Rudiment 18 of 40 · Diddle rudiments

Triple Paradiddle

The triple paradiddle is six singles and a double: RLRLRLRR LRLRLRLL. Each group is eight sixteenth notes, two full beats, so the accent falls on every other downbeat.

Sticking: RLRLRLRR LRLRLRLL
Accents: The first note of each group.
Family: Diddle rudiments
Strokes before it repeats: 16, alternating lead hands
Original 26 rudiments: No, added by PAS in 1984
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 Triple Paradiddle: a fill, a groove, a fill around the toms, and a pulse to practice over.

Open the 4 beats

How to play the Triple Paradiddle

Read the sticking. The Triple Paradiddle is RLRLRLRR LRLRLRLL. 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: LRLRLRLL RLRLRLRR.

Tips

Count the singles: three pairs, then the diddle.
Keep the accent on the first note only.
Move the accent to the toms for a two-beat fill.

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

Triple Paradiddle questions

What is the sticking for the Triple Paradiddle?

RLRLRLRR LRLRLRLL. R is the right hand and L the left. It switches lead hands every group.

Where are the accents in the Triple Paradiddle?

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

How many notes are in the Triple Paradiddle?

The pattern as written by the Percussive Arts Society has 16 main strokes, then repeats.

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

No. The Triple Paradiddle was added when the Percussive Arts Society expanded the list to 40 in 1984. It is rudiment #18, in the diddle rudiments.

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