Andrea
Learning to drum is one of the most challenging things. Some people will tell you it is easy, but trust me, you need to be ready to give in all your best.
Apart from learning metronomes and time signature, it is vital to learn proper coordination.
Also, the way you handle the sticks in both hands is very important. Most drummers use the right hand more than they do the left.
As a beginner, it is important to balance the power in both hands. That way, you can be sure your sound comes out naturally.
Here are a few tips to help you get more power with your left hand.
Train your hand
There is a lot of power in training. For instance, you train your ear to listen to different sounds of drum heads. You also train yourself to keep time without needing a metronome.
In the same way, you can train your left had to drum as hard as the right hand. But this depends on the type of music you are playing.
Jazz, for instance, does not require loud drum sounds. This is why dedicated jazz drummers find it very difficult working with hard rock bands.
For this reason, you need to learn to work in different situations. And when you start drumming, try giving your left hand more energy than the right.
Support the left with your body
I have noticed that when many rock drummers hit the snare drum, they seem to lean a bit. This gives them more power, landing the stick as hard as possible. It really helps.
In the same manner, train yourself to support the left hand with your body. When you lean to the left, it makes all your power to land on the cymbal or toms.
Coordination
Drumming is all about coordination. If you learn how to link every piece of your setup, then you are going to achieve great sounds with your left hand.
The aim here is to have the left hand performing like the right hand. Hence, it would be a great idea to drum simultaneous at times. This way, you can have both hands producing the same velocity.
You can train even without drums
Drumming is hard work. You need a lot of energy, especially where other members are overwhelming.
To make sure I don’t get tired on stage, I always go to the gym. I need to build some muscles in both of my hands.
If you get used to the gym, I am sure it will not take long before your left hand becomes strong enough.
Also, I try doing with the left-hand activities that I would mostly do with the right. This way, I get my left to capture everything as normal.
Just like you learned to throw a stone with your right, you can also learn to do the same with the left.
