The open stroke roll is played by bouncing your sticks twice RRLLRRLL but it’s a common problem for the snare drummer to sound like RrLlRrLl which is very uneven.
In order to develop a more even sounding open stroke roll you need to practice playing it like this with an accent on the second R and the second L. rR lL rR lL
Learn how to play even sounding open stroke rolls by watching this video I made on the shores of an Island on the St Lawrence among the Thousand Islands.
I’m using my Cooperman sticks that you can buy at Percussion Source.
Play this slowly at first and build up your speed. Don’t try to play faster than you can play smoothly and relaxed.
- To play the rebound louder I use my fingers to snap the stick to create an accent.
- Play this by starting very slowly and then gradually pick up speed until you can play no faster without getting tense. Then slow down
- Keep practicing slow to fast to slow and each time you practice try to get a little faster each time but don’t get tense.
