the word comes from the sound the drum beat makes. The basic paradiddle is one single stroke right hand, then a single stroke left hand, then two right hands... and then alternate beginning with the left hand. It's written out this way:
R-L-R-R then L-R-L-L. Putting it with the word it would look like this:
R L R R
Par A DID DLE
The truly great drummers can do that so incredibly fast that you have to see it to believe it. Joe Morello has a good youtube showing his speed. - JamesJM
