Rudiment 34 of 40 · Drag rudiments

Lesson 25

Also called: Lesson 25 drag

Lesson 25 is a drag followed by two singles, with the accent on the last: llR L R. Its odd name comes from the old drum method it was lesson 25 in. PAS writes it starting with the same hand each time.

Sticking: llR L R llR L R
Accents: The third note of each group.
Family: Drag rudiments
Strokes before it repeats: 6 plus grace notes, same lead hand each group
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 Lesson 25: a fill, a groove, a fill around the toms, and a pulse to practice over.

Open the 4 beats

How to play the Lesson 25

Read the sticking. The Lesson 25 is llR L R llR L R. Say the letters out loud before you play them.
Find the accents. The third note of each group. 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: rrL R L rrL R L.

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 accent is on the third note. Keep the drag and the first single soft.
Counted: drag on the beat, then e-AND.

Lesson 25 questions

What is the sticking for the Lesson 25?

llR L R llR L R. R is the right hand and L the left; lowercase letters are grace notes played by the other hand. Every group starts on the same hand; to lead with the other hand, swap every R and L.

Where are the accents in the Lesson 25?

The third note of each group. With accents marked: llR L >R | llR L >R.

How many notes are in the Lesson 25?

The pattern as written by the Percussive Arts Society has 6 main strokes, not counting grace notes, then repeats.

What tempo should I practice the Lesson 25 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 Lesson 25 one of the original 26 rudiments?

Yes. The Lesson 25 is one of the 26 American rudiments standardized in 1933, and is rudiment #34 of the 40 PAS International Drum Rudiments, in the drag rudiments.

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