I frequently use Ted Reed’s Progressive Steps To SYNCOPATION For The Modern Drummer to practice roll accents on snare drum. One of the “must have on your music stand” drum books is Ted Reed Progressive Steps to Syncopation for the Modern Drummer. It’s like number two, behind Stone Stick Control, on Modern Drummer’s List of 25 Timeless Drum Books.
I have been working lately on accented rolls using pages 47 – 49 and pages 53 – 58. I don’t know what to do yet with pages 50 – 52. Play the accented note with a single stroke and all other 8th notes as an open diddle (rebound 16th notes). Keep the normal alternating sticking. The triplet section is a real blast. As the tempo increases start thinking of the 8th notes as 16th notes and the diddles as 32nd notes open rolls or multiple bounce closed rolls. Add a bass drum pattern to the exercises. Don’t overlook adding the bass drum on the accented notes. Maintaining a consistent hi-hat pattern. I encourage you to try using Ted Reed Syncopation to develop accented rolls.
As I have been watching some of the great drummers, I realized that a lot of times they were basically doing accented roll patterns. One final thought: Try putting the accented notes on the toms and keep the diddle notes on the snare drum. Start with the right hand accents on the floor tom and the left hand accents on the upper rack tom. Feel free to experiment. Get that metronome over 140 BPM for the half note and you will start to think you are Buddy Rich.
Example 27 page 49:
Example 35 page 56:
You may also want to see: Drum Set Method Book Recommendations, Ted Reed Syncopation Volume Two and Developing a Closed Buzz Roll
For anyone still not familiar with this book, the following is a review from Amazon:
Voted second on Modern Drummer’s list of 25 Greatest Drum Books in 1993, Progressive Steps to Syncopation for the Modern Drummer is one of the most versatile and practical works ever written for drums. Created exclusively to address syncopation, it has earned its place as a standard tool for teaching beginning drummers syncopation and strengthening reading skills. This book includes many accented eighths, dotted eighths and sixteenths, eighth-note triplets and sixteenth notes for extended solos. In addition, teachers can develop many of their own examples from it.