The Rudiments are a subset of the Basic Strokes.
The Basic Strokes are a subset of the Positions.
Positions: Rest, Up, Down, Tap
Basic Stroke Types: Full, Up, Down, Tap, Buzz
Full Stroke: Rest->Up->Tap->Rest
Up Stroke: Rest->Tap->Up->Rest
Down Stroke: Rest->Up->Tap->Rest
Tap Stroke: Rest->Tap->Rest
Buzz Stroke: Rest->Up->Tap(n)->Rest
(n) denotes the number of times the stick makes contact with the head within one
stroke...
The Flam Rudiments
The Flam
Full stroke + Tap Stroke
The Flam Accent
Right Down Stroke + Left Tap, Left Up Stroke, Right Tap, Left
Down Stroke + Right Tap, Right Up Stroke, Left Tap... etc
The Flam Tap
Right Down stroke + Left Up Stroke, Right Tap, Left Down Stroke +
Right Tap, Left Tap... ect...
The Flam-a-cue
Right tap + Left Up Stroke, Left Down Stroke, Right Up Stroke,
Left Tap, Right Down Stroke + Left tap...
The Flam Paradiddle
Right Down Stroke + Left Tap, Left Up Stroke, Right Tap,
Right Tap, Left Down Stroke + Right Tap, Left Tap, Right Up Stroke, Left Tap, Left
Tap
The Pata-Fla-Fla
Right Down Stroke + Left Tap Stroke, Left Up Stroke, Right Tap
Stroke, Left Down Stroke + Right Tap Stroke
The Flammed Mill
Right Down Stroke + Left Tap Stroke, Right Tap Stroke, Left
Up Stroke, Right Tap Stroke, Left Down Stroke + Right Tap Stroke, Left Tap
Stroke, Right Up Stroke, Left Tap Stroke
The Flam Paradiddle
Diddle Right Down Stroke + Left Tap Stroke, Left Tap
Stroke, Right Tap Stroke, Right Up Stroke, Left Tap Stroke, Left Tap Stroke
(Single Hand Variation)
The Swiss Army Triplet
Right Down Stroke + Right Tap Stroke, Right Up Stroke,
Left Tap Stroke
Inverted Flam Tap
Right Down Stroke + Left Tap Stroke, Right tap Stroke, Left
Down Stroke + Right Tap Stroke, Left Tap Stroke
The Flam Drag
Right Down Stroke + Left Tap Stroke, Left Tap Stroke, Right Tap
Stroke, Left Down Stroke + Right Tap Stroke, Right Tap Stroke, Left Tap Stroke
Drag Rudiments
The Drag is a rudiment that is very similar to that flam in that the preceding
double stroke is played almost simultaneously with the accented stroke.
Sequential drags forces the drummer to develop touch with the low double stroke
while placing the accent directly afterwards.
Stroke Break Down:
(Left Tap Stroke + Left Tap Stroke) + Right Down Stroke
Then Alternate Hands
The Single Drag Tap is a rudiment that builds off of the drag by adding an accented note after the
third tap which would have been the original accented note in the drag. At high speeds, this
rudiment can sound like a flam drag without the flam.
Stroke Break Down:
(Left Tap + Left Tap) + Right Down Stroke, (Left Tap + Left Tap) + Right Down
Stroke, Left Down Stroke
Then Alternate Hands
The Double Drag Tap is a rudiment that builds off of the single drag tap by adding
another drag sequence before the drag of a single drag tap. The drummer executes this rudiment
by having consistent drags while placing the accent and by switching lead hands once the
accented note is played.
Stroke Break Down:
(Left Tap + Left Tap) + Right Down Stroke, (Left Tap + Left Tap) + Right Down
Stroke, (Left Tap + Left Tap) + Right Down Stroke
Lesson 25 is a rudiment found in many rudimental drumming solos and cadences. The drummer
is able to perform one of the basic sixteenth note variations while performing a drag initially and
an accented note finally.
Stroke Break Down:
(Left Tap + Left Tap) + Right Down Stroke, Left Down Stroke, (Right Tap + Right
Tap) + Left Down Stroke, Right Down Stroke
The Single Drag-a-diddle is a rudiment that combines the paradiddle with an
accented double stroke, or diddle, on the first partial of a four note sequence.
