How to Play Paradiddles With Bass Drum Patterns

Learn bass drum paradiddles.

The humble paradiddle is one of the easiest and most versatile of the 26 "standard" drum rudiments classified by the U.S.-based National Association of Rudimental Drummers. Rudiments are different sticking patterns that can be used on many kinds of drums. When learning paradiddles, the key is to play it how you say it -- the rhythm of the word matches the rhythm of the rudiment, and the phrase "diddle" coincides with a double stroke in either the left or right hand. Try saying "pa-ra-did-dle" while playing R-L-R-R -- a right-hand-lead single paradiddle. At the drum kit, you can add bass drum patterns to the paradiddle framework.

Instructions

1. Play paradiddles continuously, at a steady speed with your right hand on the floor tom and your left hand on the snare. This will allow you to hear the pattern of single and double strokes contained in the paradiddle rudiment. The sticking pattern will be RLRR LRLL RLRR LRLL, looped continuously. If you want to count in rhythm, the pattern would be "one-e-&-a / two-e-&-a / three-e-&-a / four-e-&-a."

2. Add bass drum on the first stroke of each paradiddle. In your rhythmic counting, this would put the bass drum on the "one," "two," "three," and "four." Because you play your drum kit bass drum with your right foot, this exercise will work your coordination: on beats "one" and "three" your right foot and right hand will strike together; on "two" and "four" your right foot will strike with your left hand, which may be more difficult to coordinate.

3. Once you have this basic pattern down, try altering the bass drum pattern you add to the paradiddles. Try playing steady bass-drum eighths -- "one-&-two-&-three-&-four-&" -- under the paraddidle pattern. If you want to really challenge your coordination, try playing syncopated bass drum beats, or steady bass drum triplets -- three to every beat -- against the paradiddles, which have four steady strokes per beat.

Tips & Warnings

• A fun coordination challenge at the drum kit is to play paradiddles with your hands while playing "samba feet" with your bass drum and hi-hat pedals. The "samba feet" pattern is counted "one-&-a / two-&-a / three-&-a / four-&-a" -- the hi-hat plays on all the "&" beats and the bass drum plays the other beats.

• Playing paradiddles in different configurations around the kit -- right hand on the floor tom, left hand on the rack tom, for example -- can create some dense and interesting overall grooves in combination with the bass drum.

• Protect your hearing. Acoustic drums are loud and can damage your ears. Always wear earplugs when drumming at high volumes.

References

• Vic Firth: Single Paradiddle

Resources

• Study Bass: How to Count Rhythms