Warm-up: Spend 4 minutes playing paradiddle variations (double, triple, paradiddle-diddle, etc.). Check out “Trembling Hands” by Explosions in the Sky for a play-along track.
Skill work: Spend 10 minutes practicing flam accents and flam paradiddles. Begin at 88 bpm and play intentional grace notes. As you increase the tempo, combine wrist and finger motions to achieve healthy-sounding taps. Work towards 144 bpm.
Challenge: Can you add a buzz on the 2nd partial of each rudiment? Also experiment with adding a diddle on the 2nd partial. Have some fun with (buzz) cheeses, (buzz) flam fives, and combinations (as in Baconators).
Post tempos and variations to comments.
Hey Chris,
This website is great! I’ve always loved drumming as a hobby and this website is helping me get better every day. I really enjoy this approach to learning. You’ve done great things with the UVA drumline. I look forward to future posts. Thanks!
Thanks Mike! Trying out for the drumline next fall?
I’ve thought about it and I’m sure it would be a great experience, but I think I can provide more to the CMB in the saxophone section. I’m applying for leadership this year. I love listening to you guys on the field though and following drumline stuff for fun!
This is a killer exercise! Really forces you to control those grace notes. My favorite variation that I came up with was diddle on the first partial of the rudiment with the accent on the second.