BY “TIGER” BILL MELIGARI
The sound of Buddy Rich’s closed rolls can best be described as smooth. In this lesson, we feature the trick he incorporated that assured him a perfect sounding roll every time. Check it out in the video above.
Practice Tips
Here are some of the variations you can apply to Buddy’s Whipped Cream Roll:
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- Start by practicing each hand separately until you are able to get the same length buzz from each hand
- After you have mastered producing continuous closed rolls using large arm circles, practice making progressively smaller circles until you can get a smooth whipped cream roll using one-inch circles
- Practice using a continuous roll for the basis of an entire extended drum solo. Also incorporate accented rhythmic patterns as demonstrated in the video.
- Apply this technique to all of the metered rolls
- Practice at all dynamic levels from extra soft to super loud
Track your progress by playing your rolls in time to a metronome. Keep a record of your progress as you increase the tempo.
Until next time: Have fun and stay loose! Check out more of Tiger Bill’s Buddy Rich lessons here.