Drum exercises and snare drum rudiments
Here is a collection of drum exercises and rudiments that I find useful.
The rudiments are sticking combinations and phrases used initially in marching drumming. The exercises are a collection of warm ups, drum kit grooves and other great patterns to use with only your feet, hands or as combinations.
Why learn these exercises?
Most drummers, including myself, use these without even thinking about it. However, there are two good reasons for why a drummer should pay attention to them and learn them.
Diversify your drumming. The more combinations and drum licks you know, the more free you can be behind the kit. It is true that knowing all rudiments in the world does not make you a good drummer, but exploring these fundamental building blocks of drumming can only enhance your knowledge of your instrument, not harm your musicality.
Use them in your practice routine. Practice can be a bore sometimes and that is normally due to lack of variation. If you don't find a particular rudiment musically interesting, turn it into an exercise. Instead of just looping the usual double/single combinations, use the rudiments to come up with your own exercises and try it with your feet and hands on the kit.
Which exercise should I pick?
Try them all! If you don't like a double ratamacue and you don't find any use of it what so ever (which I seriously doubt), then try one of the other rudiments. The same approach applies to the exercises. Eventually you will discover something that could be translated into music.
Make these exercises part of your practice routine and try them all - there are many.