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.