Rudiment 14 of 40 · Double stroke open roll rudiments

Fifteen Stroke Roll

The fifteen stroke roll is seven doubles and an accented single: RRLLRRLLRRLLRR L. PAS writes it starting with the same hand each time.

Sticking: RRLLRRLLRRLLRRL RRLLRRLLRRLLRRL
Accents: The fifteenth stroke, the single that ends the roll.
Family: Roll rudiments
Strokes before it repeats: 30, same lead hand each group
Original 26 rudiments: Yes (1933)
Starting tempo: About 40 BPM

Hear it, then play it

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Practice version: every note is twice as long as on the PAS chart, so the fastest notes are sixteenth 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

Lead

Tempo40 BPM

Put it in RockBlocks

The practice version on a snare line at 40 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 Fifteen Stroke Roll: a fill, a groove, a fill around the toms, and a pulse to practice over.

Open the 4 beats

How to play the Fifteen Stroke Roll

Read the sticking. The Fifteen Stroke Roll is RRLLRRLLRRLLRRL RRLLRRLLRRLLRRL. Say the letters out loud before you play them.
Find the accents. The fifteenth stroke, the single that ends the roll. Start accents high and keep taps low, so the difference comes from stick height.
Play it slowly with a click. Start around 40 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: LLRRLLRRLLRRLLR LLRRLLRRLLRRLLR.

Tips

Make the second stroke of every double as loud as the first. Let the stick bounce, then pull the second note out with your fingers.
An odd-numbered roll is pairs of doubles plus one accented single: count the doubles, and the accent lands on the next beat.

Put it on the drum set: Lesson 59: Dynamic Crescendo Fill.

Fifteen Stroke Roll questions

What is the sticking for the Fifteen Stroke Roll?

RRLLRRLLRRLLRRL RRLLRRLLRRLLRRL. R is the right hand and L the left. Every group starts on the same hand; to lead with the other hand, swap every R and L.

Where are the accents in the Fifteen Stroke Roll?

The fifteenth stroke, the single that ends the roll. With accents marked: R R L L R R L L R R L L R R >L | R R L L R R L L R R L L R R >L.

How many notes are in the Fifteen Stroke Roll?

The pattern as written by the Percussive Arts Society has 30 main strokes, then repeats.

What tempo should I practice the Fifteen Stroke Roll at?

Start slowly enough to play every sticking and accent correctly, around 40 BPM or below. Then practice open–close–open: speed up a few BPM at a time, and slow back down.

Is the Fifteen Stroke Roll one of the original 26 rudiments?

Yes. The Fifteen Stroke Roll is one of the 26 American rudiments standardized in 1933, and is rudiment #14 of the 40 PAS International Drum Rudiments, in the roll rudiments.

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