Simon Phillips drum lesson: open-handed playing (2024)

I love Simon. He is so down to earth, and genuine.

"Maybe I'd be a better drummer"....Simon Phillips. What an incredibly humble statement from one of the best drummers of all time.

What a nice guy.
Great humble musicians are rare today.

Seeing this dude perform in person is life changing and highly recommended.

Open handed playing also helps develop your left hand (if that's your weaker arm) think about all those years you played hi hat with your right hand consistently doing eights, triplets , and sixteenths making your right more dominant then left then switch up and see how much weaker your left hand is on hi hat. from my experience it's gotten my weak hand ALOT better.

When I started playing drums at 16, I noticed my left hand was significantly behind my right. So I started playing open handed, kinda in a way to 'speed up' my left as it would have to play the hats. I'm now 37, and I'm still playing that way! I love it, and can play both 'right' and 'open' - and I frequently switch between the two.

I saw Simon live when he played with The Who in the 1989 tour! He was and is amazing! And I too play left-handed like he does!!!

He’s one the icons in drumming The young generation gotta listen and learn from these guys Your missing out on a lot

Simon is one of the only drummer's that is ambidextrous! !! love his groove. He was amazing when he was 18 yrs. old.

Brilliant... as one would expect of Simon Phillips. I've been playing with traditional grip for 50 years, so it might be a bit late for this old horse... but I've always taught my students matched-grip and open-handed playing. One thing in particular I teach is: once you've learned a groove or fill and are comfortable with it, then try it backward... then try it opposite-handed. If you can do that regularly, and apply it to all your playing, you open up your coordination options exponentially.
Oh, and of course I recommend Simon Phillips videos as an excellent training tool... along with many other top-tier drummers.

Simon's phenomenal. It's strikes me as funny that he still uses the old school term "Tom Tom's" instead of simply Toms. Love it!

Great drummer.....and a very humble and cool guy!

As humble as he is talented. I find this SO impressive in a musician. He seems like an awesome guy.

I can say I have never been blown away more from watching any drummer play . I dont watch anyone else but the drummer 99% of the time. When people would ask me who my favorite drummer is I absolutely tell them Simon Phillips. I believe Simon is in a class unto himself and it is absolutely that he plays left handed on a right handed kit and it is awe inspiring to watch him play. He is fluid and smooth . I swear I witnessed this guy levitate when he was doing some of those rolls when he played for The Who Alpine Valley 1989 ish... To this day I have never seen anyone close. Sadly because Simon didn't tour with The Who after that tour when Ringos son started touring with them I was so upset I never went and saw The Who again... 🤦🏻‍♂️ I love Neil Peart , Bonham and all the other more famous drummers, My vote since that night has been Simon Phillips . Have you heard him play with Toto 😏

When I started taking lessons 20 years ago, my instructor taught me to play open handed and I am so glad he did. I have gotten a lot of compliments from drummers who saw me play saying they wish they could play open handed. It really does make it easier and more fun to play certain parts. I would start out just like Simon showed. I would practice back and forth between the hi hat and snare and another drum to the left of my hi hat. I highly recommend it to learn to play open.

Thanks Simon for this video! It inspired me to learn to play open handed after 30 years of playing cross handed. Here we are, 3 months later and I have my first gig tonight playing open handed. You were certainly right, "a bit tougher" when you get older. But, as you also said - IT IS POSSIBLE!!!!

I loved Simon's work with Mike Oldfield. He's an amazing player and comes across as a really nice guy too.

When a player opens up his game and does the kinds of things that Simon Phillips does, there is a word for that : Genius. Good show, Mr. Phillips.

first time I hear this man speak, and I am stunned ....this is a totally nice man! I am impressed, not for drumming, as I don't know a thing about that..but this is just a great person..

Not only is Simon one of the all time greats, he seems like he's a really awesome person as well............

This is why his double strokes and sticking are top-notch. He has no weakness, and his kick drum is underrated. His kick foot is wild too.

I love this guy! He's realy down to earth and far away from any rockstar attitudes. A real humble master of the arts!!!

