Hi my name is Brian Bestall and I have been a professional musician, teacher and composer for over 30 years and the most frequently asked question is “Why should I learn drum rudiments?” My answer is simple: These rudiments are our vocabulary, a nod to our heritage and a way to help you to develop the four basic strokes; full stroke, down stroke, tap stroke and up stroke, and ultimately gain better stick control. By becoming proficient with these rudiments, you will become a more competent and confident player. You will learn to integrate them into your everyday playing, creating exciting grooves and fills.

I’ve always been fascinated by the rudiments and regularly demonstrate to my students how they can be applied to the whole kit. This, without fail blows them away. My book covers all 40 International rudiments and a couple of my favourite hybrid versions, all with sticking patterns included.