Make the plateau observable
“I am stuck at 100” leaves important information missing. Does the click represent quarter notes? Are you playing sixteenth notes? Which rudiment and lead hand are you using? Are you losing spacing, accents, sticking or comfort? Write these details before changing the routine.
Vic Firth’s drum education sampler recommends starting slowly with a metronome and aiming for an even, relaxed stroke. It does not prescribe the experiment or BPM values below. This guide offers a personal comparison method, not a promise that a particular exercise will break a plateau.
Choose one audible cue: for example, even spacing with the stated sticking across a short passage. Define a repeat as unsuccessful if the pattern changes, you rush away from the click or the cue becomes inconsistent. Do not turn the test into playing through pain or unusual strain; stop and get appropriate guidance for a recurring technique or comfort problem.
Change one setting while holding the others steady
Keep the same rudiment, pad or instrument, subdivision, passage length and selected cue. If your ladder jumps too far to keep that cue consistent, test a smaller step. Do not also switch sticking, add accents and extend the passage in the same comparison. Otherwise, you cannot tell which change mattered.
| Attempt | BPM | Observation over four bars | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline | 80 | Sticking RLRR LRLL and spacing stay consistent | Pass this passage |
| Original jump | 90 | Second diddle becomes uneven | Too fast; do not save as a clean best |
| Smaller step | 84 | One rush in the last bar | Repeat; no pass yet |
| Repeat smaller step | 84 | Spacing remains consistent for the selected passage | Pass this passage; check again next session |
The numbers and four-bar passage are invented planning choices. Adapt them with a teacher to your level. A pass describes the selected passage today; it does not certify every duration, accent pattern or lead-hand version at that BPM. The worksheet records attempts so a later clean result does not erase an earlier miss.
Interpret the result without chasing a score
If the smaller step still fails, return to a tempo where the cue remains reliable and identify the exact moment the pattern slips. A specific note—“left-hand diddle compresses in bar four”—is more useful for a lesson than “speed bad.” Ask a qualified teacher to check technique if the same problem recurs.
If the passage passes, repeat the same conditions in a later session before describing it as a dependable personal benchmark. Do not compare your quarter-note-click sixteenth notes with another drummer’s eighth-note exercise at the same BPM: the numbers refer to different tasks.
Keep session length realistic. Fatigue, changing surfaces and a different subdivision can make two observations hard to compare. Label those changes rather than treating every lower result as lost progress. The next useful question is whether the chosen cue remains stable, not how to make the history chart rise every day.
How RudiRise supports the experiment
RudiRise’s current listing describes a rudiment library, an audible and visual metronome, automatic BPM steps, practice controls and practice history. The listing describes pass, repeat and backing off by 2 BPM. Those choices fit an honest ladder experiment. You decide whether the playing is clean; the listing does not claim automatic listening or stroke grading.
The free plan includes eight foundational rudiments. Premium unlocks all 40, custom ladders and full practice history. Check current limits and prices before purchasing. Use the CSV with any metronome if you want the comparison first. Neither a saved best nor an automatic tempo increase proves that technique improved.
If the method fits your task, explore RudiRise’s listed features on an iPhone. Check current features and plans before downloading.
See RudiRise for iOSDownload the free worksheet
Use the CSV in Numbers, Excel or a spreadsheet editor. All BPM values and observations are invented examples, not prescribed practice targets. Replace them with your own observations. The CSV is separate from the app and no email is required.
Questions answered
Does the same BPM mean the same hand speed?
No. The click unit and note subdivision matter. Write both before comparing sessions or another exercise.
Should I count an uneven attempt as a personal best?
Keep it as an attempt, with its actual observation. Reserve a clean benchmark for the conditions you defined.
Will smaller tempo steps guarantee improvement?
No. They make a personal experiment easier to interpret; persistent technique problems may need instruction.
Continue with RudiRise on iOS
Use the App Store listing to check compatibility, privacy information and current plan terms. A free download may offer paid features.
Download RudiRise for iOSSources and product details
- Vic Firth: Fresh Approach to Drumset samplerLesson 7 recommends slow metronome work and even, relaxed strokes. This is teaching guidance, not a trial of RudiRise.
- RudiRise on the App StoreCurrent US App Store product description; checked October 10, 2026.
Editorial method: primary guidance, a current Apple listing, an original worked example and an independent critique. No search ranking, install or outcome result is claimed.