Simon is an absolutely brilliant drummer, and definitely one of the very best in the world! :)

Following Simon Philips, I've been playing open handed for years and also lead with the right all because I love Simon's playing. It really does open up a world of ideas without breaking the groove and it's fun to not be right hand dominant.

Everything about this man is just awesome.

I Started doing this December 2007 and it really changes your whole approach to everything.

being a "righty" and playing the Rosanna shuffle open-handed? legend!

Simon - I'm a HUGE fan of yours. I'm a beginner at 61 to learn how to play the drums. I think for a right-handed person, having the ride on the left next to your high hats is simply brilliant. I agree letting your left hand (weak hand) keep the tempo allowing your right hand (strong hand) do the fills is brilliant. I look at your set up and I can tell you've put a lot of thought on how you can maximize yourself to the drum kit. Simply amazing. Adding your recording and sound technical knowledge, you really impact the songs you play. Thanks so much for your videos on how-to play instruction. Still miss you NOT being with Toto, but I understand. Everything has a time. When the situation is right - for you - you might be with them again. Bottom line - Love ya

Such a musical and lyrical drummer. He makes the kit sing!

I'm left-handed. From the time I started drum lessons at the age of 10 or 11, I played open handed because it felt comfortable and natural. As a adult I thought my childhood drum teacher had made a mistake allowing me to play this way. I can play right-handed but I'm not quite as good as when I play open handed. Lately I have been reconfiguring my kit and in doing so was very tempted to simply make the switch to playing right-handed.
I searched RUclips for "left handed drummer right handed kit" and this video of Simon Phillips appeared. I was surprised to see him promoting the idea of playing open handed and even more surprised to discover that he's right-handed! Then I found several other videos promoting the benefits of playing open-handed. This made me realize that I truly am most comfortable playing open-handed and I can configure my kit to accommodate that.
Thanks, Simon!

Sin after Sin LP! Great stuff, great ability....Thanks Simon

I didn't start playing until I was 39 as a hobby; after several years, I saw a video on open handed playing and it made sooo much sense! I decided to start at the beginning with one of my books and now, I can play open as well as right handed ... and I can even switch without breaking the groove! I'm not a great player by any means, but I'm saying it can be done if you desire to make the change. :)

Simon is a great ambassador for the drums. I saw him at a clinic once. He's not only a world class drummer, he's a world class person. Thank you, Simon!

So much taste and feel in this guy, his take on Toto's "Africa" at their Live at Amsterdam performance is so awesome. Jeff Porcaro is an amazing drummer in his own right and Simon did him justice, plus took it to the next level. And good lord, the man can play with BOTH hands better than most can play with one dominant! Unreal technique and style mixed with musical sensibility.

Up there with the very BEST. Dont believe me? Listen to Smallcreep's Day - especially Out Into The Daylight. Total CLASS

Simons drumming on Mike Oldfields Crises is phenomenal, and I was lucky enough to see him with Toto 😃

Simon should so make a new masterclass dvd just demonstrating different beats, signatures, solos, recording etc in his studio like these!

One of the greatest musicians in history.🙏👏👏

Super enjoyable to watch.
Great drumming and a great personality too.

Been listening to Simon Philips since I heard him on Sin After Sin( that’s a while ago) his talent is phenomenal, his persona is just natural and self depreciating, what a wonderful thing, and so refreshing when you see some of the egos out there.

