AY Honors/Drumming & Percussion/Answer Key

2. What are the four families of rudiments?

• Rolls
• Diddles
• Flams
• Drags

3. Be able to name five rudiments from each of the four families of rudiments.

Rolls

Single Stroke Roll Rudiments

The single-stroke roll consists of alternating sticking (i.e., RLRL, etc.) of indeterminate speed and length.

No.	Name	Notation	Description
1.	Single Stroke Roll		Evenly-spaced notes played with alternating sticking. Though usually played fast, even half notes with alternating sticking would be considered a single stroke roll.
2.	Single Stroke Four		Four notes played with alternating sticking, usually as a triplet followed by a strong beat (as in the picture) or as three grace notes before a downbeat (like a ruff).
3.	Single Stroke Seven		Seven notes played with alternating sticking, usually as sextuplet followed by a strong beat.

Multiple bounce roll rudiments

No.	Name	Notation	Description
4.	Multiple Bounce Roll		Alternating handed strokes with no specific number of bounces. Should sound even and continuous. Also called "buzz roll."
5.	Triple Stroke Roll		Each stroke can be bounced or wristed. Also called a "French roll."

Double stroke open roll rudiments

Template:Redirect The double stroke roll is a rudiment consisting of alternating diddles (i.e., RR, LL, etc) of indeterminate speed and length. There are 10 official variants of the double-stroke roll (see below).

No.	Name	Notation	Description
6.	Double Stroke Open Roll		Like the single-stroke roll, usually played fast, but even when played slowly, alternating diddles are considered a double stroke roll. Played so each individual note can be heard distinctly.
7.	Five Stroke Roll		Two diddles followed by an accented note.
8.	Six Stroke Roll		Unlike most other double stroke rudiments, the six stroke roll begins with an accented single note. Then it is followed by the diddles and another accented note.
9.	Seven Stroke Roll		Three diddles followed by an accented note.
10.	Nine Stroke Roll		Four diddles followed by an accented note.
11.	Ten Stroke Roll		Four diddles followed by two accented notes.
12.	Eleven Stroke Roll		Five diddles followed by an accented note.
13.	Thirteen Stroke Roll		Six diddles followed by an accented note.
14.	Fifteen Stroke Roll		Seven diddles followed by an accented note.
15.	Seventeen Stroke Roll		Eight diddles followed by an accented note.

Diddle rudiments

In percussion, a diddle consists of two consecutive notes played by the same hand (either RR or LL). Compare to the drag, which also consists of two consecutive notes played by the same hand.

The paradiddle is a rudiment consisting of a four-note pattern of the form RLRR or LRLL. When multiple paradiddles are played in succession, the first note always alternates between right and left. There are also several official variations of paradiddle rudiments. Paradiddles are often used to switch hands while playing steady notes. For example, if steadily playing sixteenth notes, with right hand lead (RLRL, etc), then wanting to end on a drum to the left of the current drum, he may stick it as follows: RLRL RLRL RLRL RLRR L with the final left tap on the ending drum.

No.	Name	Notation	Description
16.	Single Paradiddle		Two alternating notes followed by a diddle.
17.	Double Paradiddle		Four alternating notes followed by a diddle.
18.	Triple Paradiddle		Six alternating notes followed by a diddle.
19.	Paradiddle-Diddle		Two alternating taps followed by two alternating diddles.

Flam rudiments

A flam is a rudiment consisting of a quiet "grace" note on one hand followed by a louder "primary" stroke on the opposite hand. The two notes are played almost simultaneously, and are intended to sound like a single, 'broader' note.

