RLRR-LRRL, The Most Useable Sticking in the World! Drum Lesson | Stanton Moore 

Comment, what's your favorite use of the RLRR-LRRL sticking in a song?

Damn man. Thank you for this. It’s rare to find such a comprehensive deep dive in all the shallow noise on RU-vid.

I remember tapping this sticking out on the desks at school long before playing the drums ever crossed my mind.

Another gem from a brilliant musician who goes beyond where many stop.

OK - this is crazy. I let my analytical brain read the stickings and play the pattern slowly. At first, it felt like an uncomfortable pattern until my EARS took over and realized that I've played this pattern for years. Typically with Right Hand on a Bell or Cowbell. It just goes to show that one part of your brain interprets music, the other is the math, stickings, etc.

Yes indeed...the stickings provided by George Lawrence Stone in Stick Control are the consummate stickings for all drummers to have in their creative bag of potential rhythms. Years ago, in 1983, David Garibaldi taught classes in LA expressing how he took the exercises from Stone and applied them to his funk style. Specifically they were exercises 5 to 8 which are the paradiddle and it's inversions. Garibaldi added various accents on the single strokes as well as the second stroke of the double strokes to create a sense of Funk for his style in the music he was playing. I was studying them in high school in 1966 & 67 and later began applying them to set with accents on the single strokes with my levels of perception increased by seeing & feeling all of the displaced and inverted paradiddles. Getting comfortable with them on drum set became the main purpose as was playing them in context to the groove...whatever it may be. The usages are many and only work when you apply your creative "musical" mind. The basic stickings Stone documented in his 1935 published book, comprise all of the potential stickings that drummers can use in many combinations. Not all of his examples groove, so one must be able to combine them cleverly to make your own patterns speak musically on the set. All of the progressive drummers like Gadd, Omar Hakim, Manu Katche, Steve Smith, Vinnie, yourself, Gregg Bissonette, Danny Carey, Rick Latham, Danny Gottlieb, Danny Seraphine, Gavin Harrison and so many others use them in many combinations for grooves, compositions and solo ideas. I have done the MATH on these possibilities that Stone has provided in his book and created my own concept called RHYTHMATHOLOGY which uses simple math to combine all stickings and rudiments into more easily understood & logical stickings. It works well with students of all ages and abilities because it applies the use of simple math. I use it also in deciphering all Polyrhythms. If you take 15 of Stone's stickings and place them into one measure of 16 16th notes, the variables add up to 50, 625 possibilities that can be created in just one measure of time. . Over 2 measures of time , they add up to 2.6 billion possible combinations. So, it is impossible to learn it all but very possible to learn the basic GL Stone stickings and work with them while adding any of the 40 rudiments in combination for more variations and thus, many more creative & rhythmic possibilities. I rest my case. Thanks for your very lucid and educational approach to these stickings and their usages.

Came for the sticking, stayed for the talking! Great lesson as always.

This is also the bear bones break down for the King Kong beat that David Garibaldi uses for a lot of his stuff! He got that from the drummer for Redbone Pete Depoe.

Hey man this is so interesting thank you for sharing.. I doubt you remember but a couple years back you played a festival in Harrodsburg KY “terrapin hill”. For some reason they didn’t have the right throne for you and I just happened to have my pork pie throne with me and you ended up borrowing it to play the show .. that’s a memory I’ll never forget and story I’ll forever tell people ! Keep killing it man thanks for putting out this content.

You have made an excellent video on the Most Useable Sticking. I didn't realize how this sticking was used in so many styles of jazz ands rock. Thank you for providing the sticking with each example. The sticking helps and makes your point.

Very educational..Digging this a lot..funny you mentioned a ironing board..when I didn't have a kit or even a snare when learning drums I used my mum's ironing board. Thank you for sharing this Stanton.

I am now getting better by the minute---by far the best teacher

So much Stanton Groove from the Groove Masters.

I first learned this from a Steve Gadd groove I saw in MD magazine 20 years ago. Still use it today. It has turned out to be an incredibly versatile sticking. So useful for lots of rock, funk and jazz things. I think the two RH doubles in the pattern really spice up fills and grooves.

Take it from the corner to the block. Can't wait to see you in CO again.

Great lesson, you had my attention the entire time! I love the historical and cultural context to the lesson and appreciate how you applied it other styles and context. I’ve been playing a variation of this pattern for a while RLLR-LRRL. This has been my go-to fusion “lick” and I think I subconsciously got it from Stewart Copeland.

Related answer....I came up with a variation that would go first. . RRLR LRLL then RLRR LRRL. Thx u for a great inspiring lesson Stanton!!!

Such the important lesson, thanks for including the pivotal history, as the legacy it inspired musically simply cannot be overstated. When a developing drummer absorbs, as you say "Garibaldi-ization" of the sticking ..utilizing swiss-triplets = rhythmic doors just burst wide open!!

This was thick, concentrated, so much to digest and unpack. So well done my good man. A history lesson, all those fascinating connections, and modern application, and you managed all of that in 24 minutes. Amazing!

Pure Gold Stanton.. Absolute perfect timing and I’m not just talking about the music..

A "Drumming Mullet" as my father's father described it is "slow in the front and fast in the back". That has always been our tradition. I see Stanton learned it a different way :)

My go-to pattern for the occassion "trying to sound like a funk drummer"

I picked up this patter some years ago from Carmine Appice. Very useful around the kit. Thanks for putting a little more meat on the bone for history lesson. BTW, rainy day in Germany, classic.

Nice work

I find it fascinating and inspiring that someone as accomplished as Stanton Moore is learning new stuff off the Internet and practicing in his hotel room on an ironing board.

