# Drummers: Is this a paradittle?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-is-this-a-paradittle/368435>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [August 12, 2006, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-is-this-a-paradittle/368435 "2006-08-12T11:30:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-is-this-a-paradittle/368435/1 "2006-08-12T11:30:21Z")

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Just a dashboard drummer, I wonder what exactly is a paradittle. I;ve heard it claimed it is self-explantory - being onomonopea-ic-ish! 😃 But, when do you hear one? The closes example I can think of is at the end of the Styx song, “Lady”. The drum beat seems like that classic 1776 drum beat march: rat-a tat, rat-a-tat, rat-tatta-tatta-tat… (Maybe there’s a sample of this song on line, or some classic rockers have the song in their collection.)

So, is this an example of a paradittle? As a bonus question, what other drumming terms are there to describe certain rhythms? Besides “rim shot” and “drum roll”?

- Jinx

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-is-this-a-paradittle/368435/2 "2006-08-12T11:44:25Z")

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[Paradiddle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradiddle)

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**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-is-this-a-paradittle/368435/3 "2006-08-12T12:09:56Z")

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My dad used to paradiddle on my head every time I walked by. Such is life as the daughter of a drummer.

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**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-is-this-a-paradittle/368435/4 "2006-08-12T12:11:29Z")

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[QUOTE=Jinx]

So, is this an example of a paradittle? \*\*As a bonus question, what other drumming terms are there to describe certain rhythms? \*\* Besides “rim shot” and “drum roll”?

- Jinx  
[/QUOTE]

There’s one called (I’m sure I’m spelling this wrong) “A-ratta-ma-cue”. I’d get that one on my head frequently, as well.

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-is-this-a-paradittle/368435/5 "2006-08-12T12:35:01Z")

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[Rudiments](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudiments)