The Fastest Way To Improve Your Single Stroke Roll

[@louielouie8150]

Dude! I was beginning to plateau on my speed after only doing single stroke rolls for pure endurance. I've been using this technique for a couple hours at a time for the last few days. I have to say, I have already seen a dramatic increase in my speed and accuracy. Not to mention my left hand feels a lot stronger now. Thanks for the tips!

[@whatguy1117]

Hi I know it's probably been a while since you commented this but earn you say at hours at a time how much hours are you talking about. Also did you just focus on practicing this or do you do other rudiments and things in between?

[@mikevieira8583]

This is such a great exercise. As a beginner, I have had to start veeeeeerrryyy slow. So slow my 16th notes sound like 8th notes. But I want to get it right, then speed up. The hardest thing is getting the feel for letting the left hand begin rolls and where to begin the rolls in the count. Challenging mentally and physically. Thank you, thank you.

[@MrAquatoad]

This exposed me big time! My counting, my timing, my L vs R dynamics. Thank you sir!

[@Hot_Lasagna_]

I’ve been playing for around 3 years now and I’m not good with speed or control, I’ve only had experience with a teacher for a couple months, and after finding this video I was a bit confused but after figuring a bit out I’ve never been happier with my arms being so sore thank you so much!

[@BilltheFifth]

What it is, what it is

[@TheUnQuake]

why did i like this comment

[@biohead66]

Ιt's like Einstein saying "Yo my niggas" before presenting the theory of relativity.

[@onemoremisfit]

That is literally what was on the marquee of Buddy Rich's tour bus when I saw it: WHAT IT IS.

[@jaakkot9661]

Rock Steady, Aretha Franklin with the great Bernard Purdie on drums!

[@EricVellekoop]

@3:29 "You're sticking with me?" Nice pun there haha! Great exercise, thanks!

[@MrSuperArtsy]

You sir, are a drumming genius. Whenever I want to learn something new on drums, I go to your channel. Thanks a lot for the time and energy you put into your videos.

[@mrjollypantsjolly]

Wow. That is an exercise and a half. Every night in bed for years and years now (i keep sticks under my pillow), I practise rolls doubles and rudiments for ages til I fall asleep. I also do finger exercises for my piano playing. I am a better player for it. The things us musicians do to perfect our crafts. What diligence. good work.

[@hijodetupa]

You dont have a wife ? :)

[@Awesomethunder16]

@@hijodetupa Who needs a wife when you're a beast at drumming? Lol from the discipline he showed from his comment I'm sure he is one by now.

[@blakehill9977]

I came back and applied this to my feet. Definitely upped my double bass game!

[@lucaswedderburn]

You and Rob are by far my favorite online drum teachers. You guys have been helping me more than you could ever know. Thank you!!!!

[@udosmidt4133]

Hello Stephen, now this is an utterly useful lesson you taught us here: not a shortcut but a realistic way to get where we want to be with our drumming! Thanks, Udo

[@benblackburn2693]

This is very helpful. Drummer for 8 years now and it's the simple things like this that I can't force myself to just slow down and work on anymore. This just adds more tasteful practicing to something we over look

[@emorejekul]

When you did the reverse thing, that was the moment when I got the whole concept of this drill! THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!

[@timjenkins197]

Love this exercise. I play a lot of metal so I used this exercise to improve my double bass playing. Thanks so much Stephen!

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

You bet Michael!

[@cypherredux2771]

Learned long ago anything you do with your hands you can do with your feet (or 1 foot and 1 hand) I played the syncopation book through with snare and bass drum notation flipped back in highschool, just wished I had kept that level of practice up onto my 30s lol

[@robinghoshmusic]

Greetings from sunny Los Angeles, California! As a beginner at the drums, I can say that your videos have helped me immensely in getting going and knowing what to practice. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with all of us.

[@Scottjazz55]

This is SO COOL. I love your teaching style Stephen.

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Thanks so much Prof. Keep the good videos comin'.

[@Scottjazz55]

***** I bought the Seth Davis course for single strokes and it helped quite a bit. He has the strongest singles I've ever seen. I also bought one of your books on permations a few years ago and it was just GREAT. www.drumprofessor.net

[@welovemusicATX]

Hi. I've been doing this exercise for 3 months and I've moved from a sloppy 80 bpm into what is becoming a smooth 90 bpm stream of 32nd notes. Thanks!

[@Ankylophobia]

this is definitely something I need to work on. my 6 stroke roll and paradiddle are miles ahead of my single stroke roll, seems kind of backwards

[@miketwo345]

Your patience as a teacher continues to amaze. Great exercise! I will start trying it immediately.

