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Rudiment Grooves
Rick Considine
Section 2
Single- and Double-Stroke Rolls

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rudiment_grooves 6/17/03 11:02 AM Page 3

SECTION 2

SINGLE- AND DOUBLE-STROKES

Practice each rudiment
on a single drum before
trying to orchestrate it
on the drum set.

Grooves 2 thru 6 will develop your ability to apply the rudiments to the drum set.
You will work on hand/foot independence by substituting hands for feet in parts
of the rudiments. These grooves will help you hear how rudiments fit into drum
set playing.

GROOVE 2. Single-Stroke Roll

RUDIMENT
Single-Stroke Roll

Single-Stroke Roll, Triplets

R L R L

R L R L R L
3

MOVE
In bar 2 of this move, the bass drum substitutes for the hands in completing a
part of the single-stroke roll rudiment. Play this move at a tempo that is comfortable. Then, orchestrate this single-stroke roll on the drum set. For example, play
the bass drum part with the hi-hat foot instead. Or, play the snare part on the
ride cymbal. Whichever instruments you choose, this move will give you practice
going back and forth between playing sixteenth notes and eighth-note triplets.
When going from eighth-note triplets to sextuplets, your hands continue to play
the exact same rhythm; the addition of the bass drum between the snare part
creates sixteenth-note triplets.
R

44
R L R L R L R L R L R L
3

R
6

L
6

R
6

L
6

..

rudiment_grooves 6/17/03 11:02 AM Page 4

GROOVE 3. Double-Stroke Roll

RUDIMENT
Double-Stroke Roll

Double-Stroke Roll, Triplets

R R L L

R R L L R R
3

MOVE 1
This move illustrates a double-stroke roll played as a triplet subdivision. In this
move, youll play a triple structured roll on the snare drum, then orchestrate the
double right hand on the cymbal while playing doubles on the bass drum.
R

44 x x x x x x x ..
3

MOVE 2
The double-stroke roll moves the right hand between different parts of the drum
set. For this and all moves, first play the phrase as written, then orchestrate it on
the drum set.
R R L L R R L L

R R L L R R L L

R LLR

R LLR

>>
>>
>>
>>
j
4

LLR

j
..

MOVE 3
This double-stroke roll moves the right hand between the rim of the floor tom
and the rim of the snare drum. The left hand moves between the hi-hat and the
rim of the snare drum.
R R L L R R L L R R L L R R L L

j
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
44 x . x x x x x x . x x x x x x x x x x x x . x x x x ..

* x noteheads on the floor tom and snare should be played on the rims

R R L L R R L L R R L L R R L L

rudiment_grooves 6/17/03 11:02 AM Page 5

GROOVE 4. Single Paradiddle and Single-Stroke Six

RUDIMENT
Single Paradiddle

L
R

R
L

L
R

Single-Stroke Sextuplets

L
R

R L R L R L

MOVE
The bass drum plays the diddles. Go back and forth between sixteenth notes and
sixteenth-note triplets. Alternate the hands.
R L

L R

R L

L R

R L

L R
6

R L

R L

L R

R L

44 ..
GROOVE 5. Four-Stroke Ruff
RUDIMENT
Four-Stroke Ruff

R L R L
L R L R

>

MOVE
In this four-stroke ruff, the left-hand part is played by the bass drum. The bass
drum changes between quarter notes and eighth notes. The speed at which you
can play the bass drum will determine the tempo.
R L R

R L R

R L R

R L R

R L R

R L R

R L R

R L R

R L R

R L R

R L R

R L R

44 ..