Percussion Rudiments

The key to accomplishing a good single

Single stroke roll is to start slow. Speed will come
Stroke Roll with practice. However, this can't be forced.
The key is DAILY PRACTICE!
The single stroke four is a rudiment that will
Single help you with timing of seven stroke rolls
Stroke notated over an eight note. This rudiment
Four must be mastered before ratamacues are
attempted.
This rudiment is often referred to as a six-
tuplet. To work on this rudiment, use a
Single
metronome as an eight note pulse. Then
Stroke
concentrate on how each group of three notes
Seven
starts on alternating hands, on the eight note
pulse.
The multiple bounce roll, usually referred to
as a "BUZZ" roll is an essential rudiment in
the concert, classical, and jazz styles.
However, all drummers and percussionists
should have a firm understanding of this
Multiple
rudiment. When played properly, the "buzz"
Bounce
roll should will be heard with out pulse from
Roll
alternating hands. The key to achieve this is to
concentrate on the release of each hand. The
tail end of you first stroke should overlap with
the first stroke of the left hand, etc. This will
eliminate the pulse.
The triple stroke roll is a rudiment that is
embedded in other rudiments such as the flam
Triple
paradiddle. This rudiment is played just like a
Stroke Roll
double stroke roll with three bounces, rather
than two.
The key to a sound double stroke roll is
concentrating on the second hit of each
stroke. Concentrate on making this second
Double
note equal in volume to the first. To do this,
Stroke Roll
start slow and practice the rudiment with an
accent on the second hit. As you increase
tempo, the accent will disappear.
The five stroke roll is rightly names because
when played properly, you will here five
distinct hits. The rudiment is traditionally
notated in short hand. It is short hand for: one
eight note worth of thirty-second notes. This
Five Stroke
is because, the primary note is an eight note,
Roll
plus two slashes equals three, a thirty-second
note. So, with this all being said, and eight
note worth of thirty-second notes it four.
When you add the release note, you have a
five stroke roll.
 This six stroke roll is played in three
variations. As notated, it is simply a five
Six Stroke
stroke roll with an extra stroke at the
Roll
beginning. Other variations will be available
in the near future.
Here, the seven stroke roll is notated with
Seven sixteenth notes as the subdivision. Dotted
Stroke Roll eight worth of thirty-second notes (six), plus
the release note equals seven.

Translation: A quarter note worth of thirty-

Nine Stroke
second notes (eight) plus the release note
Roll
equals nine.

Ten Stroke Played just like the nine stroke roll with an
Roll extra single stroke at the end.

Eleven Played just like the ten stroke roll, except here
Stroke Roll you also diddle the second to last note

.
Translation: A dotted quarter worth of thirty-
Thirteen
second notes (twelve) plus the release note
Stroke Roll
equals thirteen.

Translation: Dotted quarter worth of thirty-

Fifteen second notes (eight), plus a dotted eight note
Stroke Roll worth of thirty-second note (six), plus the
release note equals fifteen.

Translation: A half note worth of thirty-

Seventeen
second notes (sixteen) plus the release note
Stroke Roll
equals seventeen.
I tell my students that rudiments to a drummer
or percussionist, is like letters to a poet. If this
is true, then the paradiddle is just like a
vowel. This rudiment is found all over in
percussion music. I often get asked what is
the best rudiment for playing faster. The
Single
paradiddle by far is the best. This is because
Paradiddle
of it's simplicity. The rudiment is made up of
the two most basic strokes in percussion, the
single and the double stroke. Sure, at slow
tempi the double right or left may not be
played exactly as a bounced note. However, at
increased speeds, the double is inevitable.
Double Just like the single paradiddle with two extra
Paradiddle sixteenth note proceeding the double.

