MD column: Alternative open roll stickings

Here’s an interesting piece from that same old Modern Drummer from 1977. The writer, Mickey Earnshaw, proposes a set of alternate roll stickings, using the RLLR/LRRL paradiddle inverion or the RLLR/RLLR sticking in place of the traditional mama-dada sticking. This allows a stronger attack at the beginning of the roll, and easier (and hipper) movement around the drums. The author stresses getting an even sound out of the body of the roll, but a loose execution will also give these a nice shape:

Get the pdf

2 thoughts on “MD column: Alternative open roll stickings

  1. Cool find, thanks for posting it.

    I like using this sticking for putting the accent on the 'a' of each beat, has a good feel and you can really nail the next downbeat. I use it a lot, actually.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *