While the Flamadiddle is mostly unique to the British and American styles, the Flam Paradiddle-diddle or Flamadiddle-diddle may be unique to the Americans.
Performed:
The Flamadiddle-diddle in British and American Music:
Ashworth (1812) first depicts and names the Flam Paradiddle-diddle. Rumrille (1817) also includes the rudiment, though he calls it a Flam Paradiddle (which should not be confused with the Flamadiddle).
The rudiment continues to be used into the mid-19th century. Klinehanse (1853) and Nevins (1861) include it as the “Flams Paradiddle Diddle”. Bruce & Emmett include it as a Flam Paradiddle-diddle. Hart includes what he calls “a Flamadiddle and Two Half Blows.” Strube (1869) includes the Flam Paradiddle-diddle.
No duty calls use the Flamadiddle-diddle. While Klinehanse and Nevins don’t use the Flamadiddle-diddle in any of their beatings, other resources suggest that the rudiment was used predominately in Short Troops. We see it first performed in Ashworth and Rumrille’s Duke of York’s Favorite Troop. Later it returns in B&E’s version of the Duke of York’s Short Troop. B&E use the Flamadiddle-diddle in a few other fancy troops.
Hart notes that this rudiment is “not often used” (12). His music will need closer scrutiny to see if and how he uses it in his beatings.
The Flamadiddle-diddle does not appear in any British drum manuals or surviving British marches, but may have been used in unrecorded fancy Short Troops.
Bruce & Emmett also include a Flam Paradiddle-diddle No. 2, which is a Flammed Double Paradiddle.
Performing the Flamadiddle-diddle:
Like the Single Paradiddle and Flamadiddle, the Flamadiddle-diddle originally had two hard first strokes, followed by softer strokes for the “diddles”. We see this indicated in Rumrille and Ashworth, and later in Klinehanse and Nevins.
Hart does not indicate whether the Flamadiddle-diddle is accented. However, his terminology “a Flamadiddle and Two Half Blows” implies that the “diddle” should be lighter than the first two strokes.
The modern accenting pattern appears in Bruce & Emmett, who accent only the first flam.
More Info:
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