Which hand to "lead" with...

[Cthulu]

Hey everyone I'm new here (I've been reading threads for a few days, but my account was just verified), and I just barely bought a practice pad and sticks like 5 days ago (I'm 22, hope that isn't too old to start haha!). But I've noticed something kind of weird. When I try to do rudiments, its easier for me to start the rudiment and "lead" i guess, with my left hand even though I'm right handed. My question is, when drumming, is it like how some people that skateboard push with their left foot and some push with their right foot? Or is there no such thing as a "leading" hand? I hope my question makes sense and sorry for the novel xD

[rickthedrummer]

You lead with whatever works for you now. As you progress, the dexterity you build up will allow you to lead with either hand.

[Tim Dant]

When you learn to play a rhythm one way always practice it leading with the other hand. This pays off later when you do fills or solos. When you learn rhythms on the drum set it helps to switch parts for practice. This will increase your freedom on the drums.

[drummer]

I hope my question makes sense and sorry for the novel

That wasn't a novel. THIS is a novel.

[JohnnySticks]

Ringo was on Conan once and mentioned that his solos and fills always sound a little different from a lot of people's because he's left handed but plays a right handed kit, so he tends to lead with his left.

[drummer]

Welcome to Drum Chat Cthulu and Tim!

[rickthedrummer]

If you are just starting out, lead with your left hand if that is what is comfortable for you.

Once you get some rudiments down and can play some rhythms, beats, whatever, you can work them with either hand.

Buddy Rich lead with his right hand 95% of the time, and Joe Morello, who played some very complex patterns, lead mainly with..........you got it........ his right hand.

In the beginning, getting the basic coordination down takes time. Don't make it harder on yourself by switching lead hands off, that will come in due time.

[Cthulu]

When you learn to play a rhythm one way always practice it leading with the other hand. This pays off later when you do fills or solos. When you learn rhythms on the drum set it helps to switch parts for practice. This will increase your freedom on the drums.

Ok cool, I guess it'd make sense to be as ambidextrous as possible when playing drums xD

Ringo was on Conan once and mentioned that his solos and fills always sound a little different from a lot of people's because he's left handed but plays a right handed kit, so he tends to lead with his left.

Hmm, that's pretty interesting. I'll have to read more about leading hands then. Because I wasn't entirely sure that it was an actual thing

Welcome to Drum Chat Cthulu and Tim!

Thanks! I can't wait to buy my kit and then really start bugging you all with questions

If you are just starting out, lead with your left hand if that is what is comfortable for you.

Once you get some rudiments down and can play some rhythms, beats, whatever, you can work them with either hand.

Buddy Rich lead with his right hand 95% of the time, and Joe Morello, who played some very complex patterns, lead mainly with..........you got it........ his right hand.

In the beginning, getting the basic coordination down takes time. Don't make it harder on yourself by switching lead hands off, that will come in due time.

Ok i'll TRY to walk before I run, no promises though, haha. Thanks for the advice!

[Drumbledore]

Ringo was on Conan once and mentioned that his solos and fills always sound a little different from a lot of people's because he's left handed but plays a right handed kit, so he tends to lead with his left.

That's quite true. I have students who are naturally left handed but enjoy playing with right hand lead. Myself,I had a thumb injury years back which put me out of action a bit and I had to learn to do a lot of things left handed including playing some basic 8th note lead on the hi-hat with the left hand. The pay off has been that now I'm comfortable leading with either hand (swing patterns are slowly getting there too), plus I have the confidence to teach open handed techniques, whether a student's left handed or right.

[imperialstar15]

When first starting while it may be beneficial in some ways to lead with the non-dominant hand,(in this case your right, because you said you prefer the left) like the other said in terms of solos and such. I would advise learnign the rudiments with the hand you prefer, and once the dexterity builds along in your drumming life, you can start practicing more leading with the non-dominant hand, ultimately though, however you decide to practice, the ultimate goal is to play any rudiment, at any temp, at any dynamic, leading with either hand, and maybe even foot with you double pedal.

[rickthedrummer]

That's quite true. I have students who are naturally left handed but enjoy playing with right hand lead. Myself,I had a thumb injury years back which put me out of action a bit and I had to learn to do a lot of things left handed including playing some basic 8th note lead on the hi-hat with the left hand. The pay off has been that now I'm comfortable leading with either hand (swing patterns are slowly getting there too), plus I have the confidence to teach open handed techniques, whether a student's left handed or right.

