The one handed drum roll is a pretty fancy technique
. It's not something a beginner tends to try out, but if you've been playing the drums for sometime you might enjoy these tips.
I'm going to explain the basics of playing the one handed drum roll, but for more detailed instruction you may want to consider a video lesson or dvd.
In the grip
The technique to make the one handed roll happen is all in the grip. You want to hold the drum stick loosely and keep your middle, ring and pinky fingers loose on the underside of the stick. Your fingers should be loose enough that with a squeeze and light movement of the wrist the drum stick will hit the snare drum.
The Movement
Using your wrist and arm hit the snare once. Just as the head of the stick leaves the snare squeeze your fingers and make a slight movement of the wrist to help propel the stick and loosen your fingers again. This will cause the drum stick to hit the snare again.
The key is in the fingers as you can move them much faster then you can your wrist and arm.
The Timing
When perfecting the one handed drum roll there is a lot to do about timing. You need to pay close attention to when the stick leaves the snare after it's first contact and then make the motion to hit it again right after so you get a smooth drum roll moving.
Not Just for Drum Rolls
Learning this early on in your drumming career is important because the same motion isn't only used for a drum roll. It's a great movement to play quickly on the high-hat or ride cymbal as well. You'll find once you master the one handed movement described here you'll be incorporating it into every day playing.