Sticking For The Standard Paradiddle In 5/4

The paradiddle is a relatively simple rudiment that involves playing two single strokes followed by a double over various different note values and in a previous lesson you have covered this in the time signatures of 4/4, 3/4 and 6/8. In this lesson you will be switching this to 5/4. If you have covered the 4/4 version of this lesson the exercises given here will be much easier and you can find this linked at the bottom of the page. The intention of this lesson is to familiarize you with the new time signature and how this sticking moves within it.

Like 4/4, the time signature of 5/4 can be described as 'simple' and it is the 4 at the bottom that tells you this. That means that all notes are most commonly grouped into blocks of 2, 4 or 8 and you get five crotchets worth of note values for every bar. I have included links to more detailed lessons on this subject at the bottom of the page. A paradiddle is a two beat movement, so fits quite nicely into even numbered time signatures, but 5/4 is obviously an odd numbered time signature. You will notice that in the notation below, the rudiment is spread over two bars rather than the usual one. This represents the minimum number of times the rudiment can be played so that it starts again on the first right hand of the rudiments sticking. Once you start playing through the exercises this will make more sense.

Listed below are two versions of the paradiddle applied to the time signature of 5/4, the first with standard sticking and the second with reverse.


Exercise 1

A Paradiddle in 5/4 with standard sticking. Notice that the sticking for the second bar is the exact reverse of the first.

A Paradiddle in 5/4 with standard sticking


Exercise 2

A Paradiddle in 5/4 with reverse sticking. Notice that again, the sticking for the second bar is the exact reverse of the first.

A Paradiddle in 5/4 with reverse sticking


Tasks

  • Learn the patterns up to a temp of at least 130bpm.
  • Add feet to the parts.
  • Orchestrate the parts.
  • Apply the sticking to other time signatures.
  • Apply different rudiment stickings in 5/4.

Lessons

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