Rudiment 24 of 40 · Flam rudiments

Flam Paradiddle

Also called: flamadiddle

The flam paradiddle, or flamadiddle, is a single paradiddle with a flam on the first note: lRLRR rLRLL. It alternates hands each group like the paradiddle it's built on.

Sticking: lR L R R rL R L L
Accents: The flam, the first note of each group.
Family: Flam rudiments
Strokes before it repeats: 8 plus grace notes, alternating lead hands
Original 26 rudiments: Yes (1933)
Starting tempo: About 60 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 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

Lead

Tempo60 BPM

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 Flam Paradiddle: a fill, a groove, a fill around the toms, and a pulse to practice over.

Open the 4 beats

How to play the Flam Paradiddle

Read the sticking. The Flam Paradiddle is lR L R R rL R L L. Say the letters out loud before you play them.
Find the accents. The flam, the first note of each group. Start accents high and keep taps low, so the difference comes from stick height.
Place the flams. 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: rL R L L lR L R R.

Tips

Keep the grace note low, an inch or two off the head, and the main note high, so the pair sounds like one fat note, not two.
Learn the single paradiddle first, then add the grace note.
The double at the end sets up the other hand's grace note.

Put it on the drum set: Lesson 65: Rudiment-Style March.

Flam Paradiddle questions

What is the sticking for the Flam Paradiddle?

lR L R R rL 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 Flam Paradiddle?

The flam, the first note of each group. With accents marked: >lR L R R | >rL R L L.

How many notes are in the Flam Paradiddle?

The pattern as written by the Percussive Arts Society has 8 main strokes, not counting grace notes, then repeats.

What tempo should I practice the Flam 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 Flam Paradiddle one of the original 26 rudiments?

Yes. The Flam Paradiddle is one of the 26 American rudiments standardized in 1933, and is rudiment #24 of the 40 PAS International Drum Rudiments, in the flam rudiments.

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