August 2026 – Volume 50 • Number 8
On 01st Aug 2026
Articles in August 2026
Modern Drummer Remembers: Buddy Rich, 40 Years Later
Welcome to Modern Drummer’s Tribute to Buddy Rich on what will soon be the forty-year anniversary his passing. Yes, it is nearly forty years after his last jaw dropping solo, and drummers are still talking about him, shaking their heads…
Mapex Count Rackula Kit
This month’s Modern Drummer Kit of the Month is a little different from previous months. William Hegdahl’s beautiful purple Mapex kit with gold hardware is very cool. But it was his hardware and the use of his rack that drew…
The Big Apple
Recently, I had the opportunity to play in New York City at the famed Village Vanguard. It was my first time to play the club since late 1986, so the math adds up to nearly 40 years between gigs. The…
Ebenor Quality Percussion Presents: Aaron Sterling Signature Snare
Photos courtesy of Nelson Drum Shop The Aaron Sterling Signature Snare Drum is crafted as part of special collaborative series that the folks at Ebenor are doing with select artists. Built with artisan craftsmanship, Ebenor Snares stand apart in the…
NEW SOFTWARE FROM WAVES, LATIN PERCUSSION SOUND VIBRATIONS COLLECTION
Waves introduces Mix Unlock™ for StudioVerse Waves Audio, the world’s leading developer of professional audio signal processing technologies and plugins, has announced Mix Unlock™, a powerful new premium feature within StudioVerse, the world’s largest online preset library of audio and instrument…
Guitar Center’s Drum-Off Returns on August 20 at the Iconic Fonda Theatre
Hosted by comedian Bill Burr and Jane’s Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins, the finale brings together drumming legends from Green Day, Maná, No Doubt, Slipknot, Rage Against the Machine and more. Guitar Center is announcing the full lineup and event details for its Drum-Off 2026 National Finale, taking place August…
Gregg Potter: Sitting on the Hottest Drum Seat EVER! Playing Drums in the Buddy Rich Big Band Machine
Following in the tradition of the legendary Buddy Rich Memorial Concerts founded and started in 1989 by Cathy Rich, Buddy Rich’s daughter put her father’s band back together in 2011 with Gregg Potter at the helm, and they started to…
Cathy Rich: The Other Side of Buddy Rich
Buddy Rich is the greatest and most influential drummer ever, but he had many sides. People, like diamonds, have many facets. Nearly 40 years after his death, more recordings keep being released that continue to show his many sides. Buddy…
Jay Weinberg: Creating Without Limits
For a lot of drummers, Jay Weinberg will always be associated with the biggest stages in heavy music. But lately, he’s been chasing something different. Between laying down huge drums on Fuming Mouth’s new album, launching what he calls his…
Brian Tichy: The Journey Never Ends
For many drummers, landing the big gig is the ultimate goal. For Brian Tichy, it was never something he chased. Instead, he has always followed his passion for music, letting his love for the drums guide every opportunity that came…
Buddy Rich, “Love for Sale,” from a 1982 YouTube Performance; and “Apples, (aka Gino,)” from BigSwing Face (1996 CD Reissue)
This month I have the honor of producing two transcriptions for a special issue celebrating the great Buddy Rich. Volumes have been written about this phenomenal drummer over the years, and there is little that I could add to his…
SILENT DRUM PRACTICE – Part 5
Welcome to Part 5 of my series on practicing drums without a drum set! This episode is all about polyrhythms. Understanding Polyrhythms The term “polyrhythm” describes several different rhythmic subdivisions that occur within the same unit of time. In this…
The 1% Edge
“If I miss one day of practice, I notice it. If I miss two days, the critics notice it. If I miss three days, the audience notices it.” Franz Liszt Successful people all have one trait in common: a bias…
Progressive Drumming Essentials: Advanced Overlapping Phrases
Progressive Drumming Essentials is a collection of articles originally written for Modern Drummer magazine. They are exactly what the title says, PROGRESSIVE drumming essentials. This series of articles, and the book that contains them all, represent a great deal of…
The Art of Transcribing Jazz Drums, The Myth of the “Correct” Transcription
Ask ten experienced drummers to transcribe the same 16 bars from a jazz recording made in the 1940s, ‘50s, or early ‘60s, and chances are you won’t get ten identical results. It’s not because nine of them are wrong, or…
Master Studies II: Adventure in Time
As a follow-up to Joe Morello’s legendary Master Studies book, he released Master Studies II in 2006. Joe was a masterful teacher and helped many great drummers with their musicality, technique, and touch. Joe was also masterful at creating exercises,…
The New Breed: Concepts
Gary Chester’s groundbreaking book The New Breed is legendary. The book, and Gary’s teaching methods are deeply intertwined, it is a lifelong commitment of dedication, study, and development. Gary Chester’s Systems, Reading Exercises, Advanced Systems, Advanced Reading Exercises, Composite Systems,…
Buddy Rich Memorabilia from the Northup Drums Museum
Buddy Rich is considered by many to be the greatest drummer of all time. Here at the Northup Drums Museum, we share that view and celebrate the influence he had on so many drummers not only during his life, but…
Out Now August 2026
Modern Drummer enjoys spotlighting new recordings that have the drums at the center of their sound. These recordings might be drummer-led, or just include a high-quality, special, or unique drumming and musical performance from the drummer and/or musicians in the…
ReLoad, ReListened: Lars in the Vault
Metallica — ReLoad (Remastered Super Deluxe Box Set) — Blackened Recordings, June 26, 2026. 5 LPs + 1 7”, 15 CDs, 4 DVDs, 128-page hardcover book, 236 previously unreleased tracks, nearly 29 hours of audio. By David Frangioni, CEO/Publisher, Modern…
Zendé Murdock’s Runarounds Touring Kit
Drums — Tama: Starclassic Maple in Turquoise Pearl finish with black nickel hardware: 8x10 rack tom, 9x12 rack tom, 16x16 floor tom, 16x18 floor tom, 16x24 kick drum. Snare — Tama: 6.5x14 main snare, 6.5x14 backup snare. Heads — Remo: Powerstroke P77 Coated (snare…
