The new book Paradiddlemania! by Christian Johnson is available NOW through Wizdom Media and available on the Hudson Music Digital app!
Introducing Paradiddlemania!
One of the first rudiments of drumming you’ll learn is the paradiddle, and it offers an unending source of versatility and creativity no matter how advanced you become.
Paradiddlemania!, by Christian Johnson, is an exploration of ways to incorporate paradiddles into your playing. As one of the first rudiments of drumming you’ll learn as a student, the paradiddle, with its two singles and a double, offers an unending source of versatility and creativity.
The freedom you’ll gain by mastering these exercises will translate to all of your drumming—from rudimental to rock and beyond. The paradiddle is just the beginning, and by paying attention to how the exercises were developed, you can learn to do the same with your own ideas, allowing limitless creative possibilities for you.
Paradiddlemania! combines three ideas. First, it looks at all the different ways you can place the paradiddle within a measure and ornament it with accents, flams, and diddles.
Second, it explores ways you can use those combinations in different rhythmic contexts, including polyrhythms, along with the use of rhythmic skeletons that will train you to seamlessly switch between the variations.
Finally, it guides you through applying these sonic and rhythmic combinations to the drum set in a variety of different grooves, fills, and solo ideas.
Features over 720 variations with more than 10 different ways to apply each one!
Placement and sticking variations for the standard Paradiddle
Ornamentation variations
2 Polyrhythmic variations
Snare drum and Drum set applications
Hybrid Rudiment application
Praise For Paradiddlemania!
“My personal favorites are the polyrhythm exercises Christian has put together. Very systematic, great to build a daily shed and interesting for all levels of drummers! Thumbs up for this one!”
Claus Hessler - Int. Clinician | Author & Educator | 1/3 of FLUX | openmindeddrumming.com www.claushessler.com
“Paradiddlemania! is an interesting, challenging, and useful set of concepts and patterns. The various patterns, with regular practice, will train your hands with a higher level of technique and rhythmic facility, both in chops and placement.The different exercises are challenging in the way they progressively add accents and flams, and then move the paradiddle stickings around to different places in the measure (which Christian calls “gridding”).
Mastery of this material will make any drummer much more fluent in almost any style or situation. The orchestrations are also challenging and fun, and ultimately this material will give you greater comfort and facility on the drum set.
As Christian says in the introduction, the paradiddle is indispensable in getting around the drums, and this book provides just the prescription for mastering that concept! Check it out, practice it, and enjoy!”
Joe Bergamini | Performer |Author & Educator| www.joebergamini.com
“This book masterfully dissects our old friend the paradiddle and shows us new ways it can open up worlds of drumming possibilities while at the same time developing 4 limb independence. All of the other rudiments should be so lucky to have their own book that gives them the respect and thorough examination Christian shows the paradiddle in this book!”
Eric Gardner | Tom Morello, The Motels, Melissa Ethridge, Dot Hacker
“It is exciting when a different concept to drumming arrives! It sparks new ways of thinking and fuels the desire to learn. Each idea is to assist us in moving forward in our skills, musicality, and love for drumming. PARADIDDLEMANIA! does just that!
Christian offers some very useful ways to approach a paradiddle in a ‘grid’ format! This makes it clear and easy to understand. I particularly like the flam section. It really makes our hands more flexible. Each section builds on the next to guide you to a new level.
Every drummer I have met globally is a unique soul always looking for another option to learn. Well, here it is! Join the Drum Mania and be ready to learn some new ideas about paradiddles with PARADIDDLEMANIA!”
Dom Famularo |Drumming’s Global Ambassador | www.domfamularo.com
“I found Paradiddlemania! to be a fresh new approach to one of the most usable rudiments. There are over 700 plus variations that can be used 10 different ways. You can use the exercises on your drum kit (or pad) as warm-ups, technique builders and creative ideas. Have fun with it!”
Billy Amendola
“Paradiddlemania! is an in depth exploration of one of the most useful rudiments we have, the paradiddle! Christian goes deep into all of the variations on this versatile rudiment in an organized and methodical gridding system. This material is both fun to work through and most importantly useful in real world applications.
Well done Christian Johnson!”
Jim Toscano | www.jimtoscano.com