Time passes, and I become convinced more than ever that the diverse elements comprising the art of drumming all work together to give us drum fanatics as good a shot at happiness and fulfillment as anyone on the planet Earth. It is more rewarding, of course, if you are an adventurous type who welcomes a challenge, for every year there are so many more skills to be mastered that those who look for the drums to be an easy ride are living in the wrong half-century. Some of the advances I refer to are dictated in part by the changes taking place in equipment today. Try picturing an average drumset from the ’60s. Picture Ringo at Shea Stadium or Dino Danelli with the Rascals. They used simple, old-style kits. Since then, the set has been in a state of flux—a continuous phase of expansion: more toms, more cymbals, and even […]

July 1984 Issue