Just like the double paradiddle with two extra

Triple sixteenth note proceeding the double. (four
Paradiddle more proceeding the double than the single
paradiddle)
Most rudiments are played in an alternating
fashion. However, paradiddle-diddles are an
exception. The single, double, and triple
paradiddle start and end with the same hand.
Single
Therefore, when played in repetition, you
Paradiddle-
would alternate. The paradiddle-diddle begins
diddle
and ends with different hands. So when
playing repeated paradiddle-diddles, if the
first one is right handed, then the rest in the
series are too.
The flam is made of two parts, the grace and
primary note. To play this rudiment properly,
you must concentrate on stick height. Set up a
right handed flam by positioning the grace
note with the left hand 2 inches above the
batter head. Then position the primary note
(in this case a quarter note) at 6-9 inches.
Flam
From this position, bring both hands down
together. Because of the stick height, the
grace note will be softer than the primary note
and strike the drum before the primary note.
Even thought the grace note hits first, a flam
is considered right or left handed by which
hand strikes the primary note.
To practice flam accents, first practice
without the flam, but with the accent. Work
on establishing tempo and even strokes. Once
Flam
this becomes comfortable, add in the flam.
Accent
Remember, focus on the primary note of the
flam for tempo, the grace note is before the
beat.

Flam Tap Simply a double stroke roll with flams.

Of all the rudiments, this one is usually only

found in tradition music. I kept this rudiment
Flamacue
in my list to preserve colonial rudimental
heritage.

Flam A paradiddle with a flam on the first note (the

Paradiddle accented beat).
 This rudiment can be thought of in two ways.
Single 1) An inverted paradiddle with a flam on the
Flammed first beat. 2) A flam tap followed by two
Mill single alternation strokes. Try practicing this
rudiment thinking both way. Then find the
method that works best for you.
Performance practice of this rudiment is still
under debate. Traditionally, a sequence of
paradiddle-diddles would all start with the
same hand. Therefore, when you add a flam,
Flam they would alternate too. However, the new
Paradiddle- school say that when you add a flam, the
diddle "technical" first stroke would be the grace
note, therefore, a sequence of flam
paradiddle-diddles would alternate. I would
suggest practicing both ways, what's the worst
that could happen, more control?
Pataflaflas are commonly called "Pattys".
This rudiment is simple alternating 16th notes
with flams on "1" and "ah". When learning
this rudiment, start playing without the flams,
Pataflafla but with the accents. Then once you have
control of this, add the flam on beat "1", and
then on beat "ah". There are many application
for this rudiment on the drumset. Example
will be available in the near future.

The swiss army triplet requires control of the

Swiss Army
flam tap. This rudiment can be thought of as a
Triplet
flam tap followed by a single stroke.

Just like the flam tap in sounding. However,

this rudiment has a different sticking. The
flam tap was a flam followed by a tap of the
Inverted
same hand. With the inverted flam tap, the
Flam Tap
flam is followed by a tap of the opposite
hand. This rudiment is sometimes referred to
as "tap flams."

A flam drag is simply a flam accent with a

Flam Drag
diddle on the second beat.

This rudiment is played very similar to a flam.

The different is in the grace note. Rather than
Drag
a single grace note before the primary note,
we have a diddle (two grace notes).
Played just like a tap flam only with a diddle,
Single Drag
rather than a flam. (two grace notes vs. one
Tap
grace note).

Double Just like the single drag tap with an added

Drag Tap drag of the same hand.
 The lesson 25 should be practiced first
without the flam. Work on the sticking with
Lesson 25
the accent first. Once this becomes
comfortable, add the drag.

A paradiddle with a diddle on the first, accent

Single
note. This rudiment is also referred to as a
Dragdiddle
"funkadiddle".

Drag
If you add a single stroke, and a diddle to a
Paradiddle
paradiddle, you have a drag paradiddle.
No.1

Drag
Just like the drag paradiddle no. 1 with one
Paradiddle
more drag before the paradiddle.
No.2
This rudiment is very similar to the lesson 25.
However, rather than a diddle followed by
Single two 16ths and a 8th, we have a diddle
Ratamacue followed by three 16th note triplets and a 8th.
Start out practicing without the diddle. When
comfortable, add the diddle.
Just like the single ratamacue, with an extra
Double
drag of the same hand before the 16th note
Ratamacue
triplet.

Just like the double ratamacue, with yet

Triple
another drag of the same hand before the 16th
Ratamacue
note triplet.