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It's International Left Handers Day this week.

They always say Ringo had a unique drumming style as he was left-handed playing a right-handed kit.

Tony Meehan was left-handed looking at some photos of him signing things - so did he have it set up left-handed?

And what about Phil Collins and Paul McCartney - both left-handed? Surely Paul would have drummed whichever way Ringo had it set up?

Interested to know people's thoughts.

This doesn't answer the question, but I hope it is of some interest. We have two regular drummers at Warwick Shadows Guitar Club, George Height and Ron Innes. George is left-handed and sets up his kit accordingly. Ron is right-handed and arranges his conventionally. If both guys are there, both kits are there.

Tony always, to the best of my knowledge, had his kit set up as a right handed drummer would have it.
Also, he played drums in a conventional and standard right handed style.
If he was in reality a leftie, on a right handed kit, it might explain a few things, drummer wise.
Some of his fill in's don't make sense, to the average drummer's mind, and are nigh on impossibly difficult to replicate.
Perhaps he had a knack for alternating between leading with the right and left hand on fills etc..?

Everyone varies with being left handed. I knew a guitar player years ago who was left handed but still played a guitar right handed.
As for drummers there are also hybrids. Micky Dolenz ot The Monkees for example played right handed but swapped the bass drum and hi-hat around because of trouble with his left leg and Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys played left handed and right footed on a normal right handed kit.

Keith Moon used two bass drums, a great amount of toms and cymbals, almost sufficient for the percussion section of an orchestra and from a certain point on, stopped using a hi-hat. I think he was also capable of playing left-handed as well as right-handed.

Mike Felix, drummer with the 60s group the Migil 5 (1964 hit with Mockingbird Hill), was left handed and set up his kit the "other way round", or perhaps he was just left footed!


Bill

And don't forget that left handed drummers must use specially made left handed drum sticks !

Didier

Didier wrote:And don't forget that left handed drummers must use specially made left handed drum sticks !

Didier

If memory serves me right, Sandy Nelson switched from right handed to left handed after an accident which damaged one of his legs...

George