Rudiment 4 of 40 · Multiple bounce roll rudiments
Multiple Bounce Roll
Also called: buzz roll, press roll, closed roll, orchestral roll
The multiple bounce roll, also called the buzz roll or press roll, alternates hands, but each stroke is pressed into the head so the stick bounces several times. Overlapped, the buzzes make one smooth, sustained sound. It is the standard roll in concert and orchestral snare drumming, and is written with a "z" on the note stem.
- Sticking
- RLRL RLRL
- Accents
- No accents. Each stroke is pressed into the head so it buzzes.
- Family
- Roll rudiments
- Strokes before it repeats
- 8, same lead hand each group
- Original 26 rudiments
- No, added by PAS in 1984
- 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 Multiple Bounce Roll: a fill, a groove, a fill around the toms, and a pulse to practice over.
How to play the Multiple Bounce Roll
- Read the sticking. The Multiple Bounce Roll is RLRL RLRL. Say the letters out loud before you play them.
- Find the accents. No accents. Each stroke is pressed into the head so it buzzes. 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: LRLR LRLR.
Tips
- Press with your fingers, not your arm. Each stroke should make the same length of buzz.
- Keep the hands moving at a steady rate (here, sixteenth notes) so the buzzes overlap with no gaps.
- Practice it soft as well as loud. A buzz roll that only works at one volume isn't finished.
Put it on the drum set: Lesson 59: Dynamic Crescendo Fill.
Multiple Bounce Roll questions
What is the sticking for the Multiple Bounce Roll?
RLRL RLRL. 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 Multiple Bounce Roll?
No accents. Each stroke is pressed into the head so it buzzes. With accents marked: R L R L | R L R L.
How many notes are in the Multiple Bounce Roll?
The pattern as written by the Percussive Arts Society has 8 main strokes, then repeats.
What tempo should I practice the Multiple Bounce Roll 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 Multiple Bounce Roll one of the original 26 rudiments?
No. The Multiple Bounce Roll was added when the Percussive Arts Society expanded the list to 40 in 1984. It is rudiment #4, in the roll 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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