Welcome back to another installment of my warm ups. The following 3 examples few roll exercises that I have been playing since my old marching band days back in upstate New York. Thanks goes to Jim Ahearn and Matt Savage. Just like my other warm ups, these exercises are meant to build ‘chops’. Pay attention and listen closely to make sure the rolls are played evenly.

EXERCISE 1

Exercise One is repeating sixteenth notes mixed with nine-stroke rolls. This is a 2-bar repeating phrase in 4/4 time.

The exercise can be counted: “1 E & Ah, 2, 3 E & Ah, 4, 1 E & Ah, 2 E & Ah, 3, 4”

EXERCISE 2

Exercise Two is based on Exercise One. This time the sixteenth note groupings and the rolls are played twice as long.

This exercise can be counted as:

“1 E & Ah, 2 E & Ah, 3,4, 1 E & Ah, 2 E & Ah, 3,4,

1 E & Ah, 2 E & Ah, 3 E & Ah,4 E & Ah,1,2,3,4”

EXERCISE 3

Exercise Three is the 6/8 version of Exercise Two. There are alternating measures of eighth notes played in 6/8 time, and open rolls.

This exercise can be counted as a continuous ” 1,2,3,4,5,6 “, alternating between the eighth notes and rolls.