Rudiment - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

In percussion music, a rudiment is one of the basic patterns used in rudimental drumming. These patterns of drum stroke

Drum stroke

In music, a drum stroke is a note performed on percussion instruments known as a drum. There are four basic strokes.The Full Stroke begins with the tip of the drumstick held 8-12" above the striking surface...

s can be combined in many ways to create music.

History

The origin of snare rudiments can be traced back to Swiss mercenaries

Swiss mercenaries

Swiss mercenaries were notable for their service in foreign armies, especially the armies of the Kings of France, throughout the Early Modern period of European history, from the Later Middle Ages into the Age of the European Enlightenment...

armed with long polearms. The use of pikes

Pike (weapon)

A pike is a pole weapon, a very long thrusting spear used extensively by infantry both for attacks on enemy foot soldiers and as a counter-measure against cavalry assaults. Unlike many similar weapons, the pike is not intended to be thrown. Pikes were used regularly in European warfare from the...

in close formation required a great deal of coordination. The sound of the tabor

Tabor (instrument)

Tabor, or tabret, refers to a portable snare drum played with one hand. The word "tabor" is simply an English variant of a Latin-derived word meaning "drum" - cf. tambour , tamburo...

was used to set the tempo and communicate commands with distinct drumming patterns. These drumming patterns became the basis of the snare drum rudiments.

The first written rudiment goes back to the year 1612 in Basel, Switzerland. The cradle of rudimental drumming is said to be France, where professional drummers became part of the King's honour guard in the 17th and 18th centuries. The craft was perfected during the reign of Napoleon I

Napoleon I

Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...

. Le Rigodon is one of the cornerstones of modern rudimental drumming.

There have been many attempts to formalize a standard list of snare drum

Snare drum

The snare drum or side drum is a melodic percussion instrument with strands of snares made of curled metal wire, metal cable, plastic cable, or gut cords stretched across the drumhead, typically the bottom. Pipe and tabor and some military snare drums often have a second set of snares on the bottom...

rudiments. The National Association of Rudimental Drummers, an organization established to promote rudimental drumming, put forward a list of 13 essential rudiments, and later a second set of 13 to form the original 26. The Percussive Arts Society

Percussive Arts Society

The Percussive Arts Society is an international music service organization promoting percussion education, research,performance and appreciation.Established in 1961 as a non-profit, music service organization,...

reorganized the first 26 and added another 14 to form the current 40 International Drum Rudiments. Currently, the International Association of Traditional Drummers is working to once again promote the original 26 rudiments.

Today there are four main Rudimental Drumming cultures: Swiss Basler Trommeln, Scottish Pipe Drumming, American Ancient Drumming, and American Modern Drumming.

Terminology

single stroke: A stroke performs a single percussive note. There are four basic single strokes
Drum stroke
In music, a drum stroke is a note performed on percussion instruments known as a drum. There are four basic strokes.The Full Stroke begins with the tip of the drumstick held 8-12" above the striking surface...

.
double stroke: A double stroke consists of two single strokes played by the same hand (either RR or LL).
diddle: A diddle is a double stroke played at the current prevailing speed of the piece. For example, if a sixteenth-note passage is being played then any diddles in that passage would consist of sixteenth notes.
paradiddle: A paradiddle consists of two single strokes followed by a double stroke, i.e., RLRR or LRLL. When multiple paradiddles are played in succession, the first note always alternates between right and left. Paradiddles are often used to switch hands.
drag: A drag is a double stroke played at twice the speed of their context in which they are placed. For example, if a sixteenth-note passage is being played then any drags in that passage would consist of thirty-second notes. Drags can also be played as grace note
Grace note
A grace note is a kind of music notation used to denote several kinds of musical ornaments. When occurring by itself, a single grace note normally indicates the intention of either an appoggiatura or an acciaccatura...

s. When played as grace notes on timpani
Timpani
Timpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...

