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It contains all of the exercises in this article in one easy to download PDF.

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One of the more commonly asked questions in my drum lessons is: “How do I strengthen my weak hand?”, or “What are some exercises to strengthen my weak hand?”.

Spending some time each session working specifically on the weaker hand will give you the boost you’ll need to catch up with the stronger hand.

Here are the things I have done over the years to improve my left-hand coordination. Consider using heavier sticks when practicing these exercises, it will help to strengthen your hands.

1. Slow Practice

Practice your weak hand at slow speeds to perfect its movement. Look closely at those movements to make sure they are smooth and unbroken.

Only begin to play at faster tempos when your weak hand can continue in a fluid and efficient manner. Be patient and honest with your abilities and you are sure to succeed.

Slow practice can be very meditative and is good for improving concentration as well as overall mental health.

Smooth Movements = Smooth Sounds

Exercise

2. Hands In Unison (Double Stops)

Play both hands at the same time to work on getting your weak hand to the same level as the strong hand. Focus on making them sound exactly the same. The goal is to train your weaker hand to have better technique when you use it alone. Doing this in front of a mirror, or videotaping yourself, can be very helpful.

If you want to take it to the next level then play rudimental solos with both hands. Take for example Solo #1 from Charley Wilcoxon’s “The All American Drummer”.

3. The “3x More” Principle

The “3x more” principle is the concept of practicing the weaker hand 3 times more than the stronger hand. This is very helpful for weak hand development because it allows some catch-up time, and you can use this time to focus on your hand mechanics.

Here is an exercise I use when my left hand needs a boost:

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Exercise

4. Stone Killer

The Stone Killer is an exercise that was created by master teacher George Lawrence Stone, and was published in Joe Morello’s pivotal hand technique book “Master Studies”. Although there are a ton of variations, the basic premise of the exercise is that you alternate your hands while playing multiple strokes.

I have done this exercise hundreds of times and can say that it is a killer! Start slow, executing 16th notes at 60bpm and do the exercise but with only four repetitions per exercise. Once you have developed some control then do 10 per hand, 25 per hand, and then finally, 50 per hand once you feel you will be able to do it without hurting anything.

Exercise

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5. Single Strokes leading with the Weak Hand

The following example is also from Joe Morello’s book “Master Studies” and is one of my favorite exercises for working on my weak hand. The exercise consists of playing continuous 8th notes with the weak hand while adding in filler 16th notes with the strong hand every second measure.

Exercise

6. Moeller Technique

The Moeller Technique is an excellent method for developing fluidity in the hands, and spending extra time working on the Moeller Method with you weaker hand will greatly improve its coordination.

There is a ton of great literature and videos out there demonstrating the Moeller Technique, so I will not get into it here.

In every city there is an expert on the Moeller Technique, so look them up in your city and take a lesson.

This lesson is all about efficiency of movement and will help you to increase your speed & fluidity around the drums.

7. Stone Killer w/ Accents

Same principal the original Stone Killer, but with adding specific accents. Practice much more slowly than the original at first as the added force to the arms can lead to bad technique, and maybe even injury, if you’re practicing a lot.

Added Accents = Added Control

Exercise

8. Rudiments

The “3x More Principle” is not only limited to practicing multiple stroke exercises and can be applied to practicing our rudiments. Practice starting rudiments with the weak hand 3x more.

Let’s consider two of the more commonly used rudiments, the Paradiddlediddle and the 6-stroke roll.

Try this exercise with the Paradiddlediddle:

OR

When practicing the 6-Stroke Roll, and its three most commonly used variations, play it once strong hand lead and then three times leading with the weak hand.

3x more!

STRONG HAND LEAD

WEAK HAND LEAD

Exercise

9. Weak Hand Ostinato Patterns

Practice various weak hand groupings, specifically three-note groupings, while maintaining a repeating pattern in the strong hand.

In this lesson we will use the example of playing quarter notes with the strong hand.

Conclusion

As shown in the above examples, there are a ton of ways to improve strength & coordination in our weaker hand, but in the end the best way to do it is to USE IT. Open doors, brush your teeth, prepare food (careful with the knife!), anything you can think of to improve coordination of the left hand.

Did you enjoy this article?

Please consider purchasing the accompanying PDF here

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by: Brandon Goodwin    
Montreal, QC, Canada    

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Interested in studying with Brandon? He does in-studio lessons in Montreal, Canada, and is also taking virtual students. Contact him HERE, or on the drum studio's Facebook Page to setup a lesson!

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