Eric Perrilloux was a legendary rudimental drummer who made significant contributions to the art of drumming. He was a widely admired rudimental drummer and, later, a drum corps instructor and is credited with innovations such as the introduction of the rudimental bass drum to the modern drum and bugle corps in 1956 and the performance of drum solos at the front of the field.

Perrilloux began drumming as a child and played professionally with several drum corps groups including the famous Charles T. Kirk Fife, Drum and Bugle corps of Brooklyn from 1937 to 1953 and the New York Skyliners in 1953 and 1954. He later became drum instructor for the Reilly Raiders of Philadelphia in 1955, teaching there for three seasons before returning to the Skyliners in 1958 where he served as writer and instructor for 13 seasons. Mr. Perrilloux was inducted into the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame in 1984 and was also a member of the Drummers Hall of Fame.

In 1950 Mr. Perrilloux published a booklet of solos entitled “Forty Rudimental Drumbeats.” The solos included are sometimes simple, sometimes challenging, and always fun. To my knowledge this book is no longer in print and cannot be purchased. The Company of Fifers and Drummers has a copy available for download. I have taken that copy and cropped out the excess white space, returning it to its booklet format. It is available for download here and videos of me playing through some, and eventually all, of these fun little solos can be found on my YouTube channel here.

Additional information on the life, accomplishments and contributions to the rudimental drumming world can be found here and here.

Happy drumming!