The Flam – a strong note preceded by a soft grace note – appears to also be an original and universal rudiment. In this section, we’ll explore the history of the flam and its use across different national styles.

They are played:

The Flam: Open Flam | Closed Flam | Standard English / American Notation
The Flam: Open Flam | Closed Flam | Standard English / American Notation

To learn how to play this rudiment, check out my video Drum Lesson The Flam.

Historic Drumming Lesson 6 | Drum Rudiment The Flam

Where do we see the Flam in French Music?

The history of the Flam in the French style begins at least in the late-16th century. Arbeau states that the final stroke of his five-beat cadence should be struck “with both sticks at once” (20). Later, Mersenne comments that “As to retreat, the two sticks beat all together” (556). It’s unclear if he’s implying that the notes used in the Retreat are flams, or if Flams could also be called “retreats”. Either way, he’s aware of such a type of stroke.

There is little doubt that Philidor’s MS (1705) includes Flams. In over half of the beatings, Philidor includes a note-head with two stems, one facing down and one up. Some academics, such as Sandman, question whether it’s a modern flam or “dubbele slagen” where the sticks hit at the same moment. Luckily, two beatings in Philidor are identical to duty calls in Instruction des Tambour, which proves the double-stem in Philidor represents a Flam, known as ‘le coup double’ or ‘Fla’ in French.

Flams as used in Philidor's "La Marche des dragons du Roy" p. 40. The double-stem on a note indicated play on both hands. This is similar to the English notation seen in the 18th century.
Flams as used in Philidor’s “La Marche des dragons du Roy” p. 40.
The double-stem on a note indicated play on both hands. This is similar to the English notation seen in the 18th century.

Instruction des Tambour explains how to perform the Flam: the right-hand flam “beings with the left hand, finished and supported mainly on the right” (2). In other words, played with both hands but with the one hand acting as a grace note and the other hand creating the hard, main beat, just like the modern Flam.

The Flam or "fla" as depicted in Instruction des Tambours (French 1754) p. 2-3. The grace note tied to a main note indicates an early use of modern notation.
The Flam or “fla” as depicted in Instruction des Tambours (French 1754) p. 2-3.
The grace note tied to a main note indicates an early use of modern notation.
How is the flam used in french music?

In Philidor, the flam acts predominately as an accent by emphasizing the main beat. Throughout the French duty calls (1754), the flam is used as a strong beat throughout and makes an appearance in almost all of the duty calls.

Flams are heavily utilized in beatings and marches throughout the 19th century in French music.

The Flam or "coups doubles" as depicted in Carnaud (French 1870) p. 9. The double head depicted here suggests that multiple methods of notation were still in use. Note, the smaller head represents the grace note.
The Flam or “coups doubles” as depicted in Carnaud (French 1870) p. 9.
The double head depicted here suggests that multiple methods of notation were still in use. Note, the smaller head represents the grace note.
The Inverted Flam Tap or "coups anglais" as depicted in Carnaud (French 1870) p. 32. This notation should not be confused with the modern American notation for a flam. The grace note with the line indicates a 16th note stroke before the flam.
The Inverted Flam Tap or “coups anglais” as depicted in Carnaud (French 1870) p. 32.
This notation should not be confused with the modern American notation for a flam. The grace note with the line indicates a 16th note stroke before the flam.

Where do we see the Flam in English Music?

The English, likewise, had the Flam by the early 17th century.

The history of the Flam begins at least by the early 1600s. In the English Douce MS (c. 1600-1650), we see that the symbol “H” means “a stroak with both sticks together” (1).

Much later, Flams appear in every English and American drum manual, including the earliest ones. The flam is notated as two notes tied together in The Young Drummer’s Assistant (c. 1780), the British manuscript Drum Beats (c. 1750-1790), and American manuscripts like Benjamin Clark (1790), Issac Day (1790), and the Gardner MS (c. 1770).

Flams as depicted in Young Drummer's Assistant (c. 1780) p. 2. The left and right stroke tied together was a common American & British notation in the 18th and early 19th centuries.
Flams as depicted in Young Drummer’s Assistant (c. 1780) p. 2.
The left and right stroke tied together was a common American & British notation in the 18th and early 19th centuries.
The Flam as depicted in Potter p. 9. Potter's grace note tied to a main note indicates a movement towards the modern notation and existed for a time alongside the version above from YDA.
The Flam as depicted in Potter p. 9.
Potter’s grace note tied to a main note indicates a movement towards the modern notation and existed for a time alongside the version above from YDA.
How is the flam used in English music?