[@lqgrxdeb]

Very good lesson, Stephen. Great for getting the single strokes smooth and fast. And not boring like just sitting there playing single strokes. Breaking up between 16ths and 32nds is what makes this lesson work so well. Thanks.

[@LolDude179]

Been loving your channel for 8months now!! Never been disappointed

[@davem9132]

This is one of the coolest exercises I've seen and heard i think ever and I'm old 43 haha. it gets zen like, actually made me sleepy, relaxed after awhile in a good way. But it really is alot harder than it looks once you start especially the return back, well it is for me right now but im workin hard on it. Glad i found this and you play Gr8. Thanks for this upload 👍

[@michaelyu69]

Filipino begginer here, thanks alot! Your a great mentor for begginers...

[@jameatermeany]

As a 40 yr old guy I have watched a lot of drummers using different styles and techniques,being self taught my rudiments suck and i am at the stage where I want to develop more control and speed and with this in mind,this clip above everything else I've ever saw instructional wise has helped me the most so for this mate I thank you for this and the rest of your clips of course and guys and gals it's never too late 😉

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Love it!

[@ambroulard]

To see an absolutely Stellar example of clean and fast single stroke rolls type in Emanuelle Caplette snare solo here on utube. It’s especially striking as she’s using the German grip- typically the speed at which she plays her singles is only approachable using French grip,( Timpani).--

[@joewolf9493]

DrummerEtc your videos have helped me and my drumming improve so much. Both marching band and drumset techniques

[@brianmarcum5180]

thanks man excellent playing.i am an old drummer put the sticks down for awhile but im playin again and you really help me out .keep it up your a great drummer.

[@xAquuaL]

What it is, what it is. Has to be the greatest introductory line to a drumming related video I've ever seen, ever.

[@lolodrums]

This is a great endurance workout for the single stroke roll improvement. My teacher also introduced me to it some years ago. For those who are suffering from a weak left hand try to play singles in unison(both hands at the same time). That worked for me as well. Thxs Steve , good job indeed!

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

You bet...glad it helped!

[@temecialane8131]

As a beginner drummer, I have been in search of ways to improve my rudiments and gain speed. This video appears to be just what the doctor ordered and I can't wait to apply this exercise daily. Hopefully by April 2020, I can see some improvements. Thanks a bunch Steve..

[@stevenreyes2828]

Short bursts of 16th notes with three measure of 8th notes has helped me a lot. You can push your speed while keeping time and meter with a lesser sub division

[@davidmullenax3039]

That is an amazing exercise. Great job Stephen!

[@drewgarste]

This is a major chop builder

[@tonypatrizzio4180]

Really nice video. I loved the whole 32nd note thing you had going on their. I cannot wait to try this in the morning. Unfortunately I recently lost my job ( like 40 million other people) thank god I have drumming. Needless to say I have been playing a lot lately. This exercise can only help. Thank you

[@Jess-ht2or]

I hope you got a wonderful new job! 🌻

[@bpw466]

This is out of the book "Technique Patterns" by Gary Chaffee. Great exercise, great book, amazing teacher.

[@kapilidis41]

this is a great,fun excercise which also requires THINKING and COUNTING which is something that is often overlooked as far as excercises concerning speed....it is a mental/musical thing as much as it is physical...this excercise is a "complete package"...up there with morello's stone killers...thanks!love your videos..

[@anuntsingh]

I love that this exercise uses a lot of 32nd notes, because it's nice to set the met at a low tempo. Calms the nerves, haha.

[@whhhhhhhhh]

Can't wait to try this exercise out today! thanks so much, my single stroke is one of the things that is severely lacking

[@buddadrum3]

wow, that was so helpful; i've made up some similar rudiments for myself through the years, but structured this way and the un-show-offy way in which you presented it was helpful and heartening. thank you!

[@Feskprins]

You, sir, just got yourself a new subscriber. I'd say my single strokes are the weakest link in my playing (which is CRUCIAL for a death metal drummer) and I've noticed some results in just 4 days.

[@SirBreaks808]

Wow. A lot harder than the singles exercise I was doing! This one requires so much more concentration but thank you for the challenge!

[@63Baggies]

SNAP! I find that's the most practical way to approach; although this is a great idea especially for endurance.

[@tx2jbh81]

I was impressed...Granted, the average person would call that "boring". I'm going to have to watch it a few times to understand the order. Nice man. At some point I WILL get the live lessons.

[@benslooking4coolstuff]

Awesome vid! I am trying to dive back into jazz drumming and these techniques are awesome! I will try them out and play along from now on! Thanx a million!

