The WHY and HISTORY of Open Handed Drumming | (Billy Cobham, Dennis Chambers, & Dick Fosbury)

[@starttodrum685]

After 40 years of drumming, I started playing the open-handed style after watching Carter Beauford and Simon Phillips do it. For me, it's so much more efficient, comfortable, and actually easier. It also didn't take a lot more practice time to incorporate it. Thanks for posting this. Kenn

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

AMAZING Kenn! Congrats on drumming for almost half a century, and continuing to be the eternal student! (you are joining the ranks of Neil Peart, and so many other life long learners) Watch this video here to see another drumming that has been playing YEARS crossed, have the courage to keep growing! kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJPRd5Z_jt2lh8U&ab_channel=ChrisLesso Also, you can get my free open handed pdf guide HERE: chrislesso.com/contact Stay strong on the path Kenn!

[@ljoe7038]

I thing drummers must be able to play both. My daughter is lefty, so I'm collecting info, how to teach her drumming. Cheers from Russia!

[@MadHatterND]

I taught myself how to play on Roland V-Drums. I thought I was doing something weird/wrong when I looked at other drummers. I had no idea about the term open handed drumming until now. Thank you very much for this post. I know now that if it sounds good, it IS good!

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

'Weird is good'! Change at the beginning will always look different because you're not following the majority, but that's awesome. Open handed will help you become the best version of yourself on the drums and life, so keep this up Ninno! You get get my free open handed drumming guide at chrislesso.com/OHD

[@linkinreallife179]

It's so strange seeing open handed drumming becoming so popular. I spent my early years of drumming feeling out of place because I didnt see anyone play that way. I'm left handed but right footed so sitting down behind a righty kit just worked (while also swapping the ride and crash). I wish I could have been at you're clinic to see the look on your face when I said I comit 100% to open handed drumming.

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Hi LinkInRealLife17! This is awesome, and massive congrats you followed your INTUITION right from the beginning, and have the COURAGE to be different! (*it took me a little longer to get to that point myself:) Among many other traits, these are two of the big ones that open handed gives us. Imagine how the pioneers like Billy Cobham and Gary Chester felt! This is also why I included the Dick Fosbury story ... those that are DIFFERENT at first (in ANY field) will be seen as strange and be ridiculed for it ... thanks for having the GRIT to stick wth it 100%! Thanks for checking the video ... please SHARE with your drumming community, and I recommend also listening to this roundtable for my mentors, the reason I discovered it in the first place! Stay great LinkInRealLife17; kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z4O4c5apq5KUn9k

[@blado3442]

Same here left handed and right footed.... I think this open hand theory is the way to go for us. My only weakness is I naturally tend to lead with my left to play fills. I tried to flip the kit around so it's fully lefty but now I would have my weak foot on the kick pedal. I also tried regular right hand kit playing cross handed and just never worked for me. I am definitely up to this open hand style of playing. I might have to move the toms around and maybe add a second ride symbol or so. The only thing is I share the drums with other drummers so, I don't want to change the original set up we have maybe just add to it in a way that is beneficial to all of us. I only switch things around at home. I have a practice kit that I can mess around with.

[@linkinreallife179]

@@blado3442 I lead all my fills left handed too. What I do to avoid getting in my own way is setting up the toms like a left handed kit with extra floor Tom on the right. It almost looks like a marching tenor setup and it's comfortable cause I played tenors in high school marching band.

[@blado3442]

@@linkinreallife179 Great thank you, I will definitely try that. I was also thinking about adding a third tom next to the existing small tom ( to the left of it) Thank you so much for replying!

[@user-hc9sk3mg1h]

Same playing cross my feet are un coordinated.

[@jonpeck9464]

When I got my first full kit, this is the way I naturally felt comfortable playing. Self taught. I always felt like there were advantages and disadvantages. After seeing this maybe there are more advantages. Been playing that way for almost 50 years. No one was doing it back in the day. Billy was one, then saw Dennis play both ways over the years. He's a good friend and our local drumming super hero!! Nice to have some confirmation from such a great player. One sound guy called me a pigeon winged player. Made me feel handicapped. All good now!

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

OUTSTANDING Jon, keep this momentum going strong! Feel free to email me at [e-mail] for some bonuses that I give to my drumming community to take OPEN HANDED DRUMMING to the next level, no matter where you're currently at. You're awesome Jon! Stay great on the path;

[@KarstenFranke]

I just can agree. I'm left-handed and at the very beginning of playing. And for me it also feels more natural to play open handed.

