I love playing Honky Tonk Women open handed and using the right hand for the cowbell part while playing the hihat with the left hand. Snare goes on the cowbell hand. That Journey tune is such a fun one to play...had an orchestra gig last year that I got to play it on!

Hello! Just curious if any open-handers are still here willing to communicate/share a bit. I have been working on 'Don't Stop Believin' by Journey. It is a great open-handed tune to  learn. Anyone else have some suggested songs to try? Mark from Minneapolis

All really great points Kirstin. Hope you and yours are doing well! Was telling Kelli about our hang pre-show last year just the other day.

Hallo strangers, I wanted to drop some info here since I have been taking instruction from a drummer who played OH for 16 years before deciding to mix it up and play a bit of both open and traditional. One who was a student of the late, and much missed, Dom Famularo who was one of the leading voices on OH playing. After watching me play a bit he has given me this course correction that is nothing magical or outside of common sense. Simply put: If you are going through the groove and fill process from HH or RH Ride to any point on the right side of the kit, best practice is to be on a right hand lead.   If you a are going through the groove and fill process from HH or RH Ride cymbal to any point on the left side of the kit, best practice is to be on a left hand lead.  I was already doing this for the most part but I wasn't as consistent or deliberate as he says I should be. It should be engrained to the point that no thinking is involved beyond forecasting if you are going to the ride, returning to the HH, or picking a crash on the left or right of the kit.  He pointed out that, of course there are exceptions to every rule, but having this programmed in will help prevent getting cornered when you are pressed to improvise. He has me practicing going only one direction first. When I have that down pat, I'm to start practicing going the other direction with the opposite lead until I get that sorted.  Only then do I start practicing going to the right on a 4 measure groove/fill (to the Ride), and return to the left on the next 4 measure Ride groove/fill back to the HH. That is all.  Be well and GL. I'm fading back into the woods again for a while.