For Rudimental Snare Drum

repetition regimens!
!
to promote!
muscular awareness,!
sonic enlightenment,!
&!
musical excellence!

Dr. Matthew Lemieux

Mantras For Rudimental Snare Drum Lemieux
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The real secret of magic is that the world is made of

words, and that if you know the words that the world
is made of, you can make of it whatever you wish.
–Terence McKenna

Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................................ 2
1. Three-Height Bucks .... Definition ......................... 3
2. Fivelet Singles ............. Precision ......................... 3
3. Doubles ........................ Rebound .......................... 3
4. Solid Paradiddles ........ Uniformity ........................ 3
5. Sextuplets .................... Flow ................................. 4
6. Singlestroke Rolls ....... Consilience ...................... 4
7. Singlebacks ................. Relaxation ........................ 4
8. Tap Rolls....................... Control ............................. 5
9. Open and Closed.......... Expression ....................... 5
10. Inverted Rolls ............ Space ............................... 5
11. Hucks ......................... Flexibility ......................... 5
12. Flams ......................... Discipline ......................... 6
13. Inverts ........................ Detail ............................... 6
14. Mills ........................... Comfort ........................... 6
15. Cheese ....................... Finesse ............................ 7
16. Threes ........................ Subtlety ............................ 7

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Mantras For Rudimental Snare Drum Lemieux
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Introduction
W
elcome to Mantras For Rudimental Snare Drum ! A “mantra” is a word or short
phrase that is repeated— repeatedly— with the goal of creating transformation
within the speaker in order to attain enlightenment. In the spirit of that concept,
this volume consists of extremely short exercises that can be repeated over and
over again, in order to reinforce the physical, mental, and musical skills that are essential
for a truly versatile rudimental drummer.

The sixteen exercises in this volume cover different rudimental applications, and each
exercise is accompanied by its title, a loosely-associated word or concept for your
consideration, and a recommended tempo range.

I have published tens of thousands of words about drumming fundamentals, and I certainly
encourage you to pursue my other works, such as Quality Control for Rudimental
Drummers , and Rudiment Control, where I spare no detail in describing tools for becoming
a better drummer. However, for this volume, I want to let the music speak for itself. The
point of the “mantras” approach is not for you to listen to me; the point is for you to listen
to you . Listen to what your hands are telling you. Listen to what the drum (or practice pad)
is saying. Be accountable as a musician, and constantly seek excellence.

The exercises in this volume are patterns that I have found myself repeating in my own
personal practice because of what they are able to tell me about my playing and how to
improve myself. Everything you see in this volume was the result of careful consideration,
and if a compositional choice seems unusual or clumsy, I would urge you to fall back on
the central theme of this book: listen. Listen to what your experience with this music is
telling you about your hands, your ears, your mind, and your heart.

Put on some recorded music to play along with—or fire up the metronome and set a timer
to tell you when to stop—and repeat an exercise repeatedly: no rests between repetitions.
Be aware of how your perception of each pattern changes as you repeat it, and see where
the moment takes you. I hope that these patterns will speak to you like they have spoken to
me, and I wish you the very best in your continued growth as an artist.

Dr. Matthew Lemieux

14 August 2019

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Mantras For Rudimental Snare Drum Lemieux
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Definition q = 60 – 168!
_ _ >_ _ > _ _ > > _ _>_ _ > _ _>
1. Three-Height Bucks!

44 .. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ..
>

#1 }
R r R r R R R r R r R r R r R R L l L l L L L l L l L l L l L L

2. Fivelet Singles! Precision q = 60 – 168!

4 .0 0 00 0 00 0 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .
> 5 > 5 > 5 > 5 > 5 > 5 > 5 > 5

#2 } 4 . R r r L l l R r r L l l R l r l r L r l r l R l r l r L r l r l .

3. Doubles! Rebound q = 40 – 120!

44 .. 0 0! ≈ 0! ≈ 0! ≈ 0! 0! 0! 0! 0! 0! 0! 0! 0! 0 0! ≈ 0! ≈ 0! ≈ 0! 0! 0! 0! 0! 0! 0! 0! 0! ..
#3 } R RR RR RR RR LL RR LL RR LL RR LL RR L LL LL LL LL RR LL RR LL RR LL RR LL

4. Solid Paradiddles! Uniformity q = 80 – 168!

4 .0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 0 00 00 .
> >

#4 } 4 . R l r r L r l l r l r r l r l l r l r r l r l l r l r r l r l l .

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Mantras For Rudimental Snare Drum Lemieux
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5. Sextuplets! Flow q . = 80 – 168!

12
8 .. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0! 0! 0! 0! 0! 0! 0 0 0 0 0 0 0! 0! 0! 0! 0! 0! 0 0 0 0 0 0
#5 } r l r l r l r l r l r l rr ll rr ll rr ll r l r l r l rr ll rr ll rr ll r l r l r l

0! 0! 0! 0! 0! 0! 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0! 0! 0! 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0! 0! 0! ..
}
rr ll rr ll rr ll r l r l r l r l r l r l rr ll rr l r l r l r l r l r l r ll rr ll

6. Singlestroke Rolls! Consilience q . = 80 – 152!

12
> > > > > > > >

#6 } 8 .. 00R 00 00 00L 00 00 0R 0l 0r 0l 0r 0L 0r 0l 0r 0l 0R 0l 0r 0l 0r 0L 0r 0l 0r 0l 00R 00 00 00R 00 00

l r l l
> > > > > > > >
} 00 00 00 00 00 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 00 00 00 00 00 ..
L R L r l r l R l r l r L r l r l R l r l r L L
r l r r

Relaxation q = 80 – 120!
___ ___ ___
7. Singlebacks!
>
44 .. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
#7 } R l r l r l r l r l R L R l R L R l r l R L R
fp mp
___ ___ ___
Cresc. Tenutos Only
>
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ..
}
L r l r l r l r l r L R L r L R L r l r L R L
fp mp
Cresc. Tenutos Only

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 Mantras For Rudimental Snare Drum Lemieux
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8. Tap Rolls! Control q = 88 – 128!

