How To Play Drum Rudiments and Why They Are Important

When learning drums its important to learn grooves and beats, but its also important to learn how to play drum rudiments. They are one of the most crucial things to learn when learning how to play drums. That is why they are called rudiments. They are the foundation to anything that you will play there after. It takes time and much practice to develop great rudiment technique, but it must be practiced.  There are 26 American Rudiments which include the flam, flam tap, three stroke ruff, ratamacue, paradiddle, and five stroke roll just to name a few. These are very common rudiments that many drummers including my self use all the time when playing drums. Not only for gaining speed and endurance, but also they're great for practical use.  When learning how to play drum rudiments. I suggest take three a week and master them. Then the next week learn three more while reviewing the previous three, and so on. When practicing the actual rudiments, practice them in this manner. Start from slow to fast gradually and back to slow again gradually. By practicing them this way it will provide conditioning for the hand while also building your vocabulary of the rudiments.  The greatest part about learning how to play drum rudiments. Is you don't necessarily have to be at the drum set to practice them. You can be just about any where, in the car, at work, in school, sitting on the couch watching TV! You don't even need sticks to practice them. Though it is very important to practice them with sticks but once you get the feeling of how the rudiments make the sticks feel in your hand. It's ok to try them with out sticks. Here's a video about basic stickings and how they must be practiced. And by stickings I mean rudiments. Stickings are just the patterns that are played by our hands whether they be alternating or one hand alone for a period of time. For example RLRL may be a sticking or RRRR LLLL may also be a sticking.  (R = Right Hand, L = Left Hand) In conclusion, with out rudiments there wouldn't be drumming and with out drumming there wouldn't these amazing guys and gals that make the rock roll, or J-azz. So learn how to play your drum rudiments. They're essential!

Posted via email from Dominic's posterous