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Modern Drummer is the world’s most widely read drum magazine, is dedicated entirely to the art of drumming and caters to the needs of amateur, semi-pro, and professional drummers.
It's Questionable: E-Drums and Apartment Dwellers
E-Drums and Apartment Dwellers I live in a very old three-story apartment building with hardwood floors. I bought a Roland TD-20 drumkit for my son, but apparently the impact from the pads is finding its way into the apartment below,…
Strictly Technique: Triplet Gear-Shifter
This month we’re going to apply two alternate stickings to the triplet gear-shifter exercise. To review, 12th notes are 8th-note triplets (twelve notes to a bar of 4/4). In the exercise, a bar of 12th notes is followed by a…
In The Pocket: Funk Drumming Training Camp
In part one of this series (May 2013 MD), we talked about the importance of developing a tight, solid, feel-good groove. Things you can work on to tighten up your playing include gaining an intimate knowledge of the feel of…
Rock 'N' Jazz Clinic: Double Bass Fills
The purpose of this lesson is to show you how to overlap bass drum notes at the end of a phrase into a crash at the beginning of the next phrase, in order to maintain a continuous flow of ideas…
Jazz Drummer's Workshop: Focus On Brushes
Practicing brushes is excellent for building strength in your wrists and fingers. It can help develop muscles and reflexes and also improves your control with sticks. With the exception of the closed roll, any pattern that you play with sticks…
In The Studio: Seeing Sounds
All of us appreciate a signature and stylistically appropriate drum sound. This can range from the perfect overall kit tone on your favorite CD to a uniquely recorded snare tuning. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
In Memoriam - Herb Brochstein
Irvin “Herb” Brochstein, the founder of Pro-Mark Drumsticks, passed away this past January at the age of eighty-five. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Strictly Technique - The Missing Stickings
The inspiration for this article came from years of studying out of George Lawrence Stone’s Stick Control for the Snare Drummer. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
In The Pocket - Funk Drumming Training Camp
In the previous two lessons (May and June 2013), we discussed the importance of groove and feel, and we covered ways to develop those concepts. This includes practicing things that are more complex than what you’ll play on the gig,…
Rock 'n' Jazz Clinic - Double Bass Fills Part 2
The purpose of this lesson, which is a continuation of what we explored in part one (June 2013), is to show you how to overlap bass drum notes at the end of a phrase into a crash at the beginning…
Jazz Drummer's Workshop - The Stick Shot
This month we’re spotlighting the stick shot, a technique that’s fairly specific to the jazz lexicon. To obtain this alternate sound, press one drumstick tip against the head at approximately 30 degrees, while striking that stick at the shoulder with…
In The Studio - Seeing Sounds
There’s been a trend in recent years of drummers going for deep, dark, heavily muffled tones, whether in indie rock or mainstream pop. Steve Jordan did much to revive this fatter, thuddier sound—which originally appeared on albums made in the…
Concepts - The Endorsement Game
A lot of people think having an endorsement means a company is endorsing you as a player, but it’s actually the opposite. The idea is that the company is increasing its exposure and brand recognition by aligning itself with you.…
Strictly Technique - Part 1: Volume and Accent Character
Most of us tackled basic rudimental patterns when we first learned to play the drums. For me, these endless combinations were fun to practice, but I soon wondered why I would choose to play a more complex sticking when I…
