Open-Handed Playing, Volume 2 Cover Image

Open-Handed Playing, Volume 2: Drumset Book & Online Audio

$24.99 USD
Sale price  $24.99 USD Regular price 
Skip to product information
Open-Handed Playing, Volume 2 Cover Image

Open-Handed Playing, Volume 2: Drumset Book & Online Audio

A Step Beyond

By Claus Hessler with Dom Famularo

Level: Advanced

Item: 00-38832

$24.99
Shipped

One moment…

Description
A follow-up to the popular first volume, Open-Handed Playing, Vol. 2: A Step Beyond gives you a groundbreaking step-by-step approach to incorporating this cutting-edge style into your playing. By using linear and rudimental approaches, this book will even help a drummer who has always played with crossed hands. This is possible because the presented patterns will be familiar to both right- and left-handed players. This method also provides an incredibly creative and funky set of new tools to build the drumming vocabulary. The included recording features 8 play-along tracks.
"This is an interesting and challenging book suitable for the intermediate to advanced player, regardless of their leading hand."
- DRUMMER magazine
"This is a great resource that will definitely take your drumming up another notch and help untie knots and bad habits we drummers often develop. Four and a Half Stars!"
DRUMscene Magazine

"If you've never considered open-handed drumming before, this book offers a very strong argument for it."
-Michael Dawson, Modern Drummer

Open-Handed Playing, Volume 2: Drumset Book & Online Audio isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.

Sample Pages

Sample Audio
No sample audio found.
Sample Video
Additional Details
Publisher: Wizdom Media
Page Count: 140
ISBN10: 0-7390-8473-9
ISBN13: 978-0-7390-8473-1
UPC: 038081429687
SKU: 00-38832

More about this title

About the Author: Claus Hessler

Claus Hessler

Claus Hessler stands among the world's most respected drumset educators, known internationally for his mastery of open-handed playing and deep understanding of the Moeller technique. Jim Chapin, a legendary figure in drumming pedagogy, recognized Hessler as part of an elite circle of technical innovators. His work has earned him recognition as a successor to Chapin's technical legacy, particularly through his groundbreaking writing on open-handed approaches.

Hessler has taught at the University for Music and Performing Arts in Frankfurt and the Berufsfachschule für Musik in Dinkelsbuehl, while maintaining an active schedule of clinics and private instruction worldwide. As a clinician for SABIAN, VIC FIRTH, MAPEX, and REMO, he has appeared at major drum events and festivals. His studio and touring work spans jazz, Latin, big band, and commercial music across Europe, giving him deep practical experience across multiple genres.

Why we love this

This book treats open-handed playing not as a gimmick but as a serious technical pathway with immediate application for drummers of any handedness. The combination of linear and rudimental frameworks means advanced players can explore the approach without abandoning their foundational training, while the 8 play-along tracks provide real musical context rather than abstract exercises.

What to expect

Working through this material opens new creative pathways on the kit. The linear and rudimental exercises feel logical rather than forced, and the grooves that emerge have a distinctive funky energy that comes directly from the approach itself.

Who it's for

Intermediate to advanced drummers ready to expand their technical vocabulary and break habits developed through years of crossed-hand playing. Whether you've considered open-handed drumming before or want to deepen an existing practice, this book meets you where you are and builds from there.

How to get the most out of it

  • Spend time with the linear approaches first before layering in rudimental concepts; this builds muscle memory in unfamiliar patterns without overwhelming your coordination
  • Use the play-along tracks at slower tempos initially, focusing on evenness between your hands before increasing speed
  • Apply the funky vocabulary to grooves you already know well, which anchors the new patterns in familiar musical territory

How to use it

This resource works best as an individual woodshedding project for drummers seeking to expand beyond their current technical limitations. The play-along tracks make it equally valuable in a private lesson context, where a teacher can guide application across different styles.

Skills your students will build

  • Open-handed coordination and independence between left and right hands
  • Linear drumming patterns applied to contemporary grooves
  • Rudimental foundations adapted to drumset playing
  • Funky rhythmic vocabulary and phrasing
  • Breaking ingrained crossed-hand habits
  • Playing with both hands leading at different times

You May Also Like