Single Drag Tap

The Single Drag Tap is a rudiment (#32 of the 40 P.A.S. certified essential or standard rudiments) which combines an unaccented Drag with an accent in 8th notes. This is a hand-to-hand pattern which means it alternates between starting on the Right Hand and the Left Hand.

As in rudiment #33 the Double Drag Tap, the term 'Drag Tap' is somewhat confusing. A 'Tap' or 'Tap Stroke' is  actually a control stroke starting low and ending low. We use these to play an unaccented note and prepare for an unaccented note right after. So perhaps we should be calling this rudiment the 'Single Drag Accent' from now on.

Sticking

llr L   rrl R

Notice the permutated Inverted Single Paradiddle sticking. The first inversion of a Single Paradiddle is RllrLrrl (the diddle being in the middle). If we then take the permutation of this pattern to start with the diddle on the left hand we get this sticking. It's all connected rhythmically somehow.

Counting

tk1...N.tk2...N.tk

or

&a1...&.&a2...&.&a

As with any Drag rudiment, how you would count this depends greatly on the tempo. Thinking of 16th notes and doubling up the last 16th note to 32nd notes at a tempo of quarter note = 60 bpm is a good starting point.

Single Drag Tap

Exercises

32a

Here we combine three Single Drag Taps with one Flam after which we reverse the sticking.

Counting

tk1...n.tk2...n.tk3...n...4.....tk1...n.tk2...n.tk3...n...4.....tk

or

&a1...&.&a2...&.&a3...&...4.....&a