Accents on the outside, diddles in the middle — a groove hiding in a roll.
The Rudiment
The six stroke roll is the odd one out among the numbered rolls: rather than resolving a run of diddles onto a single accent, it brackets two doubles between two accented single strokes. The result is a self-contained six-note cell — accent, diddle, diddle, accent — that loops beautifully and has become a modern drum set staple. Its symmetry and built-in accents make it as much a groove tool as a rudiment, especially when the accents are moved around the kit.
Sticking
The common sticking places accented singles on the outside and doubles inside: R LL RR L, with accents on the first and last notes, then reversed as L RR LL R. There are several accepted accent placements for the six stroke roll, but the outer-accent version is the one most players reach for. Counted as a sextuplet across one beat, the pattern locks neatly into the pulse and repeats hand to hand.
How to Play
Play the two singles as full accented strokes and keep the inner doubles low and even, so the cell breathes as loud-soft-soft-soft-soft-loud. On the kit it comes alive when you orchestrate the accents — moving the singles to toms or cymbals while the diddles stay on the snare. Keep the fulcrum loose so the doubles rebound cleanly between the two accents.
In Practice
The six stroke roll is a favorite for modern grooves and fills, jazz and fusion phrasing, and any place a repeating accented roll cell fits. It sits among the Five Stroke Roll and Seven Stroke Roll but behaves more like a looping figure than a terminating roll.