No.	Name	Notation	Description
20.	Flam		A single primary note note preceded by a grace note which is played with the opposite hand. The temporal distance between the grace note and the primary note can vary depending on the style and context of the piece being played.
21.	Flam Accent		Alternating groups of three notes of the form [Flam - tap - tap].
22.	Flam Tap		Alternating diddles with flams on the first note of each.
23.	Flamacue		A group of four notes and an ending downbeat, where the first note and the down beat are flammed, and the second note is accented.
24.	Flam Paradiddle		A paradiddle with a flam on the first note.
25.	Single Flammed Mill		An inverted paradiddle (RRLR, LLRL) with a flam on the first note of each diddle.
26.	Flam Paradiddle-diddle		Alternating paradiddle-diddles with flams on the first note of each.
27.	Pataflafla		A four-note pattern with flams on the first and last notes.
28.	Swiss Army Triplet		A right hand flam followed by a right tap and a left tap, or (using a left hand lead) a left hand flam followed by a left tap and a right tap. It is often used in the place of a flam accent, since repeated flam accents will have three taps on the same hand in a row, where repeated swiss army triplets only involve two taps on the same hand.
29.	Inverted Flam Tap		Alternating diddles (offset by one sixteenth note) with a flam on the second note of each diddle.
30.	Flam Drag		Alternating groups of three notes of the form [flam - drag - tap].

Drag rudiments

No.	Name	Notation	Description
31.	Drag		A drag consists of two consecutive notes played by the same hand (either RR or LL). This is similar to the diddle, except that by convention diddles are played the same speed as the context in which they are placed, where drags are played at twice the speed as the context in which they are placed. For example, if a sixteenth note passage is being played then any drags in that passage would by definition be thirty-second notes, where diddles would be sixteenth notes. Drags can also be played as grace notes. When played as grace notes on timpani, the grace notes are alternated (rlR, lrL). Continuously playing alternating drags (or diddles) results in a double-stroke roll. A similar rudiment is the ruff, which is a note with three grace notes, but they are usually alternated
32.	Single Drag Tap		A single drag tap is two alternating notes where the first note has drag grace notes and the second is accented.
33.	Double Drag Tap		A double drag tap is a single drag tap with another grace note drag before it.
34.	Lesson 25		A lesson 25 is three alternating notes where the first note has drag grace notes and the third is accented.
35.	Single Dragadiddle		A single dragadiddle is a paradiddle where the first note is a drag.
36.	Drag Paradiddle #1		The first drag paradiddle is an accented note followed by a paradiddle with drag grace notes on the first note.
37.	Drag Paradiddle #2		The second drag paradiddle is two accented notes followed by a paradiddle with drag grace notes on the second accented note and the first note of the paradiddle.
38.	Single Ratamacue		A single ratamacue consists of four notes where the first note has drag grace notes and the fourth is accented.
39.	Double Ratamacue		A double ratamacue consists of a single ratamacue with a drag before it.
40.	Triple Ratamacue		A triple ratamacue consists of a single ratamacue with two drags before it.

4. Demonstrate ability to keep in step with the drum corps by taking part in at least one outreach program. (ex. Pathfinder Day, Conference or Local church sponsored event)

Songs that are marches are written in either 2/4, or more commonly, 4/4 time. When marching to such a song, the left foot leads and always hits the ground on an odd beat, while the right foot hits the ground on an even beat. Count the beats in your head as you march, "1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4" etc. The left foot touches the ground on each 1 and 3. The right foot touches on each 2 and 4. If you find you are out of step, a quick hop (where the feet do not cross one another) can quickly get you back into step. But staying in step is a lot easier than getting back in step once you're out, so pay attention!

The outreach program will be something like a parade in which your drum corps marches. This will call for a class A uniform, so make sure it is clean and pressed!

6. What are the seven essential rudiments? Why are they essential?

1. Single Stroke Roll

2. Multiple Bounce Roll

3. Double Stroke Open Roll

4. Five Stroke Roll

5. Single Paradiddle

6. Flam

7. Drag

8. Using the open/closed method, demonstrate your knowledge of the seven essential rudiments. Execute: Open to Closed to Open

Open, closed, open is a technique of playing snare drum rudiments, especially used during auditions.

Open, closed, open technique consists of beginning the rudiment very slow and controlled, speeding up evenly until at the maximum speed for the drummer, then slowing back down after maintaining that speed. Optimally, the drummer should end on the opposite hand as started, in case of alternating rudiments such as paradiddles. Also, the speed ended at should be approximately the same speed as the drummer began.

