Supplement 27C: The Single Stroke Roll | Part 3 of 4

This sequence of exercises begins developing the ability to sustain a fast single-stroke roll for an extended time while staying completely relaxed. Accents are applied more frequently at first, then grow further apart as the roll develops, eventually leaving a series of rapid, unaccented tap strokes. Think of the accent motion less as an accent and more as a “reloading” of the note sequence — a slight Moeller or whip motion is all that’s needed to keep the roll going without an obvious accent. Follow the metronome suggestions and track your progress: practice the duple (16th-note) examples first, then the triplet (16th-note triplet) examples, and finally combine duple and triplet as one exercise (Supplement 27C). Stay relaxed, especially in the forearm, as each successive exercise reduces how often the “reloading” motion occurs, with the ultimate goal of sustaining the roll indefinitely with no accents.