Single Dragadiddle
Learn How To Play The Single Dragadiddle Drum Rudiment!
In this 40 drum rudiments free drum lesson, Lionel Duperron teaches you how to play the single dragadiggle, and how to apply it to the drum set to spice up your drum beats and drum fills.
The single dragadiddle is very similar to the flam paradiddle and to the single paradiddle drum rudiments. The single dragadiddle starts with a 32nd note bounced double stroke, instead of with a flam (flam paradiddle) or with a single stroke (single paradiddle). The remaining strokes of the single dragadiddle are exactly the same. You can count the single dragadiddle as you count the flam paradiddle and the single paradiddle drum rudiments – RR (drag or par) L (a) R (did) R (dle) LL (drag or par) R (a) L (did) L (dle)…etc. It’s imperative you learn how to play the single paradiddle before taking on the single dragadiddle. The single dragadiddle alternates naturally within itself.
Practice this pattern slowly at first. Get used to the sequence of strokes before adding the metronome to the mix. Once you can execute a very solid single dragadiddle, take the following drum beats and drum fills to your kit and have some fun with them.
The first drum beat incorporating the single dragadiddle is pretty much like the first beat on the single paradiddle drum lesson – the single dragadiddle is scattered between the hi-hat and the snare drum. Leave the left hand on the snare drum playing ghost notes and the 32nd note bounced double strokes on counts 2 and 4. The right hand plays the hi-hat throughout the whole pattern. Once you have the hands happening, add the bass drum on counts 1 and 3.
Exercise #2 is a very cool variation on the previous drum beat. This time around the single dragadiddle is scattered between the ride cymbal, the hi-hat, the hi-tom, and the snare drum.
On counts 1 and 3 the right hand plays the 32nd note double stroke on the hi-tom and the 16th note doubles on the bow of the ride cymbal, while the left hand plays the hi-hat. On counts 2 and 4 the left hand plays the 32nd note double stroke on the snare drum and the 16th note doubles on the hi-hat. The right hand plays the bow of the ride cymbal.
The hand pattern in this exercise is broken up between various instruments. Memorizing it and playing it with a great sound quality and control is a challenge in itself. Master the hand pattern before adding the bass drum on counts 1 and 3.
The next exercise we’ll be taking a look at is a single dragadiddle based drum fill. For each count there’s a single dragadiddle. This drum fill has the entire collection of 32nd note doubles played on the hi-tom. This will not be an issue because hi-tom skins have enough tension in them to make each stroke of the bounced double recognizable. This is way harder to get from a mid-tom or a floor tom.
Use full wrist strokes when playing each stroke of the 16th note double strokes on the mid-tom and the floor tom. You can also get the fingers involved here. Pushing the stick back with the fingers, after playing the initial stroke of the double with the wrist, will get your second stroke to sound very similar to the first one. These two methods will get your doubles to sound very consistent.
The next drum fill has all the 16th singles and doubles on the snare drum. The 32nd note doubles are played on the hi-hat on counts 1 and 3, and on the bow of the ride cymbal on counts 2 and 4. The first stroke of any 32nd note double stroke is played in unison with the bass drum. Execute this drum fill starting with your left hand.
This free drum lesson teaches you how to play the first of three patterns from the drag family of drum rudiments that incorporate the single paradiddle within. After you’re done with this lesson, move on to learn how to play the dragadiddle #1.
Drag Based Rudiments |
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| Drag Ruff | Single Dragadiddle | Single Ratamacue |
| Single Drag Tap | Dragadiddle #1 | Double Ratamacue |
| Double Drag Tap | Dragadiddle #2 | Triple Ratamacue |
| Lesson 25 | ||