Things You'll Need:
- drum sticks
- drum or practice pad
- metronome (optional)
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Step 1
Set up your drum or practice pad and metronome. The practice pad or drum should be at about belt height, and the sticks gripped in either traditional or matched grip, whichever is most comfortable for you. Set the metronome to 120 beats per minute as a starting tempo. If you find that this is too fast or too slow, you can change the speed to match your capabilities.
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Step 2
With each beat of the metronome, hit the stick to the drum in this pattern: (R = right, L = left) R L R L R R / L R L R L L.The RLRLRR is a "right triple paradiddle," and the LRLRLL is a "left triple paradiddle." You'll perform these in succession, with no gaps between, keeping a steady beat, as such: RLRLRRLRLRLLRLRLRRLRLRLLRLRLRR. Slightly emphasize the first stroke of each triple paradiddle--this is called an accent.
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Step 3
Practice this pattern, repeating without pause, at ever increasing speed. Concentrate on the evenness of the strokes. There should be no uneven spaces between strikes of the drum. Record or videotape your performance and analyze the evenness of your strokes and the consistency of them. Are the drum strokes the same height? Are they even in execution? Do you hear a difference when you listen? Try to eliminate inconsistencies.
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Step 4
As your speed increases, change the metronome speed so that you can make two drum strokes per metronome beat, then finally, one complete triple paradiddle per metronome beat. You will have to slow the metronome speed down at first. Try 80 beats per minute initially, as you do two strokes per beat, then increase until you can do this at a speed of 144 beats per minute. When you go to one beat per triple paradiddle, start at 40 beats per minute. Consistent steady practice will yield the best results.