Like the paradiddle, the drummer must perform the rudiment with differentiations
between the accented and tap strokes with the added difficulty of the double
stroke on the accented note.
Stroke Break Down:
Right Double Stroke, Left Up Stroke, Right Tap, Right Tap
(Invert for Left Hand Lead)
The Drag Paradiddle #1 is a rudiment that combines the drag rudiment with the
paradiddle rudiment. This rudiment is unique in that it requires the drummer to
perform two versions of the double stroke, or diddle. The first is played after the
initial accented note (a condensed version much like a flam) while the second is
played in the sequence of a paradiddle (a version equal to the sixteenth note
timing of the rudiment).
Stroke Break Down:
Right Down Stroke, (Left Tap + Left Tap) + Right Down Stroke, Left Up Stroke,
Right Tap Stroke, Right Tap Stroke
(Invert for Left Hand Lead)
The Drag Paradiddle #2 is a rudiment that build off of the drag paradiddle #1 by
adding an accented note and drag to the original structure of the drag paradiddle
#1. This rudiment highlights the drummer’s need to produce consistent drags vs
accents while maintaining the timing of the underlying sixteenth notes.
Stroke Break Down:
Right Down Stroke, (Left Tap + Left Tap) + Right Down Stroke, Right Down
Stroke, (Left Tap + Left Tap) + Right Down Stroke, Left Up Stroke, Right Tap,
Right Tap
(Invert for Left Hand Lead)
The Single Ratamacue is a rudiment that combines the drag with the four stroke
single. This rudiment’s complexity derives from the softness and placement of the
drag into the consistency of the four stroke single into an accented note on the
last partial of the four stroke single rudiment.
Stroke Break Down:
(Left Tap + Left Tap) +Right Tap, Left Up Stroke, Right Tap, Left Down Stroke
(Invert for Left Hand Lead)
The Double Ratamacue is a rudiment that builds off of the single ratamacue by
adding a drag to the single ratamacue.
Stroke Break Down:
(Left Tap + Left Tap) +Right Tap, (Left Tap + Left Tap) +Right Tap, Left Up Stroke,
Right Tap, Left Down Stroke
(Invert for Left Hand Lead)
The Triple Ratamacue is a rudiment that builds off of the double ratamacue by
adding a drag to the double ratamacue, making it a triple ratamacue.
Stroke Break Down:
(Left Tap + Left Tap) +Right Tap, (Left Tap + Left Tap) +Right Tap, (Left Tap + Left
Tap) +Right Tap, Left Up Stroke, Right Tap, Left Down Stroke
(Invert for Left Hand Lead)
Diddle Rudiments
The Paradiddle is a rudiment that alternates lead hands every four notes. The
drummer must be able to “switch” in-between hand leads, which are accented,
while maintaining the inner beats that follow the accents.
Stroke Break Down:
Right Down Stroke, Left Up Stroke, Right Tap, Right Tap
(Invert for Left Hand Lead)
The Double Paradiddle is a rudiment that builds off of the paradiddle by adding
an accent and tap before the actual paradiddle structure. This allows for the
drummer to practice the sequencing of accents and taps while switching lead
hands.
Stroke Break Down:
Right Down Stroke, Left Tap, Right Tap, Left Up Stroke, Right Tap, Right Tap
(Invert for Left Hand Lead)
The Triple Paradiddle is a rudiment that adds another accent and tap before the
double paradiddle sequence.
Stroke Break Down:
Right Down Stroke, Left Tap, Right Tap, Left Tap, Right Tap, Left Up Stroke, Right
Tap, Right Tap
44
(Invert for Left Hand Lead)
The Single Paradiddle Diddle is a rudiment with multiple applications. The
variations of accents can be applied to this rudiment to create different stroke
sequences. This rudiment, when broken down to the right hand lead pattern, is
the ride cymbal pattern in jazz drumming. When played at higher speeds, this
rudiment can sound like an accented roll pattern.
Stroke Break Down:
Right Down Stroke, Left tap Stroke, Right Tap, Right Up Stroke, Left Tap, Left
Tap
(invert for LH Lead)
Rolls
Triple Stroke, Double Stroke, and Single Stroke rolls are some of the most
fundamental exercises in rudimental drumming aside from the basic strokes.