One of the things I’ve discovered throughout my pipe band drumming journey is, that roll quality can almost certainly give you an idea of the level of the drummer. Hence why all competitions starts with two rolls? Roll quality seems to me, to be the biggest differentiator when it comes to determing the level of any pipe band drummer, generally speaking.

Well, how do I fix my rolls then or how do I know if I need to fix my rolls?

First of all, I think it’s a neverending task to work on good roll quality, and therefore it’s not something you just fix in a snap and then it’s perfect. All pipe drummers I know, and also myself, all continuosly work on roll quality. So the latter end of the question is; you always need to work on your rolls.

That said, there are some things you can do to improve your roll quality. Here’s a few things that I’ve noticed seems to work when I train my rolls, and when I teach pipe band drummers of all levels. Maybe you can make use of some of these tips?

Here we go:

Play slow & soft

As always, when working on something new or changing something in your technique; play slow & soft. This will allow you to pay more attention to the fine details in the sound you’re creating (which ultimately is THE most important thing), but also to feel the vibrations in the sticks and the motions of your fingers and hands.

Awareness of the underlying triplet rhythm

A common thing amongst some drummers is, that they’re not always aware of the underlying triplet rhythm of the rolls. This can particularly be a factor for someone coming from a marching band background. However, I’ve seen the same issue from someone who’s always and only been in pipe band drumming. The most likely problem that I’ve experienced would be that they’re playing too fast in the beginning of the rolls (for example the introduction rolls). So one obvious solution here is to try and take away the deadstick buzzes and just play the taps whilst singing/humming the underlying triplet rhythm.

Close up the buzz’es

I couldn’t tell how many times I’ve seen this issue being the case in terms of roll quality problem. Some drummers play rolls very careless (or so it seems) by playing way too open rolls and not differentiating enough between taps and buzzes, which makes it hard to establish a clear distinction between which is what. Therefore my recommendation is often that they start over and really pay attention to the difference between the tap and the buzz, making sure that the buzz is very closed and the tap is very open. Again make sure to do this at a low volume to allow yourself (brain, ears, fingers and hands) to take note of what’s going on and take it all in. Making this very clear distinction will also help you sharpen your awareness of the underlying triplet rhythm.

Practice dynamics

To me, it’s very important to practice the dynamics; also, and perhaps especially when it comes to rolls. I’ve seen too many cases where people have not practiced the dynamics at home…, and then how can anyone expect the dynamics to suddenly appear at rehersal or performances?

Therefore; remember to practice rolls as well from low to high and vice versa – long and short rolls. Pay close attention to what happens to your rolls when you adjust the volume.

Different underlying rhythms in strathspey/jig compared to marches

As mentioned earlier in this article, the underlying rhythm of the rolls in pipe band drumming in the marches (and hornpipes&reels) are triplets. In strathspeys and jigs, it’s different. Here it’s more like a marching band style straight forward non-triplet rolls. This can be a bit tricky, so I highly recommend that you get good tuition from an experienced pipe band drummer, if you have an issue with figuring out these kinds of rolls.

I’ve covered some of the issues mentioned above in my technique exercises section on this website – go and check out the sheets, videos and exercises here.