Rudiment 17 of 40 · Diddle rudiments
Double Paradiddle
The double paradiddle is four singles and a double: RLRLRR LRLRLL. Its six-note groups fit naturally in 6/8 or as sextuplets. PAS writes it in sixteenths, where the accent moves across the beat.
- Sticking
- RLRLRR LRLRLL
- Accents
- The first note of each group.
- Family
- Diddle rudiments
- Strokes before it repeats
- 12, alternating lead hands
- Original 26 rudiments
- Yes (1933)
- Starting tempo
- About 60 BPM
Hear it, then play it
Practice version: every note is twice as long as on the PAS chart, so the fastest notes are eighth notes. Same sticking and accents, easier to read and count while you learn it. Sticking under each note: R right hand, L left; small letters are grace notes.
Press Play to watch the sticks
Put it in RockBlocks
The practice version on a snare line at 60 BPM, accents and all, to build on or play with your other beats. RockBlocks has no grace notes or sticking, so flams and drags arrive as their main notes.
Play it on the drum kit
Four beats built on the Double Paradiddle: a fill, a groove, a fill around the toms, and a pulse to practice over.
How to play the Double Paradiddle
- Read the sticking. The Double Paradiddle is RLRLRR LRLRLL. Say the letters out loud before you play them.
- Find the accents. The first note of each group. Start accents high and keep taps low, so the difference comes from stick height.
- Play it slowly with a click. Start around 60 BPM, or slower, and play it until every stroke is on the right hand and every accent is in place.
- Open, close, open. Speed up a few BPM at a time to as fast as you can play it cleanly, then slow back down without stopping.
- Lead with the other hand. Play it starting with your left hand too: LRLRLL RLRLRR.
Tips
- Accent only the first note of each six.
- Try it as triplets to hear it in 6/8.
- Keep the double as even as the singles.
Put it on the drum set: Lesson 31: Paradiddle Groove, Lesson 93: Inverted Paradiddle Groove.
Double Paradiddle questions
What is the sticking for the Double Paradiddle?
RLRLRR LRLRLL. R is the right hand and L the left. It switches lead hands every group.
Where are the accents in the Double Paradiddle?
The first note of each group. With accents marked: >R L R L R R | >L R L R L L.
How many notes are in the Double Paradiddle?
The pattern as written by the Percussive Arts Society has 12 main strokes, then repeats.
What tempo should I practice the Double Paradiddle at?
Start slowly enough to play every sticking and accent correctly, around 60 BPM or below. Then practice open–close–open: speed up a few BPM at a time, and slow back down.
Is the Double Paradiddle one of the original 26 rudiments?
Yes. The Double Paradiddle is one of the 26 American rudiments standardized in 1933, and is rudiment #17 of the 40 PAS International Drum Rudiments, in the diddle rudiments.
Sticking, accents and note values follow the Percussive Arts Society International Drum Rudiments (© 1984 PAS). The chart is RockBlocks' own drawing.
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