, the drag becomes three single (alternating) strokes (rlR or lrL).
flam: A flam consists of two single strokes played by alternating hands (RL or LR). The first stroke is a quieter grace note followed by a louder primary stroke on the opposite hand. The two notes are played almost simultaneously, and are intended to sound like a single, broader note. The temporal distance between the grace note and the primary note can vary depending on the style and context of the piece being played.
roll: Drum roll
Drum roll
A drum roll is a technique the percussionist employs to produce a sustained sound on a percussion instrument. Rolls are used by composers to sustain the sound and create other effects, the most common of which is using a roll to build anticipation.- Snare drum roll :The most common snare drum roll...

s are various techniques employed to produce a sustained, continuous sound.

Single stroke rudiments

The single-stroke roll consists of alternating sticking (i.e., RLRL, etc.) of indeterminate speed and length.

No.	Name	Description
1.	Single Stroke Roll	Evenly-spaced notes played with alternating sticking. Though usually played fast, even half note Half note In music, a half note or minim is a note played for half the duration of a whole note and twice the duration of a quarter note... s with alternating sticking would be considered a single stroke roll.
2.	Single Stroke Four	Four notes played with alternating sticking, usually as a triplet followed by an eighth note. (as in the picture) or as three grace notes before a downbeat (like a ruff).
3.	Single Stroke Seven	Seven notes played with alternating sticking, usually as sextuplet followed by a quarter note.

Multiple bounce roll rudiments

No.	Name	Notation	Description
4.	Multiple Bounce Roll		Alternating handed strokes with no specific number of bounces. Should sound even and continuous. Also called "buzz roll" or "press roll" (most often when referred to in the context of drum-set playing).
5.	Triple Stroke Roll		Alternating handed strokes with three specific strokes. Each stroke can be bounced or wristed. Also called a "French roll."

Double stroke open roll rudiments

There are 10 official variants of the double-stroke roll.

No.	Name	Description
6.	Double Stroke Open Roll (Long Roll)	Like the single-stroke roll, usually played fast, but even when played slowly, alternating diddles are considered a double stroke roll. Played so each individual note can be heard distinctly.
7.	Five Stroke Roll	Two diddles followed by an accented note.
8.	Six Stroke Roll	Unlike most other double stroke rudiments, the six stroke roll begins with an accented single note. Then it is followed by two diddles and another accented note.
9.	Seven Stroke Roll	Three diddles followed by an accented note. Usually a sextuplet followed by a quarter note.
10.	Nine Stroke Roll	Four diddles followed by an accented note.
11.	Ten Stroke Roll	Four diddles followed by two accented notes.
12.	Eleven Stroke Roll	Five diddles followed by an accented note.
13.	Thirteen Stroke Roll	Six diddles followed by an accented note.
14.	Fifteen Stroke Roll	Seven diddles followed by an accented note.
15.	Seventeen Stroke Roll	Eight diddles followed by an accented note.

Diddle rudiments

No.	Name	Description
16.	Single Paradiddle	Two alternating notes followed by a diddle.
17.	Double Paradiddle	Four alternating notes followed by a diddle.
18.	Triple Paradiddle	Six alternating notes followed by a diddle.
19.	Paradiddle-Diddle	Two alternating taps followed by two alternating diddles.