9. What is the difference between traditional style and matched style stick holding? Demonstrate each style by playing a sequence consisting of no less than three rudiments.

Matched grip

Traditional grip

In the past, snares were typically carried with slings, and due to the discomfort of this angle for the left hand, traditional grip was created. Most modern snare drums have rigid over-the-shoulder harnesses that hold the drum with the playing surface parallel to the ground, which affords the option of performing with matched grip. The term matched grip is used because both hands are in the same position (matched). However there are many groups that are returning to a slight tilt in order to make using traditional grip more comfortable for the players.

10. What is the difference between drumsticks used for a drum corps and those used for a percussion drum set?

Snare drum sticks may be designed for use in particular performance contexts. Sticks that are smaller in diameter or balanced farther towards the tip may be intended for orchestral playing that requires fine control and soft dynamics. Sticks for street playing (e.g. drum corps and marching bands) are almost always thick and weighty, to promote extended production of sound at extreme dynamics. There are different sizes of drum sticks for each situation, designated by a letter and number, e.g. 2b and 5b are thicker, while 5a and 7a are smaller. The number in the designation corresponds to the length of the stick, with smaller numbers being longer sticks, and the letter corresponds to the diameter or gauge of the stick, with the further along the alphabet the thicker the stick, so "b" is larger than "a".

11. What are the sections that make up a drum corps?

There are four primary sections that make up a drum corp/drumline. They are as follows: Cymbal Section, Snare Line, Tenor Line(including Tri/Quads/Quints), and the Bass Line.

Note: Some drum corps/drumlines may opt to use a multi-tenor setup instead of having a single tenor, but they would still fall under the tenor line catergory.

12. Based on the previous question, what purpose does each section serve?

Snare Drums

Snare parts are typically unison and provide the center rhythm of the drumline. The snare drum line is the center of tempo in the ensemble, and the "center snare", a position typically held by the most experienced snare drummer, is responsible for maintaining the tempo. When rehearsing or performing, the center snare may "tap off" the ensemble, setting the tempo with a solo rhythm.

Tenor Drums

Contemporary tenor drums (also called toms, tri-toms, quads, quints, squints, or sextets) are single-headed tonal drums. There are usually four to six drums in a set, but there can be as few as one or as many as seven. Tenor players add pitch variety to the drumline with drums of different sizes and tuning.

Cymbals

Marching cymbals are typically pairs of crash cymbals played in a variety of ways. Cymbals are bronze with leather carrying straps. Players in cymbal lines may all carry the same size and type of cymbal, or a variety of instruments may be used. Cymbals are played being held before the body, in unison or split parts. In addition to being played by the cymbalists, snare drummers may play on the cymbals as ride cymbals or like hi-hats, thus there is typically a minimum of one cymbalist for every two snare drummers. Cymbals are also used for visual effects due to their reflectiveness while twirling or spinning them. Many contemporary field ensembles do not utilize a cymbal line, as cymbals are played in the front ensemble.

Bass Drums

Marching bass drums are most frequently used as tonal drums split between several percussionists. Each drummer plays a unique part, though the entire bass drum part is conceived as a whole. Marching bass drums, which produce the deepest sound in the battery, are larger drums carried on harnesses with the heads facing the front and back sidelines. The musicians carrying the bass drums typically line up in size order. Bass drummers use mallets with rounded or cylindrical heads often made of hard felt. Small bass drum lines typically consist of four or five members to ensure enough for a melody, and large lines can have eight or more drummers. Sometimes, in smaller bands, one may see only 2 or 3 bass drummers perform, when this happens, sometimes a bass drummer is required to play 2 or 3 bass drum parts to ensure full sound. In very small bands, one may only see one bass drum witch takes the place of 3 to 4 bass drums.

References:

• Drums for Dummies by Jeff Strong (Paperback - Sep 29, 2001)
• Drum Corps International (www.dci.org)