Not only are they notated in all of these 18th century drum manuals, they are heavily used throughout the major duties and as a backbone to many marches.

Where do we see the Flam in Other Music?

The flam also has a history in most other European styles of drumming.

Flams in Spanish style

The Italians may have a history of the flam, based on their use in Pistofilo’s Il torneo (1627).

Pistofilo, however, uses the flam to actually describe a Spanish cadence.

He notes that “the two united notes, one with its stem down and one with its stem up, that occur at the beginning of the measure of the Spanish ordinance, tell the drummer to beat both drumsticks almost simultaneously while taking care to beat the right slightly before” (123). His is the first to imply the grace-note effect, in which the sticks hit slightly off of each other and not at the exact same time.

Flams in swiss style

Flams can be documented to the Swiss system by at least the early-18th century, though likely were being used much earlier (Verzeichnis derjenigen Ordonnanz-Streichen).

Flams as depicted in the 1819 Swiss ordonnance p. 7. The notation here is similar to that in the 1754 French ordonnance and to Potter's English notation.
Flams as depicted in the 1819 Swiss ordonnance p. 7.
The notation here is similar to that in the 1754 French ordonnance and to Potter’s English notation.
Flams as depicted in the modern Basel method, from Berger p. 14. Note that the first two examples are the performance / execution of a flam. The third example depicts the common notation, in which the flag on the note indicates the grace note.
Flams as depicted in the modern Basel method, from Berger p. 14.
Note that the first two examples are the performance / execution of a flam. The third example depicts the common notation, in which the flag on the note indicates the grace note.

Flams in dutch style

By the early 19th century, the Dutch style demonstrates two varieties of flams (Rausher 3; Galm 13). The “vlam slag” is the same as the English Flam. The “dubbel slag” is somewhat translated to the “double stroke” but means to strike with both hands simultaneously. Although we don’t have earlier records for the Dutch system, almost certainly these two distinct flams existed much earlier.

The Flam or "vlam slag" as depicted in the 1815 Dutch ordonnance p. 3. Many of the strokes in this ordonnance are indicates by symbols above the notes.
The Flam or “vlam slag” as depicted in the 1815 Dutch ordonnance p. 3.
Many of the strokes in this ordonnance are indicates by symbols above the notes.
The Flam as depicated in modern Dutch notation, from Veluwen p. 6. Notice the notation is more similar to the modern notation, and similar to that seen in the French 1754, Swiss 1819, and Potter's English 1815.
The Flam as depicated in modern Dutch notation, from Veluwen p. 6.
Notice the notation is more similar to the modern notation, and similar to that seen in the French 1754, Swiss 1819, and Potter’s English 1815.

Flams in german style

The German systems also show the use of flams.

The Flam as depicted in Winter's (German 1777) "Reveille" p. 12. Notice that the notation is the same as seen in Philidor and similar to that used by 18th century English and American drummers.
The Flam as depicted in Winter’s (German 1777) “Reveille” p. 12.
Notice that the notation is the same as seen in Philidor and similar to that used by 18th century English and American drummers.
The Flam or "der schleifschlag" as depicted in modern German notation, from Kruger p. 164. The notation is the same as modern American notation. This should not be confused with the French or Swiss notation for inverted Flam Taps.
The Flam or “der schleifschlag” as depicted in modern German notation, from Kruger p. 164.
The notation is the same as modern American notation. This should not be confused with the French or Swiss notation for inverted Flam Taps.

Flam Variations

Since the Flam is such an old and simple rudiment, it has obviously developed variations in which the Flam is incorporated into various sticking patterns and rhythms to produce unique effects.

As we will discover, some of these variations appear to be quite old and nearly universal. Some of these variations are unique (or mostly unique) to specific nationalities.

As I have the opportunity to, I will add more research on distinct rudiments. For now, explore these options:

Do you have any questions or observations about performing the Flam in an historic manner? Contact me.