Part 3 · Rudiments · Chapter 26
Rudiments are short sticking patterns that every drummer learns, the way piano players learn scales. They build control, speed and evenness, and nearly every fill and groove you will ever play is made from them.
There are forty standard rudiments. They fall into four families:
| FAMILY | BUILT FROM | EXAMPLES |
|---|---|---|
| Rolls | Single, double or buzzed strokes | Single stroke roll, double stroke roll, five-stroke roll |
| Diddles | A mix of singles and doubles | Paradiddle, double paradiddle, paradiddle-diddle |
| Flams | A soft grace note just before a main note | Flam, flam tap, flam accent, flamacue |
| Drags | Two soft grace notes before a main note | Drag, single drag tap |
The most basic rudiment of all. Right, left, right, left.
The classic way to practice a rudiment: start very slowly, speed up gradually to as fast as you can play it cleanly, then slow back down. This is called “open-close-open”.