Rush's Most Technically Difficult Song?

[JARG]

Open handed drumming is when instead of your right arm crossing over to tap the hi hat cymbal which is on your left,the left arm/hand plays the hi hat and the right plays the snare(for a right hand drummer).In easy terms he is not crossing his arms to keep time .A left handed drummer often plays that way if he is playing a right handed drum set up.Just to confuse things even further I am right handed but left footed.I have a drum kit set up in the shed.It is all arse about face.I won't go into details,I 'll stick to guitar.

 

So you would have to be ambidextrous?

 

I think that's what I said grasbo no?? And I'm not sure if ambidextrous is the right way to put it..you do need to be coordinated though..

 

And grasbo your setup sounds interesting.. reminds me of Ringo kind of.. left handed drummer on a right handed setup lol

 

It's not so easy to do things with your left hand if you are right-handed. It must take a lot of practice before it doesn't feel odd doing it. But that's just me, and I have no talent, so what would I know? :Neil:

 

There's also some physiology in play here that is distinct from the question of being ambidextrous.

 

Try this: Sit at a table or a desk with your hands, facing forward, flat on the surface. Sit close enough to the left edge of the table that your left hand about 6 inches from the left edge of the table. Now lower your left arm to your side, pick up a pen or pencil in your right hand and cross your right arm in front of you so that you can tap the left edge of the desk. You'll notice that tapping in this position is just a matter of a very minor movement in your right wrist, and your right palm should be facing down toward the table. Now try that again, this time picking up the pencil in your left hand. Does this seem as comfortable to you, or are you having to tilt your left wrist a lot more in order to hit the edge of the desk, and does your left palm face almost straight up?

 

Now on a drum kit, you can raise/lower the hat to minimize how much your left wrist would have to tilt, but it's always going to be tilted more than if you cross over with your right hand.

[Lorraine]

There was more of a strain with my left hand because I felt it in my wrist.

[JARG]

There was more of a strain with my left hand because I felt it in my wrist.

 

Yeah, it's an awkward position.

[Lorraine]

In light of all of this then, I noticed when watching the Synchronicity tour dvd, Stewart Copeland taping up his wrist and hand with what looked to me like electrical tape. It was shiny black tape.

 

What was the tape supposed to do for his hand? Is it used as a type of brace?

[EagleMoon]

In light of all of this then, I noticed when watching the Synchronicity tour dvd, Stewart Copeland taping up his wrist and hand with what looked to me like electrical tape. It was shiny black tape.

 

What was the tape supposed to do for his hand? Is it used as a type of brace?

 

Tape is usually more to prevent blisters or to cover them up.

[thirteen]

If I remember correctly Geddy has stated that they are always relieved to get through The Spirit of Radio.

Maybe not the most technically difficult, but apparently still a challenge to play live.

[goose]

I've been trying for over a year to get the air drums down to The Weapon.

 

Getting better but, out of Rush's entire forty year career, it is the only song that I marvel at how Neil was able to do it. Even with those headphones on keeping a certain beat for him.

 

You know it's played open handed right? Left hand mainly on the high hat and right hand on the snare if you're right handed (opposite from typical right handed playing).

 

And if I may say, putting that much time into air drumming makes you a REAL Rush fan. ..And part of the 10% ! ;)

 

:wub: :wub: :wub: :wub:

 

I don't know what "open handed right" even means in drumming.

 

 

I'll post a video for you...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

;)

 

Don't forget I can't watch videos.

Really. Why not?

[goose]

Open handed drumming is when instead of your right arm crossing over to tap the hi hat cymbal which is on your left,the left arm/hand plays the hi hat and the right plays the snare(for a right hand drummer).In easy terms he is not crossing his arms to keep time .A left handed drummer often plays that way if he is playing a right handed drum set up.Just to confuse things even further I am right handed but left footed.I have a drum kit set up in the shed.It is all arse about face.I won't go into details,I 'll stick to guitar.

 

So you would have to be ambidextrous?

 

I think that's what I said grasbo no?? And I'm not sure if ambidextrous is the right way to put it..you do need to be coordinated though..

 

And grasbo your setup sounds interesting.. reminds me of Ringo kind of.. left handed drummer on a right handed setup lol

 

This young man is playing open-handed. Her left hand is playing the hi-hat (that's the double cymbaled thing :P ), while the right hand plays the snare. Most people play cross-handed (right on hi-hat, left on snare)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AL0ib8uITRo

 

^^^ Link to the solo. Kid's 9yo

Edited January 6, 2016 by goose

[RUSHHEAD666]

i.e. The song where the sum of (drum difficulty) + (guitar difficulty) + (bass/keyboard/vocal difficulty) = is the highest.

 

Could it be La Villa?

 

You guys are damn close. It's definitely a track off of "Hemispheres."

 

For me it's "Cygnus X-I Book II." Nothing touches it. Playing to it on the drums makes me smile like the Cheshire Cat.

[Lorraine]

I've been trying for over a year to get the air drums down to The Weapon.

 

Getting better but, out of Rush's entire forty year career, it is the only song that I marvel at how Neil was able to do it. Even with those headphones on keeping a certain beat for him.

 

You know it's played open handed right? Left hand mainly on the high hat and right hand on the snare if you're right handed (opposite from typical right handed playing).

 

And if I may say, putting that much time into air drumming makes you a REAL Rush fan. ..And part of the 10% ! ;)

 

:wub: :wub: :wub: :wub:

 

I don't know what "open handed right" even means in drumming.

 

 

I'll post a video for you...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

;)

 

Don't forget I can't watch videos.

Really. Why not?

 

Dial-up. Used to be able to get five to seven seconds every minute. But can't even do that anymore.

[GorillaStrangiato]

Hemispheres no question.

[Texas King]

Natural Science IMO.

[cygnusthecat]

Great thread here folks! Love the musician's perspective especially on The Weapon....

[lifeson90]

Obvs there's that bit in the documentary where the band themselves talk about how difficult Good News First was to put together but dunno if they had particular difficulty playin it as such

 

Incidentally i hated that track for a good while at first but became one of my favs, for its sheer maturity really