Building the Five-Stroke Roll - an essential jazz drumming tool

In jazz drumming and many other styles of drumming, the five-stroke roll is an exceedingly useful tool and exceedingly common. When you are starting out with jazz drumming this is one rudiment that you need to get under your hands and into your playing. When you do, you will find almost endless applications.

For many playing and soloing situations, you will want to play the five-stroke roll with triplets. In particular, you really need to be able to end the roll on the last beat of the triplet, the upbeat.

Here is a simple exercise and progression to help you achieve that.

First, think in 3/4. Count one, two, three; one, two, three and play alternating single strokes on the beat (first exercise). Accent the third quarter note.

Next, turn beats one and two into eighth notes using double strokes. Count one, and, two, and three; one, and, two, and three. (second exercise).

Once this is comfortable, and you can play it at a decent speed, build up the same pattern again, but this time as triplets (third and fourth exercise).

Play basic time with the feet (BD - 1, 2, 3, 4; HH - 2 & 4) and count 1-trip-let, 2-trip-let, 3-trip-let, 4-trip-let. Accent the upbeat beat - the third beat - of each triplet (third exercise).

Again, double the first two beats of the triplet to get the five-stroke roll (fourth exercise).

There are plenty of things to explore.

Try placing the accent on the toms.

Then try placing the accent on the cymbals, and add the bass drum.

Experiment with other voicings and placements on the kit.

In the PDF are two examples of where to place the five-stroke roll in time playing. Make sure you tie over the upbeat of beat four and pick up the time on beat two of the following bar.

You should repeat this idea with the accent on the downbeat. See the PDF for where to start.

Finally, repeat all the exercises with single strokes instead of doubles, then apply to brushes.