[@minime5380]

My kinda rules 😊

[@minime5380]

Great ethos 🙏

[@owensmith4741]

Always played this way and am self taught on the kit. I'm 25, have been playing for 15 years. At first I thought I was playing wrong as my "teachers' corrected me. I couple years ago I had a break through and realized I was right all along 😆 open handed free drumming for life.

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Hi Owen! This is awesome that you rejected your teachers mis-led 'because we've always done it this way' mindset and stuck with it! I wasn't as lucky, and had to make the switch WAY later which was so much more effort, but still greatly worth it. (I've got a quick potent video where I talk about students getting well intentioned advice from teachers that lead them on the wrong path HERE: kzbin.info/www/bejne/laTIgmOlmceBZpo) Also, you can get the FREE open handed guide pdf at: chrislesso.com/contactchris/ Open handed for life Owen!

[@CCMDrummer]

To date, I think this video is the most comprehensive video on OHD. I would take exception to one issue with one thing. If one is really going to excel at OHD, they are going to need to put in at least 50% of their practice time on it. I went totally cold turkey and started 100% back in 1995 and it took me about 6 months to master it.

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Hi CCM! Thanks for checking it out, and please share with other drummers. I agree that for more RESULT you have to put in more EFFORT ... but even 1% open handed plants the seed! This grows more over time with MOMENTUM. I went 100% as well in 2002. Glad you beat me to it starting in 1995, I'm sure you are enjoying the fruits of your hard work more and more every day!

[@benbignell]

for me it came natrually i had no idea i was doing i

[@jacksonwaltersmcdonald1787]

7:29. Started playing drums in the beginning of quarantine, and because i played piano before, open handed drumming seemed like a no brainer. The drum kit is more similar to the piano than people realize. Rather than having 88 keys you have like 8. It forces you to be more creative and to think of innovative combinations. When playing with other instruments it might make sense to limit your play style and do cross handed. But if you want to experience the fullest potential of the drums (within one playstyle) open handed makes the most sense to master.

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

AMAZING Jackson, so glad you're on the path with this, your future self will be happy and thank you! Stay string, and stay great;

[@JimCassella]

I have always wondered if an open handed player starts fills with his/her right hand or left hand. I know that there are some very ambidextrous drummers are out there but just for the common drummer who plays, which hand do you recommend to lead with for fills around the kit?

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Great question Jim! Right handed or left handed is old school thinking ... we just 'play the instrument' where music is the goal, and we work on our weaker side as we go. There are no rules with setups, but crossing only slows us down! (I have ride cymbals and hihats on BOTH sides of my kit) I generally start fills with my right hand (I am right handed and definitely not ambidextrous, but you don't have to be to play open handed, that is a myth), and it's even easier than in my crossed days because my right hand has even less distance to travel because it's already right on the snare! I go deeper into this in my free guide: chrislesso.com/OHD Keep drumming with passion Jim!

[@JimCassella]

Thank you for the response.@@ChrisLessoDrums

[@Feedersuper]

I’m not left-handed but I watched Dennis Wilson drumming when I was a kid and thought that was how it was done. So I copied it and have been drumming open-handed since.

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Exactly! You copied the way of FREEDOM:) More at chrislesso.com/OHD

[@JalenRawley]

I knew of this as just "left hand lead" drumming back in the day, and it seemed like all of my favorite drummers did it. Upon first seeing it, I just thought that drummer hadn't seen many other drummers before, weren't taking lessons and upon setting up their first drum kit assumed since the hi-hat was on the left, they should hit it with their left hand and just made it work. It wasnt until reading interviews with drummers like Mike Bordin and Simon Phillips that the open hand concept began to make sense. For Mike Bordin, it was about hitting with more power and using the toms for more than just fills. He had a teacher that really pushed him to try it and at first he kept his ride on the right side but eventually switched it over to the left as well. For Simon it was mostly about access to his high tom. Normal hi-hat placement raised it too high and it was awkwardly placed. He found that if he could lower the hi-hat he could place the tom where he wanted it, but it made playing cross hand on the hat difficult so he tried using his left hand instead and found how the whole kit just opened up for him. From there I always noticed left hand lead guys. Once while I was a kid my friends and I were riding our bikes around and heard a band playing on a stage in a nearby park. Went over and it was a metal band, drummer was the lead singer and played left hand lead. I grilled him for like an hour after their set, asking them a billion questions about it. To this day if I ever see a left hand lead guy I'm instantly a fan.