At 9:00 that story about the German phone book haha! If you don’t speak the language than beat the crap out of their telephone book, that’s a lesson too. Thanks for the great stories and excellent teachings. Grts from one hour of the German border...( gonna get me one of them books😂)

Great video Stanton and so sweet to hear you groove today!! You are one of the best ever brother!! Take care and all the best! ✌😎

Stanton, wow what a great lesson. Thank you very much for sharing this great historical and important information. Please do some more! Thanks, Donnie P

Thanks Stanton, this is pure drumming gold.

Very cool stuff man you're pretty smooth bro

Funk yes!! One of my favorite lessons in the Academy! Love it! 😁

Great independence I will be working on this

This. Is. GOLD!

Love this. I use this sticking a lot already, so it's good to know some history and get some new ways to use it. Thanks!

Amazing as always. Whenever I need inspiration you always deliver the funky goods. You go beyond where a lot of people would stop. Entertaining and educational videos like this are so wonderful. They can be visited many times and see till stay fresh.

so much thanks for that, I was looking for this sticking and didnt know

Such a valuable drum and musicology lesson here! Thanks so much Stanton

Wow, what an incredible lesson -the depth of knowledge on this groove was very interesting. I've seen u play a bunch w/ Galactic & Critters Buggin, always a treat. Thanks for sharing.

Great lesson Stanton !!!! I really admire your drumming and teaching !!!!

YES!! Thx so much for this vid, Stanton. I’d been playing this sticking for years due to my influences- the very ones you cite here. So great to see your development of this talk from one of your clinics from years ago. Thanks again and I look forward to more ‘musical mileage!’

Man, you really show how these basically simple stickings have huge potential if you have the creativity. You have inspired me to actually practice with these videos... btw I love Idris Muhammad with Pharoah Sanders.

Omg, I love Stanton Moore!

Oh man I actually use this exact sticking in my band Stonewall Blvd's new single Spice Bois. I do it on the rim, hi hat, and snare. Thats awesome!

Stanton-you're the king. Can you fix Mose to Most? My O/C is twitching!!!

Thanks

Awesome lesson, thanks!

Excelente video!! muy educativo e informativo, ¡¡¡ muchas gracias !!! 🥁👍

10:22 "a Drumming Mullet" 😂😂 I love it

You sound like Steve - O. Thanks for the lesson

I've adapted this to Cajon and Frame drums.

Great video! I also love using this sticking as a hand break while playing 16th note hi hat grooves like Funky Drummer to give my hands some relief. Afrobeat grooves also use this and other Stick Control stickings to get some of beat variations. Thanks for all of the great videos!

This lesson was awesome, very useful stuff

Great stuff love yer stuff

Great lesson and great history.

One of Gad's favorite stickings!

This was a really useful video. I recognize that beat now in many of the songs I grew up with and it is a sticking that I have often played with myself. This just fuels the desire to revisit this beat and get creative with the nuggets you have shared. Thanks for sharing!

the history lessons i needed

Yo my teacher showed me this sticking as a David Garibaldi type pattern. (Kinda thought he invented it lol). But I still haven't got the hi hat accents. And what you're doing with the sticking is really crazy and musical. I love it!

I enjoyed very much! Hope to see you playing live in one of my next trips to US! All the best!

Love these drum videos Stanton!

Thank you so much for this video Stanton 🙏🏼 this is a treasure for me. One of the most valuable videos I've watched in my life 💛🥁🎶

Just learned about the drumming mullet

Thanks so much for this Stanton. I love Idris and have heard Steve Gadd do this but never really understand how it relates to that sticking, which I’ve understood as the King Kong beat as I’ve learned from online videos from David Garibaldi... you’ve really help join the dots and shown a broader potential for this sticking. I’m off to listen to the Idris track now. Thank you. 🙏🙏🙏 you’re amazing. Loved this leason. Thanks for spending so much time going over all the background. Truly Incredible knowledge 🙌

Thanks Stanton! Subbed.

Great lesson Stanton; I’ve subscribed to your channel

Great history lesson! 1 new subscriber

great stuff!!

You're the best drum clinic sofar on line to enlighten with history is a need, would love to see you breakdown Walking in Space, Grady Tate, Quincy Jones, version. Good job my man !

You and Your be more blessed.

I actually looked up this pattern to see if anyone else was doing it. My left hand is slower than my right hand when doing double strokes, so I started defaulting to this pattern instead of paradiddles out of laziness. Seems to work for me, but but unfortunately that means my left hand hasn’t got nearly enough practice over the last 5 years 🥲

Very nice

This is awesome

awesome content. thanks!

fantastix!!!

Walk like an Egyptian @ 3:15

This one's a doozy!!!!

The rhythm of the right hand is close to The Muppets‘ Show intro 😉

So it can often be used as just segment or injection of a bar or 2 into another rhythm or pattern ?

Is not that the “cinquillo”?

French Stewart

Great instruction... too many ads, though ;-(

Is it your voice or did they throw aphex by waves on your voice? It sounds intimidating

The ironing board lesson....

At least its better than a paradiddle. Aka the only rudiment math rock and gospel drummers can play.

Gadd could very well have been influenced by some of Muhammad's playing(they were close in age and contemporaries in the NY scene), I'd have to disagree. Logically speaking, Gadd was steeped in rudimental drumming. Stone's book was virtually memorized by the time he was a teenager. It makes sense that it would shimmy its way intones everyday playing. The more you illustrated it the more I became aware of something. RLRR LRRL is the sticking that I wound up using on the kit when trying to apply paradiddles. It's the natural way to "dumb down" a paradiddle. You take the difficulty out of the left hand. I love your playing and teaching. But I've got to say that this sticking naturally makes its way into most people's playing. It's not simply a case of New Orleans invented something that everyone uses.

lol drumming mullet