Rudiment 8 of 40 · Double stroke open roll rudiments
Six Stroke Roll
The six stroke roll is an accented single, two doubles, and another accented single: R LL RR L. The accents on both ends make it punchy, which is why drum set players use it so much in fills, often with the accents on toms or the snare and the doubles soft.
- Sticking
- RLLRRL RLLRRL
- Accents
- The first and last strokes, the singles on each side of the doubles.
- Family
- Roll rudiments
- Strokes before it repeats
- 12, 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 four times 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 Six Stroke Roll: a fill, a groove, a fill around the toms, and a pulse to practice over.
How to play the Six Stroke Roll
- Read the sticking. The Six Stroke Roll is RLLRRL RLLRRL. Say the letters out loud before you play them.
- Find the accents. The first and last strokes, the singles on each side of the doubles. 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: LRRLLR LRRLLR.
Tips
- Play the doubles soft and the accents loud. The contrast is what makes it sound good.
- 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.
- Try the accents on the floor tom and snare, with the doubles on the snare.
Put it on the drum set: Lesson 19: Sixteenth-Note Fill, Lesson 8: Your First Fill.
Six Stroke Roll questions
What is the sticking for the Six Stroke Roll?
RLLRRL RLLRRL. 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 Six Stroke Roll?
The first and last strokes, the singles on each side of the doubles. With accents marked: >R L L R R >L | >R L L R R >L.
How many notes are in the Six Stroke Roll?
The pattern as written by the Percussive Arts Society has 12 main strokes, then repeats.
What tempo should I practice the Six Stroke 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 Six Stroke Roll one of the original 26 rudiments?
No. The Six Stroke Roll was added when the Percussive Arts Society expanded the list to 40 in 1984. It is rudiment #8, 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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