Double Stroke Roll

Grip & Sticking

Also called doubles, double strokes, open roll.

Two strokes per hand: R R L L R R L L. The first stroke is a full wrist stroke; the second rides the rebound, guided by the fingers. The classic version is the open roll — two distinct, even strokes per hand, not a buzzed note. Making that second stroke sound like the first is the whole game, and it takes most players years.

You will hear it rolled into crashes and rides, swelling on the snare before an ending, and hiding inside nearly every rudiment you learn next: the five stroke roll, the flam tap, the diddle at the end of a paradiddle. A drummer with even doubles sounds professional at any volume; one with a limp second stroke sounds amateurish at any tempo.

Against a metronome at 60 bpm, play one diddle per click, then four strokes per hand in bursts. Alternate the accent inside each pair — loud-soft, then soft-loud — so neither hand's fingers get lazy. If the second stroke drops in volume or shows up late, you are going too fast. Slow down and rebuild at a speed where it feels boring.