Using the Left Foot

Lesson 2/41 | Study Time: 5 Min

Course: Beginner Drums

Using the Left Foot

Up to this point the beats have used only three limbs, but as mentioned before, good drummers have control over all four limbs. The left foot is most commonly used to control the opening and closing of the hi hat cymbals. The hi hat played with the foot is notated with an X in the space just below the staff. Practice the following example which uses only the left foot. As with previous examples, keep a steady tempo and aim for a consistent sound and volume.

Once you are comfortable with the previous example, play a drum beat using the left foot on the backbeat instead of the left hand. Since you are opening and closing the hi-hat with the left foot, play the right hand part on the ride cymbal instead. Here are some examples.

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Class Sessions

1- Playing With a Band 2- Accents 3- The Sixteenth Note 4- INTRODUCTION 5- The Triplet 6- Playing Fills 7- The Eighth Note 8- The Three Four Time Signature ( <span class="symbolA">^</span> ) 9- Understanding the Drumkit 10- Using the Left Foot 11- Note and Rest Values 12- Using The Crash Cymbal 13- Using a Metronome 14- Two Handed Funk 15- How to Sit At the Drums 16- Accents Using Different Surfaces 17- Bass and Snare Drum Variations 18- Jazz Beats 19- Musical Form 20- Rock Beats 21- Twelve Eight Time Solo 22- Notes Used In Drum Beats 23- The Paradiddle 24- Side Stick 25- Sixteenth Note Variations 26- Fills Using Triplets 27- 12 Bar Blues 28- Snare Drum Variations 29- Building a Drum Beat 30- Understanding Music 31- How to Hold the Drumsticks 32- Harmony and Chords 33- The Shuffle Rhythm 34- Playing The Open Hi Hat 35- Dynamics 36- Bass Drum Variations 37- How to Read Drum Music 38- Volume Changes 39- Metronome Symbol 40- More titles by LearnToPlayMusic.com 41- Dynamic Independence

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Using the Left Foot