Learn How To Play The Flam Drag
The flam drag is a unique drum rudiment that alternates flams and drags within the structure of an alternating double stroke roll. With all these unique elements combined, this rudiment becomes a powerful exercise for developing flam strokes, drags, and overall hand coordination. That control is sure to benefit you in a wide variety of ways. Here is the basic pattern written out in drum notation:
If you look closely above, you'll notice that when you ignore the extra flam and drag strokes - the pattern is just a simple alternating double stroke roll. The first stroke of each double is replaced with a flam, and the second is replaced by a drag. That's really all there is to it. Work through it slowly at first, and it will come together.
Flam Drag - Drum Set Applications
Exercise two incorporates the flam drag in the context of a drum beat:
The third exercise uses the flam drag in a unique drum fill around the tom-toms:
Once you are done with this lesson, you can move on to another drum rudiment lesson of your choice.
Learn how to play all 40 drum rudiments with the Drumming System by Mike Michalkow!