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Thread: Reversing your kit to Practice....

  1. #1

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    Default Reversing your kit to Practice....

    Hello!

    I am new to the site and it is filled with great information! I did a few searches but did not find anything on the following:

    Has anyone reversed their drum kit left to right or right to left to practice in order to assist with developing hand and foot independance? If you did...did it help? any success?

    I took a long time off from the drums...about 20 years as my education and employment make it pretty tough to persue anything actively.

    I work on a ship for a month at a time so just when you get things going....off to sea ....yar!

    Anyway, in my early training I learned to play in a pipe band and later in the local concert band and also took private lessons, as well as played in a band and gigged while at university for a year and then......whooosh....

    On the ship I have a practice pad and sticks and I have been working on the rudiments and getting hand speed back....yikes!

    I bought myself a nice new set of Gretsch renown 57 series MCB (blue) and got my old stuff out and sorted things out. Basically figured it was silly to have my employment wreck something I enjoyed so much.

    Anyway...long story there..sorry...I want to get the old hands and feet going in different directions with the same purpose and was thinking of switching my kit from right to left to practice and try and develop a bit that way.

    Any ideas? Suggestions....warnings...

    Thanks
    Brent H

  2. #2

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    Default Re: Reversing your kit to Practice....

    Hi Brent and welcome to the forum. I don't usually switch the kit around but I often play with my left hand on the hi-hat and sometimes I'll play with my left foot (on left double bass pedal) as the main foot. This has helped tremendously through the years.

    You can also do this on a pad. Lead off all your rudiments and sticking patterns with your left hand.

  3. #3

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    Agree with Drummer. I recently wanted to increase my left hand hand strength and stamina, so I worked on a song by learning to play it open handed on the high hat, as Drummer referenced. I'll tell you what, it was quite a lot of work to build up to where I could play the entire song, keeping the left hand going on the hats. Now, I can do it very easily, and, switch back-and-forth during a song. Whatever you decide, good luck with it.

    Tex
    Last edited by Texdrumr; 02-10-2013 at 09:02 PM.

  4. #4

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    Hi Tom,

    Thanks, Yes, working on the rudiments both ways. I also bought a double bass pedal...(never played before)..for the specific purpose you stated.....I'll be sure to work that like you said...cool!
    Brent H

  5. #5

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    Hey Tex,

    Thank for the advice...I'll have to get a few slow tunes to start with!

    I just got my new kit after this Christmas and only had a week to bang around before heading back to work...so excited about playing again...LOL...driving the crew nuts drumming on everything....hahaha
    Brent H

  6. #6

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    If your right foot is dominant and you want to build up your left, having a double pedal will help astronomically. Essentially, everything you can play with your left foot... Play with your left foot. Straight forward of course. But really there's no better way to gain control. Can apply this to hands. Where you can play your hats with your left and your snare with your right, do so. A drop clutch will help.

  7. #7

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    BrentH,
    No offense, but are you excellent with the standard kit layout and with your leading with the rt hand and foot? I think if you're not you will confuse your muscle learning by switching everything around. IMHO just start rudiments with the left hand and then when playing a beat( it's not always useful when playing, depending on your style.)
    SONOR 6 pc Special Edition 3007's red maple, old Pearl Brass 14x6 FF snare, Yamaha Tour Custom maple 8 pc., Tama 4 pc., honey amber B/B, Ludwig Supralite chrome 14x6.5 steel snare, Paiste, Saluda & Zildjian
    Loaned out Slingerland upgraded 4 pc 1963 black, wrapped maple + 14" Pearl birch FT
    The Almighty Speed King pedal, Speed Cobra, Sonor Single

    http://www.screaminmelinas.com
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  8. #8

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    Default Re: Reversing your kit to Practice....

    My kit is way to involved to switch around to the other hand, So I try to play open handed when I'm by myself messing around that's when and if I think about it.
    Custom Classic Pro Maple 6
    8",10",12",13" Mounted Toms
    (2)14",16" Floor Toms
    22" x 18" Kick
    6",8",10" Roto Toms
    14" x 6.5" Mapex Black Panther Snare
    13" x 3" Pearl Piccolo Snare
    Sabian: 13" Paragon Hats
    14" HH X Hats
    22" Paragon Ride
    (2) 16" Paragon Crashes
    20" Paragon Crash
    18" Paragon Crash
    20" Paragon Small Flange China
    19" Paragon China
    Wuhan:20"with gingles
    8",10" Splash
    Roc N Soc Lunar
    DW 8002B Pedals
    Tambourine
    Cowbell
    Sabian Squad






    C C Militia

  9. #9

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    Default Re: Reversing your kit to Practice....

