Rudimental Foundations

Get welcomed into the USARD member area and see everything your rudimental foundations journey has in store.

Meet the United States Association of Rudimental Drummers and understand the mission behind the tradition you're joining.

See what's coming in the USARD live sessions so you can plan to take part and keep growing.

Get oriented to the rudimental standards ahead and understand why these pieces form the backbone of the tradition.

Learn the Connecticut Halftime with Brendan Mason, a cornerstone standard every rudimental drummer should own.

Explore Phil Andrews' variation on the Connecticut Halftime and discover how to make a classic your own.

Work through The Downfall of Paris with Brendan Mason and connect with one of the oldest pieces in the rudimental canon.

Add Old Dan Tucker to your repertoire and enjoy the bright, traditional feel Brendan Mason brings to it.

Master the Army 2-4 with Brendan Mason and lock in the steady cadence feel at the heart of street-beat drumming.

Dive into the Hellcats and Old Guard Crazy Army, a demanding standard that will push your rudimental control.

Work through Devin Garza's Groove Games 12 and hear how modern rudimental vocabulary translates into fresh, playable ideas around the kit.

Dig into Jack Cash's 27th Lancers classic Buttermilk, a staple of the modern rudimental repertoire to add to your practice.

Step back to 1958 and learn Harold Ginther's The Grey Ghost, a piece of rudimental history that deepens your sense of the tradition.

Study Gerry Shellmer's Meat from the Boston Crusaders tradition and absorb the phrasing that defined 1964 corps drumming.

Take on Les Parks' The Bomb and feel the power of Hawthorne Caballeros-style rudimental drumming.

Explore the lyrical side of rudimental drumming with the Boston Crusaders' Ballad for Giraffes.

Learn Dennis Delucia's Caillou Dance and study the craftsmanship behind this Muchachos classic.

Tackle Charlie Poole's 27th Lancers arrangement of Take 5 and sharpen your feel for odd-time rudimental phrasing.

Join Jeff Prosperie as he opens his Passing the Torch clinic and sets the stage for a master class in rudimental tradition.

Honor the legacy of Marty Hurley and absorb the teaching principles that shaped generations of rudimental drummers.

Celebrate Rob Carson's contributions and study the phrasing that made his drumming memorable.

Pay tribute to Fred Sanford and learn from the innovations he brought to the modern drumline.

Prepare with the short Hellcats audition piece Bridging the Gap and test your readiness for high-level rudimental playing.

Study the first version of Jeff Prosperie's tribute to John "Jack" Pratt and connect with a foundational voice in rudimental composition.

Compare the second version of the Jack Pratt tribute and hear how a single idea can be reshaped and reinterpreted.

Build your flam vocabulary with The Flam Evolution and strengthen the control the Hellcats audition demands.

Work through Paul Cormier's 2/4 solo and polish the precision this demanding audition piece requires.

Train with the Tom Float exercise to develop smooth, even hands and dependable timing.

Dig into the Bayonne Bridgemen solos and carry forward the spirit of a legendary corps.

Explore Dr. Berger's Swiss drumming treatments and expand your rudimental palette with international influences.

Continue into the Swiss drumming tradition and refine the distinctive feel these rudiments call for.

Close the clinic with a tribute to Charlie Poole and tie together the lessons of the rudimental masters.

Learn Gary Covitz's Speed Kills and build the hand speed and clarity that make fast passages sing.

Study John Pratt's tribute to Dr. Fritz Berger as played by Gary Covitz and connect with the Swiss roots of rudimental drumming.

Learn the Connecticut Patriots' 2024 Irish Medley and enjoy the lively phrasing of this crowd-pleaser.

Dig into the Patriots' Drumony #4 and study the ensemble writing behind this 2024 feature.

Take in the 2024 Dutch Marines clinic and learn from one of the world's premier rudimental ensembles.

Study the Dutch Marines solo The Landing Force and challenge yourself with their precise, powerful style.

Experience the Ancient Mariners from the 2023 USARD Convention and study the craft behind their opening material.

Continue with the Ancient Mariners' second feature and absorb their tight ensemble phrasing.

Keep working through the Ancient Mariners' convention set and sharpen your ear for traditional rudimental drumming.

Dig into the fourth Ancient Mariners segment and follow how their lines develop across the piece.

Finish the Ancient Mariners set and take in the full arc of this 2023 convention performance.

Start building clean hand control with the Connecticut Patriots' first warm-up, a great way to prime your hands before every session.

Add the second Connecticut Patriots warm-up to your routine and keep developing even, balanced hands.

Round out your warm-up routine with the Connecticut Patriots' Part 4 and get your hands ready for demanding repertoire.

Learn the OC Highlanders' take on Scotland the Brave and bring pipe-band energy into your rudimental playing.

Work through the Highlanders' three-song medley and practice moving smoothly between contrasting feels.

Study the OC Highlanders' Drum Salute and add this ceremonial showpiece to your repertoire.

Close the Highlanders set with Highland Cathedral and bring out the majestic phrasing this piece calls for.

Relive the highlights of the 2023 USARD Convention and soak up the energy of the rudimental community.

Watch Mark Reilly bring Crazy Army to life and study the control behind this demanding classic.

See Eric Perrilloux perform The Grey Ghost and connect with a 1958 piece of rudimental history.

Enjoy UConn's performance of The Swan and hear how collegiate drumlines carry the tradition forward.

Study the Moeller Drummers Association's 2019 feature and observe the technique that bears Sanford Moeller's name.

Watch the Old Guard drummers, active and alumni, and witness the discipline of this historic ensemble.

Take in the Connecticut Blues' 2019 performance and feel the regional style that shapes their sound.

Enjoy the Prosperie father-and-son duet and see rudimental tradition passed from one generation to the next.

Map out your next steps and keep the momentum going on your rudimental path.

Discover the USARD LIVE Series and how to keep learning with the community in real time.