Rhythm “handedness”?

[smeet]

I am right-handed so I pick/pluck with my right hand. I recently realized that my right hand’s rhythm is much better than my left hand’s. By this I mean if I tap along with a song with my right hand, the tap “disappears” into the music because my tapping is rhythmically pretty accurate. But if tap with my left hand, I can hear “flamming” or inaccuracy between the music and my tapping.

So… I have some questions:
- Do other people experience this?
- Is it because I am right handed, or because of the rhythmic training my plucking hand gets?
- Is there any possible benefit to training my left side to have better rhythm?

 

[Jogobass]

Occasionally I have played drums. But no experience whatsoever. I feel comfortable with my right (dominant) hand playing the faster hi hat pattern and my left hand playing the snare. I think it's dominance, which can be trained to be more equal. On bass, my dominant hand does the plucking which is the rhythm.

 

[SteveCS]

I am right-handed so I pick/pluck with my right hand. I recently realized that my right hand’s rhythm is much better than my left hand’s. By this I mean if I tap along with a song with my right hand, the tap “disappears” into the music because my tapping is rhythmically pretty accurate. But if tap with my left hand, I can hear “flamming” or inaccuracy between the music and my tapping.

So… I have some questions:
- Do other people experience this?
- Is it because I am right handed, or because of the rhythmic training my plucking hand gets?
- Is there any possible benefit to training my left side to have better rhythm?

An interesting observation, and yes IMHO/IME there are significant benefits to be had from working on both hands equally, and I've written about it several times before so I won't write it out again:

developing good legato technique
Techniques for a More Efficient Fretting Hand?
Increasing plucking speed
How do you manage exercises routines?

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

Yes, I can play more accurately with my right hand when I use drum sticks and I'm a rght handed.

 

[Zooberwerx]

I am right-handed so I pick/pluck with my right hand. I recently realized that my right hand’s rhythm is much better than my left hand’s. By this I mean if I tap along with a song with my right hand, the tap “disappears” into the music because my tapping is rhythmically pretty accurate. But if tap with my left hand, I can hear “flamming” or inaccuracy between the music and my tapping.

So… I have some questions:
- Do other people experience this?
- Is it because I am right handed, or because of the rhythmic training my plucking hand gets?
- Is there any possible benefit to training my left side to have better rhythm?

A yes to all of the above. Couple of exercises just to hone your bi-brainal coordination:

*Rub your belly (left hand) and pat your head (right hand). Now reverse the order.

*Tap a straight 4 with your right hand and the triplets (mon-i-ca, mon-i-ca....) with your left.

Riis

 

[bholder]

There are definitely advantages to improving left hand rhythm, particularly helps playing fast passages. IMHO and all that.

 

[Tom Bomb]

Don't play favorites. You'll never fly right if you only have one wing

But, in the real world, biases can be managed, utilised, and, at the same time, softened, even removed, with incorporation, practice, and the right intent. Always the aim.

"Is there any possible benefit?" Darn tootin'.
​

 

[bonin in the boneyard]

I'm not the first to say it, but I have found that rhythm is in my dominant hand. But to me it's less about the accuracy of the appendage and more about my connection to the action.

I'm a lefty who started playing lefty, but took some time off off, played righty for a few years, took some more time off, and now play lefty again. Everything I initially learned to play lefty, I learned again righty. Everything I learned as a righty, I now play lefty.

Although my non-dominant hand arguably has a more complex job, plucking the notes with my dominant hand makes the connection between my brain and the _timing_ of the notes I play _feel_ stronger. I don't know if my other hand would actually be less accurate on the beat--I'd have to find an objective way to test it.

I started playing piano last year, and I've been delighted to hold down the low end with my left hand. I also notice that drum kits are typically arranged to place the sharpest of the drums (the snare) optimally for the left hand. I always wondered if I would reverse the kit if I took up the drums.

