Are you ready to describe the trope below? Drum roll, please!
Tapetatapetatapeta...
Thank you! This is a Stock Phrase, that if said, cues a form of background music designed to increase anticipation for whatever The Reveal is (BOOM!) Happens both in Real Life and in audiovisual media.
There are several types of drum rolls, each with its unique sound and application:
- Single-stroke roll: Alternating strokes between the right and left hand (R L R L).
- Double-stroke roll: Two strokes per hand (R R L L).
- Triple-stroke roll: Three strokes per hand (R R R L L L).
- Buzz roll: Multiple bounces per stroke, creating a smooth, sustained sound.
- Paradiddle: A combination of single and double strokes (R L R R or L R L L).
- Double paradiddle: An extension of the paradiddle with additional single strokes (R L R L R R or L R L R L L).
- Flam: Two strokes almost simultaneously, with the first being softer and the second louder and on the beat.
Drum rolls are frequently the subject of, or the announcement for, parody these days. One popular parody is to literally roll a drum across the stage.
Compare Fanfare, Rimshot, Dramatic Timpani.
Examples:
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The Abridged Series
- Yu-Gi-Oh! The Abridged Series: Marik asks for a drum roll. Several times. Then the drum roll goes on too long and he has to ask for it to stop.
- Naruto: The Abridged Comedy Fandub Spoof Series Show: "Ooh, a real drumroll, nice."
Films — Live-Action
- Occurs in In & Out right before the teacher of the year reveal. The principal even tries to pull off a joke ("I get so nervous here. Can you hear my heart beating?").
- Spoofed at the climax of Zorro, the Gay Blade.
- In The Muppets (2011), Gonzo is about to perform a stunt by throwing a bowling ball and hitting a pin sitting on Jack Black's head. He asks for a drum roll, but since Animal refuses to drum, he plays a triangle instead.
- In National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Clark has the whole family come out into the front yard to watch him plug in/turn on the outdoor Christmas lights he put up, and asks for a drum roll. He has to ask again before his wife gets the idea and leads the others in a silly prolonged a capella drum roll with an actual drum roll for background music. Clark joins in before finally plugging in the cords... and nothing happens. The background noise switches to that of a cymbal falling over.
Live Action TV
- Late Show with David Letterman: When someone is about to perform a stunt, Dave will often ask the drummer to provide a drum roll accompaniment.
- Anytime Dave does the Top Ten list.
- Used unironically on Happy Days when Fonzie set a world record of jumping over 14 garbage cans on a motorcycle.
- Spoofed several times on Beakman's World:
- One time, Beakman asks for a drum roll, and gets a drum rolling across the screen.
- Another time, he calls for a drum roll...then Lester calls for a kaiser roll. Cue Kaiser Roll Pelting.
- Used in early playings of the pricing game Hole in One on The Price Is Right.
- M*A*S*H: In "White Gold," Colonel Flagg prepares to ram his head into a wooden crate (as part of his façade that his prisoner attacked him).
- In "Smilin' Jack," B.J. affects a drumroll with his lips as he attempts to affect a trick with a hypodermic syringe that Jack did.
- LazyTown: The Mayor calls for a drums from Pixel to precede Sportacus's stunt. However, he first mistakenly chooses a dance beat instead of the drum roll that he actually wanted.
Music
- Fairly common in reggae. Bad Brains uses it a bit ("Right Brigade" and "I and I Survive").
- The Smashing Pumpkins use it at the start of "Cherub Rock".
- Done by John Densmore during The Doors' song, "The Unknown Soldier".
Theatre
- In the ballet Fancy Free, the music of the Competition Scene begins with a timpani/bass drum roll, and abruptly cuts off at its climax for a long roll on the snare drum that introduces the first of the Three Dance Variations.
- Cabaret begins with a drum roll and cymbal crash announcing the entrance of the Emcee. There is a similar drum roll when the Emcee introduces "Fräulein Sally Bowles" singing the title song, and one more for his last exit.
- In 1776, George Washington's dispatches are always signed "Your Obedient, G. Washington," with a drumroll preceding his name.
- In John Alden Carpenter's ballet version of Krazy Kat, a dramatic drum roll precedes Ignatz hurling the fateful brick at Krazy Kat's head.
Western Animation
- In an episode of Teen Titans (2003), Cyborg requests a drum roll before he unveils the new T-Mobile; Beast Boy obliges by turning into an armadillo and drumming on his belly. He threatens to stop a moment later when Cyborg remarks, "Ladies and gentlemen...and whatever Beast Boy is...".
- In an episode of Rugrats, before giving a demonstration to Tommy and Chuckie, Angelica asks, "May I have a drum roll please?" And she actually gets one from an unseen source. The opening theme also begins with a drum roll.
- Tex Avery's W-B cartoon "Circus Today" has the circus orchestra's drummer perform a drumroll as a high dive artist does his act. The conductor stops him and cues the trumpeter to play "Taps" afterwards.
- Parodied in The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius. Nick asks for a drum roll when he announces that he's going to style his hair without using his hands. Cue an actual drum rolling across the stage.
- Occurs at times in Garfield and Friends, specially when Garfield is hosting a TV special-esque episode. One time had Odie grabbing a magician top hat, and the rabbit inside asking "Drum roll" before revealing himself.
Real Life
- It's not rare for emcees at various awards shows to ask for a drum roll, though this usually consists of the audience drumming on their laps.
- If "The Star-Spangled Banner" is being performed by a band, it typically starts with a drum roll.
