Welcome back to Hackney Wick Drum Studio for another Drum Lesson in our rudiment series. Today, we're going to be taking a look at the 9 Stroke Roll. Like all the roll based rudiments we've covered so far, it's a combination of Single Strokes and Double Strokes, so if you're not quite up to speed with these yet, go and check them out for some great drumming tips. You should also check out the 5 Stroke and 7 Stroke rolls before having a crack at this one.
You've probably guessed already that the 9 stroke roll contains 9 strokes, 4 lots of doubles and a single. Like the 5 Stroke Roll, this one naturally alternates, so is great for building up both hands equally.
The first way we're going to look at this rudiment is a nice and steady 16th note version. Take a look below at the notation.
You'll clearly be able to see the 4 sets of double strokes and the single stroke on beat 3. We've also got a quarter note rest on beat 4 which enables us to set up for the next bar, which you'll begin with a left hand lead. Once you've got your head around the 9 Stroke roll played this way, let's take a look at a slightly different version.
9 STROKE ROLL
In this version of the 9 Stroke Roll, we're playing a double stroke on each 16th note, effectively giving us 32nd notes. Make sure to start this one at a slow tempo to make sure that all your notes are landing in the correct place. You'll probably also find that leading with your left hand from beat 3 might be slightly trickier, that's why it's important to spend a bit of time on the previous example, so you've got both hand equally up to speed.
Now's your chance to go away and have a good practice at this one. Experiment with it once you're comfortable with the sticking and see how it sounds using different placements around the kit. As always if you need any help with this, leave any questions or comments below and I'll get straight back to you with some feedback.
That's it for todays Drum Lesson. I hope you've found it useful and that you're successfully in your way to completing another drum rudiment.
Don't forget, you can always book an online drum lesson if you need any help with this or any other aspect of your playing. If you're looking for a drum teacher in London, I provide drum lessons from my Drum studio in Hackney Wick. If you're interested in booking a drum lesson, you can contact me via jack@hwdrumstudio.com, or book a drum lesson online.
Thanks everyone for checking out this free Drum Lesson, and I'll be back next week taking you through the 10 Stroke Roll.
Until then, Happy Drumming x