Struggling with your hand technique? Lost in a sea of exercises? It’s time to take it back to the basics.

Rudiments are the building blocks of everything drums, and in this video Rob “Beatdown” Brown shows you the three that make up virtually all drumming vocabulary – the single stroke roll, the double stroke roll, and the single paradiddle – and how you can start practicing them.

But what about flams? Or dragadiddles? Or even the Shirley Murphy?

Don’t worry – the other rudiments are valid and have their own applications, and there are many reasons to work your way through all 40 rudiments. But there are only three that you absolutely need to know:

Single stroke roll

There are two techniques you want to develop: fingers and wrists. Don’t just alternate left, right, left, right for ten minutes. Put intent and purpose behind it. Switch between strokes controlled by the fingers (French grip, where palms face each other) and strokes controlled by the wrist (German grip, or palms facing down).

Double stroke roll

Like the single stroke roll, practice double strokes using fingers and then wrists separately. Get used to switching between grips and techniques. Be honest with yourself and start slowly so you can get them super clean.

Single paradiddle

A single paradiddle combines single strokes and double strokes. Keep your hands loose and your arms relaxed as you practice fluid and smooth motions. This will make it easier when you start moving patterns around the kit.

With these three rudiments under your belt, you’ll be able to accomplish virtually anything on the drums.

We’ve put together a playlist with drumless tracks at different tempos so you can practice your exercises over real music:

Having trouble getting your rolls and paradiddles up to speed? Try ‘The Fastest Way To Get Faster’, a free video course that’ll help you nail the techniques you need to go quick!

Rob “Beatdown” Brown has been drumming for over 30 years. He believes that motivation is one of the most important things for growth, and that having heroes is one way to stay inspired to keep going – whether it’s musical heroes, athletes, doctors, or someone else.

Stewart Copeland is one of Rob’s biggest personal heroes. So for this video, he chose to pay homage to Copeland – even going so far as to emulate his style – while covering “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” by The Police.

Who’s your hero? Who motivates you the most?

You might best know Rob ‘Beatdown’ Brown from his popular YouTube channel, but after you watch this hour-long lesson you’ll also know him for his incredible sense of pocket and groove.

Rob emphasizes that “no one will yell at you for sitting in the pocket,” and that overplaying isn’t necessary. Most drummers get hired to play pocket, and for their sharp decision-making skills: knowing what to play and where to play it.

In this lesson, you’ll learn that drum parts don’t need to be flashy to work, and how to get into the right headspace before practicing your pocket. That’s why Rob is confident that this is something you can improve ‘overnight’: it’s a conceptual exercise that’ll help you immediately change the way you think about drumming.

Once you find your rhythmic foundation, you’ll learn how to practice playing in the pocket, how to use the click in a few different ways, and why you should play ‘from the ground up’ by focusing on your feet first.

After this lesson, you’ll know why the hi-hat is such a powerful tool for creating grooves and why internalizing subdivision is so important.

Lesson Outline:
0:00 – SONG: “Broadway Hustle” by Rob Brown (from the playalong album “Beatdown’s Pocket Builders”)
4:40 – Introduction
8:55 – Finding the rhythmic foundation
19:41 – How to practice the pocket
26:29 – Playing from the foot
30:35 – Using the click to improve feel
41:40 – Biggest takeaways
46:40 – SONG: “Take Six” by Rob Brown (from the playalong album “Beatdown’s Pocket Builders”)

About Rob:
Self taught session & touring drummer, Rob ‘Beatdown’ Brown has been playing since 1987. Since 2005, Rob has become a favored online educator well regarded for his simple breakdown style of teaching. His educational YouTube channel has grown exponentially with over 16,000,000 views and almost 200,000 subscribers. Professionally, Rob has played with a wide range of artists in the contemporary Christian, jazz, R&B, pop-rock and pop-country scenes and has played with award-winning artists such as The Stellas and Jess Moskaluke, and with Jacob Moon.

Rob Plays:
Yamaha Drums
Evans Drumheads
Paiste Cymbals

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