Question 1

What is Six Stroke Roll?

Accepted Answer

The six stroke roll combines a single stroke, a double stroke, another double stroke, and a closing single stroke into one six-note figure - right, left-left, right-right, left (RLLRRL), or its mirror LRRLLR. Unlike the five and seven stroke rolls, which are built purely from repeating double strokes capped by an accent, the six stroke roll opens and closes on single strokes with two double strokes sandwiched in the middle, giving it a distinctive rhythmic shape that sits between pure single-stroke and pure double-stroke vocabulary - much like the paradiddle does, but built entirely from roll technique rather than sticking pattern. That structure makes the six stroke roll a genuinely foundational building block: it bridges the single stroke roll and double stroke roll already central to blast beat and fill technique with the extended odd-numbered rolls, teaching a drummer to switch cleanly between struck and bounced strokes within a single continuous phrase. In metal drumming, the six stroke roll's even-numbered length and mixed single/double structure make it a natural fit for fills that need to resolve back onto the same hand they started with, and its blend of single and double strokes directly reinforces the coordination that dense extreme-metal fill and blast vocabulary depends on.

Question 2

Which metal drummers are best known for Six Stroke Roll?

Accepted Answer

See the complete list of metal drummers known for Six Stroke Roll on MetalForge, including gear setups and performance videos.

Question 3

What gear do you need for Six Stroke Roll?

Accepted Answer

The gear requirements for Six Stroke Roll vary by drummer. Browse MetalForge for complete kit specs from pros who use this technique.

Best Six Stroke Roll Drummers — Who Plays It | MetalForge