The one thing that is keeping you from getting better at drums. Yes, there is one thing. There are actually quite a few things. But this one is #1 for most of the drummers I’ve ever encountered. What is the ONE thing?

Your. Left. Hand.

Yes, your entire hand. And when I say “left hand” I simply mean your “non-dominant” hand. So if you are a left hand lead player, it is likely your right hand. If you don’t do something to build strength and dexterity in your non-dominant hand, your playing will always be capped by what your weak hand can’t do.

In this lesson, I give a few “big picture” strategies to start seeing improvement in your left hand. Are they difficult strategies? No. Do they sound simple to achieve. Yes. But are these strategies simple to implement? NO. Most drummers don’t realize how far gone their left hand is. They are under the impression that if they practice rudiments like paradiddles, which is a rudiment that has a naturally mirrored sticking, that they are good-to-go.

But the problem with this thinking is that having your left hand copy the right hand for certain stickings within an exercise, is VERY different than letting your left hand lead. Even when our left hand is playing the LRLL of a paradiddle, it is playing the secondary “answer” to the first sticking (RLRR). Typically that means we aren’t thinking that hard about the left hand during those 4 stickings and are typically just treading water until our right hand jumps back in for the next RLRR.

Don’t believe me? Just take any of your “go-to” sticking/warm ups and start it with your left hand. At speed. What’s that I hear? Oh, it is you, not sounding as good because your right hand wasn’t leading. But it is OK, because that is how everyone sounds. What will be even MORE difficult is taking any right hand lead drum set groove you know, and lead it with your left hand…good luck.

So, here are the three big strategies I talk about in this lesson:

1. Find small, concentrated, practice sessions (2-5 minutes) EVERYDAY that are specifically just working on your left hand.
2. Convert your “right hand lead” warm ups/rudiments to left lead (i.e. the Singles, Doubles, Paradiddles exercise)
3. Play open handed drum set grooves (for a challenge try the 1 – e – + pattern)

That’s it. Your left hand is the thing holding you back. So…go FIX IT. Watch the lesson above and then grab the sheet music below.