing one handed isn't easy and literally,,,you have to listen to yourself and the Rhythmic pattern..once you gain certain abilities about yourself,,it's always better

[@DSprich]

I'm right handed, but when I broke my arm, I learned to play open handed so that I could keep going with one arm in a sling. I'm still super right handed for everything else in life, but it's made me almost ambidexterous for drumming and has given me a load of groves and fills I wouldn't have come up with otherwise. Give it a shot for a month; what's the worst that could happen?

[@JoeArthurOrton]

I'm a left-handed drummer and this video was far more accomadating that my first, and last dum lesson, where the teacher didn't understand I was left-handed. I don't know how the notations are overlayed on the screen, but maybe could be possible to have the layers as what' being hit rather than by which arm? Like, K is for kick already, maybe H for highhat, S for snare, etc.?

[@dack42]

The sticking (which hand to use) is important information, and is lost if you only say which surface to hit. Even on sheet music, you will sometimes see sticking notated as L's and R's above the staff. Someone else suggested "D" and "N" for "dominant" and "non-dominant". I guess that works, but would probably require explanation every time as new viewers won't know what it means. Unfortunately, the current reality is a lefty drummer playing on a mirrored kit will have to learn to swap the notation anyway. There's just too much material out there with the L/R notation. If it's any consolation, right handed players that are playing open often have to do that as well.

[@statlifter]

I'm personally right handed you know with writing and all other things, I started playing the drums around 4 months ago and It feels extreamely wrong to play the HH with my right hand, this rule does not apply to my feet tho. I'm incapable of playing the kick drum with my left foot. From what I understand I play with the openhanded style? Left hand on the HH with my right on the snare, but I dunno I'm comepeletly self thought haha

[@DrumTipsAndTricks]

Great job ! I like your drum channel very instructive, smart and clear ! (y) you Rock 🤘

[@JimSavell]

I probably started playing around 5 or 6 and I learned to play right handed as a left handed person.

[@charlswanepoel1369]

Self taught, been playing for 13 years. Would say I am advanced, but I’m looking to learn music theory for a more technical side on the drums. Would you advise switching my kit to righty or just try to adjust the music theory to lefty?

[@thomdeane]

do you have any recs of left handed drumming video makers / players to watch? :)

[@Jason-wc3fh]

I've always played right handed as a left handed person. I can't even fathom the idea of trying to play a left handed kit. I've done it way too long like this.

[@TheMilford]

Some great open-handed/lefty players: Simon Phillips Billy Cobham Lenny White Mike “Puffy” Bordin Gene Hoglan

[@JewettMusic]

Louis Cole!

[@jc3drums916]

Carter Beauford, Will Kennedy, Steve Smith (sometimes), Rod Morgenstein for full lefty, Bun E. Carlos...

[@wickedwilliwonka]

I'm right handed but like to play open handed, with Ride and Hihat on the left side. The rest of the kit is normal.

[@juliensadeler6575]

I did the 1. option because i didnt know any better at the time lol and now its too late :D

[@patrickellis3205]

Big ask, but if after each video you could for ten seconds just put the left handed option on the screen, so we can screenshot it that would be awesome 🤩

[@Idk-p2n5l]

im not a lefty, but for some reasons I play open handed bcuz i always mess up at the right handed way. someone help me if I should play righty or lefty or, open handed cuz idk im not that experienced.

[@lomerd8894]

Can you invert the display on some your videos.

[@alemon22]

i'm not professional but I love drumming so I can play drums and I'm left handed and left footed lol

[@stephensmith6479]

Just put both graphics in your videos. Left could be smaller

[@ThatGuyWierd]

Ive ben air drumming for years hi hatting with my left hand and finally took the plunge and bought a kit and wondered why im so retarded and un co ordinated and have no timing its because my left wants to be the constant tapper the right wants to shuffle around its just how ive played in my head since bejng in a kid and now at 28 learning for real i didn't think it would be an issue having never actually learned to play properly but two days in and i find myself asking KZbin if left habded drum set up is a thung and hey presto im not crazy. Will try open handed i think

[@FIFTHDEMN1]

Im left handed and I completely flip my kit. Im no professional by a long shot. I only play for churches.

[@lordless12]

To late for other videos But you can call them primary hands and secondary hands.luckly secondary hand usually hits snare

[@stepovyk01]

Fun fact. I'm left footed and right handed)