 

[BarfanyShart]

I'm a lefty who has always played righty. My rhythm is much better with my right hand, but it is hard to know if that has anything to do with polarity or 30 years of training as though I was right handed. There are a lot of daily tasks I vaguely recall being difficult to perform "orthodox" at some point in time (scissors, can openers, etc.), but after a lot of time doing things right-handed, trying to do them left handed would be awkward at this point.

 

[sean_on_bass]

I find both hands are pretty close. To play bass in rhythm, it does take both hands to make it happen. I've also practiced a little piano in the past which requires both hands as well.

 

[BigBadBen67]

I think it's absolutely important to work on rhythm for both hands. It's untrue that the rhythm is only in the plucking hand. Ultimately it needs to be in every part of your body.

I even advise people to practice tapping their foot. Whenever I'm watching a player whose time is shaky I look first to what their foot is doing (or their head, some people bop their head to keep time -Lee Sklar, for example). Usually I find that they either aren't tapping their foot, or that they are but it's out of time. I encourage people to practice tapping both feet, and to tap quarter notes for slower tunes, half notes for faster ones, and to then learn to tap both on the 1&3 and on the backbeat.

Rhythm is something you need to get deep into your soul as a bass player. It's worth devoting time to it.

 

[Pings Bass]

Fix this the same way you get to Carnegie Hall: practice, practice, practice. Some drumming fundamentals would take care of this.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I am right-handed so I pick/pluck with my right hand. I recently realized that my right hand’s rhythm is much better than my left hand’s. By this I mean if I tap along with a song with my right hand, the tap “disappears” into the music because my tapping is rhythmically pretty accurate. But if tap with my left hand, I can hear “flamming” or inaccuracy between the music and my tapping.

So… I have some questions:
- Do other people experience this?
- Is it because I am right handed, or because of the rhythmic training my plucking hand gets?
- Is there any possible benefit to training my left side to have better rhythm?

No. Not really much benefit to having off hand rythym. You aren't playing drums or keys.

But, go for it. If you're having timing issues with your left hand, you should probably work that. If you hit the notes in time, then I see no problem.

 

[Patrice B]

Learn to play drums . Seriously, I’m righty but since I’ve learnt to play drums, my left hand is much stronger on piano. As I’ve learnt drums (2014 or so) before bass (2020), I guess it kinda shows with my fretting hand too.

Piano/keys goes back to when I was 12 or 13 but I never practiced seriously so at 50, I’m just an « ok » key player.

Developing good rhythm with your 4 limbs is indeed a benefit for any instrument IMHO.

 

[StatesideRambler]

Flogging that dead horse some more:
Practice s-l-o-w-l-y to teach both hands to work together. If you can’t nail it at a slow tempo you’ll never be in control at a fast tempo. Record your slow practice and be hypercritical about your timing; both hands. Notice which fingers and finger combinations give you trouble and emphasize your practice on those.

 

[LiptonJigglers]

Surely piano/keyboard lessons has got to be beneficial for this?

 

[Pocket Dave]

I find fretting hand rhythm vital for playing faster staccato lines in time without relying on foam.

IMO it's fundamentally important for proper note duration skills.

Also, I'm a pretty decent electric rhythm guitarist. With funk, especially New Orleans/second line, you live and die by your fretting-hand meter.

 

[smeet]

The weird thing is, I have paid attention to attack, sustain, legato, staccato, note length, coordinating between hands, muting, all that stuff. And I feel I do all that stuff well, although there is always room for improvement. I’ve also done some drumming and piano. Yet my left hand feels arrhythmic.

I’ll work on my left hand timing and coordination, we’ll see if I can notice any change.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Right is preferred since I’m right handed, but left is fine. Probably from piano lessons.

 

[SteveCS]

The weird thing is, I have paid attention to attack, sustain, legato, staccato, note length, coordinating between hands, muting, all that stuff. And I feel I do all that stuff well, although there is always room for improvement. I’ve also done some drumming and piano. Yet my left hand feels arrhythmic.

I’ll work on my left hand timing and coordination, we’ll see if I can notice any change.

How does your timing feel if you play a line just with the left hand, i.e. tapping and hammer-on/pull-off?