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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.
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…
Rock 'N' Jazz Clinic - Samba Coordination Builder
I remember first hearing Chick Corea’s 1978 recording Friends at my music teacher’s house. This was when my ears got hooked on jazz. I was coming from a background in rock and punk, and I was amazed by the high…
Rock Perspectives - Double Bass Workout, Part 1
Welcome to the first installment in a series of articles focusing on double bass. In this lesson we’ll explore fill ideas where we’re mixing 16th notes, sextuplets, and 32nd notes over 8th-, 16th-, and 32nd-note foot patterns. TO READ THE…
Jazz Drummer's Workshop - Stick Control Revisited Drumset Applications
This month’s Jazz Drummer’s Workshop features some of my favorite applications of the classic George Lawrence Stone book Stick Control. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
BackBeats: John Densmore: The Doors Unhinged
Standing firm in his conviction that the Doors must not be misrepresented or commercialized, the band’s drummer meets two of his former mates in court. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Strictly Technique - Playing the Sixes
It can be difficult to get young students to feel excited about sitting down and working on rudiments. The material in this two-part series is designed to encourage drummers to dig into some of the basic rudimental sticking patterns and…
Rock 'N' Jazz Clinic - The Odds Are in Your Favor
Searching for a way to break out of the old four-16th-notes-per-drum rut when playing fills? Applying odd note groupings can equip you with some fresh ideas that also sound very hip. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG…
Rock Perspectives - Double Bass Workout, Part 2
In this lesson we’ll explore some challenging yet practical double bass grooves. We’re mixing 16th notes, 16th-note triplets, 32nd notes, and 32nd-note triplets. Remember to always practice to a metronome or click track. Start off slowly and master each pattern…
In Memoriam - Alan Myers
The drummer from the classic Devo lineup of the ’70s and ’80s died this past June 24 at age fifty-eight. Josh Freese, who’s been manning the throne in the band since the mid-’90s, pays tribute to the highly creative, super-precise…
Encore Aqualung
It’s completely feasible that if Jethro Tull’s founding drummer hadn’t retired from the road in the early ’70s, just as the band was becoming an international phenomenon, his name would come up as often—and as reverently—as Messrs. Bonham, Moon, and…
