LeftyBassist.com

Hi all:

I just got a set of drums in the house recently. Does anyone on the board play drums also? If so, do you all drum lefty or righty, or open handed? Just trying to get a sense of what multi instrumentalists do. I am tempted to try to learn open handed, but I prefer to use my left foot on the kick drum. It just seems like a pain to switch drum kicks wherever I go in order to hit the kick drum with my left foot, and hit the hi hat with my left hand.

Thoughts?

Yes, lefty drummer.

I very much hack away left-handed

Not even open handed? Interesting? Do you switch the drums around when you sit in on gigs?

I play "hybrid" style... my hi hat is on the left and I play open handed. But I really struggle with the floor tom on the right. But I've gotten used to moving around the toms on a righty kit. And I've moved my ride to the left side. It's a complete mess but I can pump out good beats to at least get an idea started... And I've always dreamed of rearranging everything to 100% lefty style just to see if that's easier (I think the biggest struggle will be re-thinking the tom fills)... but I haven't done it yet... righty drummers come over and I don't want to have to rearrange the kit every time... Maybe this thread will inspire me...

I'm a frustrated drummer and had a drum set at home for many years, and I play open-handed. I always messed around drums at rehearsals since I was 13-years old, so never got the chance to flip a set over to proper lefty orientation. And by the time I finally got my own set, it was too late to re-learn. I can't play the kick with my left foot to save my life (unless it's for double-kick fills). On a typical right-handed set, I just set the ride on top of the hi-hat on the left side, and I'm ready to go.

I'm with you. If I had taken drums seriously, I'd have liked to set up an extra floor tom on the left side. . .

But, velav, I think you should follow what your brain tells you, even if it takes a few minutes to switch things around in those situations. . . Unless, well, you want to challenge yourself.

I wouldn't ever dare to think to sit in on a gig. They'd yank me off the stool and throw a bass at me.

I am glad you brought this up. I have been learning to play the drums for the past three to four months. I play on a drum set setup for a righty and don't have any huge problems.

I prefer to lead with my left hand so feel comfortable playing open handed (left hand on hi-hats). I saw an interview with Ringo Starr where he was naturally left-handed but was forced to write with his right hand. He plays on a right handed drum set.

I prefer to play on a right handed drum set because most kits are setup that way and I don't want to adjust everything. Also very strange considering I wouldn't even consider playing a right handed bass.