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Playing a Drum Roll With One Hand Tied Behind Your BackPerforming a moderately fast one handed drum roll is not very difficult with the right technique and practice. I first started using just one hand for a drum roll while playing with my left hand holding a stick and the right holding a brush, and therefore had my left hand only to use for a loud snappy roll. You might also want to perform a one handed drum roll if you just want your other hand to be free to do other things.
Before you read ahead please be sure you are familiar with the content of
these two lessons:
The secret to the one handed drum roll is to use your middle, ring, and pinkie fingers to propel the drum stick in rapid successive motions. You can normally move those fingers much faster than your wrist or arm, and use less effort to do so. To execute the drum roll, you are going to hit the drum with one hand only, using the matched grip. After the stick bounces of the drum for the first time, use the three fingers to push the stick into additional fast bounces. The fingers are going to be assisted by slight movements of the wrist, but don't use full wrist motions or you won't be able to bounce the stick as fast. 
The picture above shows a side view of how the stick is held. Notice how I can now push the stick down into the practice pad with my fingers only. My pinkie is a little behind the stick and other fingers here so it's not visible, but don't worry, it's still there. I sometimes find it more comfortable not to use this finger. You can start practicing these drum rolls by setting your metronome to 80 beats per minute and 4 beats per measure. Execute an 8 bounce roll (eight sixteenth notes) on the first half of the measure (starting on the 1st and ending right before the 3rd metronome click), and rest for the second half of the measure. Repeat many times of course, and practice with one hand at a time. And as always, if it feels too difficult, slow down, and if it feels too easy, speed up. Also practice with longer (more strokes) rolls. I use this one handed drum roll technique on the hi-hat as well, for short bursts of extra speed. The hi-hat is not as bouncy as a drum so it's a little more difficult though. The next lesson discusses an advanced one handed roll technique. Use this link to learn about playing fast one handed drum rolls.
Books and DVDs on Drumming - Discover which learning materials are best at making you a better drummer. Fast Stick Drumming Techniques - How to achieve fast speed on the drums with proper technique. Snare Drum Instruction - Double Stroke Roll - Double your roll speed and improve stick control with this fundamental snare drum technique. Drum Lessons - How to Play Drums - Find links to more drum lessons here. Drum Tips - More tips on playing, buying, practicing, and setting up your drums. 
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