Lesson 3: The Famous Paradiddle

Now we're going to go on to Example Three, the famous Paradiddle. This technique is a combination of single strokes and double strokes.

Tempo and Timing

As I said, we're maintaining the same tempo: 90 beats per minute. I'm only playing quarter notes; I won't go to eighth notes or sixteenth notes at this stage.

Playing the Paradiddle

• I'll play for four bars
• Then you will
• I'll do it again
• Finally, you can have another chance

So, let's go with the paradiddle.

Count: 1, 2, 3, 4.

Tips for Playing the Paradiddle

Great! Just one thought I had as I was playing through that with the paradiddle:

• You might sometimes feel that when you play the doubles (the three and four in a bar), since they're played by the same stick, it might feel like they naturally want to speed up a little bit. This is because we’re still getting used to controlling the feel of singles and doubles.

Focus on Timing

• Doubles are played with the same stick, so focus on your timing.
• If you feel the doubles picking up speed, revisit your stick technique:
  • Think about where the balance point is.
  • Consider the height at which you’re playing.

Experiment with Dynamics

You can try:

• Playing them softly, with the stick only traveling up a little bit.
• Playing them louder because, after all, we’re playing rock music, so we don't want to be too soft.

Additional Exercises

• It's important to try different dynamics (different volumes).
• If you're struggling with the doubles, go back to the double exercise and work on:
  • The weight of the stick
  • Making it feel comfortable

This will help ensure that when we combine singles and doubles into the paradiddles, you'll be ready!