Improving your weak side.

Hi, recently I've been finding my current weakness lies in the weak side of my body, my left side. I've been finding myself being unable to play certain beats etc simply because my left hand and my left food aren't as fast as my right hand and foot.

To improve this I've been trying to lead and play open handed much more with my left hand, playing single pedal beats with my left foot rather than my right and playing with my left hand and foot, with my right side idle. However I would like to do more than this.

Can anyone suggest some rudiments/exercises I can do to improve my left side? Thanks.

Well, I don't know any crazy rudiments that work on the left side, but I've seen myself and others improve our left sides just by simply repeating paradiddles over and over again.

Left handed Paradiddle diddles. The sticking is written wrong on this sites rudiment section so check out Vic Firths web site. I only make that suggestion because of the error here.

Flamadiddles and Flammills are good. Pataflafla or any rudiment that always begins on one or the other hand.

Your best bet though is when playing the kit, begin all your chops with your left hand. Nothing gives away a drummers true skill then seeing one that always begins their chops with their right hand. Right handed drummers anyway. There are a lot of them. Another good exercise is to play an ostinato with your right hand and do all the other hand work with just your left hand. Jazz drumming independence 101.

set your kit up left handed
for 1 year

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Originally Posted by Riverr1

Left handed Paradiddle diddles. The sticking is written wrong on this sites rudiment section so check out Vic Firths web site. I only make that suggestion because of the error here.

Flamadiddles and Flammills are good. Pataflafla or any rudiment that always begins on one or the other hand.

Your best bet though is when playing the kit, begin all your chops with your left hand. Nothing gives away a drummers true skill then seeing one that always begins their chops with their right hand. Right handed drummers anyway. There are a lot of them. Another good exercise is to play an ostinato with your right hand and do all the other hand work with just your left hand. Jazz drumming independence 101.

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ostinato?

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Originally Posted by chafey

ostinato?

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Did I spell it wrong? lol

Ostinatos are repetitive patterns that don't change, and you play over them. Clave's are often used because they don't change. Jazz ride patterns are often ostinato's although they are not usually referred to as ostinatos. Here are some examples:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viSoYIbcVio&playnext=1&list=PLB229A76B3EC7 9786&index=56"]YouTube - marco minnemann - drum clinic - how to start playing ostinatos @ gigi morello drum school[/ame]

I added this vid because it addresses Drumbledore's thoughts up in the rudiments thread. Notice how this guy states where to start some of the rudiments over the ostinato. Same thing Drumbledore discusses. Some rudiments, or playing in general, lines up better during certain points in the count then others. You can actually start and stop anywhere. Some points in the count are more awkward then others and have a tendency to throw you off which is why they are great practice.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0B35unGoGY&feature=related"]YouTube - Drum Lesson: How to play rudiments over an ostinato[/ame]

When away from the kit and all you have is a practice pad, a few very simple sticking patterns are: triplets played as RLL RLL, as well as LLR LLR, and LRL LRL. Then another lot will be a few taken out of Stick Control: RLLL RLLL, LRLL LRLL (left hand paradiddle), LLRL LLRL, etc.

Just switch jobs for each limb. For example, if you're strong with right use your left hand for hats or ride. Also try using left foot for bass and right for hat controlling.