Online Drum Lesson - Using Paradiddles
Here is another installment in my ongoing series on the humble Paradiddle. This time around we are going to be putting them to work around the kit.
This first exercise is a brilliant one for working on your four way independance. Your feet are playing an eighth-note paradiddle on the bass drum and hi-hat while your hands play a sixteenth-note paradiddle on the ride cymbal and snare. Try it very slowly at first and do the hand and feet part seperately.
The next one is a great way to make a sixteenth-note hi-hat part interesting. Simply play the right hand notes on the ride cymbal while playing the left notes on the hi-hat. Just drop the left hand down to the snare on the 2 & 4 to complete the beat.
Last but not least we have a paradiddle between the bass drum and snare, used as a two beat fill. Like always, keep the tempo really slow until you get these exercises smooth. They are all quite simple but will take time and a little practice.
If you have a favourite use for paradiddles, let me know in the comments & I’ll publish it here.
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December 3rd, 2007 at 2:14 pm
hello, found this page to be very interesting and wanted to add some to it if i could in any way. i have no way of posting a video to show you. the concept is rather easy, but the application can be rather difficult when starting. simply put, play a paradiddle on the hands, while playing a “backwards” paradiddle on the feet.
r l rr l r ll
h b hh b h bb
neat little groove pattern or even used as a fill..sort of a beginner lick but i hope you enjoy!
December 3rd, 2007 at 10:14 pm
Thanks for that Pete, it is a beauty! It works the hands and feet diagonally which is great for independence. I’ll do up a small chart for it in a day or two.
Feel free to leave a comment or tip any time.
Cheers, Mark