I'm a natural lefty, but all the drummers I saw when I started, were playing right-handed sets. So I thought (at 10, what did I know) that's how they had to be set up.

I assume that when you had that injury, you were not a "beginner", that you had been playing for a while, so working "leads" with your left hand wasn't as hard as it would be for someone just starting out.

Drummers like us and a lot of people here that have been playing for a long time, tend to forget those first couple of months on a set when our coordination was crap.

[atomcorr2]

im thinking that you could be a left handed drummer..

[Drumbledore]

I'm a natural lefty, but all the drummers I saw when I started, were playing right-handed sets. So I thought (at 10, what did I know) that's how they had to be set up.

I assume that when you had that injury, you were not a "beginner", that you had been playing for a while, so working "leads" with your left hand wasn't as hard as it would be for someone just starting out.

Drummers like us and a lot of people here that have been playing for a long time, tend to forget those first couple of months on a set when our coordination was crap.

^ Plus it helped that I was always practicing rudiments and rolls leading with either hand, as what first drum teacher had instilled in me. Still, it does take quite a while for even an experienced right hand player to get very comfortable with say straight 1/8th's and 1/4's on a hi-hat or left hand ride, before it becomes natural, especially when playing different foot patterns or drum fills. It's not impossible, just that everyone needs to slow down first, isolate the hands, get the left hand and right foot going, and so on. No way can it be picked up 'like that', for sure!

One big pay off as well....doesn't feel strange to practice and play scales and melodies ascending up the marimba and vibraphone starting with the left, which is supposedly the 'proper' way to practice those instruments, at least when you have to pass on music tests!

[Jackie]

Work both hands equally. There will be times when playing on the kit, you will want a smooth flow or transition from your drums to a cymbal. An example would be when completing a fill and getting back on your ride or hi hat beats. This will all depend on your sticking or pattern you are playing at that time. Lets say you went around the drums and your last floor tom stroke ends up being a right hand, now what do you do, use that same right and go to the cymbal. You could do that, but a better way would be to end on the floor top with a left hand and your right will just flow to the cymbal. So you want to have both hands to have the ability to get around the kit as smoothly as possible. So what does this have too do with lead hands. You may have to change to a lead right hand or lead left hand to pull off a certain drum sticking or pattern to achieve a smooth flow.

[Bish]

When doing drum fills on a kit, your question will hold much more importance. Generally speaking (but my no means a law or a rule) if you are playing right handed and on a right handed kit, you will be better of leading with your right.

The opposite is true for left handed drummers on left handed setups. If you lead with your left hand on a right handed kit you will find that you have to cross over your hands to get to the next lower tom. IMHO, not the most proficient way to play fills.

[inthpktplayer]

I think Rickthedrummer may have put it best. Go with what feels comfortable to you now. As you practice, try starting with the right hand. As you progress, you won't really have a "lead" hand as they will both become a comfortable starting point for you.

I'm not really sure that there is a rule about which hand to start with either when doing rudiments or fills on a kit. As far as fills on a kit, I think it more depends on the fill itself. For some fills its just makes sense to start with the right hand for kits set up for rights handers and with the left hand for kits set up for left handers.

For me personally, it more depends on the fill and what feels more comfortable to me. When doing fills that combine hands and feet, I usually start the left hand and left foot whether its a triplet pattern combining feet and hands or 16th's combining feet and hands.

The trick to this though is that you have to feel just as comfortable coming out of the fill by hitting your next drum or cymbal with the left hand. For many folks this seems awkward until you get used to it. For me, it's not bad because I am neither a lefty or righty. I throw baseballs, footballs etc with my left hand. Eat with my right. Write with my right. Bat right handed and have my kit set up right handed. I can also do all of those things with the opposite hand but not quite as well.

I guess the point of this long and aimlessly pointless post is that you should strive to get to the point where left or right doesn't matter.

[drumsetsnide]

I tend to lead with my right more often then not. However I have become aware of this in more recent years and I work a lot in practice to develop more dexterity in my left hand. However this also means I have to "reprogram" my brain and "retrain" some muscles that have developed memory and habit.

[MileHighDrummer]

Lead with the hand in the direction you are moving. Move right = lead with the right, for me anyway.

[pastor_bob]

Welcome to Drum Chat Cthulu!

You've had plenty of great advice here, so I'll weigh in on the being too old to learn at 22 thing. I started playing at 52, and I'm having a blast. I'm growing all the time, and since I'm not trying to become a Rock star, I'm just enjoying the journey. I got an opportunity to form a band with some other pastors, and that has been great in my development, too.