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Roll rudiments · 12 of 40

Eleven Stroke Roll

Five doubles into the accent.

RRLLRRLLRRL

Big letter = full stroke · filled = accent. Notation reads as on a practice-pad sheet: accents marked >, slashed small notes are grace notes, z on the stem is a buzz. R rings higher than L, so you can hear the hands.

80BPM

What it is

Five doubles into an accent. It is the nine stroke roll made longer by one double, and it is the first one that feels like a sustained roll rather than a figure.

How to practise it

  1. Count the doubles in pairs of beats so you do not lose your place.
  2. Keep the volume flat until the accent. Rolls that crescendo by accident are a common habit.
  3. Start where every stroke is deliberate, around 60–80 BPM, and only speed up when it feels boring. When it is clean, take it to the tempo trainer and let trainer mode climb from where you are.

Take it further

More roll rudiments

Singles, doubles and buzzes, and the numbered rolls built from them. Rolls are where hand control and evenness come from.