Does anyone have any tips to train up and strengthen your left hand? I watched a Gavin Harrison masterclass and he was talking about it's a great stick control excersise to practice hitting a pad double-handed, with both sticks landing at the same time, which makes sure your left hand is almost as strong as your right. It helps lots of things, any help?








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Hi I'm Ollie. I use CB, Paiste, Pearl, Remo, Stagg, Tama, Vic Firth and Zildjian.

My left hand has improved a lot just by working with rudiments.








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When ever I'm on the practice pad, I focus on leading mostly with the left hand.
For example, a single stroke roll would be LRLRLRLRLR instead of RLRLRLRLR.
Do this with everything, doubles, paradiddles, flames, etc. Its really helping me.
I would also focus on starting out playing anything slow and increase the speed slowly, focusing
more on keeping the playing clean, speed will come as a result.








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www.myspace.com/theblueroseband

The left hand is capable of everything the right is but generally doesn't get anywhere near the same amount of conditioning. (Or vice versa for a lefty)

So the answer if you want to really improve it is to do some intensive training!

Think as Scrogs said about leading left handed on exercises, but don't stop there.

There are exercises around designed to work the left hand more, and you could start by taking the first ever rock book you got with simple 4/4 beats and playing left hand on the hats as opposed to right (open handed)

That will work your left arm and at the same time give a bit of a coordination exercise.

Should you really want to get into it, I can recommend a book by Dom Famularo w/Stephane Chamberland called "The Weaker Side".

Play one page every day for a week, then move on. It'll take a year to work through but your "weak side" will no longer be weak.

www.domfamularo.com








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RobCrisp.co.uk

Practicing playing open on the kit can help too

I do two things. I use my left hand in every day activities, like Gene Krupa did, and I practice a lot of the flam rudiments because they get you working doubles and triples on each hand.








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Dr. Rodney McKay wrote:

Well, I only know one thing and that is that flying darkness that eats energy can only be very, very bad.

http://www.MySpace.com/PageFive

This link might help also: http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Beat/8374/lefthand.htm








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Witsnick in the boolia base!

it's simple: when you're practicing, play more with your left than your right. do an exercise where you play 8 left strokes, then 4 right strokes for a long time. it's all in the repetition.

sgarrett also has a good point. I will try to eat left handed, write left handed, pitch left handed, etc. sometimes.








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www.myspace.com/alanselectronicmuse

I agree with Alan. Pick a couple of good exercises. Whatever you play with your right hand, double it up on your left.








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I'm part of the brotherhood of like-minded individuals who like to bang on things.

That's what I like about the flam rudiments. Particularly flamadiddles, flammed mills, and pataflaflas. I'll start with Swiss triplets to each side, then do flam taps, and finish with flam tap-taps. Then I'll do the other three. That starts with double strokes on each hand and moves to triple strokes on each hand and the first three rudiments listed switch between right and left lead.

Although, as a side effect, I think I tend to over-use flams in my playing.








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Dr. Rodney McKay wrote:

Well, I only know one thing and that is that flying darkness that eats energy can only be very, very bad.

http://www.MySpace.com/PageFive

[quote="SGarrett"]flam tap-taps./quote]

What are those?

Let's see to strengthen the left hand. Well, a basic way is to take a bunch of exercises and play them with left-hand lead. Seems like a lot of people nowadays make-out that getting your "bad" hand stronger is a long process and takes hours of concentrated practice. No, it takes the normal amount. The same amount as you would put on your other hand. So, when working up on technical stuff and exercises, make sure to play them through with both hands on the lead.

Homki890








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Come to think of it, that's actually four strokes with each hand...I totally didn't count the grace note.

8th note triplets:
lR R R rL L L








_________________

Dr. Rodney McKay wrote:

Well, I only know one thing and that is that flying darkness that eats energy can only be very, very bad.

http://www.MySpace.com/PageFive