Open handed playing

[benzdobler]

Hey,

just wanted to start a discussion about Carters open hand technique.
I personally started to strengthen my left hand a bit more. Not sure yet if i`ll ever be able to play open handed as confortable as the other way around but i think it`s a good practice anyway.


Some questions to discuss:

1.) Do you guys think there are any disadvantages playing open handed. I personally can`t think of any and only see advantages. You have much more freedom to move around the kit. So is there anything that should keep one from learning it?

2.) Has anyone made the switch from "traditional" playing to open hand playing? Any tips how to practice? How long did it take you to get comfortable? Do you now exclusively play open handed or are you able to switch seamlessly without thinking ;-)?

3.) Why oh why has the world started teaching kids to play crossed arms and not open handed?

Benz

[benzdobler]

On a site note I even think about quit smoking so i have enough years left to learn that stuff :-) Thanks Carter!!!

[CarterisGOD41]

The last 5 months I've really put an emphasis on playing open handed. I broke my left wrist 9 years ago, and in my 8 years of playing its always dragged behind my right and felt very tight. At first, playing open handed was very difficult because I feel the rhythm in my right wrist, not my left. It was clank-clank-clank-clank on the hats. But I notice my left is really loosening up and getting faster. I don't think playing open handed will ever feel completely natural to me, but it has definitely improved my left hand leaps and bounds.

I don't think there are any disadvantages to playing open handed, other than getting used to it is a mental process which makes grooving more difficult. I think there are more guys on here that have "made the switch". But even when you watch people cover Carter, the REALL good ones (DTVXpress, Cobus) they are still leading with their right whether they admit it or not. They've just learned to play 'open-handed' as best they could. I really don't think complete open-handedness can be taught after you've played traditionally for numerous years (Carters been playing backwards since he was 3 freakin years old). But I'm just mumbling at this point Hope anything helps, cant wait to hear what others have to say.

[RushianSyrinx]

Why has the world not embraced open handed playing? Two reasons... #1 - the old cats out there who teach closed because that's how it's been done and #2 - it's a bit difficult to be good at open handed playing and teaching a young kid to listen for equality of sound. Have you done that? Well, you try that.

How to improve playing open handed is simple... practice things with both hands. If you're playing a groove with your right hand leading, switch to your left and listen to what you're playing (and record yourself, too). You should be listening for rhythmic accuracy, dynamic accuracy and the same feel. It's really easy to play the same notes open handed. It's more difficult to capture the same feel. Simon Phillips would play grooves on his drum pad with both leads and really attempt to emulate the feel of one to the other.

It's also worth noting that despite how much practice we might put in, we're never going to be 100% equal in our hands, but we should strive for perfection nonetheless. Sure, we can get close, but the musculature and neural pathways won't be the same for each hand. Play rudiments and excerpts on a pad with both hands leading. I'm a fan of 1-2-3-4-3-2-1. Singles, Doubles, Triples, Quadruples, Triples, Doubles, Singles - lead with both hands and listen for equality of sound and rhythm. Also, don't be afraid of the "backwards" fills - going up the toms instead of down.

Going from closed to open also requires a significant re-wiring of your brain. You're so locked into one system and now you're trying to change it around, so not only do you have to rewire, you have to reroute and install new cable, so it will be a long process. It can be kind of like playing with a handicap and you may have to think diffierently to get comfortable. I'm one of those guys who switched over to "partial open" and while I can let my left hand go on autopilot, I'm still thinking in terms of right hand and how both hands work together. Now, if you asked me, I could execute YYZ with my ride and hat on my left, but I'm not comfortable yet (after years of playing switch) to make the full commitment.

I promise to be more coherent later.

[benzdobler]

Thanks for your input so far!

[jamjumpin]

I switched to open about 7 years ago, the main problem you will find is that if you natrually push a band, switching hands will make you lag behind the beat instead. Very important to listen out for that. Also, it's not just playing a beat with the other hands, you have to think about syncing your bass drum with your left hand now instead of your right.

[benzdobler]

One question when you switch to left handed drumming you also lead all your fills with the left hand right?
So when you start a fill you would usually start with the left hand where you would have started with the right before. Is this correct?

Thanks
Benz
BTW i was at a Johnny Raab workshop yesterday - this guy is just amazing!

[RushianSyrinx]

If you're doing a true left hand lead, left hand leads everything. Open handed is more open minded.

[mathius43]

What if you reversed your drum kit so that you were playing open handed but on the right side of your body?

