Like the Single Paradiddle, the Flam Paradiddle or Flamadiddle appears to be a uniquely British / American rudiment.
The Flamadiddle is performed:
To learn how to play this rudiment, check out my video Drum Lesson Flamadiddles.
The Flamadiddle in British and Early American Music:
The Flamadiddle appears in 18th century American drum manuals. Both Benjamin Clark’s and Gardner’s MS names it the Flamadiddle. Issac Day refers to “The Paradiddle” and records both the Single Paradiddle and Flamadiddle under that title. In these manuscripts, the Flamadiddle is always used as a pair, and most often commences with a roll.
In Ashworth (1812) and Potter (1815), we see the rudiment referred to as the Flam Paradiddle. In Lovering (1819), he refers to it as the same, though spelled “Flam Perididdle”.
Note, the line through the quarter note indicates an accent or hard stroke.
Rumrille (1817) includes the Flamadiddle, but refers to it as “Paradiddle”. The typical paradiddle is known as “Single Paradiddle” and he uses the term “Flam Paradiddle” to mean the Flamadiddle-diddle.
The use of the Flam Paradiddle is not demonstrated in Ashworth or Potter, but is used extensively in Rumrille. In many beatings, he uses the Flamadiddle as a pair as seen in Clark, Gardner, and Day. In some beatings, however, like Roving Sailor, Rumrille uses a single Flamadiddle. His usage is similar to the modern day Flamacue and likely these phrases are the forerunner to the invention of that rudiment.
While Hazeltine and Robinson have a rudiment called the “Flamadiddle”, it is performed like a Ra de 5 Détaillé or an Flammed Open-5-Stroke Roll.
The Flamadiddle in mid-19th Century American Music:
By the mid-19th century, the modern Flamadiddle is universally adopted in drum manuals, though the terminology is still a little varied.
Hart (1861), Bruce & Emmett (1862), and Strube (1869) continue to use the term “Flam Paradiddle”, while Klinehanse (1853) and Nevins (1861) refer to it as a “Flams Paradiddle”. The older term Flamadiddle appears in Keach, Burditt, & Cassidy (1861) and Howe (1862), though he spells it “Flamididdle”.
Howe does have a second Flamididdle, used in 4/4 time as eighth notes. These are performed as a flam on one hand, followed by three taps on the opposite hand, alternating. This rudiment is referred to as a “Side Flamadiddle” by Keach, Burditt, & Cassidy and Bruce & Emmett.
Hart also has a rudiment called a “Flamadiddle”.
Performing the Flamadiddle:
Potter explains that the Flamadiddle is performed like the Single Paradiddle with the first two strokes heavy and the last two strokes (“diddle”) light. Despite his slightly confusing terminology, Rumrille agree with Potter’s performance. Ashworth also depicts this notation.
Klinehanse’s and Howe’s notation continues to use the double accent. Keach, Burditt, & Cassidy and Hart don’t specify.
Eventually the modern concept of the single accent appears in B&E, who accent only the first flam. Strube does not include any accents, except the natural accent from the flam.
The Flamadiddle in French Music:
For a thorough discussion of Paradiddles in the French style, see my discussion of the French Moulin, or Single Paradiddle.
In summary, the French do eventually have Single Paradiddles, but they think of their performance differently than the American style.
In the American style, drummers think of rudiments beginning on the beat and lead off it. So Paradiddles are performed: R-L-R-R L-R-L-L, in the rhythm 1e&a 2e&a. The next beat (‘3’) is some other rudiment or stroke.
In the French style, drummers think of rudiments leading to the beat. Thus, some rudiment ends on the beat (‘1’). Then Paradiddles are performed: L-R-R L-R-L-L R, in the rhythm e&a 2e&a 3. The paradiddles end on beat ‘3’, having followed some rudiment that ended on ‘1’.
If beat ‘1’ were a Flam, an American drummer would read that as a Flam Paradiddle, but a French drummer might think of it as a Flam + Moulin.
In the first example, the American thinking reads this as a Flamadiddle + Paradiddle. Beat ‘3’ is just a stroke.
In the second example, the French thinking reads this as a Flam + Paradiddle + Paradiddle. The second Paradiddle ends on beat ‘3’.
I could not find any evidence of Flam Paradiddles in French drum manuals throughout the 19th century; however, some 19th century music included in Toutre (1950) suggests this use of the Flam + Moulin.
See: Le Champ D’Honneur, the paradiddle variation of La Retraite, 8ème Marche Réglementaires de la Légion de la Garde Républicaine and 8ème Marche de la Légion de la Garde Républicaine. All of these marches can be found in Tourte, Méthode de Tambours, 25-30.
Also see: Quickstep No. 6 of the Marches Réglementaires 1884. This can be found in Goute, Le Tambour D’Ordonnance, 21.
More Info:
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