Drum Rudiments Chart
The building-block sticking patterns · tap one to see the R/L pattern and hear it played
How to play
- Tap a rudiment to load its sticking, then press Play to hear it loop. R (blue) = right hand, L (gold) = left hand; the right speaker plays R, the left plays L.
- A boxed, bold note is an accent (played louder). Small letters above a note are grace notes: one = a flam (a quick note just before the main hit), two = a drag (two quick notes before).
- Rolls build sustained sound from doubles; Paradiddles mix singles and doubles for smooth hand-to-hand motion; Flams and Drags add ornaments.
- Tempo sets the speed; start slow and build up. Vol sets volume. Keyboard: Tab + Enter/Space.
This widget lets you listen to and view common drum rudiments. You can play them on your computer keyboard, trackpad or mouse to interact with the widget’s interface. The idea is that it will enable you to learn sticking patterns. It visualy represents hand alternation and plays back rhythms based off your chosen speed.
To choose a pattern, tap one of the rudiment tiles in the grid. Every tile are associated with a different rudiment (e.g., a flam, a single stroke roll). When you choose a tile, the widget change the area below the grid on the stage. That section show the pattern that was chosen.
How to Use the Drum Widget
You’ll notice it has letters that represent whether each hit is made with the left or right hand. Color identifies hands: gold for a left hand hit, blue for a right hand strike. Thicker border and bold letters highlights accents in the music. Flams or gracenotes are noted with small letters printed above the note. By looking at these visuals, you’ll be able to pick up on where motion is divided between two hands.
To hear the rudiment loop being played, press the Play button. The rudiments is made into drum sounds in real time by audio engine. Use the Tempo slider to alter speed of play. Begin with slower speed and work on internalizing the sticking pattern. When you’ve got that down, then increase the tempo. This allows you to develop muscle memory but not rush the technique.
Adjust Listening Level with the Volume Slider, The Volume slider manage the overall output of the widget. Listen at a comfortabley level so that you can pay attention to accents and timing.
Use the Fullscreen button if you want even more screen space. Click the Fullscreen button. The widget will expand to fill your monitor, this makes it easier to read on smaller monitors.
A how to play button turns help panel on and off. This panel include quick reference notes for symbols and other details. If your brain ever needs a refresh of what something mean, just turn on this little box. Then hide it once you’re good with it so that instructions aren’t cluttering the main view while you focus on playing.
The interface can also be controlled by your keyboard. You can use it without using hands. The Tab key move focus between control buttons and rudiment tiles. To play the pattern, press Space or Enter on a tile (or turn on the Play button). This enables you to change patterns and start playback without having to touch mouse.
Begin with simple rolls that help you develop consistent alternating hand. Feel the pulse in the rhythms, listen for those accents and gradualy pick up speed once you’re comfortable. You should of started slow. Introduce some flams or paradiddles which adds another layer of coordination. Vary the pace and explore at a speed more suitable than your ability.
It’s a nice tool for practicing sticking those patterns. It is a good warmup before playing. It is a place to review what we covered in our lesson. It is an opportunity to hear and see where I need to improve. Give the widget a try, and let me know how it might work in your practice routine.