RUDIMENT #7 OF 40 · ROLL RUDIMENTS

Five Stroke Roll

The five stroke roll is two double strokes that release into an accented single note. Here the doubles are written as 32nd notes on a 16th-note pulse, and the roll alternates hands each beat.

Sticking

R R L L R / L L R R L

Capital letters are main notes. Small letters are grace notes played just before the main note.

How to practice it

  1. Play it at a slow tempo with the click, counting out loud.
  2. Listen for evenness: every double should have two equal notes.
  3. Raise the tempo 5 BPM at a time. When it gets messy, drop back 10.
  4. Count the pulse of the doubles: they land on 1 and the e. The release note lands on the &.

Where you will use it

Short press-roll fills in jazz and the rolls in marches are often five stroke rolls.

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