Rudiment 16 of 40 · Diddle rudiments

Single Paradiddle

Also called: paradiddle

The single paradiddle is two singles and a double: RLRR LRLL. The double switches the lead hand, so each group starts on the other hand. "Para" is the two singles and "diddle" the double. It's the most useful rudiment on the drum set: split between hi-hat and snare, it becomes a groove, and around the toms, a fill.

Sticking: RLRR LRLL
Accents: The first note of each group.
Family: Diddle rudiments
Strokes before it repeats: 8, 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 Single Paradiddle: a fill, a groove, a fill around the toms, and a pulse to practice over.

Open the 4 beats

How to play the Single Paradiddle

Read the sticking. The Single Paradiddle is RLRR LRLL. Say the letters out loud before you play them.
Find the accents. The first note of each group. 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: LRLL RLRR.

Tips

Accent only the first note. The other three are soft taps, low to the head.
Say it while you play: PA-ra-did-dle.
On the kit, put the right hand on the hi-hat and the left on the snare for an instant groove.

Put it on the drum set: Lesson 31: Paradiddle Groove, Lesson 93: Inverted Paradiddle Groove.

Single Paradiddle questions

What is the sticking for the Single Paradiddle?

RLRR LRLL. R is the right hand and L the left. It switches lead hands every group.

Where are the accents in the Single Paradiddle?

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

How many notes are in the Single Paradiddle?

The pattern as written by the Percussive Arts Society has 8 main strokes, then repeats.

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

Yes. The Single Paradiddle is one of the 26 American rudiments standardized in 1933, and is rudiment #16 of the 40 PAS International Drum Rudiments, in the diddle rudiments.

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