[jamjumpin]

It depends what fill you're playing, but generally It doesn't make sense to lead with left hand on most fills with a right handed kit because you constantly get In the way of yourself.

[jamesscherer]

I'm actually a guitar player who has spent a decent amount of time at the drums and has actually played on stage as a drummer once. I have always played open handed, probably because the drummer I always watched was Carter. A problem I have is that I've gotten so into leading with my left hand that if I want to do a beat with the ride I have to come way across my body, and it always gets in the way. Any suggestions on how to get my right hand to carry ride beats without messing up my left hand's hi hate ability?

[Foreverford05]

Im a bass player, but whenever I played drums back in my high school band, I was taught the open handed technique. I am right handed, but I have known nothing else other than playing open-hand. Now, 7 years later, I am so glad that is the way I learned, cus' I can work a kit now better than I ever thought possible with the time I put in. (which isnt nearly enough as I would like)

[benzdobler]

Originally Posted by jamesscherer

I'm actually a guitar player who has spent a decent amount of time at the drums and has actually played on stage as a drummer once. I have always played open handed, probably because the drummer I always watched was Carter. A problem I have is that I've gotten so into leading with my left hand that if I want to do a beat with the ride I have to come way across my body, and it always gets in the way. Any suggestions on how to get my right hand to carry ride beats without messing up my left hand's hi hate ability?

Why not do it like Carter and put the ride on the left next to the hi hat?

[Bohrman26]

I switched to open hand playing about 6 or 7 years ago. It's the only way I play now but I am in no way as strong an open handed player as I am a right handed player. I think it's much better playing this way as I have more access to my kit while keeping the rhythm with my other hand. I can play syncopated, broken hat piecs better when playing cross-handed, though.

[Lone Star]

Originally Posted by mathius43

What if you reversed your drum kit so that you were playing open handed but on the right side of your body?

Interesting point! I've thought about this before. Has any right-hand lead set up a remote high hat in the middle or to the right of their kit to get the "open" right-hand lead feel? if so, can you provide pics, feedback ....??

[jamjumpin]

Originally Posted by Lone Star

Interesting point! I've thought about this before. Has any right-hand lead set up a remote high hat in the middle or to the right of their kit to get the "open" right-hand lead feel? if so, can you provide pics, feedback ....??

the bald guy from acdc does!

[mathius43]

I guess there would be issues with your feet, the bass pedal and the hi hat pedal could get moved around. But that might be an easier change than switching hands.

[RushianSyrinx]

Originally Posted by Lone Star

Interesting point! I've thought about this before. Has any right-hand lead set up a remote high hat in the middle or to the right of their kit to get the "open" right-hand lead feel? if so, can you provide pics, feedback ....??

Danny Carey.

Originally Posted by mathius43

I guess there would be issues with your feet, the bass pedal and the hi hat pedal could get moved around. But that might be an easier change than switching hands.

You'd be suprised how difficult it can be to transition your feet to an opposite way of playing.

That said, I've moved my ride over to my left side of the kit (ala Carter) and I haven't looked back. It's more comfortable to me. Sure, it presents challenges, but at least I won't have to deal with shoulder pain.

[Lone Star]

I think one year Carter had 2 sets of hats, on either side of him, and the right one he had closed, as you can hear it on some older Two Step intros. Red Rocks 95?

Danny Carey's set up is all f-ed up, as his hats sit right above his snare and he has a set that sit to his back right.

Maybe that's the answer! Put hats on either side of you and practice the hell out of it!

[Viper21]

Originally Posted by Lone Star

I think one year Carter had 2 sets of hats, on either side of him, and the right one he had closed, as you can hear it on some older Two Step intros. Red Rocks 95?

Danny Carey's set up is all f-ed up, as his hats sit right above his snare and he has a set that sit to his back right.

Maybe that's the answer! Put hats on either side of you and practice the hell out of it!

he had it during LS.. but the one on the right could be controlled by his foot..wasnt closed

[jamjumpin]

Aaron Spears has two sets of hats, one cable on the right.

[RushianSyrinx]

Carter had a second set of hats on his right side for years and only recently removed them early in the 2000s. I'm not sure if he had a second ride over there or not back in the early 90s.

Anyways, it's a whole matter of rewriting your brain and learning to let your "riding" hand do what it's supposed to and thus leaving you to think about the other stuff that might require your attention. If I'm playing, I'm not thinking about what my right hand is doing... I let it do what it's supposed to do and just sync everything in with it.

[thebigwhiskey]

My 7 year old brother is learning the drums. I am making him do everything open-handed. He's also a lefty, so that should help.