Tips or techniques on how to improve my left hands’ control and speed.
Is your left hand slowing you down behind the kit? In this post, I’m going to share some basic techniques you need to balance out your hands and get that left hand moving as fast as your right. If you want real control and speed, stick around because I’ll show you how to unlock both!
Hey, developing drummer! Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been playing drums for years, we’ve all faced the same problem: one hand, usually the left, just doesn’t seem to keep up with the other. You’ve got the speed in your right hand, but your left hand is lagging behind.
Today, I’m going to show you why that happens and, more importantly, how you can fix it with simple techniques that will take your drumming to the next level.
Let’s get into it!
First, let’s break down the question. You mentioned speed as the main issue, but here’s the thing: speed is the effect, not the focus. Not the cause. If you can’t play something slow, you won’t be able to play it fast.
So, before we tackle speed, which is an effects, let’s first focus on what matters more: control and precision. These are the foundations that will naturally lead to speed over time.
Think of it like this: if you can’t play a groove at 60 bpm, you won’t be able to play it at 70 bpm. This is exactly why you shouldn’t focus on speed right now. Or at any time in order to play faster.
Instead, master the slower tempos. The precision.
When I was gigging with a keyboard player who loved to count in fast swing tempos, I was really struggling to keep up with him. So, I went back to basics and practiced those jazz beats at a slow 60 bpm. Never any faster.
Over time, I improved my precision and technique, and was eventually able to push faster tempos, all because I mastered the slow tempo’s first.
Let me share with you what worked for me: I would play at a really slow tempo, like 60 bpm, and this gave me time to think about every single movement. I’d focus on how the stick hit the drum, how my body moved, and how I used each limb. That slow, deliberate practice helped me identify the weak points and fix them.
And at those slow tempos, more than the notes, or beats… were secondary to focusing on the space. And smoothing the spaces out.
of course, you need to also focus on your harm, hand and wrist movements too in order to improve those. But once you perfect those movements, the space becomes more important.
That’s mostly because as the drummer, your main job is to play the beats, or notes that you play, in time. But this is the cause. The effect is that you create great space for other members of the band to play within.
I also want to introduce you to the idea of practicing like martial artists do—Tai Chi, for example. Tai Chi practitioners move through their techniques slowly and deliberately, building muscle memory and precision.
Then, when they need to use those techniques quickly, the speed is there automatically, because they’ve mastered the movements at a slow pace.
So, what does this mean for your left hand? It’s time to go back to the basics.
Here are three tips to improve your left hand’s speed and control:
- Use your left hand more in daily life – Start lifting your cup of coffee or doing everyday tasks with your left hand instead of your right. This will help build coordination and build strength in your non-dominant hand.
- Practice quarter notes, eighth notes, and sixteenth notes – Just with your left hand. Focus on precision and control at 60 bpm. Don’t rush—master this slow tempo before even thinking about speeding up. Over weeks of practice, you can gradually increase to 70 or 90 bpm, but only when you’ve absolutely nailed it at 60 bpm.
- Study finger technique – Check out Dave Weckl’s Back to Basics video and learn the finger technique. This will help activate your fingers and give your left hand more control. It’ll feel strange at first, but stick with it, and you’ll notice big improvements over a few months.
And remember: stop thinking of your left hand as ‘slow.’ Your mindset plays a huge role in your drumming. Shift your focus to improvement and mastery, and your left hand will catch up faster than you think.
Lastly, check out my video titled: Struggling to Get My Left Hand to Work After 20 Years Off the Drums! It explains why I have been having trouble with my finger technique. Its a concept no one ever mentions. And that I believe to be relevant for this left hand control and power issue.
What Next
Now that you know how to improve your left hand’s speed and control, it’s time to put these tips into practice. But before you go, if you’re looking to expand your drum kit or help a young drummer grow their setup, my next post will show you exactly what to add next. Click the link to watch my tips on how to expand a drum kit for beginners!