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Awesome Jalen! This is the EVOLUTION of our young instrument ... we're no longer held back by 'righty/lefty', but more focused on what matters: balancing the limbs for maximum self expression! (Like a piano) Keep drumming with passion Jalen, and get your free open handed drumming guide at chrislesso.com/OHD

[@HanDrumsolo]

Damn what show is that Billy Cobham footage from at the 13:30ish mark??? Those drums sound insanely good, what a great mix!!!!

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Hi HanDrumsolo! I agree, that clip of Billy is KILLER ... and that is a pretty recent clip too, so in his 70's he just keeps getting better and better and BETTER! What a great model for us demonstrating EXCELLENCE in LONGEVITY, getting so many years of excitement and joy in the drums! The entire clip is from him playing at Guitar Center, search it and you will find it. Keep drumming and stay inspired!

[@carbonc6065]

Guitar Center's 21st Annual Drum-Off Finals (2009).

[@tonygrissom8351]

I’m 46, thus far self taught…I’m musically inclined and can play several instruments. In July, I got talked into playing drums for the Church youth group service because I thought and said I’d always wanted to and felt like I could do it. I found that open handed is natural for me. I bought a 7 pc Gretsch kit and man am I having fun! I just had my 1st lesson yesterday and teach was impressed!

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

So amazing Tony, so awesome to hear you are in the zone, this is what it's all about! If you're just starting I have a killer 8 part free e-course at chrislesso.com#lesson, and the Open Handed Drumming guide workshop can be emailed to you at [e-mail]. Stay great and have fun finding your best self through drumming Tony!

[@centralscrutinizer8571]

I switched to about 50/50 open handed playing in 2005 when my kit got bigger. It was the most comfortable and easiest option for solving the hi-hat dilemma in a 4 rack tom double bass setup. Three or four years later, the ride cymbal had migrated to the left hand side of the kit too, so now I play open handed full-time. If I could give my 13-year-old self one piece of drumming advice, it would be to start playing like that from the beginning.

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

I would give me young self that same advice too! Open handed is the way. Get your free guide at chrislesso.com/OHD

[@miketalbot4]

Great stuff Chris! I’m glad I found your channel.

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

OUTSTANDING miketalbot4! Great to see you here, and have fun playing drums!

[@bartoszdolewski4915]

Due to COVID-19 situations and therefore lack of gigs I decided I need new stimulation in my drumming life. At the end of the May I just said to myself - why not switch to the open-handed drumming? I already play like that in ska band where lots of "disco" like beats are way easier to play open handed. After several months I play open-handed exclusively and I feel like that's the way it should always been, feels like my drumming life is complete.

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

OUTSTANDING Bartosz! I'm going to share your statement with all my students ... this is SUCH a great example of the attitude of turning the OBSTACLE into the way FORWARD. There is always opportunity in crisis, and you will now look back on this period as the time when you grew in leaps and bounds!! I'm inspired to read this Bartosz, thanks for sharing! If you ever want to share this with the LTR drumming community and go deeper into open handed drumming, I just launched the new LTR CONNECT collective, check it out here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h2bCf5-cmsZ9oNE You can also get the free open handed guide pdf: chrislesso.com/contactchris Thanks Bartosz, play drums and have fun! Stay great;

[@Deetroiter]

I was a single digit aged young boy who just wanted to play a relatives drum set because it was big and sparkly red color (those old vintage drums all had that era look to them). My instinct was to just pick the sticks up ‘open handed’ because it’s what felt natural as a little boy. Always thought it was normal and continued playing that way for the rest of my percussion/drumming career. I don’t see any right or wrong, I just see potential in different aims to accomplish. Drums are art, do what it takes to bring thoughts to reality. Carter Beauford (Dave Matthews Band) solidified to me that I was never ‘wrong’ for playing open handed. The guy can seriously lay it down and if it’s good enough for him, it’s good enough for me!

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

You got it! Glad to hear you're experiencing the freedom and creativity from OHD. You're right, NO child would ever think to cross their hands, this only limits us. Keep your momentum going strong!

[@BillRayDrums]

This is great, man. Subscribed! :D

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

AWESOME Bill, welcome to the family! You can get the pdf workbook that goes deeper into these concepts at chrislesso.com/contactchris Keep drumming and stay great Bill!

[@Prisha-so6rm]

I agree with another commenter that this is the most comprehensive vid on open-handed playing. I absolutely agree that open-handed playing really improves your left hand. I started playing OH after watching old videos of Simon Phillips and Billy Cobham. After playing completely open-handed(hi hats and ride on the left) for over half a year, I can say that my technique and musicality improved. I started playing tom breaks while playing the ride and hi hats much like what Chambers showed. I also put more drums and percussion on the left side for a more symmetrical setup. Interestingly, I found that this technique was easiest to learn when I just air drummed to songs open handed. When I tried forcing myself to play OH I could never learn it. Now, after learning this technique, I have absolutely no regrets.

