   a drum roll (or roll for short) is a technique the percussionist employs to produce, on a percussion instrument, a sustained sound, "over the value of the written note."cirone, anthony j. (). simple steps to snare drum, p.30. alfred. isbn 9781457458200. rolls are used by composers to sustain the sound and create other effects, the most common of which is using a roll to build anticipation. == types == === snare drum roll === the most common snare drum roll is the closed (or "buzz") roll. the open roll (or "double-stroke roll") is played with double strokes alternating between the left and right hands; the closed roll or multiple-bounce roll is produced by applying slightly more pressure to the fulcrum upon impact which allows for the stick to bounce many times on the drum head. one stick hits the head slightly before the other bouncing stick is pulled up from the head. this produces a near-continuous sound when the technique is mastered. other than the open, double-stroke roll there are many other rolls and rudiments that sound like rolls when they are played fast enough (like the freehand technique or single paradiddle). in the table below, lower-case letters represent grace notes (drags, flams etc.) and hyphens represent rests. {| !rudiment!!sticking pattern |- |single-stroke roll || rlrlrlrlrl |- |double-stroke roll || rrllrrll |- |triple-stroke roll (or french roll) || rrrlllrrrlll |- |single paradiddle || rlrr lrll |- |double paradiddle || rlrlrr lrlrll |- |five-stroke roll || rrllr llrrl |- |seven-stroke roll || rrllrrl- llrrllr |- |-nine stroke roll || rrllrrllr- llrrllrrl |} also, the six-stroke roll, perhaps a misleading name, is often used in snare solo and marching percussion situations. it has four variations; each is a quarter note in length and consists of two double strokes (rrll) and two singles (r l). doubles: === timpani roll === rolls on timpani are almost exclusively single-stroked. due to the instruments' resonance, a fairly open roll is usually used, although the exact rate at which a roll is played depends greatly on the acoustic conditions, the size of the drum, the pitch to which is it tuned and the sticks being used. higher pitches on timpani require a faster roll to maintain a sustained sound; some timpanists choose to use a buzz roll on higher notes at lower volumes; although there is no definite rule, most timpanists who employ this technique do so on a high "g", and above. in the end, it often comes down to the discretion of the timpanist. === keyboard rol
Drum_rudiments Percussion_performance_techniques