OT question for drummers.. which of my hands is dominant - and what should I do?

[patrickj]

Is there a good method for determining which is your dominant hand for drumming? Or 'what handed' you are in general (that doesn't rely on writing, etc)?

As an example.. if I play a series of normal 16th notes

L R L R L R L R etc
R L R L R L R L etc

the L starting one (L being downbeats) feels like the right one. Starting with R hand feels very off, like I'm chasing behind the beat. I have no problem playing off beats and accents with the right hand (or the left for that matter).

Same thing goes with my feet. If I'm doing a series of 8ths on bass drum (dbl pdl), going with the L where there will be downbeats feels right.

Does this mean I'm left dominant and ideally should be playing left handed? I've been working on a traditional right handed setup, but open handed vs crossed. The open handed (Left for hihat/ride and such) definitely works for me but everything else (including feet) feels like limbs are stumbling into each other.

I'm going to set up my kit left handed to try it out, but I'm wary of trying too many situations with negligible results and really confusing myself further. So if anyone has any insight before I do this, I'm listening!


(born left handed I think (would eat, throw, scissors, etc) - but now ambidextrous - had injury and impairment when I was much younger that forced me to build up right hand skills and now they are basically equal - writing, throwing, etc - so I don't know what my initial writing hand would have been)

[theshadow2001]

well sounds to me like your a leftie. I do everything left handed and footed and if I sit behind a kit ill play hi-hats with my left and snare with my right. If your ambidextrous with your hands it may be fine for playing string instruments but as you say your feet haven't had the years of building ambidextrous skills. I say just go with leftie and see how it feels. You'll probably notice the difference. I've never played a leftie kit (not that I can play drums) but I'd love to try it out some time and see if I'm any better.

Although I think being left handed with drummers can be a pain in the ass more so than with guitar players when you're doing things such as support gigs or festivals where the kit is going to be right handed. Changing around a kit is a bit of a nuisance for you and for whoever else has to use the kit. All I have to do is bring my bass and plug in, which is what I'd do even if I was right handed.

[Andrew.Glose]

You eventually want to get to the point to where you can invert everything between leading with your right or left hand. Without it feeling like a challenge.

You can play it straight (L hand HiHat, Right Snare) or cross stick (vice versa).

[bassninja7]

im a lefty, i play HH with my left and snare with my right

however....i play the bass with my left foot. so i have to cross stick