Buzz Roll — Metal Drumming Technique | MetalForge
Learn buzz roll in metal drumming: The buzz roll - also called the multiple-bounce roll or press roll - is produced by pressing the stick into the head just ...
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Buzz Roll?
The buzz roll - also called the multiple-bounce roll or press roll - is produced by pressing the stick into the head just enough that it bounces several times per stroke instead of once, creating a sustained, blurred "buzz" of sound rather than distinct individual hits. It is one of the Percussive Arts Society's 40 essential rudiments and the foundation of concert snare and drum corps roll vocabulary, used to sustain volume and tension across a held note the same way a bowed string instrument sustains a note. In metal drumming, buzz rolls show up less as a groove element and more as a texture and dynamics tool - a crescendo into a fill, a sustained wash under a cymbal swell, or a dramatic build leading into a breakdown or blast section.
How fast are buzz rolls played?
Buzz Roll is typically played around Any.
Who is the best buzz roll drummer?
Mike Mangini (Dream Theater) is among the most cited Buzz Roll drummers, alongside Gavin Harrison. See the full list on MetalForge.
What are the different types of buzz rolls?
Buzz Roll has 4 main variations: Closed (Concert) Buzz Roll (Tight, pressed bounces for a smooth, sustained orchestral-style roll); Open Buzz Roll (Looser bounce with more separation between pulses, for a rawer, driving roll); Crescendo Roll (Buzz roll built from quiet to loud, common as a build before a chorus or blast section); Buzz Roll Fill (A short buzz roll used to fill a beat or half-beat, common in doom and sludge for tension before a riff hit).