Flam rudiments

No.	Name	Description
20.	Flam	Two taps (a grace note followed by a full volume tap) played very close together in order to sound like one slightly longer note. In the Hudson Music DVD "Great Hands For a Lifetime", drummer and educator Tommy Igoe describes flams as "the easiest rudiment to play wrong" and goes on to say "...think of the syllable 'lam'. It's one syllable. 'Flam' is still only one syllable, but it's slightly longer." This is a good way for a beginner to conceptualize a "correct" flam.
21.	Flam Accent	Alternating groups of three notes of the form [Flam - tap - tap].
22.	Flam Tap	Alternating diddles with flams on the first note of each diddle.
23.	Flamacue	A group of four notes and an ending downbeat, where the first note and the down beat are flammed, and the second note is accented.
24.	Flam Paradiddle	A paradiddle with a flam on the first note. Also known as a flamadiddle.
25.	Single Flammed Mill	An inverted paradiddle (`RRLR`, `LLRL`) with a flam on the first note of each diddle.
26.	Flam Paradiddle-diddle	Alternating paradiddle-diddles with flams on the first note of each.
27.	Pataflafla	A four-note pattern with flams on the first and last notes.
28.	Swiss Army Triplet	A right hand flam followed by a right tap and a left tap, or (using a left hand lead) a left hand flam followed by a left tap and a right tap. It is often used in the place of a flam accent, since repeated flam accents will have three taps on the same hand in a row, where repeated swiss army triplets only involve two taps on the same hand.
29.	Inverted Flam Tap	Alternating diddles (offset by one sixteenth note) with a flam on the second note of each diddle. Also known as a tap flam.
30.	Flam Drag	Alternating groups of three notes of the form [flam - drag - tap].

Drag rudiments

No.	Name	Description
31.	Drag (Half Drag or Ruff)	Two diddled grace notes before a tap, which is usually accented.
32.	Single Drag Tap (Single Drag)	A single drag tap is two alternating notes where the first note has drag grace notes and the second is accented.
33.	Double Drag Tap (Double Drag)	A double drag tap is a single drag tap with another grace note drag before it.
34.	Lesson 25 (Two and Three)	A lesson 25 is three alternating notes where the first note has drag grace notes and the third is accented.
35.	Single Dragadiddle	A single dragadiddle is a paradiddle where the first note is a drag.
36.	Drag Paradiddle #1	The first drag paradiddle is an accented note followed by a paradiddle with drag grace notes on the first note.
37.	Drag Paradiddle #2	The second drag paradiddle is two accented notes followed by a paradiddle, with drag grace notes on the second accented note and the first note of the paradiddle.
38.	Single Ratamacue	A single ratamacue consists of four notes where the first note has drag grace notes and the fourth is accented.
39.	Double Ratamacue	A double ratamacue consists of a single ratamacue with a drag before it.
40.	Triple Ratamacue	A triple ratamacue consists of a single ratamacue with two drags before it.

Thirteen "essential" rudiments

The Double Stroke Roll
Drum roll
A drum roll is a technique the percussionist employs to produce a sustained sound on a percussion instrument. Rolls are used by composers to sustain the sound and create other effects, the most common of which is using a roll to build anticipation.- Snare drum roll :The most common snare drum roll...
The Five Stroke Roll
The Seven Stroke Roll
The Flam
The Flam Accent
The Flam Paradiddle
The Flamacue
The Ruff
The Single Drag
The Double Drag
The Double Paradiddle
The Single Ratamacue
The Triple Ratamacue

Second thirteen rudiments

The Single Stroke Roll
The Nine Stroke Roll
The Ten Stroke Roll
The Eleven Stroke Roll
The Thirteen Stroke Roll
The Fifteen Stroke Roll
The Flam Tap
The Single Paradiddle
The Drag Paradiddle #1
The Drag Paradiddle #2
The Flam Paradiddle-diddle
The Lesson 25
The Double Ratamacue

Last fourteen rudiments

More recently, the Percussive Arts Society added 14 more rudiments to extend the list to the current 40 International Drum Rudiments. Note that the ordering was completely changed during this last re-organization, so these numbers won't match those above.

