DRUMS
LEFT BRAIN , RIGHT BRAIN , LEFT HAND , RIGHT HAND | Carl Albrecht
OK … so I ’ m not really sure which side of the brain we use when playing drums . I would imagine it ’ s a lot of both because music encompasses creative and emotional components as well as all the physical mechanics of using the whole body to play the instrument . Let ’ s just say it takes all of the concentration we can muster along with the passion that the music inspires . With that in mind let ’ s try to radically mix things up a bit .
Because worship music for drummers is normally not too complex let ’ s do something to challenge ourselves when we play , and maybe fall into some creative surprises at the same time . Let ’ s play everything we always do , but backwards ! In other words , we ’ re going to force ourselves to play all the songs we normally play … the songs we don ’ t even have to think about when we ’ re playing … NOW we are going to play them leading with the OTHER hand . Yes , that might be your weaker hand , but let ’ s give it a try . WARNING : Do not do this with your worship team if it fails when you practice it . I don ’ t want to get any emails .
1 . YOU MAY ADD PIECES TO THE KIT . This is not necessary , but it is a lot of fun . I will often add another hi-hat over the floor tom . Most of the time it ’ s just a mounted “ closed hat .” But if you happen to have a “ remote hihat with a cable to another pedal ” that ’ s even more fun . I would also put another ride cymbal over the hi-hat . Try to leave your left crash in standard position .
Also for this exercise add another snare drum to the left of your regular hi-hat tuned as closely to your regular snare as possible . If you use a different pitched snare normally , move it over a bit so the “ matching snare ” is just next to your primary hi-hat . As you play with this new setup adjust heights and angles for everything to be as comfortable as possible . ( Yes , you could add extra pedals to switch kick and hat lead , but let ’ s leave that for another time .)
2 . START SIMPLE AND BUILD AS YOU GO . It ’ s totally cool to start with the easiest song you know . (“ Everlasting God ” – maybe ?) The goal is to get as comfortable as you can as soon as you can , so you can relax with the idea of playing “ backwards .” I know … it ’ s not really backwards ! It ’ s just the way I think of it . The first switch is leading with your weak hand ( left for me ). If you always play right hand on the hat or ride cymbal now you ’ re going to put the left hand in that position . This is often called “ open handed drumming .” A great way to check to hear if it feels right is to play the song with your normal approach for four bars , then switch to the other hand leading for the next four . Keep switching the lead hand every four bars to see if your sound stays consistent and the groove feels the same . There maybe slight nuances of your sound that change . But the goal is to make as close as possible .
3 . ADJUST YOUR TECHNIQUE AS NEEDED . Don ’ t be afraid to try different grip adjustments to get the right feel and sound . Yes , I ’ m a believer in good technique , but it ’ s more important to get the right sound and to be comfortable . You may need to turn your hands a bit . For instance , playing more with your thumb on top rather than on the side or vice versa - * more flat handed . To make this really work you may feel that you ’ re breaking some rules , but remember the goal is always to make the music feel great . Adjust as needed .
4 . SOME ODDITIES ! This whole experiment will challenge the way you play . You may even get a headache . Take breaks when you feel like you ’ re getting stuck , or that it ’ s just not working . A few things I ’ ve noticed while working on this was that playing “ two handed ” 16 th note patterns was tough . You can try it on the primary hi-hat leading with your left hand and using the snare to the left of the hat for back beats . But getting it to feel great with the feet was tricky . Some drummers have said they put their 2 nd hi-hat over the kick where tom two might normally be mounted . So the point is … don ’ t be afraid to experiment to make this work for you . That ’ s the whole idea . Another challenging pattern was playing a shuffle with the left hand . I could play a triplet ; 6 / 8 feel leading with either hand . But the typical shuffle is still making me sweat . So … I ’ m no Simon Phillips at this point . ( Look him up on YouTube )
Bottom line … there will be things that just don ’ t work out right away . So , keep those ideas in the practice room . But when the grooves feel great no matter which hand is leading then start using them in worship . * Note : this exercise will also start affecting the way you play fills . Which can be fun … but don ’ t turn the groove around when coming out of the fills . Be attentive to how creative you can be … but , as always , honor the music first !
Finally , always have fun , play from your heart , and worship with all your might . See you next time in the “ woodshed .”
Blessings , Carl
Carl Albrecht Professional drummer for 30 + years , playing with Paul Baloche , Don Moen , Ron Kenoly , Abe Laboriel , LeAnn Rimes and others . He ’ s also a clinician , author & pastor . Contact Carl for coaching , online lessons , producing , or sessions . I ’ m still growing too .. www . CarlAlbrecht . com LMAlbrecht @ aol . com