Example 3 - Paradiddles

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# Lesson 3: The Famous Paradiddle

Now we're going to go on to **Example Three**, the famous **Paradiddle**. This technique is a combination of single strokes and double strokes.

## Tempo and Timing

As I said, we're maintaining the same tempo: **90 beats per minute**. I'm only playing quarter notes; I won't go to eighth notes or sixteenth notes at this stage.

### Playing the Paradiddle

- I'll play for **four bars**
- Then you will
- I'll do it again
- Finally, you can have another chance

So, let's go with the paradiddle.

**Count: 1, 2, 3, 4.**

## Tips for Playing the Paradiddle

Great! Just one thought I had as I was playing through that with the paradiddle:

- You might sometimes feel that when you play the doubles (the three and four in a bar), since they're played by the same stick, it might feel like they naturally want to speed up a little bit. This is because we’re still getting used to controlling the feel of singles and doubles.

### Focus on Timing

- **Doubles** are played with the same stick, so focus on your timing.
- If you feel the doubles picking up speed, revisit your stick technique:
- Think about where the **balance point** is.
- Consider the height at which you’re playing.

### Experiment with Dynamics

You can try:

- Playing them softly, with the stick only traveling up a little bit.
- Playing them louder because, after all, we’re playing rock music, so we don't want to be too soft.

### Additional Exercises

- It's important to try different dynamics (different volumes).
- If you're struggling with the doubles, go back to the **double exercise** and work on:
- The weight of the stick
- Making it feel comfortable

This will help ensure that when we combine singles and doubles into the paradiddles, you'll be ready!

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