Supplement 38C: The Single Ratamacue | Part 3 of 3

The single ratamacue is a drag followed by a triplet, and can start on either a downbeat or an upbeat. The grace notes can be played three ways: as a buzz close to the following note, in time as 32nd notes, or more broadly spaced in a looser feel. An accent can land anywhere in the rudiment, including on the grace note itself — and it’s worth distinguishing an actual written grace note from a 16th note with a slash through the stem. The diddle should always sit at a 32nd-note rate; practice these hand-to-hand, choosing a tempo where the rolls read as duple rather than triplet.