Percussion: Rolling Along

Written by Professor John Dorsey, percussion

One of the most common roles of the drummer/percussionist is to play rolls. What is a roll? A piece of bread often with butter or jam? No, a roll (a.k.a., drum roll) is defined as a series of notes, usually played in rapid consecutive order. The most important part of the definition, though, is the purpose of the roll. The purpose of the roll is to produce a sustained sound, that is, a long tone, on a drum or other percussion instrument. But how this sustained sound is achieved can vary according to the technique involved.

There are two main classifications of rolls - OPEN and CLOSED. Technically, an OPEN roll is defined as a roll produced with one or two notes per wrist stroke, i.e., a single stroke roll or a double stroke roll. However, the term open roll most commonly refers just to the double stroke roll and a single stroke roll is simply referred to as a single stroke roll. A CLOSED roll is produced with more than two notes per wrist stroke. This roll is someTimes, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif called a buzz roll, press roll or multiple bounce roll. The closed roll is the most common roll and the roll most people refer to when they speak of a drum roll.

Why are there different rolls? (Different strokes for different folks?) And, when and why are these different rolls used? The answer to these questions must always be originated in the sound produced. After all, what is music but sound? This is one of the many ways for the drummer/percussionist to express himself/herself musically. Another way to think about open and closed rolls is not by technical definitions, but by the sound produced. The open roll has more openness to the sound because there is more open space between notes. The closed roll has a more closed sound because the notes are closer together. It is extremely rare for there to be any indications as to which type of roll should be used when. Always remember, the music should be the final judge of what is best.

Single stroke rolls are most commonly used on timpani, keyboard mallet percussion instruments and percussion instruments which are difficult to produce a rebound with a stick or mallet. On timpani, even though it is possible to achieve rebounds with most timpani mallets, single stroke rolls are the roll of choice of most timpanists. This is because a fuller, more resonant tone results from single strokes rather than double strokes or multiple bounces, particularly with louder rolls. On this rather large membranophone, the double strokes or multiple bounces tend to cancel out the vibrations of the head resulting in a diminished, dull tone. There are a few timpanists, however, who do use a multiple bounce roll in some rare instances, namely, a very soft roll on one of the smaller diameter drums with high tension. On the keyboard mallet percussion instruments, it becomes obvious almost immediately why single strokes are used when one attempts to produce rebounds with the proper keyboard mallets. It is extremely difficult to even get the mallets to bounce at all, much less with any kind of smooth tone. Other percussion instruments which are played with mallets fall into the same category. There are a few instruments, however, which can be played with either mallets or sticks. An example is the wood block. Most percussionists would probably agree that a superior tone results when medium hard rubber mallets (or similar) are used to play the wood block. But there might be certain situations where there is not ample time to change from sticks to mallets, or situations where drumsticks is actually the preferred sound, and in those cases, the performer would then have the option as to using single stroke rolls or multiple bounce rolls. The music (not ink) is used to determine which is most appropriate.

Double stroke (open) rolls are most commonly used in rudimental style snare drumming, also referred to as marching or military style. This is often in a marching band which utilizes multiple drums, and by design needs to play with great volume. When played by many drummers, it produces a very loud, uniform sound. Single stroke rolls do not produce a smooth uniform sound and multiple bounces are physically too strenuous and do not produce the necessary volume.The double stroke roll developed in military drumming when drums were used extensively as signal instruments, and it was necessary to produce a long, loud roll. The older rudimental term for the double stroke roll was Long Roll. A Long Roll was used for, among other things, as a warning signal - HELP! Open rolls are commonly measured into determined lengths such as the 5-stroke roll, 9-stroke roll, 17-stroke roll, etc., which also has its history in training military drummers. A 5-stroke roll refers to the number of notes in each pattern - five, not the number of wrist strokes - three.

A closed roll generally produces the smoothest long tone, and for this reason is the most common type of drum roll to hear in concert (orchestral) style music. Closed rolls almost never have any indications as to the number of strokes contained in each roll, that is, a predetermined length. The length of the roll is determined by two major factors: note value and tempo. In 4/4 time, a quarter note roll tied to a single quarter note would often be played as a 9-stroke closed roll. However, if the tempo were slow, the same roll might be played as a 17-stroke closed roll, or if the tempo were very fast, it might be played as a 5-stroke closed roll. If one has sufficient technique, a third factor may be used to determine the length of a roll - the character of the music. For example, if one plays the same quarter note roll just mentioned as an 11-stroke closed roll, it can add intensity or tension to the character of the music, or if played as a 7-stroke closed roll it could possibly result in a more relaxed feeling. To this can be added another variation - exactly how many notes per stroke of the wrist. Though a triple stroke roll (3 notes per wrist stroke) is technically a closed roll, if played slow enough it can sound open and can someTimes, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif imply a military character. A triple stroke roll can be used at any time as a closed roll, but is used most effectively in two situations: very soft rolls and very loud rolls. In pianissimo dynamics, a triple stroke roll played at the edge of the drum produces a smooth, relaxed and resonant sound, where the buzz roll may produce a somewhat duller tone due to the canceled vibrations from the multiple strokes. Also, triple stroke rolls can sound more relaxed as a rule, but multiple bounces (i.e., 4-6 notes per wrist stroke) can often sound more full and more forceful. It is usually the performer's decision as to how to play each roll.

Which type of roll, open or closed, should be used when? As a general rule of thumb, though one with many exceptions, think: outdoors - open and indoors - closed. Marching bands usually perform outdoors and the drummers usually play open rolls. Symphony orchestras and concert bands usually perform indoors and the percussionists usually play closed rolls. What about a march played indoors with a concert band? If there is only one snare drummer, closed rolls will probably sound best to help fill the sound, but open rolls may be better if there is more than one drummer, though it may be too loud to balance with the rest of the ensemble. What about a march played outdoors with a symphony orchestra? Again, if there is only one snare drummer, closed rolls will probably sound better, depending on the drummer's capability and the size of the ensemble, but if more than one drummer, open rolls will almost always sound best. As stated above, the final judge to any of these decisions should be the music itself. The real music is not printed on a piece of paper, but rather heard by our ears and felt in our hearts.

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