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Hi Tim! This is so cool to hear ... one of the reasons so few take on this challenge is that it's challenging to envision our FUTURE selves ... open handed takes TIME to grow roots, but the rewards are great as you are living now! (All strides forward are on the OTHER side of straight up HARD WORK) Amazing to hear your creativity and weaker side are improving. This will only exponentially grow over time! Thanks for checking the video ... please SHARE with your drumming community, and I recommend also listening to this roundtable for my mentors, the reason I discovered it in the first place! Stay great Tim; kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z4O4c5apq5KUn9k

[@Prisha-so6rm]

Chris Lesso Thanks for the advice! Your videos have been very inspiring and are a gold mine for creative ideas to push your technique and musicality to new heights. Continue doing these as I believe not enough people know the amazing benefits of even 5% open handed. I am starting to learn fast Billy Cobham songs like Tenth Pinn and complex Simon Phillips songs like Indian Summer. Its been really slow and frustrating but exceptionally rewarding to my musicianship. I feel at times like quitting and playing crossed but after listening to your podcast with Dom Famularo and hearing your support, I feel absolutely excited to start practicing OH again! Thanks for this! The path of most resistance DOES lead to the most growth.

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

@@Prisha-so6rm, believe it or not, if you're thinking about quitting from feeling the frustration you're actually on the right path! Balance this with pure FUN on the drums, because that's what it's all about in the first place. Let me know how it's going Tim, and stay the course!

[@willfarrow7516]

WHERE can I get my hands on the full track to the drums being played on 00:24 - 00:44 ?

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Everything is at chrislesso.com Will! Glad you liked it:)

[@michaelfraters831]

Been playing open handed for years since I saw Simon on Pete Townshends Deep end. I had years away from the kit but after being back a few years my left hand still lacks the fluidity of my right even though I feel more comfortable with left hand lead. It’s still stiff compared to the right but I automatically will left with the left. It’s great but also been a bit frustrating because the left despite years of playing is still mechanical vs the right.

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

That's awesome Michael! (Simon's stuff with Pete is AWESOME:) I hear you with that feeling of left vs right, I have the same thing. However, 'a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link', therefore keeping your left weaker side working harder every day is the right thing to elevate your overall drumming. A solution I do, is to also have a small aux hihat on my RIGHT side as well, so I can always have the option to play that way. The ultimate goal is unlimited FREEDOM! (Watch Dom Famularo's '21st Century' lesson on Drumeo for more on the double hihat and ride setup) I have a free guide at chrislesso.com/OHD that will help. Keep drumming with passion Michael, you're on the right path!

[@fernandomartincom]

Thank you so much for this! 🙏🏼 Let's not waste our time getting obsessed with things like what is the"correct" way to hold the sticks! 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Exactly! Let's ask better QUESTIONS: 'How might we work on our weaker side and have more freedom to speak our voice through drumming?' Open handed gives us this, but there are no rules to this journey! Great to hear you're having fun drumming, get more with my free open handed drumming guide at chrislesso.com/OHD

[@ranchero2000]

Hi and thanks for this discussion. I would like to add the name of MICHAEL DAWE as one of the all time masters of open handed playing...and a master of groove.... with chops for days! He played with Robert Palmer for a while and with Thompson Twins and many others. I used to go see him with his band in Boston in the late 70's beastin' on those drums. MICHAEL DAWE !

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

This is amazing ranchero2000, I do remember that drummer, seeing him in the 80's on MuchMusic (Canadian MTV) when I was a kid! You're right, he is an outstanding drummer, and this was even MORE rare in the 80's, so thanks so much for sharing this insight!

[@Riddim4]

And the late Roberto Petacchia, Lenny White, Carter Beaufort, Simon Phillips....

[@DaGretschguy]

Nice episode Chris!!

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Thank you DaGretschguy! Inspiration is everywhere for us drummers:)

[@vandavis000]

Bullet for my valentine drummer moose is open handed, I am lefty but starting learning open hands.

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Awesome to hear! Don't get slowed down by 'lefty/righty', that's old outdated thinking. Open handed works both hands more equally will unlock your creativity! Connect with me at chrislesso.com/OHD for your free guide to go deeper. Excellent you mentioned Bullet For My Valentine drummer, having amazing drummers to look up to that are already doing it is the key! (That's how I started in the first place:) Keep your drumming momentum going strong!

[@aptopowerup]

Yes!!!!!!!

