New to drumchat!

[Tubbs]

Hi guys, im new to this forum and reason for joining was for advice and knowledge of drum kits etc.

I purchased a Roland TD4-KX about 18 months ago, having never played the drums before, after 3 months I realised I wanted lessons, which I am having every fortnight (working through John Savage book), just one, 45 mins long, suits me perfectly actually and coming along nicely.

Its only now im starting to think about my setup etc. Im left handed, but my kit is set up right handed, so I play open handed, I switched my cymbals at start, ride on left, crash on right, my left hand is strongest hand obviously, but im starting to think, should i be using kick pedal with left instead of right and the main one, when u do 16ths on high hat, when I bring in snare i use my left hand on bottom of snare, instead of using right handed.

Sorry if that sounds complicated, basically, im thinking, should high hat be on right of me, but then id have to put the toms left hand........which may work!

Thanks guys,



Tom

[kyle102565]

welcome Tubbs.
switch your kit around and see. there are no rules

[Frazzetto]

welcome Tubbs.
switch your kit around and see. there are no rules

Yes! welcome to DC, ive been here since early last year and I've learned so much from these guys. and now i even help out a little! :P and yes, like the post above. Mess around with it, there are NO rules to drumming. I once saw a guy play with a water bottle with 2 pennies in it to keep a rythm. NO RULES!!!!!! switch it around. do whatever is comfortable. Post some pictures when youre done. let us see that bad boy xD

[Texdrumr]

Welcome!

[Tubbs]

ill maybe try things a different way, my instructor will be pleased as he uses two right handed kits when I go to his house, again electronic, so shouldnt be too bad though

[Drumbledore]

Hi and welcome to DC Chat, Tubbs. Like others say, there are no rules as to whether you should play conventionally (right hand on hi-hat crossed over the left on the snare, on a 'right handed set'), open handed, like what you do, where you're still playing the kick leading with the right foot, or to be fully left handed (Phil Collins and Ian Paice are but two examples of completely left hand and left foot lead drummers). When you described how you played, it sounds like maybe being fully left handed may be for you, though finding a drum teacher who does that is pretty rare indeed. I'm naturally right-handed, however I teach both right hand lead and a little bit of open handed (which I'm forever working on, lol) and the hardest thing thing when leading with your weaker hand is to not let your stronger hand 'double up' on those same hits on the snare drum, so I completely understand what you might go through. If you do persevere with your lessons, a good drum teacher should be able to get you working on your rolls, rudiments etc both right and left hand lead....I do this with all my students, the righties get more emphasis of left hand lead when we get the practice pads out, and the two lefties I have have to work more with right hand lead. I may be a bit of a 'drill sergeant' about it, but they all thank me for it in the end, for sure, lol. The upshot of that kind of practice is that when you get back to playing left lead on the hi-hat in open handed stance, when you finish the hi-hat, if you practice enough rudimental exercises, your right hand then starts the roll on the snare...that is, if you have set up the rest of the set 'right handed'.

This by the way is how I have one of my electronic kits set up...no, I'm not saying you have to set up this way though...


As far as the cymbal arrangement is set up (those are the Alesis SURGE electronic cymbals by the way, not acoustic cymbals), it's set up from, left to right...ride, hi-hat, crash, ride, crash, hi-hat, crash (with china sounds). I've also put an extra tom pad in the middle for splash cymbal sounds, plus I also have a second hi-hat pedal to the right of my double pedal. Now, when I practice on this set up, I can go: right hand, right foot lead with right hand crossed over, right hand right foot lead with the hi-hat on the right, right hand lead on the ride with right or left foot lead on the double pedal, left hand lead on hi-hat or ride in "open stance" with right foot lead or even full left-handed on ride and left foot on double pedal, right foot on the right hi-hat pedal. So that's how I can forever work and challenge myself with ambidexterous exercises. And I've all the gear to do that with an acoustic set too, lol.

[marko138]

Welcome!

[pastor_bob]

I have nothing to add to what you've a;ready been told, so welcome to Drum Chat Tubbs!

[areFish]

Welcome to DC Tubbs. Has your drum teacher given you any feedback regarding right or left handed set-up?

