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What is your left leg doing?

Winter - Fri, 09/18/2009 - 15:57 | 7,814 views

I haven't been drumming that long- and in every video I watch, the drummer's left leg is going crazy, but it's not opening and closing the high hat??? So, what are you doing with that left leg?

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- - D - - Says Re: What is your left leg doing?

Submitted On: Monday, Oct 12, 2009 - 9:46 AM

Im gonna go ahead and agree with the rest of the comments. It is just a time keeping thing. It helps keeping your fills and grooves in the pocket, which is most important. Good way to get feel of the tempo in the opening statement of a tune, so to speak.

Winter Says Re: What is your left leg doing?

Submitted On: Wednesday, Sep 23, 2009 - 5:18 PM

Thanks, though it still seems insane to keep time with one leg and a rhythm with the other. I'll have to give it a shot. I'm just glad it's not something else to add to the list of things I can't but have to learn to do. :)

I'll give a look-see at the DVD. Thanks for the info. I'm a bit tired of trying to see the drummers in vids online (not this site) since they cut away so fast.

ThatDrummerKid Says Re: Re: What is your left leg doing?

Submitted On: Monday, Sep 28, 2009 - 2:32 PM

It's really not as hard as it seems. Maybe in the beginning, but after a while it literally becomes second nature!

remy_starwing Says Re: What is your left leg doing?

Submitted On: Friday, Sep 18, 2009 - 10:39 PM

Well, in most cases, I am assuming that you are watching videos with only one bass drum...?
More then likely it could be the drummer has a double-bass pedal. Or as in my case as well, I play two bass drums so it is straight double bass, but when I am focusing on straight 8/8 timing instead of a 16/16, because of my adrenaline, or whatever I sometimes pull away my left foot but it still remains keeping count.
Example (strictly talking bass drums):

Right Foot: does 8 down-beat strikes
Left Foot: does 8 up-beat strikes
making a 16/16 beat

Hope it helps bro! btw, pick up Mike Portnoy's Liquid Drum Theater, you will see what we are all talking about firsthand on those two dvd's. It will also give you a lot of hands on instructions and break-downs that are easy to pick up on!
Peace out!

drumfreak Says Re: What is your left leg doing?

Submitted On: Friday, Sep 18, 2009 - 9:20 PM

keeping time with my heal and the hat is closed. I don't rely on it though, it's a subconcious habit for me.

ThatDrummerKid Says Re: What is your left leg doing?

Submitted On: Friday, Sep 18, 2009 - 5:06 PM

umm well, it's kind of a feel thing, I do it just to help me keep time, i guess the swaying motion of my leg (moving in time to whatever I'm playing btw) helps me stay on top of what i'm playing. If I don't feel what I'm playing, it makes me not wanna play. Hope this helps!