Rudiment 36 of 40 · Drag rudiments
Drag Paradiddle #1
Drag paradiddle #1 is an accented single followed by a paradiddle with a drag on its first note: R llR L R R. It alternates hands each group.
- Sticking
- R llR L R R L rrL R L L
- Accents
- The first note of each group, the single before the paradiddle.
- Family
- Drag rudiments
- Strokes before it repeats
- 10 plus grace notes, 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 Drag Paradiddle #1: a fill, a groove, a fill around the toms, and a pulse to practice over.
How to play the Drag Paradiddle #1
- Read the sticking. The Drag Paradiddle #1 is R llR L R R L rrL R L L. Say the letters out loud before you play them.
- Find the accents. The first note of each group, the single before the paradiddle. Start accents high and keep taps low, so the difference comes from stick height.
- Place the drags. The small lowercase letters are grace notes, played by the other hand just before the main note: soft, low and close to it.
- 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: L rrL R L L R llR L R R.
Tips
- Play the two grace notes as a soft, quick bounce close to the head. They should sound like a short rasp leading into the main note.
- The accented note and the dragged note are the same hand.
- Practice the paradiddle part alone first.
Put it on the drum set: Lesson 31: Paradiddle Groove, Lesson 93: Inverted Paradiddle Groove.
Drag Paradiddle #1 questions
What is the sticking for the Drag Paradiddle #1?
R llR L R R L rrL R L L. R is the right hand and L the left; lowercase letters are grace notes played by the other hand. It switches lead hands every group.
Where are the accents in the Drag Paradiddle #1?
The first note of each group, the single before the paradiddle. With accents marked: >R llR L R R | >L rrL R L L.
How many notes are in the Drag Paradiddle #1?
The pattern as written by the Percussive Arts Society has 10 main strokes, not counting grace notes, then repeats.
What tempo should I practice the Drag Paradiddle #1 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 Drag Paradiddle #1 one of the original 26 rudiments?
Yes. The Drag Paradiddle #1 is one of the 26 American rudiments standardized in 1933, and is rudiment #36 of the 40 PAS International Drum Rudiments, in the drag 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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