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Keep the momentum going ... POWER UP!

[@KSS184]

I started playing open handed by accident as a kid and that was the only way I could play all the way to college level. Simon Phillips/Will Kennedy stuff was kinda easy and natural. But as a right handed person I started to feel that no matter how hard I practice, playing very steady beat with strong hihat lead or jazz just didn’t work as well as I wanted. So I decided to try practice a few grooves playing traditionally cross-handed and it felt so much more natural immediatly. Nowadays I can play everything both ways but 99% of the time I prefer the traditional way, because my right hand lead is so much more naturally stronger. Kinda backwards story 🙃

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Right on Kristian! Many drummers started open handed 'by accident' ... Carter Beauford tried to emulate a Buddy Rich album cover but did it backwards because he looked at it like a mirror image. Claus Hessler had his first drum lesson and couldn't remember how his drum teacher said to do it, so when he got home he set it up backwards from (wrong) memory and learned it that way ... it can be a happy accident. You can play any way that is most expressive, but it sounds like you're a better drummer for adding some open handed to your playing! Get the full guide at chrislesso.com/OHD

[@coajrmusic]

I'm left handed, play conventionally, and get a similar result with an aux hi-hat on the right side. My naturally-stronger left hand is free to roam the open pallet of toms, without stopping the hi-hat pulse.

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Awesome Chet! I also use the aux hihat, it's all about opening doors. Keep having fun finding your best self through drumming Chet! You can get my free open handed pdf guide HERE: chrislesso.com/contact

[@ladrum6623]

Are there drummers that play the hit hat with the left hand ( open handed ) but the ride with the right hand ? ( Traditionnal playing ) 'causethat's my case and i don't see any drummer like this 😂

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Great question! In my LTR DRUMMING community, this is exactly how we approach the instrument. Then from there if you want to cross, you can! This way, you have ultimate freedom to say anything you feel in your heart, any time. My mentor Dom Famularo also approached the kit like this. For more info, grab my free open handed drumming guide at chrislesso.com/OHD

[@tonylewis1803]

Aren’t human beings interesting? We continued the ergonomics of what worked for a marching drum and carried it over to what was ergonomically flawed to traps for DECADES and still continues, even though a single, solitary drummer, showed the way! Human “traditions” affect us for generations, even when they are so obviously debilitating to our growth as human beings. It amazes me that tradition was able to hobble ergonomic realities that should have been incorporated from transitions into other drumming spheres. And it continues to this day. Amazing!

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

100% Tony, it takes those with courage to break the mold and dare to defy the norm! (Taking this spirit into your drumming is absolute FIRE)

[@stevenwilson9865]

I do what comes natural. Then, try the opposite. I play open-handed on a right hand set. I believe, playing ambidextrous is a advantage.. remember seeing Bun E. and play open...

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Absolutely Steven, the core of the LTR DRUMMING METHOD is the root word of natural, which is to follow nature. No one would think to cross their hands over unless directed to, so you are right that ambidextrous is definitely an advantage! (Great mention of Bun E, right on:) 'Righty' and 'Lefty' are old school outdated concepts, there is only SOUND and EXPRESSION, striving to use all limbs equally. Stay inspired Steven! Go deeper with my free Open Handed Drumming Guide at chrislesso.com/OHD

[@criops]

Hmm, should I relearn drums to lead w/my left & free up my right hand, or mount a remote hat on my right? I’m going to have to pray on it, I just can’t decide.

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Hi criops, I hear you and I struggled with this too ... the question to filter this through, is how to GROW and have the most FREEDOM. So what I did was post an auxiliary hihat on my right side (inexpensive and easy to set up, you can see it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3Ovg2p6ermbnbM) so all the time I had invested in my right hand patterns I wouldn't lose, I just played them on my right side, and added the ride and hihat to my left as well. This opened up so many doors, and I didn't lose any of the work I had put in so far. For more guidance and detail, get my free open handed drumming guide at chrislesso.com/OHD. You've already won by taking on this new challenge for yourself to grow out of your comfort zone criops!

