Departments
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.
In Memoriam - Lenny DiMuzio
In Memoriam Lenny DiMuzio When Lennie DiMuzio died this past March 7 after a long battle with cancer, the phrase “end of an era” was truly appropriate. During his decades working at Zildjian and then for Sabian, DiMuzio defined what…
In Memoriam - A.J. Pero
In Memoriam A.J. Pero On March 20, while on the road with Adrenaline Mob, longtime Twister Sister drummer A.J. Pero suffered a fatal heart attack while asleep on his tour bus. He was fifty-five. According to Twister Sister frontman Dee…
Nickel and Chrome Plating: What's the Difference?
It’s Questionable Iam looking to buy a nice 6.5×14 brass snare to use as my primary drum for studio and live applications. I really like the clean, shiny look of chrome, but I notice that a lot of studio drummers…
In Memoriam - Jim Coffin
Coffin was born in Waterloo, Iowa, in 1931, and received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). After playing professionally in Los Angeles, he returned to Iowa and taught high school starting in 1956. TO READ…
Benny Goodman - The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert
It was the floor tom heard round the world, Gene Krupa’s call to revolution: “Drummers to the fore!” TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Rebuilding Double Bass Chops
As in any area of drumming, there are no shortcuts to building chops. You have to invest a considerable amount of time and make sure you’re practicing efficiently and effectively, with proper mechanics. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO…
In Memoriam: Remo Belli 1927–2016
Remo Belli started out like most of us: a humble drummer, looking to make a difference on the scene. Even he could not have predicted that, in time, that scene would encompass all of humankind. In this special tribute, players…
An Editor's Overview - Follow Your Heart
There are multiple reasons we go down particular paths of drumming education. Our first teacher introduces us to Stick Control, and we start getting our hands together. We hear “Achilles Last Stand,” and John Bonham’s right foot becomes the new…
Kit of the Month - The Dream Police Kit
This vintage gold sparkle kit comes to us from Minnetonka, Minnesota, reader Rob Gilboe, who explains that the set was custom-built by drum tech Paul Jamieson and manufacturer Patrick Foley for former Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos in the…
And Editor's Overview - Signal to Noise
When I first started playing drums, the challenge was finding enough credible content, whether in the form of method books, magazine articles, or instructional videos, to help me understand exactly what skills and tools I would need in order to…
Kit Of The Month - Cocktail Convenience
For Toronto-based drummer Sekou Lumumba, this simplified rig packs more than enough punch into a small space when backing such artists as Canadian multi-platinum songwriter Serena Ryder. And when first thinking about his approach to this kit, the drummer considered…
Encore - Blue Öyster Cult’s Agents of Fortune
On the one hand, “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper” has kept B.Ö.C.—a hard rock band that bikers, rock critics, and record-store nerds can all seem to agree on—and drummer Albert Bouchard’s percussive prowess alive in the public’s consciousness. At the same…
Kit of the Month - Spirit of America
This American-made, fourteen-piece monster comes to us from percussionist, educator, and collector Mike “Mickey” Jones of Birmingham, Alabama. Jones commissioned the kit more than four years ago from Bridgeport, Connecticut, drum manufacturer RCI Starlite. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE…
An Editor's Overview - Adapting to Change
While I worked on a piece in this month’s News section about the latest Radian record, On Dark Silent Off, MD editorial director Adam Budofsky dropped one of the band’s earlier CDs, 2004’s Juxtaposition, on my desk. Checking it out…
