I often find drumming and cooking have a lot of interesting parallels and crossover. Think of sticking combinations like secret seasoning, and as we season our grooves to taste, we want to incorporate just the right amount of sticking, articulations, and space to make it all feel soulful and unique.
Ingredient Breakdown
What is a PARADIDDLE, and why do they matter?
The sticking R L R R and its mirror L R L L are the basic Single Paradiddle. Diddle means double, as in R R or L L. Back to back, they look like this:
R L R R L R L L
Step 1: How about 4 in a row?
R L R R L R L L R L R R L R L L
Single Paradiddle
Open Single Paradiddle in the Beat Note app for more features:
- Save to Library: Keep your beats organized.
- Change BPM: Adjust tempo easily.
- Export: Entire sheet music as PDFs, ready to practice.
Step 2: Single Accent Variations
Single Paradiddle - Single Accents Variation
Open Single Paradiddle - Single Accents Variation in the Beat Note app for more features:
- Save to Library: Keep your beats organized.
- Change BPM: Adjust tempo easily.
- Export: Entire sheet music as PDFs, ready to practice.
The Paradiddle family creates fun options for moving around the drums. Use them to enhance a groove, incorporate unique fill ideas, or for soloing motifs. The secret sauce to these is in the way they mirror. Dropping in accents or articulations (diddles, ghost notes, flams, etc.) can take you from sounding like a beginner straight to a seasoned player.
Step 3: Sticking variations
We also use R L R L R R and L R L R L L, called a Double Paradiddle.
Double Paradiddle
Open Double Paradiddle in the Beat Note app for more features:
- Save to Library: Keep your beats organized.
- Change BPM: Adjust tempo easily.
- Export: Entire sheet music as PDFs, ready to practice.
Triple Paradiddle: R L R L R L R R and L R L R L R L L
Triple Paradiddle
Open Triple Paradiddle in the Beat Note app for more features:
- Save to Library: Keep your beats organized.
- Change BPM: Adjust tempo easily.
- Export: Entire sheet music as PDFs, ready to practice.
Let’s spice things up! My favorite variation is the Paradiddle Diddle. R L R R L L or L R L L R R
Paradiddle-Diddle
Open Paradiddle-Diddle in the Beat Note app for more features:
- Save to Library: Keep your beats organized.
- Change BPM: Adjust tempo easily.
- Export: Entire sheet music as PDFs, ready to practice.
Step 4: Apply Single Paradiddles To The Drum Kit
Basic Single Paradiddle Groove
Open Basic Single Paradiddle Groove in the Beat Note app for more features:
- Save to Library: Keep your beats organized.
- Change BPM: Adjust tempo easily.
- Export: Entire sheet music as PDFs, ready to practice.
Now, with a little seasoning:
Single Paradiddle Groove With Accents
Open Single Paradiddle Groove With Accents in the Beat Note app for more features:
- Save to Library: Keep your beats organized.
- Change BPM: Adjust tempo easily.
- Export: Entire sheet music as PDFs, ready to practice.
Now for something fun and slightly challenging:
Paradiddle Groove By @zakbond
Open Paradiddle Groove By @zakbond in the Beat Note app for more features:
- Save to Library: Keep your beats organized.
- Change BPM: Adjust tempo easily.
- Export: Entire sheet music as PDFs, ready to practice.
Step 5: Your Turn!
Hop on Beat Note and create one of your own! Screen record or play along and post it up. Don’t forget to tag us!
Happy Drumming, Z