How to Master Paradiddles in Drumming

A paradiddle is a drumming rudiment that combines single strokes with precisely placed double strokes. In drum terminology, “para” means "single stroke" and “diddle” means "double stroke," and thus the term describes a sticking pattern where a single stroke is followed by a double stroke. Drummers perform strokes using beaters—most commonly drum sticks, but also hot rods, mallets, or wire brushes.

Paradiddles require strong independent control of both your right hand and your left hand. If you start a paradiddle with your right hand, you'll begin with a single stroke of the right hand, then a single stroke of the left hand, and then a double stroke of the right hand. This is followed by a single left, a single right, and then a double left. The pattern is abbreviated as RLRR LRLL.

In sheet music notation, the pattern looks like:

You can also start your paradiddle by playing the first note with your left hand and create a pattern abbreviated as LRLL RLRR.

A double paradiddle or triple paradiddle is a paradiddle repeated twice and three times, respectively. The example notated above is itself a double paradiddle. Meanwhile, a paradiddle-diddle involves a single stroke followed by two consecutive double strokes. Practice these patterns with a metronome and turn up the speed as you build precision, confidence, and muscle memory.

Many complex drum beats are formed from paradiddles. As such, any serious drummer must master the paradiddle technique before they can graduate to more complex maneuvers. Drummers can play paradiddles in the following ways:

1. 1. On a practice pad: Use paradiddles and other popular drum rudiments on a practice pad to build up stick control.
2. 2. On a snare drum: Plenty of core drum grooves involve various paradiddles on the snare drum. Because of this, a drum lesson may focus on nothing more than mastering paradiddles on the snare. Snare drum rolls can incorporate paradiddles, but only after the player has mastered both the double stroke roll and the single stroke roll.
3. 3. On the tom-toms: You can play paradiddles on your floor toms or rack toms as part of a drum fill or within a multi-timbral groove.
4. 4. On the bass drum: You can play paradiddles on a kick drum if you have a double bass drum pedal—and ideally two bass drums (although some drummers employ a double bass drum pedal on one single drum).
5. 5. On the hi-hat: Hi-hat paradiddles are a key element of funk music, although they appear to some extent in all popular genres. Paradiddles are rarer on the ride cymbal and crash cymbals, except at the end of some songs when drummers may make a cacophonous noise by rapidly striking their cymbals.

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