3 diene monomers that can be employed in the production of the tapered copolymers of the present invention are one or more 1 3 conjugated dienes containing from four to twelve inclusive carbon atoms per molecule exemplary monomers include 1 3 butadiene isoprene 2 3 dimethyl 1 3 butadiene 1 3 pentadiene piperylene 2 methyl 3 ethyl 1 3 butadiene 3 methyl 1 3 pentadiene 1 3 hexadiene 2 methyl 1 3 hexadiene 3 butyl 1 3 octadiene and the like among the dialkyl 1 3 butadienes it is preferred that the alkyl groups contain from one to three carbon atoms the preferred 1 3 diene monomer for use in the process of the present invention is 1 3 butadiene the conjugated diene is continuously charged into the reactor in a suitable diluent in amounts ranging between 0 to 100 percent by weight of the instantaneous total monomer feed preferably cyclicly varying amounts in addition to the above described conjugated dienes inversely varying amounts ranging between 0 to 100 percent by weight of the instantaneous total monomer feed of one or more copolymerizable monomers such as vinyl substituted aromatic monomers hereinafter vinyl aromatic monomers are continuously metered in a suitable diluent into the polymerization reactor examples of suitable copolymerizable monomers for use in the preparation of tapered copolymers in the present invention include styrene alpha methylstyrene 1 vinylnaphthalene 2 vinylnapththalene 1 alpha methylvinyl naphthalene 2 alphamethylvinylnaphthalene and mixtures of these as well as alkyl cycloalkyl aryl alkaryl and aralkyl derivatives thereof in which the total number of carbon.