There seems to be a lot of controversy today concerning the usefulness and importance of drum rudiments. This column is not an attempt to justify all of the 26 American Drum Rudiments but, rather, to demonstrate how we can take one of these rudiments, and apply it to the drumset in a creative and useful way. The rudiment that we will explore is one of the most basic, but when played on the drumset, this rudiment can be developed into a contemporary-sounding funk groove. The rudiment we will look at is the single paradiddle. In this first example, the paradiddle is played on a closed hi-hat. All of the following ideas work best in a medium tempo (quarter note = 92-120). However, you can start at a slower tempo until you are comfortable with these grooves. Concentrate on making these exercises have a good ”feel,” and be sure to play […]

March 1986 Issue