[@pearlmmx7]

They always talk about open handed drumming but being a drummer you also need your feet. For example, I"m left handed but right footed. I started playing on a rigth handed drum (open handed) for several years but a drum teacher advised me to turn the drum left-handed to be able to do better drumfills (cuz we lefties always start fills with the left). After several years of playing on a left-handed drum set, the left foot on the bass drum remained the weak link. That is why I have now placed a remote hi-hat right in front of me and I operate it with my weak left foot. In this way my dominant foot on the right can operate the bass drum which feels much more natural. The point is, too little account is taken into the dominant foot. And with today's possibilities (remote hi-hat / double bass drum pedal ...) I think a drum kit should always be placed taking into account both the dominant hand and the dominant foot. Unless putting the hi-hat right in front of you (like Danny Carey from Tool in Pneuma) becomes the new evolution in drumming! To think about! Greetings Andy

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

YES, totally agree! I believe drumming from the 'hands down' like the traditional approach is BACKWARDS ... we need to be rooted to the earth using gravity as a tool by drumming from the FEET UP. Great observation! I've got some free training you'll love that focuses on feet first at chrislesso.net/drum

[@SirCommander42]

I’m a fully left handed drummer. Everything I do is completely flipped from a right hander’s perspective. I’ve tried the opened handed (i.e Cobham) way, but in terms of fluidity, going from left to right and using a right foot dominant was just not for me. I say this because it is so hard to just hop on any kit and play because it will not sound nearly as good as when I play left-handed. I recommend checking out Huub Jansen, who is one of the only drummers I’ve seen play fully left like me!

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Forget 'righty-leftie' thinking ... play in ZONES on either sides of your body for maximum freedom!

[@johnknight9150]

I've been drumming open-handed for more than ten years now, I started cross, switched after I saw Dom. If you're interested in the conversion but struggling, start with meat-and-potatoes rock (break beats and jazz will initially be too hard!). Beyond that, most of your conversion work will be done *away* from the kit, when you're tapping your fingers. Bored at church, stuck in class, waiting on the bus - that's the best place to re-coordinate your limbs, between sessions on the kit. When you get back to the kit, you will do much better than the last time you were there.

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Hi John! Thanks for this insight, your are RIGHT that so much effective practice can be done AWAY from the kit, to maximize our time when we get ON the kit. (Neil Peart called this 'beyond the cymbals' meaning when we're not behind the drums on the throne we can still improve in so many ways) Check out my video '10 Practice Hacks For A Busy Day' for more on how to get better when you have NO time and you can't get to the kit! (we ALL face this challenge:) You can also get a free weekly video lesson if you go to chrislesso.com/contact and type LTR in the subject heading. Have fun John becoming YOUR BEST SELF THROUGH DRUMMING!!

[@codersexpo1580]

Check out Carter Beauford with the Dave Mathew’s band. He is just a beast on drums playing open handed

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Yes, absolutely! Carter s a great example of the 3 benefits of open handed: creativity, balancing the hands, and CONFIDENCE! Keep your open handed game strong, and drum with passion! More on this on my free guide at chrislesso.com/OHD

[@eliborg]

This might sound extremely weird but I’m left handed and I’ve always crossed my hands, I’ve never felt weird about it lol

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Stop crossing and your rhythmic freedom and creativity will skyrocket 10X!

[@natsuzkan]

I'll shout from the rooftops that beginners are best off if they learn with their hi hat on the side of their dominant hand, and play open-handed that way. Either foot should be able to kick, in the long run.

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

You're right Natalie! It's underestimated how quickly a beginner (in about 2 weeks) can get used to playing a groove with something on the left side (say a hihat) and something on the right (say a ride) no matter if they're left OR right handed. Then they can CHOOSE where they go from there because they now have ultimate FREEDOM! Keep shouting from the rooftops Natalie:) I go more into this in my free open handed guide: chrislesso.com/OHD

[@vicos2007]

Sonor drums simply the best

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

There is something big time special about Sonor Victor!!

[@SionedWillicombe]

was cobham left handed? anyone know..

[@carbonc6065]

He is ambidextrous.

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Billy Cobham is actually right handed! It’s an outdated myth that right handed or left handed will dictate your lead. Like a piano, you just focus on playing the music!

[@carbonc6065]

@@ChrisLessoDrums He's ambidextrous ... He also mentioned, recently in an interview with Dom Famularo, that he performs different tasks with different hands--i.e., throwing, writing, etc.

[@rothwellaudio]

Drummers were playing open handed long before the term was invented. For decades the hi-hat was played mostly with the foot and the right hand was on the ride cymbal, ie it was open handed drumming. It wasn't until rock music was invented that drummers started to play the hi-hats with a stick, and it was then that cross handed drumming appeared. So, open handed drumming isn't a new concept at all - it predates cross handed drumming.

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

YES Andrew! Exactly, and that's just why it will also be the future of drumming:)

[@gadblatz4841]

Been playing open handed for the most part since I started playing. Maybe twenty something years?

