Rudiment 11 of 40 · Double stroke open roll rudiments
Ten Stroke Roll
The ten stroke roll is four doubles and two accented singles: RRLLRRLL R L. It ends with an eighth rest, and PAS writes it starting with the same hand each time.
- Sticking
- RRLLRRLLRL RRLLRRLLRL
- Accents
- The last two strokes, the two singles after the doubles.
- Family
- Roll rudiments
- Strokes before it repeats
- 20, same lead hand each group
- Original 26 rudiments
- Yes (1933)
- Starting tempo
- About 40 BPM
Hear it, then play it
Practice version: every note is twice as long as on the PAS chart, so the fastest notes are sixteenth 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 40 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 Ten Stroke Roll: a fill, a groove, a fill around the toms, and a pulse to practice over.
How to play the Ten Stroke Roll
- Read the sticking. The Ten Stroke Roll is RRLLRRLLRL RRLLRRLLRL. Say the letters out loud before you play them.
- Find the accents. The last two strokes, the two singles after the doubles. Start accents high and keep taps low, so the difference comes from stick height.
- Play it slowly with a click. Start around 40 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: LLRRLLRRLR LLRRLLRRLR.
Tips
- 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.
- Both singles are accented. Keep them equal, right and left.
- Use the rest. Stop cleanly before the next roll.
Put it on the drum set: Lesson 59: Dynamic Crescendo Fill.
Ten Stroke Roll questions
What is the sticking for the Ten Stroke Roll?
RRLLRRLLRL RRLLRRLLRL. 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 Ten Stroke Roll?
The last two strokes, the two singles after the doubles. With accents marked: R R L L R R L L >R >L | R R L L R R L L >R >L.
How many notes are in the Ten Stroke Roll?
The pattern as written by the Percussive Arts Society has 20 main strokes, then repeats.
What tempo should I practice the Ten Stroke Roll at?
Start slowly enough to play every sticking and accent correctly, around 40 BPM or below. Then practice open–close–open: speed up a few BPM at a time, and slow back down.
Is the Ten Stroke Roll one of the original 26 rudiments?
Yes. The Ten Stroke Roll is one of the 26 American rudiments standardized in 1933, and is rudiment #11 of the 40 PAS International Drum Rudiments, 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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