Open-handed drumming refers to a method of playing a drum kit.
The method involves not crossing the hands when playing the hi-hat (or ride-cymbal) and snare drum simultaneously as opposed to the more traditional way of playing drums which features crossed hands as the basic playing position.[1] Absolute beginners often choose this open-handed way of playing as their first and natural attempt at drumming.
A number of drummers experiment and are comfortable with open-handed drumming but do not always play in that configuration, such as Dennis Chambers, Sean Reinert, Thomas Lang and Marco Minnemann. Steve Smith and Deen Castronovo have used the open hand technique for the Journey song "Don't Stop Believin'".
Many drummers who use this style position their "ride" cymbal on the same side as their hi-hat to enable quick transitions between the two. There are also open-handed drummers who keep the ride cymbal in its traditional position on the opposite side of the hi-hat of the drum kit. Still other open-handed drummers use two rides and/or two hi-hats (one on each side of the kit).
Open-handed players normally use French grip rather than American "traditional grip" (generally used in marching and jazz) or "German grip" mainly used in rock, funk and pop. Notable exceptions being Mike Bordin in the videoclip for the song "Evidence" (by Faith No More), Matt Chamberlain in the videoclip for the song "What I Am" (by Edie Brickell & New Bohemians) and Virgil Donati utilising traditional grip. Lenny White, as a left handed drummer, also used to play open handed with traditional grip, playing on a right handed kit.
Open handed playing was first conceived as idea with Jim Chapin's book Advanced Techniques for the Modern Drummer, and Gary Chester's book The New Breed which emphasize coordinated independence, leading with both hands and legs.
The first drummers who started open-handed playing are musicians like Billy Cobham, Lenny White, and Dennis Wilson, who started this way of playing in the 1960s and early 1970s either out of instinct (such as Wilson, who was naturally left-handed and therefore felt more comfortable leading with that hand), or out of experimentation, finding the advantage of not having to cross one's hands over in complex fills or playing the hi-hats in the traditional manner. Many proponents of the technique have also noted that the lack of a "roof" of another arm crossing over allows for the full range of the snare playing arm's stroke to be available, meaning that loud rimshots are more easily played. Others have pointed out the added conservation of energy attained by not having to fully raise and cross one's lead hand when playing, for instance, between the hi-hats and ride in faster passages. As a result, many drummers in more extreme genres have adopted this technique. Another advantage is a player's access to the floor tom while playing the hi-hats, a feat infamously difficult to pull off in the traditional technique without access to an auxiliary floor tom.
In 2008 and 2011 Dom Famularo and Claus Hessler wrote Open Handed Playing vol.1 and 2, which are lessons focused entirely on open-handed playing.[2]
Open-handed playing is more common in the metal genre than other contemporary music as it is easier to hit the snare drum hard at high tempos with the dominating hand. Plus the other arm is not in the way, with the hi-hat mounted low. Punk drummers often set their hi-hat very high, from the snare, for the same reason (though obviously maintaining crosstick position). Another reason being the use of two bass drums and/or four or more rack toms in which case a stock hi-hat gets to be (uncomfortably) far away from the snare drum otherwise.
Open-handed drumming in metal can include the use of a left-side ride, which has been used by drummers such as Gene Hoglan to play intricate stickings across two rides with contrasting sounds.