One of the hardest skills when learning to drum is the drum roll. Once you get the hang of it, any other rudiment will be a snap. It requires practice, patience and a keen ear to develop the ability to make the cleanest and most even drum roll, like the ones the pros do. Just hitting the drum is an instinct we all have. What you need to learn to do is to control the bounce of the sticks and then use it to roll.
Instructions
1. Get out your practice pad or drum and your drum sticks. Do your preferred warm up routine to get started.
2. With each hand practice hitting the drum two times in a row with the same hand. Keep practicing and see how fast you can hit it two times with the same hand. This is the beginning of a drum roll. Be sure to not be hitting extremely hard and keep your sticks fairly close to the drum head. You should be using your wrists to create the motion instead of your arms.
3. Alternate double stroking the drum between hands: RR LL RR LL RR LL RR LL. Try this faster and faster. Your sticks should not drag on the head after the hits. You should be flexible enough to allow the bounce from the first hit to make the second hit and then be catching the stick before it can hit it again.
4. Record yourself practicing with the tape recorder and play it back. Listen to see if one hand is sounding stronger than the other or if your second tap on the drum is weaker than the first. With practice these taps and each hand should become even.
5. Practice until you are fast and even enough to not hear the difference between each hand or the first or second tap. You should now be doing an actual drum roll.