    Hey Slinglander,

    I would not think to be excellent at this time.....LOL .....maybe many years ago...and that would be a younger mind thinking so...hahahaha

    What I am finding is that it is similar to riding a bike, in the sense that my balance is returning quickly and I am improving my timing etc.

    I am really right handed so I find that the right hand and foot are getting things going quicker and I am catching up the left side.

    I was thinking to balance out the development a bit. It could take me a year or two....

    I'll try to play open more when I get home and work the left foot on the double bass idea.

    I guess it does get challenging or would be way too time consuming to move kit around...Some of the lads on this board have quite the drum sets for sure! WOW!!

    Thanks for the feed back
    Brent H

  10. #10

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    hi, brent, i'm a left handed drummer, i'm no pro, doubt i'll ever get to the wow factor of drumming. when ever i get invited to play somewere the kit is always backwards for me, if the owner of the drums is picky, i'll play open hat, the hardest part is getting my feet to play backwards. left foot is now h/h, right is kick. i can only do simple beats, simple fills, it's a real workout, but it has helped me with my over all playing. leading with the weak hand/foot is getting better. a pro drummer was amazed that i could even play backwards..
    like you i work on a ship, i have cut down short sticks that fit in my coveralls side pocket. i work on rudiments on the garbage can,in the engine room, it's amazing i can hear the flurry of banging over the engines and ear muffs. i work on leading with my right, and sometimes when i play, with my tama rythum watch rw105, i find i'm leading with my weaker right side, when the red light lights up on beat one. and i realize it i usually screw up...when you start to think about what your doing ..lol..i'm playing the pattern, and get lost in which hand is leading..

  11. #11

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    I just moved my thirteen inch tom over to the left of my hi hat and I love it. You can do so much more with it and it helps to work on the left hand strength and ability.

  12. #12

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    Default Re: Reversing your kit to Practice....

    Quote Originally Posted by Brent H View Post
    Hello!

    I am new to the site and it is filled with great information! I did a few searches but did not find anything on the following:

    Has anyone reversed their drum kit left to right or right to left to practice in order to assist with developing hand and foot independance? If you did...did it help? any success?

    I took a long time off from the drums...about 20 years as my education and employment make it pretty tough to persue anything actively.

    I work on a ship for a month at a time so just when you get things going....off to sea ....yar!

    Anyway, in my early training I learned to play in a pipe band and later in the local concert band and also took private lessons, as well as played in a band and gigged while at university for a year and then......whooosh....

    On the ship I have a practice pad and sticks and I have been working on the rudiments and getting hand speed back....yikes!

    I bought myself a nice new set of Gretsch renown 57 series MCB (blue) and got my old stuff out and sorted things out. Basically figured it was silly to have my employment wreck something I enjoyed so much.

    Anyway...long story there..sorry...I want to get the old hands and feet going in different directions with the same purpose and was thinking of switching my kit from right to left to practice and try and develop a bit that way.

    Any ideas? Suggestions....warnings...

    Thanks
    I have my set set up for both right handed palying and left. I started doing this because I teach and it makes it easy for left handed players to just sit and play rather then change the set around. So I play both righty and lefty although I am predominantly right handed. Cobham plays ambidextriously and it works great for him. Not so great for me. We tend to build muscle memory as we learn to play. It is somewhat easy to develop various techniques ambidestriously like using a double bass pedal or twin bass drums. But is is essential to master the dominant side of your body first. I also advocate learning classic grip first then matched grip. There is no "best" way for everyone but this sems to work better then trying to develop too many things at one time. Learning hand an dfoot independance is much more crucial as far as I am concerned. You can take your basic rudiments and place one hand on a snare and the other on a tom and then play the rudiment and switch hands, same with feet. You can play rudiments starting with right for then left -one on bass pedal the other on hh, or other bass pedal. You can start using your left hand on hh rather then right crossed over if you are a righty-etc.. I think a more important thing to develop is a sense of comfort and ease, if these things make you feel really odd and uncomfortable, just continue mastering playing straight ahead righty or lefty and when you feel like challenging yourself switch it up. Watch some videos or Billy Cobham playing, then watch some or a straight ahead drummer like Belson or Rich-both methods can sound great and be equally impressive. It is the expression of what creativity you want to produce that counts.

  13. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by SparrowBeat View Post
    I just moved my thirteen inch tom over to the left of my hi hat and I love it. You can do so much more with it and it helps to work on the left hand strength and ability.
    That's a cool idea. I've seen that on a couple kits and want to give it a rip!!
    Attitude is everything!

  14. #14

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    Hey Ekel! Glad to have another sailor here and Engineering at that ! woo hoo!

    Thank for all the info. I have been working the single stroke rolls and getting the left hand going better. My pinky seems to need some added discipline as it usually tenses up or gets in the way...
    Brent H

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