Supplement 34B: Open and Closed Roll Development | Part 2 of 2

The difference between these two rolls comes down to rebounds per stroke — two for the double-stroke roll, multiple bounces for the closed roll. Either way, relaxation and good control of the motion are what produce the best sound. Your chosen tempo determines which note value rate the roll uses, and for the closed roll, your hand position shouldn’t change at all. Practice in the 100–120 bpm range, which naturally forces a duple roll, and make sure both hands get practice starting and ending rolls.