Michael Bremo

Practice Pad Monday: Flam Paradiddle
(aka “Flam-a-Di**le”)

This week we’re combining the single paradiddle with a flam.

This one will definitely expose where your technique really stands.

As always, it comes down to stick height, training your hands so your articulation stays clean and consistent.

Once you start getting it under your hands, take it to the kit and experiment with different orchestrations.

That last measure in the four bar phrase, where you’re implying dotted quarter notes and a quarter note, can be a really effective idea to use as a fill.

Give this one a try.

If you’ve been feeling stuck or like your ideas aren’t flowing, more often than not it’s a sign your hands just need a little fine tuning.

I’ve got one spot left on my teaching schedule. If you’re ready to clean this up and take your playing to the next level, send me a message.

PRACTICE PAD MONDAY:

Paradiddle Di**le Flow

This one is by far one of my favorite rudiments. As drummers, we all have a couple that we naturally gravitate toward. The Paradiddle Di**le is one of those for me.

The sticking is simple on paper:�R L R R L L�L R L L R R

But it is a different story when you try to make it really flow.
Most players rush the doubles or over accent the first note. The goal here is control inside the diddles. Let the hands move evenly. No tension. No forced accents unless you choose them.

The four measure phrase consists of eighth note triplets and then moves into sixteenth notes for the last measure.
That final measure includes a group of single paradiddles to help facilitate a left hand lead without having to interrupt the flow.
Start by locking in the triplet spacing. Feel the circular motion of the subdivision. Then when you move into the sixteenths, keep the same relaxed motion. Same sticking. Different density.

Once you truly have it in your hands, you can move to the kit and start applying it creatively without much effort. Those two doubles naturally set you up for smooth phrasing around toms, between snare and kick, or orchestrated across cymbals.
Keep it short.

Two to three minutes.
Focused reps.
Make it feel good.

If you want to tighten up your doubles and get these rudiments to actually feel musical around the kit, I have one open in person lesson spot right now.

PRACTICE PAD MONDAY:

Triple Paradiddle Flow

I share this story with my students all the time.

When I first started learning the rudiments in the “paradiddle family,” I had a tough time executing them in a way that felt natural and actually flowed around the kit. Truth be told, I thought they were useless. Just a pain in the butt.

Man, was I wrong.

These rudiments are the foundation. They’re the cornerstone of so many great players. In my own playing, the paradiddle family allows me to move efficiently around the kit without wasting motion or overworking.

Learning and incorporating your single, double, and triple paradiddles into your daily routine will pay off. Guaranteed.

Here’s a short, easy-to-memorize triple paradiddle flow, and a reminder while you’re working on it:

Endurance without tension.
Stay relaxed and let the pattern work for you.
If your grip tightens, slow down.
Control first. Speed later.

PRACTICE PAD MONDAY:
Single Stroke Flow

Slow it way down.

The focus of this exercise is rebound and evenness.
Listen for an even sound and let the rebound do the work.

I personally like to work on this using the free stroke principle, which is a concept I also teach my students. One of the main reasons I like this approach is that it starts training your stick height.

Stick height is one of the biggest reasons drummers struggle with an unbalanced sound between the hands.

The single stroke is one of the rudiments that gives you a great opportunity to work toward a more balanced sound, if you are willing to slow it down, YOU will reap the benefits, guaranteed!

If you’re forcing it, your hands are working too hard.
This is where good technique actually starts.

I currently have one in-person lesson spot open if you want help dialing this in.

- Bremo