Creative Exploration of the Left Foot, by Siemy Di, develops this least-utilized limb by using a left-foot snare or the hi-hat foot.
Siemy Di’s inspiration behind exploring the left foot comes from an observation that the feet, the left foot in particular, are still unchartered territory and at a “primitive” level in terms of rhythmic development. We often use the feet as a crutch for certain things but not in a conceptual manner, for example, to establish the ostinato and different phrases.
Creative Exploration of the Left Foot develops this least-utilized limb by using a left-foot snare or the hi-hat foot. It provides simple and step-by-step coordination exercises that use the feet as the foundation for the groove. In this approach, using the left foot with the foot snare or a hi-hat foot and creating a backbeat with the bass drum allows the drummer to play different polyrhythms with the hands. This opens new possibilities for rich and multi-layered compositions and for recreating different styles such as Maksum (Middle East) or Bikutsi (West Africa). This book can help you achieve a new, multidimensional way of playing drums by focusing and exploring the possibilities of the left foot. It will strengthen your improvisational skills (of all four limbs), coordination and dexterity and most importantly it will help you create richer and multi-layered compositions.
The book comes with 32 videos that demonstrate key examples. In the videos, the author not only demonstrates the grooves, but includes additional tips and instructions.
Common grooves as well as polyrhythms, odd groupings, hi-hat pedaling, and four-way coordination with foot ostinatos are explored in depth.
The foot snare and the hi-hat foot in conjunction are both left-foot pedal-activated instruments and require similar foot technique as the leading foot on the kick drum, but the challenge is to master the coordination and independence necessary to play all limbs with four-way coordination. Creative Exploration of the Left Foot reflects years of practice, observations, and trial and error in mastering a way of using all the limbs to improvise, groove, and solo in a way that is beyond using independence exercises that serve no musical purpose.