Open-handed playing makes so much more sense to me.
And I'd even say that the "normal" setup most people have is (and was when it was first "invented") a compromise in many ways. If you start to think about it (at least when I do) you start with with your feet. Most right handed players have better right foot so bass drum has to go there and snare between the legs so both hands can play it. Makes sense so far. Here comes the "problems". Where would you naturally like to play your right hand (as it's also better than your left hand) with which you can play faster and more complex stuff? On your right side. And there the ride cymbal usually is.
Now whne people started to play with a hihat there was the problem of where to put it. I'd guess that most people would like to play it on their right but the hardware doesn't allow that (nowadays it does, but back then didn't) because right foot is on the bass drum and left foot is the only one free to control it. So it has to go on the left side. Now you have to decide with which hand you're going to play it. Playing the "normal" way restricts you in so many ways imo. That very example Simon describes here that if you wanted to play the toms inside the groove, the normal way you can't comfortably do that. Open-handed absolutely zero problem.
All that said I think the most "intuitive" setup is Mike Mangini's. Firstly he has basically every drum and cymbal one can have and need on both sides so no restrictions on what are you paying, you always have that cymbal or drum on a side you can hit it. He also has them in symmetrical pattern so everything is on the same place on both sides and he practically has complete normal drumset on both sides. Of course this type of drum set is a pain to set up and expensive as you have to have double amount of stuff. And the normal setup isn't that bad as we've all used to playing it and adapted pretty well.

A true gentleman and humble guy with such incredible talent!

He's one of the best drummer.

Ahh.... That makes total sense after watching him perform for years. My God he's brilliant.

Great drummer. Love the fact that he played on Judas Priest's "Sin After Sin" album.

Honestly, in my opinion, the best drummer alive. His work with Toto is amazing. When he is not with them, the drummers struggle to keep up with his part. Keep up the great work Simon.

Love his work with The Who and Toto, incredible drummer

First drummer I have ever heard who can really deliver the feel of the Jeff Pocaro shuffle beat and if I may be so bold, to actually add something to it. Just my humble opinion, so please don't be offended if (like me) you are a major Pocaro fan. Simon's drumming on the 35th anniversary tour with Toto was simply amazing - wish I had been there.
Respect.

One of the all-time greats. Catch him in concert with Hiromi if you can.

I could listen to Simon for hours . Amazing talent and a pleasure to watch .

mr. phillips you..are..AMAZING!!!!

Wow - Seamlessly switch high hat hands on such a complex rhythm with out literally skipping a beat . he is truly the best

Simon is such an amazing player. Saw the tour with The Who doing Tommy. Blew my mind.

I would like to say a HUGE thank you to Simon Phillips, cos this way of playing is for me fun for some months now, and here comes my thankful, cos playing that way ables me to overcome my right hand problems and to play Cocain with the new band I joined. So, a great THANK YOU Simon !!!

Love his playing on Beck's There & Back

Although being one of the greatest he is still humble and down to heart. Amazing sound,class and technique

Never seen this guy before but jesus he seems so nice. And I love his way of playing!

i actually started playing open handed for a year or so when i was 12 and became obsessed with toto and simon philipps, it's amazing how the brain can learn new things like that when youre young.

Interesting side effect of having the HH lower is that it's easier to play bead-on-top as he's doing here, rather than shank-on-side. Simon's HH playing has sounded cool in a number of recordings and this might be part of the reason for his sound.
Another interesting side effect of open handed playing for me was not only how the 'backbeat hand' learns to do things that the 'cymbal hand' usually does, but also the reverse. I found my right was not as good as my left at things like rimshots, ghost notes, the timing of the backbeat, etc. It dawned on me that it wasn't just about my better hand vs. worse hand, but at least part of it was about specialization...

How can you NOT love what Simon Phillips says OR does???
Great drummer, great knowledge, great presenter!!!😎🖒

at 3:00 is the secret to understanding Simon Phillips' style. Smooth groove.

Simon Phillips is hands down one of the best drummers period. I myself am a left handed drummer but for the past 5 plus years I have been leading alot with my right hand and foot. I can do bass drum patterns with my right foot and then switch back to my left foot. It's a fun challenge to learn how to play with different approaches.

The human octopus according to Mike Oldfield

I admire this man's drumming technique, style, groove and many more. Thanks for sharing tips and concepts.

One of the greats, my drum teachers favourite drummer!

Always enjoyed Simon's playing - never realized he was this mellow, grounded genius.

Never heard this drummer before (except one tune with Buddy Rich big band).
But he obviously has good taste, a nice swing feel, and pretty impressive technique.

Great drummer and very humble....
This is the signature of really great artists...

Has anyone ever seen Simon and Eric Idle in the same place at the same time?