[@geoffmasondrums]

Great lesson, no shortcuts just a solid practice routine. Love it!

[@brad_genx_sk8er]

This has improved my single stroke roll a lot. Thanks so much!

[@matthyder5131]

Awww younger Stephen with hair :) Awsome lesson and best opening statemnet....."time, patience and repatition" :)

[@TheRealSandman]

Going to try this when I get home & add this into my practice routine!

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Glad it helped Ryaan!

[@andrew0192]

Great Lesson! been struggling with my rolls...this will definitely help me

[@brandonwc4309]

Cool exercise. I just tried it and already feel like it's going to help. Definitely adding this to my warm up routine (which is already too long...).

[@CrucialConor]

Great lesson. Definetly gonna use this idea.

[@richardlangro5461]

Flob: to be clumsy or aimless in moving. great word 🤣. had to look it up.

[@christophercotton]

Reminds me of all the practice we used to do on the snare for our high school drum line.

[@TheChimmyChunga]

My way to improve is watching your lessons and rolling evenly for as fast as i can for a minute then taking 15 sec breaking and trying again Thanks for the help bro :P

[@reginamiele4954]

Love it love it live it live it, Plus the double bass. The whole series is my bible! My rock! Thanks again Stephen! Ive learned so much

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

You bet Regina...so glad it helped

[@Takes680]

Great exercise i love Gary Chester book the new breed its great for limb independence any way im going to use this exercise my singles need work so do my doubles Thats what i love about music you can never be finished

[@kathyparker7664]

This is one of three endurance exercises Gary Chaffee’s Technique Patterns book. This is a great book as all of his books are.

[@tx2jbh81]

Thanks man. Patience with myself is usually my biggest enemy...

[@thomaaz]

the e's are killing me stephen, looks simple but it's kind of a brain-exercise too. great lesson, thanks!

[@bradleysones7818]

Great exercise! Just completed first go at it and look forward to more sets!

[@michaelinglis8516]

I'm primarily a guitar player so my timing leaves much to be desired since I never really do a lot of counting up until now ive just felt it out occasionally using a metronome. But this exercise has helped emensly not just with my single stroke rolls but my timing in general and keeping the time for longer periods while staying accurate. Thanks for the great lesson!

[@RetroFunTime]

can we just take a moment to realize he started this video by saying "what it is, what it is"...?

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

We all make mistakes in life...

[@RetroFunTime]

***** haha that's not a mistake! might be the coolest part of the video

[@acrowsnestview6621]

***** seriously that's what made me instantly suscribed haha

[@Madechamp]

lol

[@johnk3841]

made me spit the coffee out of my mouth lol

[@ddruker1]

A variation of this exercise also appears in Bachman's "Stick Technique," where he has you play all right hand 16th-note single strokes and a two hand, left-right pair of 32nd notes, and so on. Then he has you reverse and play all left hand single strokes, ending with a right-left double. I probably do this exercise at least a dozen times a day. Presently, I can only do it cleanly and evenly at 86 bpm, but it's getting better. I've found that this exercise can also be used with double strokes -- e.g., 15 singles and a double, 14 singles and 2 doubles, and so on.

[@jerroneous8549]

Such wisdom. Love it. Gonna use it on hands and feet

[@MiguelBallester]

very good exercice i used to practice every day for years!

[@jonathanballard6950]

I like this one a lot very simple and effective. Best way to get your weak hand up to snuff with your dominant hand. Thanks Stephen!

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Sure thing Jonathan!

[@welovemusicATX]

About 20 minutes. I have worked on it a little differently than it was presented in the video. Rather than shifting gears every 4 measures I would just stop and play each pattern until it smoothed out before changing. It would take me longer to complete the exercise but I got more benefit from it.

[@Jameskeith1972]

Stephen. I just stumbled on to this one! It's an answer to a question I asked you once. Cool. I will search for solutions on the members site before asking you for extra help now. Live and learn!

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Hey Keith...lesson 1 of the Rudiment track has several great exercises for singles strokes as well.

[@sdale84]

Great lesson Stephen. I'm going to include this in my routine.

[@tylerblake3596]

just played this for the first time on 70 bpm to figure out the 32nd note placement a little better. took 7 minutes. I can’t feel my hands!!!!

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Love it!

[@Ohm51]

10-4 on the THINKING and COUNTING comment. Keeping track of where you are in the pattern and what beat doubles next is metally challenging _ at least for me at the get go. Now I'll have to google "morello's stone killers" _ but I'm guessing it's Joe's adaptations on Stick Control.

[@quinbagelchips3610]

This lesson is great man. Great exercise, great strategy.. Keep making awesome learning vids!!

