ROCK MUSIC ONLINE

lesson 7 : PARADIDDLES

Paradiddles
Contents of this lesson:

The main paradiddle

Paradiddle with SD and Tom2

Paradiddle with HH, SD, BD

Variations on the Paradiddle

Paradiddle with Tom 1, Tom 2, SD, FL


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Hi, I'm back with a lot of stuff for you to try.
This time it's paradiddles-time, because those, being part of the neverending story of drum-rudiments, are difficult, but fun to play.
Many people say: "I don't need to know paradiddles". I say (and luckily thousands of drummers with me):"Bet you do!!"
Don't be afraid of them, take them on....



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The main pattern of a paradiddle is this one: 

  1)
         R  L  R  R  .  L  R  L  L
         L  R  L  L  .  R  L  R  R

Like you see it's a combination of a single stroke roll (RIGHT LEFT RIGHT LEFT) and a double stroke roll (RIGHT RIGHT LEFT LEFT).
It's not an easy one, but with a little (?) exercise.
I allways counted it in these two ways:

Right-Left-Right-Right-Left-Right-Left-Left

Pa-Ra-Did-dle-Pa-Ra-Did-Dle

You can choose between these two, use 'em both, or create your own way.
You can hear this one in a famous song by Buddy Holly, called "Peggy Sue", played on the floor tom only (at least that's what Buddy Holly's drummer told in an interview). If you're able to distinguish the pattern, when played fast, it's something!

A paradiddle that's played on one snaredrum or so will be, though usefull, a little boring.
That's why it's O.K. to play a few patterns to make use of your paradiddle while learning it.
For example, a paradiddle between Tom2 and SD, that you can use as an exercise or even as a fill:


  2)
               R     L     R     R     L     R     L     L

                _______     _______     _______     _______
                |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
                |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
          |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
   Tom2   |----0------|----0-----0------|----0------|-----|-----|
   SD     |:---------0-----------------0-----------0-----0-----:|
          |-----------------------------------------------------|
          |-----------------------------------------------------|
    BD         0 (optional)            0 (optional)
              |                       |
              |                       |

The next pattern is another paradiddle, but it's not a break now, it's a groovy rhythm.
You play actually a kind of sixteenths-fill (so it's double speed) as an extension to your wellknown "eight-note pattern", but it may not break up your groove.
That's why you maintain your ACCENTS on the first HH-beat and on the second SD-beat. 

  3)
         1.......+.......2.......+.......3...e...+...a...4...e...+...a...


         >               >               >               >
          _________       _________       =============   =============
          |       |       |       |       |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
  HH     X       X       X       X       X    |  X   X    |  X    |   |
      |---------------------------------------|-----------|-------|---|--|
      |                                       |           |       |   |  |
  SD  |:-----------------0-------------------0-----------0-------0---0--:|
      |                 |                                                |
      |-----------------|------------------------------------------------|
  BD     0              |                0
        |                               |
        |                               |

                                         R   L   R   R   L   R   L   L
 

Now that you have done some groove-playing with the regular paradiddle, it's time to spot some variations.
Who said the only way of playing a paradiddle was RLRRLRLL?
First, be sure your bassdrum is on the "one-count", then play these variations.


   4)
          i)    R  L  R  R  L  R  L  L    or   L  L  R  L  R  R  L  R
                B           B                  B           B

         ii)    R  R  L  R  L  R  L  L    or   L  L  R  L  R  L  R  R
                B           B                  B           B

        iii)    R  L  L  R  L  R  R  L    or   L  R  R  L  R  L  R  R
                B           B                  B           B

         iv)    R  L  L  R  L  L  R  L    or   L  R  R  L  R  R  L  R
                B           B                  B           B

I'll guess you can create more patterns by yourself, these were just a couple to get you started.
I think you will be busy for a while with these!
To give you a little suggestion of what you can do with the inverted paradiddle (RRLRLLRL), this pattern, which starts with your LEFT hand:

  5)
              L.....L.....R.....L.....R.....R.....L.....R
               _______     _______     _______     _______
               |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
               |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
    Tom 1  |--0-----0------|----0------|-----|-----|-----|----|
    Tom 2  |---------------|----------0-----0------|-----|----|
    SD     |:-------------0-----------------------0------|---:|
           |---------------------------------------------|----|
    FT     |--------------------------------------------0-----|

You obviously noticed the snaredrum on every "3" so you can play this one in a 4-quarter-beat as well. If you like you can add a bassdrum one the "one" .
That's it for this time's paradiddles.
I hope you'll find some interesting combinations for yourself, while I'm off..

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