44 .. 0 0z 0 0z 0 0z 0 0z 0 0z 0 0z 0 0 0 0! 0! 0 0! 0 0! 0 0! 0! 0 0! 0 0! 0 0
> > > > > > >> > > > > > > >>

#8 } R l r L r L r L r l R l R l R L R ll rr L rr L rr L rr ll R ll R ll R L

6 6
! 0! 0 0! 0 0! 0 0! 0! 0 0! 0 0! 0 0 .
> 5:3 > > > 5:3 > > >> > > > > > > >>
} 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .
R l l r r L r r L r r L r r l l R l l R l l R L R ll rr L rr L rr L rr ll R ll R ll R L

9. Open and Closed! Expression q . = 120 – 176!

12
8 .. 0z. 0z. 0! 0! 0! 0! 0! 0! 0! 0! 0! 0! 0! 0! 0 0 0 0 0 0 ..
#9 } R L R l r l rr ll rr ll rr ll rr ll rr ll RR LL R L R L R L
ff pp

10. Inverted Rolls! Space q = 80 – 152!

6 6

4 . 0 0000000000000000000 00000000000000000000.
> 6 > > 6 >

#10 } 4 . R l l r r l l r r l l r r l l r r l l R L r r l l r r l l r r l l r r l l r r L .

11. Hucks! Flexibility q . = 120 – 184!

12
> > > > > >

#11 } 8 .. 00 ‰ 00 00 ‰ 00 00 ‰ 00 00 ‰ 00 00 ‰ 00 00 ‰ 00 00 ‰ 00 00 ‰ 00 ..
B b b B b b B b b B B b b B b b

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 Mantras For Rudimental Snare Drum Lemieux
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12. Flams! Discipline q = 72 – 104!

4
>

#12 } 4 .. 0R
j j j j j j j j j j j j j j
0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0
l r l ...

>
} 0 5
j
0 0 5
j
0 5
j
0 5
j
0 5
j
0 5
j
0 5
j
0 5
j
0 5
j
0 5
j
0 5
j
0 5
j
0 5
j
0 5
j
0 ..
r L r l ...

Detail q = 72 – 120!
. . . . .
13. Inverts!

4
> > > > >

#13 } 4 .. 0l 0L 0L 0L 0r 0R 0R 0R 0l 0L 0L 0L 0r 0R 0l 0L 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ..
j j j j j
5 5 5 5 5
L r r r R l l l L r r r R l L r
Grace Notes To Taps Flams to Taps

Comfort q = 80 – 152!
>_ >_ >_ >_ >_ >_ >_ >_
14. Mills!

44 .. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ..
5
j
5
j
5
j
5
j
5
j
5
j
5
j
5
j
#14 } R r l r L l r l R r l r L l r l r l R r l r L l r l R r l r L l

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 Mantras For Rudimental Snare Drum Lemieux
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Finesse q = 80 – 128!
_ _ _ _ _ _
15. Cheese!

0! 0 5j 0! 0 j ! j !
Cresc. L.H. Only

44 .. 5j 0 5j 0 5j 0 5j 0
> >
j j
5 0 5 0 0 5 0 0 5 0 0 0
#15 } R R R r r ll r ll r ll r LL r L L r
f p

_ _ _Cresc. R.H. _Only _ _

0! 0 5j 0! 0 5j 0! 0 0! 0
> >
j j j
5 0 5 0 5 0 5
j
0 5
j
0 5
j
5
j
0 0 0 ..
}
L L L l l rr l rr l rr l RR l R R l
f p

16. Threes! Subtlety q = 80 – 128!

44 .. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 6 3 3 6 3

#16 }
R R R L L L R R R L L L R R R L L L R R R L L L R R R L L L R R R L L L R R R

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ..
6 6 3 3 6 3

}
L L L R R R L L L R R R L L L R R R L L L R R R L L L R R R L L L R R R L L L

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mn

Learning is not compulsory; it’s voluntary.

Improvement is not compulsory; it’s voluntary.
But to survive, we must learn.
–W. Edwards Deming

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FOR BETTER HANDS & FOR BETTER BEATS
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Matthew Lemieux is a freelance musician and
educator who works as a research scientist in
Carpinteria, CA. He was a performer with the N.C.
State Power Sound of the South marching band for four
years and also marched with the world-class WGI
ensemble Constitution in 2008. He has instructed for
numerous marching bands and percussion
ensembles, including Cary HS (Cary, NC), Athens
Drive HS (Raleigh, NC), Weber State Indoor
Percussion (Ogden, UT), and Davis HS (Kaysville,
UT). His music has been published through
Tapspace Publications, Marching Monk, and
Mountainland Performance Design, in addition to
his self-publishing through FatMattDrums. Matthew
earned his BS in Chemical Engineering from North
Carolina State University in 2011 and a PhD in
Chemical Engineering from The University of Utah
in 2017, and he now enjoys a great life in Southern
California with his wife and children.

www.fatmattdrums.com
©2019 Matthew Lemieux All Rights Reserved