Free Drum Lessons

The thirteen stroke roll is a less common rudiment that is based around double strokes. As with the five stroke roll, seven stroke roll, nine stroke roll, and eleven stroke roll - this rudiment uses one single stroke to end the odd-number group. It's best incorporated into drum fills and drum solo patterns.

The eleven stroke roll is based almost entirely on double strokes, except that it ends with a single to complete the odd-note group. This drum rudiment's structure is very similar to the five stroke roll, seven stroke roll, and nine stroke roll. If you've already practiced those patterns, this will be very straight forward.

The ten stroke roll is a drum rudiment that is quite similar to the six stroke roll. Both rudiments combine alternating singles and doubles. The key difference between the two is the number of times that the double strokes are to be alternated. Watch the video lesson to see exactly how this drum rudiment is played.

The nine stroke roll is very similar to the five stroke roll and seven stroke roll. Like these other two rudiments, the nine stroke roll combines a series of double strokes with one single stroke to create an odd-numbered string of notes. This combination is less popular than the other two rudiments, but it's still a great addition to your drumming arsenal.

The seven stroke roll is a straight forward drum rudiment that uses both single and double strokes. It starts out with three alternating double strokes, and ends with a single stroke. Due to the simplicity of this drum pattern, it is usable in a wide range of playing situations.

The six stroke roll is a fun rudiment that is a hybrid of the single and double stroke rolls. It starts with two double strokes, then ads two single strokes at half the tempo, and then repeats with the alternate hand leading into the entire pattern. The change from doubles to singles really breaks things up and makes the pattern great for fills around the toms.

The five stroke roll is a powerful rudiment based off the double stroke roll. Unlike the single, double, and triple stroke rolls may suggest - this rudiment does not have alternating groups of five strokes per hand. Instead, it is made up of two double strokes, and a single. You first play it with right hand lead, and then repeat the pattern with left hand lead (or reverse if you are left-handed).

The triple stroke roll is a powerful drum rudiment for playing a wide variety of musical styles. It is somewhat similar to the double stroke roll, but uses groups of three notes per hand instead of just two. This makes it more popular within Jazz, Latin, and other styles of music that are "triplet" based.

The double stroke roll is an extremely popular rudiment that should be practiced to perfection by anyone serious about playing the drums. Not only is it popular for use within beats and fills, but it is also the foundation for many other important drum rudiments.

The multiple bounce roll is a popular drum rudiment that can be used in a wide variety of ways. It's probably best known for use within a marching band setting, but has been incorporated into modern drumming in a wide variety of ways. You can use it within creative drum beats, drum fills, and even solos.

The single stroke seven is less common than most rudiments, but it is still an excellent pattern to incorporate into your drumming. It is similar to the single stroke roll, but is played in groups of seven strokes (as the name suggests).

The single stroke four is a simple rudiment based on the single stroke roll pattern. The primary difference is that instead of continous singles, the single stroke four is played as groups of four notes. It's great for use within drum fills, hand-to-feet combinations, and simple solo patterns.

The single stroke roll is the most common drum rudiment used on the drum set. It's often played in beats, fills, and drum solos. It doesn't matter if you are new to the drums, or if you have been playing for years, the single stroke roll is absolutely essential.

Do you want to learn the Drum Rudiments? This section of FreeDrumLessons.com has detailed lessons that walk you through each rudiment individually. They start by breaking down the basic pattern on the snare drum, and then follow-up with demonstrations within the context of drum beats and fills. This way you can see how the rudiments can be used around the entire drum set! As you will see, the 40 drum rudiments are essentially the building blocks for every drum beat, fill, or pattern that you could ever play. Just as letters and words make up all the sentences on this page, the drum rudiments make up all the patterns you play at on the drum set. Now, you might not use all the rudiments. In fact, it is rather unlikely that you have used each and every one within your everyday drumming. However, if you practice and fine-tune your ability to play all 40 of the rudiments, you will unlock new and creative ways to express yourself on the drums!

This free drum lesson with Lionel Duperron shows you how you can achieve more hand speed on the drums. Use the burn exercise to increase your overall speed around the drum kit and also increase your endurance while playing the drums. Make sure you are warmed up before you attempt this exercise as it could potentially hurt your wrists and forearms.