Two drags stacked, then the accent lands.
The Rudiment
The double drag tap is the single drag tap’s bigger sibling: instead of one drag before the accented tap, it stacks two. Each cell delivers a drag, another drag, and then an accented single — “drag, drag, TAP” — before the pattern reverses. The two consecutive ruffs give the figure a rolling, ornamented lead-in that makes the closing accent feel earned, and it trains the hands to fire clean drags back to back.
Sticking
The standard PAS sticking is llR rrL R for the first pass and rrL llR L for the second, alternating. The first drag’s grace notes lead into a primary, the second drag’s grace notes lead into the opposite primary, and then an accented single closes the cell before handing off. Counted in eighths or with a triplet lead-in, the accent lands on the beat that follows the two drags; because printed versions differ, the reliable frame is the shape — two drags, then an accented tap.
How to Play
The challenge is back-to-back drags on alternating hands: each set of grace notes must stay low, crisp, and even, and the transition between the two drags can’t rush. Keep both ruffs quiet as controlled doubles, then drive the closing accent. Slow practice matters here — the second drag tends to collapse or smear when the tempo pushes, so lock in clean, matched drags before adding speed.
In Practice
The double drag tap is a staple of rudimental snare solos, where its doubled ornament adds density and a sense of building tension into the accent. On the drum set the two drags can be voiced as buzzed lead-ins to an accented tom or snare hit, making a characterful fill. It’s also a strong control study for anyone shoring up their drags.