BOGOF Double Strokes

A method for playing better double strokes

Continuing our series of articles about drum rudiments, today we’re going to apply an interesting creative twist to the double stroke.

We often get asked about technique and control, especially when it concerns playing smooth and consistent rolls. Every drummer learns about the double stroke roll early on in their drum studies but mastering this deceptively simple rudiment can take months of practice time to get it feeling comfortable at speed.

Two For The Price Of One!

By its definition a double stroke is made up of two strokes – R R or L L. But here’s the twist: Don’t think of it as two strokes, think of it as one stroke. This means you play with one fluid motion. It just so happens that this single motion will result in two strokes. Say to yourself “it’s 2 for the price of 1”. Or “BOGOF” (Buy One Get One Free).

The “BOGOF Doubles” are not a replacement for other techniques and concepts. Stick control is made up of different techniques, methods and concepts. You should also study and develop other techniques which can be applied to double strokes (for example, the Moeller Method). However, the idea of “Buy One Get One Free” or “BOGOF” is a starting point for anyone new to double strokes, or anyone who has been struggling with their doubles. You’ll then be able to build up to other technical and control methods.

Say it, Play it

Saying things out loud as you play is a good way to drill a new method or concept so try this:

As you strike the practice pad say “BOG” for the first stroke then “OF” for the second. This gives “BOG-OF” to follow the pattern for the double stroke. Any two-syllable word works just as well, so if saying “Bogof” seems a bit too silly, then go for a word like “Double” or “Drummer” instead. It doesn’t really matter what word you say, the principle of playing and saying something with two syllables is what counts.

Repeat the word over and over and work on right hand and left hand equally – don’t give preference to your stronger hand.

Do a few minutes of saying and playing “BOG-OF” doubles with your practice pad at a relatively slow and consistent speed then come back to this article to continue reading on… Don’t push it too fast, just get used to saying the words as you play.

Rebound or Snap

During the exercise you may have wondered what you’re actually meant to be doing. Did some of the strokes feel different to others? What’s “one fluid motion” anyway?

At this point we need to divide the exercise into two categories – Rebound and Snap. These are two different ways of playing doubles. You might have accidentally mixed together a bit of both categories when you played the exercise above, which is why your doubles felt inconsistent or uneven.

You now need to spend time getting to grips with two different ways of achieving fluid double strokes without mixing them up.

Category 1 = Rebound

Allow the second part of stroke to bounce freely with no extra effort; it uses the energy provided by the rebound of the “BOG” part of the stroke. Say “BOG-OF” and make sure the “OF” is completely free from any physical input from you. With your hands this means the drum stick needs to be prevented from further bounces. If working on your foot technique you need to harness the energy of the “BOG” part of the double stroke and transfer the rebound back into the “OF” part.

Work on this type of double stroke on a practice pad or other hard surface. Feel the 2 parts of the stroke as one motion. The bounce part “OF” is a by-product of the initial stroke “BOG”. It’s one fluid motion. Remember “Two for the price of one”!

Next try this out on a soft surface such as a pillow and see what happens.

On the soft surface there is very little rebound, virtually none at all. This type of stroke doesn’t work on a soft surface. So we need to do something else.

Category 2 = Snap

The second part of the double stroke (the “OF” part) needs some extra energy supplied by you. However, it is going to be very difficult to get up to the speed of a consistent roll if you do two “BOG”-style strokes next to each other. “BOG-BOG” would be just the same as two single strokes played next to each other and this is not a very efficient method for developing speed or control. Don’t let yourself get “bogged” down…

You still require one fluid motion, but now it gets a bit more technical.

Play a Downwards stroke for the “BOG” part and then when the stick strikes the pillow, ‘snap’ an upwards stroke to give the “OF” part. Your stick returns to the original starting height ready for the next double stroke.

Experiment with this Drop-Snap approach and focus on making the two parts of the double stroke the same volume.

Go back to the practice pad to try it out on a hard surface.

You should already notice a difference in control and speed, even after a short time on the pillow.

Working out on a soft surface is a valuable exercise – it makes everything feel so much more comfortable and controlled when you move back to a hard surface like the practice pad or snare drum.

Conclusion

Double Strokes are not an easy rudiment to master. Once you’ve tried out this approach, it’s time to dust off the metronome and regulate your practice by running through the exercises for a few minutes every day as part of a healthy practice routine, playing consistently at various tempos.

Revisit this article every now and then to refresh the principles of “Buy One Get One Free” Double Strokes and you’ll notice your speed, control and accuracy improve within all aspects of drumming.

Remember it’s time well spent if you practice on a soft surface, not always on your practice pad or the drum kit itself.