The Single Stroke Four
The Single Stroke Seven
The Multiple Bounce Roll
The Triple Stroke Roll
The Six Stroke Roll
The Seventeen Stroke Roll
The Triple Paradiddle
The Single Paradiddle-Diddle
The Single Flammed Mill
The Pataflafla
The Swiss Army Triplet
The Inverted Flam Tap
The Flam Drag
The Single Dragadiddle

Notable contributors

John S. Pratt: author, composer, arranger, Former U.S. Military Academy instructor, Founder of the International Association of Traditional Drummers (IATD)
Charley Wilcoxon: instructor, author, and teacher
Dante Agostini, French instructor, author and teacher
Dr. Fritz R. Berger, inventor of the Berger-Notation, Basel Switzerland
J. Burns Moore: instructor, author, and teacher
George Lawrence Stone: instructor, author, and teacher
Earl Sturtze: instructor, author, and teacher; Lancraft Fife and Drum Corps
Lancraft Fife and Drum Corps
Lancraft Fife and Drum Corps is an Ancient Fife and Drum Corps based in North Haven, Connecticut and is a member of the Connecticut Fifers and Drummers Association. Lancraft was founded in 1888, by conservative Freemasons, but over the years has become the pride of Irish Americans...
Les Parks: instructor and arranger, Sons of Liberty Fife and Drum Corps, Hawthorne Cabaleros, Garfield Cadets
Fred Sanford: instructor and arranger, Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps
Ralph Hardimon
Ralph Hardimon
Ralph Hardimon is a percussionist, teacher, composer, and clinician. He is best known for his work in the areas of marching percussion, rudimental drumming, drum & bugle corps, and marching band...

: instructor and arranger, Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps
Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps
Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps is a World Class drum and bugle corps based in Santa Clara, California and founded in 1967, and is a member corps of Drum Corps International...
Tom Float: instructor and arranger, Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps
Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps
The Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps is a World Class drum and bugle corps based in Concord, California and founded in 1957 as a Drum and Bell corps, and is a member corps of Drum Corps International...
Marty Hurley
Marty Hurley
Marty Hurley was an American percussionist, teacher, composer, and clinician. He is best known for his work in the areas of marching percussion, rudimental drumming, drum & bugle corps, and marching band.-Instruction:...

: instructor and arranger, Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps
Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps
The Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps, founded in 1956, is a World Class drum and bugle corps based in Rockford, Illinois, and is a member corps of Drum Corps International...

during the 1970s and early '80s
Paul Rennick: instructor and arranger, Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps: 2003-2010, Santa Clara Vanguard 2011
Scott Johnson
Scott Johnson (percussionist)
Scott Johnson is the current head drum instructor for the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps. When he was about four years old, he began to taking lessons from a drum instructor living in his area...

: instructor and arranger, Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps
James Campbell: instructor and arranger, The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps
Bret Kuhn: instructor and arranger, The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps
The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps
The Cavaliers are a World Class drum and bugle corps based in Rosemont, Illinois and founded in 1948 by Donald Warren, and are a member corps of Drum Corps International, marching music's major league. The Cavaliers are currently under the direction of Adolph DeGrauwe...
Dennis DeLucia: instructor and arranger, Bridgemen Drum and Bugle Corps
Thom Hannum: instructor and arranger, Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps
Charley Poole, Jr. instructor and arranger, 27th Lancers Drum and Bugle Corps

Hybrid rudiments

Over the years, many other rudimental patterns have been informally identified and given creative names, although most of these are based upon the original 40. They are commonly known as "hybrid rudiments" or "hybrids," and are especially common in drumlines and drum corps. A few notable examples are the Herta, which is a drag played with alternating sticking, the Cheese, a diddle with a grace note, and the Eggbeater, a five-tuplet with the sticking "rrrll"; indeed, these hybrids have themselves given way to more innovative and arguably more difficult hybrids, "Cheese Invert" (an inverted flam tap with cheeses instead of flams) and the "Diddle-Egg-Five" (a paradiddle-diddle followed by an Eggbeater and two diddles, one on each hand). Hybrid rudiments are becoming increasingly important to a marching percussionist's rudimental vocabulary. Due to the differences in naming and origins of these numerous hybrid rudiments, a growing list of the most common can be found at the Hybrid Rudiment Library.

External links

DrumRudiments.com- All 40 Drum Rudiments with Video examples.
RudimentalDrumming.com

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.