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Amazing Gadblatz! That's the biggest payoff, when the freedom of ideas and attention to the weaker side compounds over years and years. And then if you CHOOSE to go crossed, your drumming is better off for it. Great to hear this Gadblatz, spread the joy of this playing to other drummers!

[@Pro1938ftc3ch]

I'm a lefty and I just started playing drums I'm so glad im learning open handed

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

@@Pro1938ftc3ch YES, this is a big deal and I'm glad to hear this! Crossing over left handed makes no sense whatsoever, and means you're condemned to a life of switching right handed drumsets over to left handed for the rest of your life in rehearsal rooms and practice rooms. Great to hear, and have fun drumming!

[@Pro1938ftc3ch]

@@ChrisLessoDrums thanks I hope you have a nice day

[@michaeldaley5831]

Dennis Wilson was the first open hand drummer.

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

But Billy OWNED it as a complete drummer.

[@RogerBergqvist]

Simon Phillips... The Who, Mike Oldfield, Toto..

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Yes Roger, great mention, one of my biggest influences and one of the best!

[@guitaristbiker]

most open handed drummers are lefties on righty kits, lefties always have to adapt because its a "righty world"

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

The NEW school of drumming is that there's no such thing as 'righty or leftie', this is and outdated myth. There is only utilized the zones in our body for maximum freedom!

[@webstercat]

My future self only plays at ppp.

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Dynamics is the key!!

[@duckygirl617]

is there any open handed drummers here i feel so lonely

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Hi MOCworld! Open handed is sometime lonely because you are in the rare percentage of drummers on the forward cusp of the future growth of the instrument ... but keep pushing yourself to be the best you can be through drumming!

[@duckygirl617]

Chris Lesso wow thank you i needed this

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

@@duckygirl617, I've been there! The safety of following the herd is short-lived, and know that the journey of finding YOUR best self through drumming is a lonely sport. I am giving FREE livecasts with some of the best drummers in the world on this subject and others to keep everyone STRONG through the current crisis, if you want to sign up go to chrislesso.com/contactchris (next week is Rich Redmond and Dom Famularo). Also, this podcast roundtable of open handed drumming will uplift you as well. Stay strong MOCworld! chrislesso.com/2018/10/10/ltr-podcast-1-open-handed-drumming-mindset-and-techniques-chris-lesso-with-dom-famularo-claus-hessler-and-stephane-chamberland/

[@johnknight9150]

Here, brother. :)

[@kennybarnes2375]

Another lefty here!

[@beetlejews]

The way you lead with your left hand is incorrect. Look at your fingers around the stick, you’re gripping the stick with you thumb and index fingers while your others fingers don’t make contact with the stick causing you to lose power and speed.

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Thanks for the lesson! I'll work on that:)

[@nixdapogs]

Been trying this out for the past month I am getting frustrated

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Hi Derrick! I hear you, it STILL frustrates me, but the rewards are great! Even SOME of your drumming open handed increases your creativity and works your weaker side, so keep at it. It is really about the LONG TERM GAME, especially if you've invested many hours of playing into the traditional cross handed drumming like I did. (*open handed was REALLY challenging for me at first .. I started it in 2002 after 17 years of playing crossed) Two points of advice for you on the path: first, the frustration is GOOD, because this means you are GROWING! Learn to love it, and even give frustration a big hug, as you get comfortable being uncomfortable! (*for more on 'embracing the suck', study the Navy SEALS ... I have Dave Rutherford coming on my LTR podcast soon, so be sure to subscribe to the KZbin channel or podcast) Second, you may be taking on TOO MUCH AT ONCE, as you need to let your brain and muscles absorb the new information one step at a time. Check out my '4% Edge' video lesson on this for more. Stay the course Derrick, because 'future Derrick' 10 years from now will thank you! Stay great;

[@nixdapogs]

Chris Lesso thanks, bro and keep safe🙏🏻

[@johnknight9150]

@@nixdapogs G'day Derrick, how is your open-handed playing going, 8 months in? I found most of the hard work in my conversion was away from the kit, tapping feet and fingers when I was bored.

[@centralscrutinizer8571]

Strength in the left hand is very important. To that angle, I started doing seven minutes of consistent single strokes from the wrist leading with the left hand, then from the fingers leading with the left hand. Alternating odd note groupings (1, 3, 5, 7 9, 11, 13, 11, 9, 7, 5, 3, 1) again leading with the left hand, once through with the wrists and again with the fingers. I find those two exercises helped a lot. Beyond that, just perform simple activities with your left hand that you normally do with your right (opening jars and bottles, doors, brushing your teeth, etc.).