Since begin 90ties my favourite all-time drummer... Amazing to see and hear his original VHS lesson-videos at my soundsystem. Still crisp, full of bass and very clean!

Did he say ..maybe he could have been a better player if ???? Is that possible to be better then he is now ? Hardly think so..such technical perfection

Was introduced to Simon's amazing playing by way of 801, became fascinated by his approach and began exercises on my own like 2:32. His personality and musical talent are truly inspirational.

Saw him at a clinic years ago. He had (and still has) the best drum sound I've ever heard.

I'm 36 and constantly growing and learning new stuff, almost everytime I play.
I put in alot of hours though.
This guy was one of my first inspirations along bonham, chambers, etc, etc

Who gives this a thumbs down???
This guy is a musical/drumming Genius!!!

one of the first things l remember as a kid watching my heros play the drums was why does everyone crosses their hands to play (as opposed to open hand). As l got older l just completely forgot about it until this video brought that memory back!
Great channel btw

First saw him in Dallas at a PAS convention at the Anitole hotel. He is amazing! I remember then I was so impressed that he would play the same groove with either hand! This was in the mid eighties. He's even better now. What a great attitude and humility. Blessings to him and his giftedness

Arguably the best technical drummer in the world today ( ask any aspiring drummer) & i first heard of Simon's skill when i bought Mike Rutherford's first solo album 'Small Creeps Day' 1979, Simon's playing was amazing!! his 'Protocol' work showcases exactly what i mean.

2:12 Are you kidding me Simon? ;-)

I loved Jeff Porcaro, but after being introduced to Simon, I became a fan of him too. He was great when I saw him in Toto concerts. Lots of love and best wishes to Simon!

Zounds! Simon has more talent in his one hand than I have in my entire body.....

I was self-taught and played open handed for my entire 53 year career. The only guff I ever got was from a couple of drum teachers who happened to be in an audience I was playing for. They said I learned the wrong way, and I told him to try and do some of the things I could so, as Simon mentioned in the video. No matter, though, Simon has always been a phenomenal drummer, hands down.

I am coming out of retirement , I have been influenced by Simon's video's to play open handed which I am going to try, wish me luck.

I have seen Simon two times in Holland..Utrecht and Tilburg. In Utrecht he had to share a dressing room with Devine famous those days I am sure Simon will remember this 😁 but it's long very long ago. He is the most sympathetic drummer I have ever seen..so good and so modest. 🙂👍👍

I've only ever played open-handed. I'm a lefty, and play a lefty/righty hybrid setup. Basically, everything is setup for a righty, except I put the hi-hat on the opposite side, by the floor tom.

You make it look so easy, love your humility. One of my favourite percussionists...

He drums well ,he has cool hair, what else do ya need ?

Simon
You are a star, your technique and groove feel on the drums is amazing, I love your style.
Cheers

I'm not buying it...Simon was clearly gifted with 2 right hands. Incredible balance no matter what he plays with what hand.

Thank you for the video. I am left handed and when I first started playing drums I tried to reset my drums for left handed play. I realized how much of an issue this was when I went my friend's house and wanted to play his drums. I ended up quitting drums and started back years latter and was introduced to open handed play.

The more great drummers that I watch, the more I am becoming convinced that I need to learn open hand drumming. Should have learned it ten years ago, but oh well. Later is better than never.

Saw him playing with Jeff Beck, There and Back tour Cape Cod Coliseum 1980.
He solo'd in Space Boogie.
Was one of those historical musical moments I'll take to my last breath.

Urgh, you're so good I feel sick!! I'm giving up the drums forthwith, since my inferiority is apparent.

One of the true greats in drumming; humble and awesome!

He played on a Judas Priest album when he was only 19 years old.

I think your technique worked. Definitely one of the most versatile drummers ever. Incredible player.

Muting the cymbals so gently speaks so much about his love of the instrument...

I've been playing for 20 years and consider myself a pretty skilled drummer but seeing the size of his kit and how effortlessly he plays it tells me I need to do more.

Simon Phillips - you absolute freak. ❤️

Anyone who put a thumbs down to Simon Phillips is obviously deaf!