open method

dintymoore said:
My understanding is that Billy Cobham is a left handed guy playing a right handed set... he rides with his left hand and kicks with his right.
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If he were a left handed drummer he'd ride with his left hand and kick with his left foot.

I never heard that Cobham was left handed per se, simply that he recognized the value of not keeping your "time-keeping hand" (i.e., the hand normally whack-a-doodling on the hi-hat or ride) anywhere that it can get in the way of the other hand.

iow, by "riding" with your left hand on the hats (if you're sitting behind a typical right handed kit) & putting your ride cymbal over on the left side next to the hats, your right hand is now free to easily access the entire kit rather than just the snare drum for accents, backbeats, etc.

Lenny White plays this way also. Like a motherfucker I might add.
 
Bob Ross said:
If he were a left handed drummer he'd ride with his left hand and kick with his left foot.

Lenny White plays this way also. Like a motherfucker I might add.
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Yeah I saw Billy Cobham play about 5 years ago in Huntington and sat in the front row right in front of where he was playing. He is truly playing ambidextrously with his hands. His kit is set up right handed, but he has rides on either side and he plays his hat with both right and left hand depending on whatever he's thinking. I spoke to him afterwards and he told me he's living full time in Switzerland now.

I saw Lenny White play live at B B King's in New York with Stanley Clark, Robbin Ford, Kenny Garret and Mike Clark (also playing drums) and they did a "KILLER" show, and you're right but most MFers don't play that well!
 
There was an interview with Billy Cobham in the late 70's in DownBeat magazine where he said he was left handed and right footed.
 
I don't think my brain could handle throwin any more at it. The 70's were beddy beddy good to me. :D

I'll stick with the crossover. ;)
 
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