Single Drag Tap
L L R L R R L R
Practice tempo
What it teaches
Adds one plain tap after the drag resolves — the shortest, most introductory rudiment built on top of the base Drag, and unaccented, unlike the same-length Single Ratamacue. The specific new skill is keeping that trailing tap matched in volume to the drag's own resolving stroke, so the phrase reads as evenly-balanced notes rather than the drag sounding like a separate event from the tap that follows it.
The common mistake
The trailing tap comes out louder or more emphasized than the drag's own resolving stroke, since it's the newest, most exposed element of the phrase and players unconsciously lean into it; the correction is practicing the drag and the tap at identical volume, deliberately resisting the urge to accent the final note.
Tempo progression
Start at 60 BPM with the drag and trailing tap evenly matched in volume. Add 8 BPM once ten reps in a row show no accidental accent on the final tap; most players keep it clean through 120-140 BPM.
Where it shows up
A common stepping-stone rudiment taught right after the base Drag, and the direct un-accented skeleton the (accented) Single Ratamacue is built from — mastering this rudiment's flat evenness first is what makes Ratamacue's later accent placement controllable.