Notation question: what is (9) or (11)

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Francislaw63

New Member
As a beginning player I have a notation question regarding rolls. I've got this book called "Rhythms and Rolls" with 500 exercises for Snare drum.
I can read music and know the notation for double and triple rolls, but sometimes the author adds a number in brackets (eg (9)) over the roll notation.
What does that mean? Can anybody help me?
 
MrPockets said:
How many strokes the rolls have probably. The author should have a key or explanation on the book.

A 5 stroke roll is RRLLR or LLRRL.

A 9 stroke roll is RRLLRRLLR or LLRRLLRRL.

You should be able to extrapolate for 11.
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Yes, this.

This is common practice for rudimental work. The number tells you the measured roll being used, (5) = a 5-stroke roll, etc.

This is to avoid any confusion where ambiguous notation or rhythms can lead to different interpretations of how many strokes to play.
 
Francislaw63 said:
As a beginning player...
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Keep in mind that a 9-stroke roll is really an 8-stroke roll, plus a tap at the end. When I started, I couldn't figure out why someone would carefully draw 8 notes, and then write "9" over top. :unsure: So 5 is really 4, 7 is really six... et cetera.

One exception is the "six-stroke-roll" rudiment, which is a different sort of animal.

6.png
 
Usually the even-numbered rolls have two accented singles-- either both at the beginning, or both at the end, or one on each end. Things labeled 6 stroke roll usually have an accent at each end.

All of the roll names count double strokes and the release-- or a tap at the beginning. So a 7 stroke roll = three doubles and a release, or a tap + three doubles. For some reason they don't count the release in that form. The system isn't 100% consistent.

Also if you're playing multiple bounce / closed / buzz rolls, each buzz stroke counts as two roll notes, for naming purposes. 5 stroke roll open or closed = two roll strokes (double or buzz) + release.

With rolls you do play the tied note-- that's the release. All the tie tells you is that the roll is unbroken until you hit the release. When there's no tie, there needs to be a little space between the roll and the following note.
 
Am I right that the release note typically occurs on a "whole beat" (i.e., a 1, 2, 3, or 4, and not an e, &, or a, for example. Not sure about my term "whole beat" but I think you know what I mean).

In TMe's images the strikes might occur on 1e&a2 3e&a4 wherein strikes on 1, 2, 3, and 4 are 16th notes (odds are "taps", evens are "releases") and the other strikes are 32nd notes or double strokes. Thx
 
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Francislaw63 said:
As a beginning player I have a notation question regarding rolls. I've got this book called "Rhythms and Rolls" with 500 exercises for Snare drum.
I can read music and know the notation for double and triple rolls, but sometimes the author adds a number in brackets (eg (9)) over the roll notation.
What does that mean? Can anybody help me?
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Francislaw63, check out Jack Bennett of "I can play drums" on Youtube. He put out a series of videos on all the rolls on his channel a few years ago. I think they are good explanations.
 
beet said:
I’m not sure what you wrote but here are my interpretations, time-wise. Hopefully correct. When you say “whole beat”, are you referring to “down beat”?

1-e-&-a-
R-llrrL-
For a 6 stroke roll, above are the beats based on 32nd notes but counting sixteenth notes as 1e&a. The total roll takes one quarter note in time.



A five stroke roll in eighth notes as RRLLR would be as below and takes six 8th notes in time.


1e&a2e
rrllR-
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Yes, your first example is what I meant--the chart form helps. Thanks!
 
What Todd Bishop said, regarding the odd numbered rolls.

The even numbered rolls are a whole other topic.
 
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