Education
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.
Realistic Reggae Rock
Hi-Hat Patterns, Part I Starting with this month’s issue, Modern Drummer is offering a three-part series curated from Carmine Appice’s brilliant book, Realistic Reggae Rock . Get those hi-hats grooving, gang! Part I consists of hi-hat patterns that apply to…
Practice Like a Pro
How to Maximize Your Time Behind the Kit The purpose of the article is to share some helpful practice tips that I’ve picked up over the years. These ideas work amazingly well when you’re learning new material for a gig.…
The Legendary Chick Webb
A Profile in Courage For this month’s From the Past article, my focus is on the great Chick Webb, an astoundingly fine player and bandleader from the mid 1920s and ’30s. Chick was a special person who had to overcome…
Gene Hoglan
The Man, the Machine, the Atomic Clock Gene Hoglan has been raising the bar in extreme metal drumming for decades. The list of iconic metal bands he’s played with is ridiculous: Death, Strapping Young Lad, Testament, Dark Angel, Old Man’s…
Creative Fills
Stepping Up Without Stepping On the Song “When doing fills around the drumset, the most important thing is the inner clock and that you’re relaxed,” says legendary session drummer John “JR” Robinson while filming a course for DrumChannel.com. “But also,…
Table of Time
This month’s Strictly Technique column features an excerpt from legendary jazz drummer/educator Joe Morello’s classic book Master Studies, called “Table of Time.” This exercise will help your development of the single-stroke roll, and also help you develop the ability to…
Jojo Mayer Style and Analysis Part 2
Style and Analysis, Part 2 We took a look at some of the incredible work of forward-thinking master drummer Jojo Mayer and his band Nerve back in the September 2020 issue. Jojo’s playing is so innovative and virtuosic that we…
The Path to Polyrhythmic Proficiency
Building Grooves That Train You to Hear Two Things at Once The main challenge with any polyrhythm is being able to hear and feel it as it relates to the pulse. The best way to attack this challenge is by…
Chad Smith
Remembering Neil Peart I spent my sophomore year listening to 2112. Up until that point I had an older brother who listened to a lot of English rock albums. Led Zeppelin was probably my favorite, and John Bonham’s drumming was…
In the Studio with Wes Little
A New York transplant cranking away in Nashville Wes Little moved from New York City to Nashville in 2008. In NYC he attended the Manhattan School of Music to study jazz and performed regularly with several different bands, including Confrontation…
Terry Bozzio Interviews Nick Mason of Pink Floyd
“Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun” This month we have an excerpt of a special interview between legendary progressive drummer and composer Terry Bozzio and rock icon Nick Mason of Pink Floyd. The questions came in from…
Individuality
Part 1: Where Did It Go? Individuality is defined as the unique characteristics and traits that make someone or something one of a kind. I thought a discussion about being yourself was important to bring up, and I will be…
Todd Sucherman - A Smattering of Hits Outside the Prog-Rock Sphere of Styx
A Smattering of Hits Outside the Prog-Rock Sphere of Styx Todd Sucherman is one of the modern greats of the drumset. His powerfully precise drumming has been driving the legendary prog-rock band Styx for a quarter century and is still…
Coordinating the Body
Exercises for Better Alignment In this lesson we’ll explore exercises that can be utilized to strengthen the alignment of your limbs. Although these ideas are designed to help alignment between the hands and feet, they also challenge subdivision accuracy, consistency…