[@montgomeryswift]

Good lesson one of the best on here very practical, takes some doing though its quite an achievement, and it works cheers for posting Rock On!!!

[@aaronwilson3952]

Sweet! very clean and good exercise. I've been needing to learn leading with my left then right, I've always been using my right. of course Practice!

[@humblehombre9904]

This is likely the best thing I have seen for practising rolls. Brilliant. You should call this S.S.Pyramid Burns (S.S.=single stroke). Deadly brother.

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

It's a great exercise. I've used it my entire drumming career and still come back to it.

[@christophmeirich5928]

Very cool stuff! Thx for sharing!!!! Greetings from germany Christoph 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍

[@813RiC]

Nice vid im definitely going to use this excercise

[@davem9132]

Don't know how often you read your comments on your vids. i commented awhile back about this. just wanted to say man this is helped me tremendously working on this everyday~

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

I try to read them all...but there are a lot these days. So glad this has helped you. Really does make my day!

[@davem9132]

Thanks for the reply and thanks again!. 👍

[@DSLDrummer]

Really cool exercise, I'm gonna get practicing this now, thank you!

[@kiko113090]

Awesome, thanks Stephen. Love your videos learning a whole bunch of awesomeness!

[@DashboarDrummer1]

Very helpful Stephen. Thanks!

[@AarianDenotra]

this is Fire my friend!! WOW!! I love it

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Glad it helped!

[@christinemartin3771]

Thank you!!! This is exactly the kind of practice I’ve been looking for!!

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

You’re welcome my friend

[@Xolin11]

Excited to try this one.

[@Thedrummersalmanac]

Hmmm... Similar to Joe Morello's fillin workout in Master Studies. Great breakdown my friend!

[@JustRyZen]

Thanks a lot for this lesson man, i will do it a lot, work hard on :)

[@markV999]

cool stuff man....great job!!!...tanx for sharing

[@nealsausen4651]

Yes, Stephen, the Single Stroke Roll ex. you're referencing is from Gary Chaffee's book: "PATTERNS" Vol. # 4 ~ "TECHNIQUE" (the one with "red" cover). Great "CHOPS" by the way....great demo! N.S.

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Thanks so much for posting this Neal! I couldn't remember which of his books I had seen it in. Spent many an hour with that thing! And your kind words mean the world

[@nealsausen4651]

no problem Stephen keep up the good work! It's much appreciated by all serious drummers, I'm sure!

[@Ohm51]

Excellent instructional video _ loved it. I've been playing for over 40 years _ and my singles are not anywhere close to the even clean consistancy of yours. I can see how effortlessly these come to you. That practice pad is also very effective, full drum size, and really doesn't seem to transfer any latent sound energy into the drum itself as a gladstone pad does. Does anyone know what brand and model practice pad this is? Thanks for the great drum lesson.

[@a_vos_baguettes]

Great exercice !

[@slimyelow]

I learned piano and flute before drums and found that having the muscle coordination between fingers is the key. Being able to play just 4 notes very quickly (32nds - 64ths) yet in proper time lends itself to a useful tool to insert anywhere when improvising. In drumming the difficult part is coordinating both hands to respond as fast as the fingers. This stuff is very easy to learn on the piano. On the drums too it can become one fluid motion like ruffs; there is virtually no arm or hand movement, except for the initial, as i call it, wave motion. Anyway musically placed and dynamic fast notes are much more effective than spraying 500 bullets aimlessly. - which incidentally becomes a texture not a rhythm. Go Dave Weckl !

[@gunslingerbeau]

Very practical thank you for posting

[@koekhapper]

This is a very interesting approach, I don't mind practicing my ass off on a practice pad. Thanks for the vid.

[@spark1AE]

Beginner here. Is there anyway to get this exercise in sheet music? Or perhaps a slower bpm demo? Thx for these amazing lessons!

[@Lavendeer201]

He has it pinned at the top of the comments for ya

[@icadrums]

Great exercise! 🤩

[@DannyEye2704]

Thank you! Thus is just what I need

[@AceHigh84]

Thx, great lesson as always, I have to do a lot of practice! :)

[@kenshoaldun]

Your lessons are awesome! Can I download them and put them on the website of my country because most people in my country cannot visit youtube. Your video can help more people in that way.

[@grxanm1]

This is a very cool exercise. I like it.

[@teetomthomas]

This is one of the best clips I've seen. I'd put it up there with Jojo's "Clapping Exercise" as one of the most valuable. The simple shit. Does Usain Bolt run 100M under 9 seconds every day? Hell no. He trains. Thank you. THANK YOU!!!