Marin Mersenne’s Harmonie Universelle (1636) is a landmark seventeenth-century treatise on music theory and instruments. Mersenne devotes a full book to percussion, detailing drums used in music and military signals. He describes the tambourin provençal—played with one stick while the performer plays a flute—and early rudimental rolls, including the single-stroke roll. Mersenne also mentions the drum roll (roulement, or “long roll”), though exact techniques remain unclear. Linking percussion to music, mathematics, and natural philosophy, his work is a key early source on drum construction, rudimental practice, and the role of percussion in seventeenth-century music.
Read more here and download the full text or just the book about percussion (both in the original French).
A frequent visitor and fan of the site, Taneli Kiiskinen, submitted his book, “Finger Knot,” and gave permission to post it here for others to enjoy. “Finger Knot” is a stick control concept presented in phrases of 3 or 4 strokes with moving accents and flams that can help develop better rudiment execution and make learning hybrids easier. With 140 pages of patterns, you’re sure to find this book useful! “Finger Knot” has been added to the Technique Builders page. Check it out and happy drumming!
Up next in the Hybrid Rudiments Video Series are Flam Stutters. Flam Stutters are a group of three notes, sticked RLL or LRR, with Cheese on the first note. Much fun will be had with these. Happy drumming!
Download the companion PDF here and explore other hybrids here.
The mid-week entry of the Hybrid Rudiments Video Series is the Chatachichi. A Chatachichi is a Paradiddle with flams on the first, second, and third notes, followed by another flam on the same hand. This one will give those flams a good workout, so have fun and happy drumming!
Download the companion PDF here and explore other hybrids here.
Week 8 of the Hybrid Rudiments Video Series continues with the Flammed 3-2-1. A Flammed 3-2-1 is a Reverse Shirley Murphy (a triple stroke + double stroke + single stroke) with a flam on the first note of each, sticked following the format 3-2-1. Happy drumming!
Download the companion PDF here and explore other hybrids here.
Week 8 of the Hybrid Rudiments Video Series kicks off with the Flam Drag-a-poo! A Flam Drag-a-poo is a Flama-Single (group of four single strokes with a flam on the first note) with drags/double strokes on the second and fourth notes. You’re going to love this one. Happy drumming!
Download the companion PDF here and explore other hybrids here.
Concluding this round of the Hybrid Rudiments Video Series are Churruckitahs! Churruckitahs are a Flamacue-Diddle (Flam Paradiddle combined with a Flamacue by accenting the second note of each) with Cheese on the first flam. They are also called Cheeseacue-Diddle or Cheese Flamacue Diddle. Try them out and happy drumming!
Download the companion PDF here and explore other hybrids here.
Continuing the Hybrid Rudiments Video Series are Fuzz Taps! Fuzz Taps are a Flam Tap where the primary stroke of the flam is a buzz or crush. These are challenging but fun. Be sure not to crush the flam stroke, only the primary. Happy drumming!
Download the companion PDF here and explore other hybrids here.
Next in the Hybrid Rudiments Video Series is the Flama Chucka Diddle (that’s a mouthful)! The Flama Chucka Diddle is a Flama Chuck (Pataflafla with an extra flam on the third note) played with Paradiddle sticking. This one will give those flams a good workout. Try it and happy drumming!
Download the companion PDF here and explore other hybrids here.
