Rhythm to hand position

[Bataboom]

I am self taught right handed player been playing for about a year now, and got really used to slapping with my left hand so when I seen and heard a cha cha cha rhythm .... I seen in the clip he was hitting the bass and tone with his left hand and slaps with his right and I do just the opposite. Is he left handed are am I just doing it wrong. I tried to swap but its as if I never hit a drum before in my life that way, totally lost. Do I try and figure out whats the correct way and relearn, or just keep truckin with what works for me?

[akdom]

Hi Bataboom

This happens sometimes when you are self taught.

Look at it that way: You have an advantage since you are used to slap with your left hand and you are a righty...
Some struggle for years before being able to do it!

Now, I can see two solutions: You either play as a lefty all the time and reverse the conga and tumba or you learn the rhythms as a righty.

You should anyway be able to play them both ways.

I also play the djembe and I play many rhythms as a lefty and I am a righty.... So don't worry!

The only thing is that you have to be able to enter variations, breaks and solos the same way you play the rhythm (right or left) so that when you come back to the main rhythm, your handin remains the same as the one you started with.

I hope this is clear enough and that it could help you.

Have fun.

B

[Charangaman]

Greetings Bataboom,

I am also a relative beginner to the artform.. ..

It is unusual as a right handed player that your slaps are stronger with the left, my heel-toe is certainly stronger with the left but my slap still relatively weak.. Independance exercises are key to developing equal strength, also try playing rhythms with the weak hand leading..

The ultimate goal for me is to play all tones, slaps and touches equally.. Balance..

[windhorse]

Balance is good,, but I'll bet your Ki pa or high drum on the Bembe rocks!

Just a few days ago, I was trying out a lead ride, on Columbia, I've been having trouble with for a long time. I reversed the handing making the downbeat on the right hand instead of the left, the way I was taught, and suddenly I could do it! So the slap is now on the left hand..
Sometimes it might be better for timing too..

[rumbaman]

How are all you guys doing today hope all is good for all .

I am left handed my left is my strong hand but to be a good congero you must be able to execute notes with both hands , i know its a pain but practice makes it better. I have made it one of my pet peaves to learn how to do everything with both hands . The rythums i play with a lefty setup but i can tone , slap , muff , and palm finger with both hands .

they sound much better now than when i started 5 years ago but it has not been easy alot of practice .


Be patient it will come .... now i am a lefty by birth and i still cannot eat with a fork in my right hand, or write with my right .

rumbaman :p

[Bataboom]

I think it may have stemmed from me learning set drumming as I was young and the snare is with the left hand and your tom tom's and cymbols with your right so I think thats where I felt more comfortible with slapping with my left and lower bass notes with my right. I allow my left hand to enguage in the rolls and other fills not just slapping and I dont seem to have a problem coming in and going out of the main patterns so I asume Im doing ok.