Rudiments. This is a term used regularly amongst drummers and percussionists. It is also a well known term amongst most musicians. But what exactly is a rudiment? And do we need to learn them as drummers?
What is a rudiment?
A drum rudiment is a basic short sticking and rhythmic idea that is used on the drums. Rudiments make up the foundations of everything we play as drummers. A good way to think about rudiments is like the A, B, Cs. The alphabet makes up the basis for all of our spoken communication. Even if someone ever learns to read or write, we still learn all of the letters as sounds and shapes. With light these sound and shapes it is impossible for us to speak and communicate effectively. It is the same with the rudiments.
What are the rudiments?
The Percussive Arts Society (PAS) has created a list of 40 standardised rudiments and these are recognised across the drumming community at all levels. See the link below to this list.
Here at The Drum Hub, we split the rudiments into five families.
1. Ruffs
2. Rolls
3. Paradiddles
4. Flams
5. Drags
These are general groupings for similar rudiments rather than absolute rules for each rudiment. We teach all of the rudiments throughout our students learning journey as a proven method to develop musical knowledge and technical control.
Are the rudiments useful?
The short answer is yes. If they weren’t useful, drummers everywhere wouldn’t be playing them after so many years.
However, let’s dig a little deeper into this question and ask “how are they useful?”
Rudiments are powerful and proven tools for developing and improving a drummers technical skills. The rudiments help to develop a variety of skills and motions into a drummers hands that are used in all styles of performance.
Some musicians favour certain rudiments feeling that they are more useful or musical than others. Whilst there are rudiments that may be more common or readily used in different styles of music, this does not make any of the rudiments more musical than the others.
Rudiments also act as a fantastic platform for drum fills, grooves and solos. If we think of the rudiments as tools, the more we know, the more tools we have available to use when we want them. Each of these tools help us to express ourselves more through the instrument in a more detailed and diverse way.
Another benefit of learning the rudiments is that they help to bring balance to your hands (and feet - although that is for another blog!). Every drummer has a natural bias towards one hand. This stronger hand can leave us to become unnaturally unbalanced if we only focus on training and using it. You wouldn’t go to the gym and just train one arm would you? The rudiments help to build a greater balance between our hands, thus providing more speed, power and accuracy when playing. Some of the rudiments naturally alternate between hands like a single Paradiddle or flam taps. Others have to be learned with both hands like the single stroke roll or Paradiddle diddle. The work done to master the rudiments with both hands strengthens and improves both hands at the same time. Whilst it can be challenging at first, it is most definitely worth the time and effort.
So, whats so great about rudiments?
In summary, the rudiments are the all purpose tools for drummers. You can start learning them from day one! You never grow out of them. They will always help to improve you as a player in some way, and they have an almost infinite amount of variations and combinations to be discovered an used in your playing. It is so simple, it is easy to overlook them.
Why not grab your sticks today and have a go at some of your rudiments, maybe try a new one, or revisit some you haven’t played for a while. Rudiments are always worth playing and practicing.
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