[Tubbs]

Thank you for your detailed reply drumbledore! at the min I
Lead bass with my right foot, I think I could equally do it with my
Left, it's the high hat where I 1st noticed the issue of feeling uncomfortable
Leading with my right hand on snare only in 16ths though.

I suppose practice will be the key, I'll mention it to my drum tutor
On Wednesday to see what he recommends also.

I remember we had this chat when I 1st met him at the start and
I told him I'm left handed/footed yet want to play right!

Thanks again,


Tubbs

[GunnerUK]

I reckon a decent tutor would not expect a lefty to switch to right just to suit his own kits.

I would recommend using a full left-hand setup. Fortunately it's very easy to switch them around.

[Tubbs]

I agree with u there GunnerUK! He asked what he thought I would
prefer and honestly, I did not know lol, I'm a special case, im left handed
yet play golf with right handed clubs!

I think I'll wait until Wednesday to chat to instructor also, I've got
through 20mths on right handed kit, but agree it can only be trial & error.

[kyle102565]

I agree with u there GunnerUK! He asked what he thought I would
prefer and honestly, I did not know lol, I'm a special case, im left handed
yet play golf with right handed clubs!

I think I'll wait until Wednesday to chat to instructor also, I've got
through 20mths on right handed kit, but agree it can only be trial & error.

im a special case also, im right handed but kick a ball lefty and i play hockey lefty. tried to throw a baseball lefty ages ago and i threw like a girl. (sorry girls)
ive wondered about playing a drumset lefty because i have weird quirk with playing my hats, i always skip a beat on the "anda" between 2 and 3. have been told i have Charlie Watts Syndrome

[Dad3353]

Good evening, Tubbs, and welcome to the forum...
We are all 'special cases'; as has been said, there are no hard-and-fast rules.
Firstly, just for context, I'll explain my 'special case'. I'm 'righty', and started playing drums (many years ago...) with a 'righty' configuration (crossed arms...). Not doing too badly, but decided, as an experiment, to switch all to 'lefty'. Very little adaptation; all seemed to fall into place (crossed arms,still, so left hand on hihat...). I've played that way since, with some (modest...) success.
Now to your post...
There are for and against with all choices, so you'll have to weigh up the balance for yourself. One quality to be acquired (over time; it ain't easy...) is full independance, which equates to ambidextrous playing, in the end. One should, ideally, be able to play any beat with any limb, seperately from any other. This means, at least in theory, being able to play bass drum or hi-hat with either foot, on either side. One should become able to 'lead' from the left or right hand, and 'roll' around the toms in either direction.
No, you can't do that yet, but it will come if you work reasonably at it.
Playing a 'lefty' kit is, all being said, a handicap, especially when gigging out and having to share a house kit, or share your own (yes, 'twill happen quite often...). All drum methods, videos and teachers will have to be 'mirrored' if your playing 'lefty'. One would be hard put to find a 'lefty' piano, flute or clarinet.
I would advise trying 'righty' at first (crossed or open arms, no big deal...) for about a year or so. Any perceived weakness in any limb will soon be strengthened by practise. After that, you can the try reversing all, and see if there is a major advantage in playing 'lefty' (after a couple of weeks to adapt, of course...).
I have seen many drummers with 'symetrical' set-ups (snare centre, toms to left and right, hi-hats each side...); I have also seen (good...) 'righty' drummers take on a 'lefty set-up and play with brilliance. In the end, it should make little fundemental difference, but there are advantages in playing 'righty' right from the start, and going 'lefty' only if there is real added value. That's what I did, but as I said, we are all 'special cases'.
Just my tuppence worth, hope this helps...

[Tubbs]

After all the debating fella's, it appears the right way, is the better way for me (at the minute), I didnt even need to change kit around, just tried bass drum with left and with a bit of weaving about and changing sounds on my kit, it seems I was kidding myself that left may be better, I knew in 2 minutes!

Its hitting the hi hat with left hand and then leading left again onto bottom of snare that threw me, but this is possible and my kit Roland only has relatively small mesh pads, on an accoustic snare, plently of room!!

After all, ive played this way for 20 months, my instructor would have picked something up too im sure.

Thank you all for all your imput!!! gona start another thread now, which acoustic kit?!