[@TonyGellaMusic]

Im literally can’t play cross handed, when i start play drums😂.. only way for me after playing piano- open handed❤ WHY NO ONE PLAY ON HIS PRACTICE PAD CROSS HANDED?…😂

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

I'm with you Tony, keep rocking the open handed drumming! (I go deeper on this in my guide at chrislesso.com/OHD)

[@Digga58]

Hi Mr. Lesso I´m a bit angry with you. It´s not good that you didn´t name: Mr. Billy Cobham. In my opinion you have to name him.

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Hi Harvvey! I hear you, MASSIVE respect to Billy, and sometimes in the flow of the video with all the information packed into it, you're right it might have been better to mention Billy sooner, but at least he's in there! He deserves so much accolades for being the pioneer, and at that time imagine the resistance he would have felt for daring to be different! Thanks for bringing props to BIlly, and keep drumming Harvvey!

[@Riddim4]

Love BC, but there were folks playing that way before Billy became known… Check out the Wrecking Crew movie, where Hal Blaine starts talking.

[@Digga58]

@@Riddim4 You´re right when you say that a few drummers had playing this technique already before. But for the majority of listeners and anyway most of all drummers, ask D. Chambers, ask S. Philipps, BC is, especially in terms of his perfection, the measure of all things: and so the origin.

[@Riddim4]

@@Digga58: I understand your point about the majority of listeners. I said what I said because your statement was false.

[@John3_16andthensome]

Your ears aren't hairy enough to be Yoda, but you speak like a Master. Subscribe to your channel I will.

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Thanks Top Jimmy! I am a fan of Yoda as well, he's one of my favourite 'drummers'! (*inspiration can come from ANYWHERE:)

[@mediumstudio]

or just play a left-handed kit

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

NO WAY, then you live a lifetime of being cursed to have to switch kits around. 'Left handed' and 'right n=handed' is dead old school thinking. Get all limbs equal with OHD!

[@cedardreamsLLC]

2 words Damion Reid

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

yes

[@zoznack]

Dennis Chambers said that open hand drumming is THE "correct" way to play. Does that imply that cross stick is incorrect? That would be news to Buddy Rich, Steve Gadd or John Bonham or Mitch Mitchell or 98% of the greatest drummers out there. I wouldn't argue with Dennis Chambers on most things, but both styles of drumming are "correct". Whatever works best…

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

It means that crosshanded playing is DEAD and never should have existed in the first place. All those drummers you listed left potential on the table, and would have all been better off open handed. They could have ALL be even more next level! No question.

[@shawncozad8565]

Cable your high hat on your right with the ride. Problem solved

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

YES Shawn, exactly ... like Danny Carey, Chris Slade, or Bill Bruford ... but you still don't get the weaker side benefit or creativity boost from using your entire body, but it's a good start! (WAY better than staying crossed) Keep drumming and having fun Shawn!

[@philmaturanodrums]

This is such bullshit LOL

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Really Phil? Maximizing our freedom and expression through drumming is BS? You know what I think is BS? Leaving negative bitter petty jealous comments when you'd be better off in the practice room 'LOL'.

[@beetlejews]

Great video, but your technique is terrible. Work on your left hand.

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Thanks for the advice:)

[@beetlejews]

You have the worst technique on your left hand

[@johnknight9150]

Why? He plays with a good loose grip, he uses his fingers for power, there's a good rebound.... why is it bad?

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Thanks for the tip! I'll work on it for you:) Please show me yours so I can aim for perfection.

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

You're right, rebound is the key!

[@Dave-lr2wo]

Is playing right-hand cross a vestige of traditional grip on the sticks? Is that why we all do it?

[@ChrisLessoDrums]

Hi Dave, EXACTLY, it's like a bad habit that everybody does and nobody questions it anymore. We need a RESET that makes more sense (like Dennis Chambers says in this video) to rethink the instrument and take it into the next century! It gives us freedom, creativity, and expression ... why hold back? There's a lot more about this in my open handed drumming guide, get it free at chrislesso.com/OHD. Keep drumming with passion Dave!

[@carbonc6065]

Because the hi-hat was invented later on, during the development of the kit ...

[@Dave-lr2wo]

@@carbonc6065 I don't think so. It's because marching drums were worn, tilted, from a strap. Hi-hat has nothing to do with it.

[@carbonc6065]

@@Dave-lr2wo I'm talking about how & why we cross over to the hi-hat, not about the Traditional grip. At the beginning of the invention of the drum set we used the Ride cymbal with our right hand ... Then the hi-hat was invented, so naturally, we crossed over ... Again, I'm not talking about the Traditional Grip and the tilt of the snare.