Introduction To The Drum Rudiments

Name: Introduction To The Drum Rudiments
Rating: 3.9 (4 reviews)

For beginning drummers who are interested in learning the fundamental building blocks of percussion playing.

Created byEric Ching

Last updated 5/2025

English

What you'll learn

What the rudiments are and what they're used for
Single Stroke Roll
Paradiddle
Flam
Press Roll/Buzz Roll
Ruffs/Drags
Double Stroke Roll
5 Stroke Roll
Flam Tap

Course content

1 section • 10 lectures • 30m total length

Introduction0:24
This introduction presents the drum rudiments as the starting point of the course. It outlines the scope of the drum rudiments and how they will be explored.
Single Stroke Roll2:59
Practice the single stroke roll with even stick height and centered aim on the drum to produce a pure sound, then lock in 16th-note subdivisions with metronome 80 to 120.
Paradiddle4:11
Learn paradiddle rudiments through controlled stick heights, unaccented and accented patterns, and tempo progression from 80 to 120 bpm using a metronome to ensure evenness and clear accents.
Flam3:32
Learn to play the flam, a grace note followed by a regular note, to add duration by adjusting space and height, then alternate with mirrored stick heights at metronome tempos.
Press Roll4:23
practice the press roll and buzz roll by dropping the stick and letting it bounce from the fulcrum, then add wrist pressure, alternate hands, and pace toward an open roll.
Ruffs/Drags2:46
Learn to execute ruffs and drags with two grace notes before the main note, using rebound and wrist motion to produce two notes from one bounce.
Double Stroke Roll7:05
Master the double stroke roll, a drum rudiment, to add density and the illusion of speed with minimal effort, keeping the second stroke at the same height as the first.
5 Stroke Roll2:42
Master the five stroke roll by doubling 16th notes to 32nd notes, practicing with and without accents, then apply rebound and tempo variations using a metronome at 80 and 100.
Flam Tap2:10
Master the flam tap, an accented flam followed by a regular note; practice without the accent first, then with it, using a metronome at 80 to 100 for eighth notes.
Bonus Content0:04

Requirements

Quarter Notes, Eighth Notes, and Sixteenth Notes

Description

Welcome to Introduction To The Drum Rudiments! We will be covering 8 of the first rudiments including the Single Stroke Roll, Paradiddle, Flam, Press Roll, Ruff, Double Stroke Roll, 5 Stroke Roll, and Flam Tap.

Every lecture goes over 1 rudiment starting with what the sticking for it is and whether it has any grace notes or accents.

Then, we go over what it's used for. For example, a flams, ruffs, and buzzes are used to add different amounts of duration and texture to a note because otherwise everything that you play on percussion would be short.

After that, we do any exercises that are useful for dialing in that rudiment which may be like playing it from open to closed (going from a wide amount of space to a small amount of space), dropping the stick, or playing it in another iteration that helps you play it more evenly.

For every rudiment, you'll begin by playing the notes in the correct order, but with no rhythm. Allow yourself as much time as you need to get to the next note as long as it's in the right order. Then, you'll gradually add rhythm and begin to play it slowly. After that, you'll try them at the written tempos. If you ever have trouble playing something or begin to flail at a rhythm, stop and play it slower or go back to playing the notes in the correct order out of time.

Lastly, I cover any sort of pitfalls that you may run into when learning them. The most important things are keeping an even stick height throughout, matching the right and left hands, and aiming at the center of the drum. That way, you get as pure and even of a sound as possible.

Similar to scales, the rudiments don't particularly sound like much by themselves, but their value will become clear when you have to use them in the future. Most of the things that you play on the drums will be comprised of one rudiment or several rudiments combined and it opens up a whole realm of possibilities.

If you have any questions, please feel free to send me a message at any time!

Who this course is for:

Beginning drummers who are interested in snare drum and mastering the rudiments