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Drum Rudiments - Foundational Techniques in Drum Set Drumming

Learning drum rudiments will allow you to have a set of musical techniques at the ready, so you can add a different sound no matter what kind of music you are playing.

Rudiment History

The first written rudiments were used in the 1600s by Swiss mercenaries in battle. Their early snare drums were loud and sharp enough to be heard over the general chaos of the noisy battlefield.

The drum beats set the tempo for troop movements, and could send commands based on the pattern of each rudiment. These types of drum patterns were used by Napoleon, and helped him to victory on more than one occasion.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, these rudiments became more standardized. Professional drummers were employed by the french king and used to relay orders in battle. The common use of these drummers was mainly in battle.

Drumming Rudiments Today

Today's rudimentary drumming comes in 3 main forms:

- American drumming
- Swiss Basler Trommeln
- Scottish Pipe Drumming

Within these cultures, you can find the patterns used in modern rudimental drumming.

There are 40 drum rudiments that are recognized internationally, according to the Percussive Arts Society, and the National Association of Rudimental Drummers. These rudiments form the foundation of modern drumming. They consider them to be the alphabet that makes up the language of drumming.

The 40 rudiments are broken up into 6 main groups:

- Double stroke roll or Drum roll rudiments
- Flam rudiments
- Single Stroke roll rudiments, or drumroll rudiments
- Double stroke roll
- Press roll rudiments
- Multiple bounce roll
- Paradiddle or diddle rudiments
- Drag drum rudiments

These rudiments are not played at the same time. Some of these patterns are played more than others, but learning some from all groups will give you the range you need to do effective fills.

When first learning these rudiments, start by practicing on a pad. After you've gotten more comfortable with each one, start playing them on your drum kit. Rudiments aren't just for the snare drum either. Any drum in your kit can be used, including the hi-hat and cymbals.

Once you learn your rudiments, you will be able to come up with new drumming patterns on the fly because you will have learned the basic vocabulary of drumming.

About the Author

Tony Maynard is the editor of All-About-Drum-Sets-Drumming.com. Find more about getting the hang of drum beats at his site.

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