Rudiments act as the building blocks of drumming. They’re patterns that you play with your hands, alternating between right and left to create varying rhythms. They’re incredibly important for drummers to learn as they help to build good technique and rhythmic ability.
While there are dozens of rudiments to learn about, most drummers only specialize in and master a few of them. However, it’s beneficial to learn them all so that you’re equipped to play as much as you can on the drum kit. Rudiments are also a lot more utilized in snare drumming than they are in drum kit playing.
There are 40 official rudiments in total. These are all set patterns that drummers can learn to improve their skills. You’ll find as you read on that some of them are a lot more popular than others. It’s quite common for drummers to be unaware of a few, but it’s interesting to learn them all.
It’s also suggested that you learn them all, especially if you want to be able to be as creative as possible on the drum set. However, focusing on a few of them and getting good at playing them is a great way to improve faster on the set.
The following rudiments are all taken from an incredibly famous poster that Vic Firth released several years ago. It lists all the rudiments with the notation on how to play them.
Single strokes have you alternating your hands back and forth in a steady manner.
These have you playing single triplets, ending on the fourth note.
Six single stroke triplets, ending on the seventh note.
Buzzing your sticks on the pad or drum continuously.
Playing two consecutive notes with each hand and repeating. This is one of the most famous rudiments.
Playing three consecutive notes with each hand in triplets.
A double stroke roll followed by a single note with the hand that you started on.
A double stroke roll wedged between two single notes from each hand.
Double stroke roll and ending on the opposite hand to what you started with.
Double stroke roll and ending on the hand that you started with after eighth notes.
Doubles and singles played together in triplets.
One extra note added to the previous rudiment.
Six doubles followed by a single stroke hit.
Seven doubles followed by a single stroke hit.
Eight doubles followed by a single stroke hit.
A single stroke followed by a double stroke. This is the most popular rudiment that everyone knows about.
Two singles and then a double, alternating the leading hand on the next round.
Three singles and then a double, alternating the leading hand on the next round.
One single and then two doubles. This one repeats with the same sticking, so you need to practice it while leading with both hands.
One small strike before a loud one. Both strikes create one note.
Single stroke triplets with flams at the start of each grouping.
Double strokes with flams at the beginning of each hand change.
Single stroke with flams at the beginning and end of a 5-note pattern.
Reversed paradiddle with flams at the beginning of each note grouping.
Paradiddle-diddle with flams at the beginning of each note grouping.
It sounds just like how you say it.
Flams and triplets together.
Inverted double stroke with flams.
A drag played straight after a flam.
Two soft strikes followed by a loud one. All three strikes count as one note in their value.
A single stroke with drags before every alternating hand. This one can be played as triplets very easily as well.
Two drags with the same sticking followed by alternating hands. The sticking reverse the next round it’s played.
A single paradiddle with drags at the beginning of each grouping.
A single note before the drag, with a single paradiddle after the drag. This is one variation of the rudiment.
A single note before two drags and then a paradiddle. This is the other variation of the rudiment, which is a bit harder to play.
A drag followed by a single stroke four. You alternate the sticking after every grouping.
Two drags followed by a single stroke four. You alternate the sticking after every grouping.
Three drags followed by a single stroke four. You alternate the sticking after every grouping.
Two fast single stroke strikes followed by two slower ones. This one isn’t an official rudiment, but it’s played so often that modern drummers have started referring to it as one.
The best way to practice rudiments is with a practice pad and metronome. Playing them only on a pad is good for isolating your hands and letting you focus on the exact wrist and finger techniques needed.
Turn the metronome on and repetitively play the rudiments in every measure. Make sure to practice them leading with both your right and left hands. If you only work on them while leading with your right, your left hand will become a weak point.
Once you’re comfortable with playing a specific rudiment, it works really well to combine a few. For example, you could play one measure of a double stroke roll, followed by one measure of a single stroke roll. Repeating that over and over will solidify your ability to switch between using your wrists and fingers to play notes.
When you apply patterns to the drum kit, it’s referred to as orchestration. The best way to play rudiments on the drums is to play the patterns around the kit. An easy rudiment to start off with is the single stroke roll. You just need to alternate your hands while playing around the whole kit. You can play on the toms and the cymbals.
Another great way to play rudiments on the drums is to substitute certain notes with a bass drum. This adds a bit of depth, and it brings your foot into the equation. While you can play certain rudiments within grooves, it’s a lot easier to play them as drum fills.
However, playing them as grooves is a good way of challenging yourself. You’d need to play some sort of rudiment between the snare, bass drum, and hi-hats. You’d also need to emphasize a backbeat to make it feel like a groove. An easy one to start with is a single paradiddle. When you land on the left-hand leading group, that’s where your backbeat will be.
Rudiments help you develop a solid stick technique. Some rudiments require you to use your fingers a lot, while others make you use your wrists. Combining both is a great way of working on your hand stamina.
Rudiments also give you ideas to play on the drums. If you’re getting bored of playing single stroke rolls as drum fills, you can try applying another rudiment on the kit to come up with some new spicy concepts.
Another thing rudiments help develop is discipline. They’re rooted in snare drumming, which is a highly disciplined art form. Learning and practicing rudiments will keep you accountable to a practice structure that is beneficial for your drumming.
Every drummer should learn how to play rudiments. It’s important to realize how beneficial they are. Once you know that, you’ll be excited to practice them whenever you can. Work on playing them on a pad and the kit, and you’ll be good to go.
While there are 40 official rudiments to know, no one will blame you if you don’t learn them all by memory. Rather, choose a few of your favorite ones and solidify them. However, make sure to choose ones that cover all the bases.
It’s commonly agreed that the most important rudiments are single stroke rolls, double stroke rolls, paradiddles, flams, and drags. Most of the other rudiments build onto those, so make sure to nail them first.
The better you are at playing rudiments, the better you’ll be at drumming overall. So, be sure to stick with them!
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