You didn't ask, but...

March 1, 2005

You didn’t ask, but…

the land of misfit rudiments is real!

Once upon a time there was a land where drumming was a part of everyday life. The drummers of the day decided to collect the most popular and useful combinations of rhythms & sticking and call them rudiments. They started out with 13 essential rudiments but soon realized there were probably more in need of recognition. The elder statesman of the community thoroughly investigated the situation and expanded the list to 26. And everybody was happy.

Things went on for many years with these 26 rudiments marching side by side. In time the community began to see the immigration of foreign rudiments. They were different, didn’t look or sound the same, but were welcomed non-the-less. There were paradiddles hanging with patta-fla-fla’s and flamacues hanging with windmills, but they all lived together and everybody was happy.

As generations passed and many of the rudiments were reaching monumental status a new breed came along. They had names like cheese, herta and eggbeater. Once again the elder rudiments opened their arms and welcomed the newcomers into the community. However it was a little different this time and not everybody was happy.

As these newer rudiments became popular they started to dominate the scene. They were like children who didn’t play well together. Instead of co-existing many of the older rudiments were cast aside. They were told tempos were now faster and they didn’t have a place in the new world. At a meeting of leaders in the activity someone even threw disparaging remarks at the family of ratamacues. If some well doers didn’t stand up and defend them their extinction may have become a reality.

Unfortunately time did not help these poor rudiments. Their place in history was legendary, but they were cast away like the dinosaurs with only our memories to honor them. The tales of flamacues, flam paradiddles, ratamacues, and many others will live on, but they will never march in this community again.

Is this a sad tale? Yes. Can this fate be avoided? Yes!

You didn’t ask, but…the land of misfit rudiments is real! And we are living in it. If you are a drum or percussion teacher, don’t forget to teach the rudiments…all of them. Not just the ones popular today, but their predecessors as well.

If you are a marching percussion composer, include some of the original 26 rudiments in your writing. It is easy to get into a rut, including certain rudiments time after time and forgetting the rest, but consider it your responsibility. The truth is sometimes when you return to something old or classic; it will seem fresh and new years later.

Some people will read this and write me off as a crackpot traditional guy, but I love all of the rudiments. The original 26, the PAS 40, the Contemporary Hybrid rudiments in Jim Campbell’s “Rudiments in Rhythm,” the great European rudiments and all of the other rudiments I’ve crossed paths with and failed to mention.

They all have a place in this world. Let’s not sit back and watch them become extinct. Instead, let’s be part of a “rudimental renaissance” celebrating the beautiful and unique sounds that all of these rudiments have to offer.

In the spirit,

Dominick Cuccia

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