Most drummers are familiar with the Flam and the Drag, which have one and two grace notes respectively, used as embellishments ahead of the primary note. This concept can be extended to any number of notes before the primary note and can even fall after the primary note. Some of the following examples may be less familiar, but are interesting and useful in their own ways. The chart below is sorted roughly by number of notes and distance from the primary note. The top line consists of grace notes that fall ahead of the beat and the bottom line features grace notes or other embellishments that fall on or behind the beat.

4 Stroke Ruff – This is not the longest possible grace note pattern, but serves as a reasonable starting point here. Ruffs of 5, 7, 9 or more notes are not unheard of and are often interpreted as open double stroke rolls that land on the downbeat. As for the 4 Stroke Ruff, it is played in single strokes in the American and British traditions, though it can be played with a number of other stickings. I have another article on that topic.

3 Stroke Ruff – This is a Single Stroke 3 or Tap Ruff with two grace notes in single strokes preceding the beat. Not to be confused with the other similar looking figures. This is the preferred two grace note rudiment for keyboard percussion or timpani.

Drag – An open figure played with a double stroke preceding the beat. Also known as a Half Drag or 3 Stroke Roll, this figure differs from the next similar looking rudiment in that it is played more open and its timing generally varies proportionally with the tempo of the piece. It differs from the previous in that it uses a double stroke instead of only single strokes. This is the preferred two grace note rudiment for most (but not all) rudimental snare and drum kit.

Ruff – A closed figure played with a double stroke preceding the beat. Also known as a Close Drag or Closed Drag, this figure differs from the previous similar looking rudiment in that it is played more closed and its timing generally does not vary with the tempo of the piece. The grace notes are played very quickly and tight to the downbeat in all situations, much like a Flam. This is the preferred two grace note rudiment for classical or concert snare. Its name approximates the sound that it makes.

Flagada – A French rudiment in which a Flam is played onto a Drag, much like a Cheese, but all three of these grace notes fall ahead of the beat. It differs from a 4 Stroke Ruff in that the grace notes are unevenly spaced – the Flam grace note is closer to the first Drag grace note than the Drag grace notes are to one another or to the primary note. Its name approximates the sound that it makes.

Charge Stroke – A European concept that has a couple of subtle variations, but it is essentially a very open Flam. Also called an Open Flam, it differs from the normal Flam in that the grace note is played earlier in time with a separate hand motion, rather than both hands falling nearly simultaneously.

Flam – A single grace note figure where the two notes are played nearly simultaneously. They are so close together than they cannot be played accurately with two separate motions, but must be played at the same time from differing stick heights. The grace note falls ahead of the beat, under the standard textbook definition, but only barely. Its name approximates the sound that it makes.

Double Stop – Both hands played together, precisely simultaneously. Also called Doubles, Unison, Unison Hands, Boths, Flats, Pop Flams, Popped Flams, Double Verticals, French Flams, Dead Strokes, Harmonic Flams, Double Whammy, Double Piston Strokes, this rudiment differs from the Flam in that it only has one singular sound despite using two hands. It is used more often on keyboard percussion, timpani, or drum kit than on snare, but is sometimes indicated on snare drum. I have another article on this topic.

Malf – A hybrid rudiment that reverses the traditional Flam, both in the spelling of the name and in execution. The grace note is played slightly after the primary note. It is very similar to the first execution of the next rudiment.

Traef or Nedslag – A Swedish rudiment concept, this can be played two ways. The first is essentially as a Malf, where one grace note is played slightly after the primary note. The second places two grace notes after the primary note, played as a double stroke, like a reversed Drag. This technique is authentically indicated with a “+” over the note, the grace notes on the parenthetical figures here are for explanation only.

Cheese – A hybrid rudiment that combines the Flam with a double stroke. The grace note is played ahead of the downbeat, but the double stroke starts on the beat and continues afterward, meaning that a Cheese occurs both before and after the beat on which it is indicated. The double stroke is always written with a tremelo slash and not grace notes. This is very similar to a Flagada, differing in that the Flagada ends exactly on the downbeat while the Cheese extends beyond toward the next count.