The Rudimental Codex - Europe's Answer to PAS for Drum Rudiments

Claus Hessler and Percussion Creativ have come up with a 42 rudiment Codex that pushes back against the PAS 40 "International" Rudiments in order to reassert European traditions and correct errors of interpretation. This video gives a few examples and generally compares the two sheets.

[Claude_Hoffmann]

Well done! Even European drummers still tend to see the PAS rudiments as the "Holy Grail". The Codex sets some things straight, open eyes and bring back very interesting combinations which sound very modern if translated to the drumset.

[kylekruszewski]

Ha! I just put together my own spreadsheet today to map the PAS vs. N.A.R.D. vs. Strube rudiment numbers and notations. I’ll have to add the Codex for completeness. I should be getting Claus Heßler’s DVD and “Camp Duty Update” in the mail tomorrow! This is super-interesting stuff! What books would you recommend for traditional American snare drum solos? Do you have the N.A.R.D. Solos book? I was considering that. I’ve also collected digital copies of many of the historic drum and fife instructors, but I’ve barely begun to dig into those; the old style of notation is an extra curve ball with those.

[brandtjs]

Interesting thoughts. On the Codex, does this represent the figures used in current, 21st-century rudimental performance or is it really more of a tip of the hat to the historical playing?

The first 26 on the American list compiled in 1933 were drawn from the French and English military manuals published in the late 19th and early 20th century, which had already left a number of Ancient and Traditional patterns as well as the early Turkish patterns that were less used at that time out. It was kind of a "what is happening now" approach rather than a historical perspective.

Similarly, the additional 14 were added by PAS in 1984 and were basically taken from existing symphonic literature to kind of form an updated "what is happening now" listing. There was never any real attempt to show the historical background of the activity. It has continued along those lines with the hundreds of hybrids creating the newest "what is happening now" on pretty much a yearly basis.

I guess my question is if the creation of the Codex is similar in that it is an attempt to show "what is happening now" or is it more an attempt to include the European historical figures in the mix?