I tend to screw up the rhythm when I play rolls. I’ve avoided them for some time but finally think I should learn to play them. Any advice for keeping rolled notes in metrically accurate and in tempo?
As with everything: start slow. Very slow. Slow slow slow. Stay slow, then slowly–slowly!–speed up, but not quickly. As you slowly increase the tempo (over many weeks), constantly judge how you’re progressing. If you keep it slow, you will eventually be able to play them both slowly and quickly without any problem. If you play them quickly all the time, you won’t be able to play them slowly or quickly, ever.
So, in short: play them slowly.
So, are you saying they should be played slowly? Clarify please.
(Just kidding–excellent advice that would have saved me much agony had I followed it.)
Brother Steve’s dah blah blahmethod is very, very helpful.
Carol
Listen to Carol: Brother Steve’s approach is sterling. Congratulations’ advice is on the money but I think it needs clarification: no matter how slowly you perform a roll, always perform the cuts and taps so that they are no more than a merest blip. You shouldn’t hear a note from a cut or tap, so much as an effect. Practice doing them evenly at first, and then once they’re solid, you can play around with the rhythmic variances open to you later on. That’s what real rolls are for: rhythm, not melody. 
Yes. 
Check out Ryan Duns’ tutorial on Rolls on WhistleThis / YouTube. All shall be revealed:
http://www.whistlethis.com/index.php?content=ZDNWZmNtOXNiSE09
I know the roll is not rhytmic–the problem is, if I role a note, I end up rushing it or holding it too long so I get to the next note too early or too late.
I have looked at Brother Steve’s page and it has been a lot of help.
How good is that!!