Signal 01 Rudiments

Rudiment atlas

Essential stickings with counting, accent maps, and a practice pulse — the vocabulary behind every fill and groove.

Singles · Foundation

Single Stroke Roll

Alternating hands at an even spacing — the bedrock of drum set vocabulary.

96 BPM
Sticking
R L R L R L R L
Counting
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Practice
Keep heights matched. Let the stick rebound; don't muscle every note.
R L R L R L R L

Rolls · Foundation

Double Stroke Roll

Two clean rebounds per hand before switching — the gateway to buzz rolls and texture.

88 BPM
Sticking
R R L L R R L L
Counting
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
Practice
Focus on the second stroke: it should sound as tall as the first.
R R L L R R L L

Paradiddles · Foundation

Single Paradiddle

The most useful sticking on the kit — displacement, fills, and ghost-note language all start here.

84 BPM
Sticking
R L R R L R L L
Counting
1 e & a 2 e & a
Practice
Accent the first note of each four-stroke group until the pattern feels automatic.
R L R R L R L L

Paradiddles · Intermediate

Double Paradiddle

Six-stroke grouping with a natural accent shape — excellent for flowing tom fills.

78 BPM
Sticking
R L R L R R L R L R L L
Counting
1 e & a 2 e & a 3
Practice
Sing the grouping: R-L-R-L-R-R. Don't rush the double at the end of each half.
R L R L R R L R L R L L

Flams · Foundation

Flam

Grace note tucked into a main stroke — adds weight, drama, and orchestral color.

72 BPM
Sticking
lR lL
Counting
1 2
Practice
The grace note should be quiet and close; the primary stroke speaks.
L R R L

Flams · Intermediate

Flam Tap

Flam followed by a tap on the same hand — classic marching and rock fill material.

68 BPM
Sticking
lR R lL L
Counting
1 & 2 &
Practice
Keep the tap low after the flam accent. Let the hands alternate cleanly.
L R R R L L L

Drags · Intermediate

Drag

Two soft grace notes into a primary stroke — smooth, vocal, and deeply musical.

70 BPM
Sticking
llR llL
Counting
1 2
Practice
Think whisper-whisper-SPEAK. Keep the drags tight to the main note.
L L R R L L

Rolls · Intermediate

Five Stroke Roll

Short roll resolved by a single accent — the fill you hear at the end of every rock bar.

80 BPM
Sticking
R R L L R
Counting
1 e & a 2
Practice
Place the accent on beat 2 (or the next downbeat) and keep the doubles even.
R R L L R

Rolls · Intermediate

Six Stroke Roll

Triplet-friendly roll shape with a natural decrescendo into the last tap.

76 BPM
Sticking
R R L L R L
Counting
1 e & a 2 &
Practice
Use in 6/8 or as a triplet fill in 4/4. Let the last two notes breathe.
R R L L R L

Rolls · Advanced

Seven Stroke Roll

Longer roll with a left-hand release — great for turnaround fills and gospel chops.

74 BPM
Sticking
R R L L R R L
Counting
1 e & a 2 e &
Practice
Count all seven before you add speed. The release note should feel like an exhale.
R R L L R R L

Drags · Advanced

Single Ratamacue

Drag + tap + drag + tap — a classic hybrid rudiment for linear fills.

66 BPM
Sticking
lR R lL L
Counting
1 e & 2 e &
Practice
Keep the pattern linear. No two notes on the same hand unless it's the drag pair.
L R R L L L L

Paradiddles · Advanced

Paradiddle-Diddle

Six notes with a double on the back end — modern gospel and fusion staple.

82 BPM
Sticking
R L R R L L
Counting
1 e & a 2 &
Practice
Accent the first note and the last double. This one loves ghost notes on the left.
R L R R L L