What are Drum Rudiments?
A drum rudiment is one of a set of patterns that form the basic building blocks of drumming, a bit like an alphabet for writing, or scales for the piano. The most famous drum rudiment is the Drum Roll.
The drum rudiments can be combined in a variety of ways to create interesting rhythms and patterns for the drums. They enable drummers to express themselves musically on the drum kit.
Some rudiments seem to have silly-sounding names- Paradiddle, Flama-diddle etc. These reflect the sound made on the drum when you play them and can help you learn the drum rudiment (and make you laugh).
There have been many attempts to formalise a standard list of snare drum rudiments. The National Association of Rudimental Drummers (NARD), an organization established to promote rudimental drumming, put forward a list of 13 “essential” rudiments, and later a second set of thirteen to form the original 26. Finally, the Percussive Arts Society (PAS) reorganized the first 26 and added another 14 to form the current “40 international drum rudiments”.
