Six Stroke Roll — Metal Drumming Technique | MetalForge

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Six Stroke Roll?

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.

How fast are six stroke rolls played?

Six Stroke Roll is typically played around Any.

Who is the best six stroke roll drummer?

George Kollias (Nile) is among the most cited Six Stroke Roll drummers, alongside Pete Sandoval, Gene Hoglan. See the full list on MetalForge.

What are the different types of six stroke rolls?

Six Stroke Roll has 4 main variations: Open Six Stroke Roll (Slow, fully articulated RLLRRL with clear separation between the single and double strokes); Closed (Fast) Six Stroke Roll (Tightly bounced doubles compressed toward a single roll sound, bookended by clear single strokes); Mirrored Six Stroke Roll (LRRLLR version practiced equally so the roll can start and resolve from either leading hand); Six Stroke Roll Fill (The roll applied across snare and toms as a compact fill that resolves back onto the starting hand for a clean groove re-entry).