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.
Must-Know Grooves - The Blues Shuffle
Although the blues is considered an American art form, it’s a genre of music that resonates around the world. With that in mind, if you’re a drummer trying to connect with new musicians, there’s no better opportunity to do so…
Jazz Coordination Studies
Jazz-oriented independent coordination is basically the ability to play any rhythmic idea with your left hand and/or right foot, without ever breaking the time flow being played by the right hand on the ride cymbal. Below are some exercises designed…
Developing Speed Naturally
Almost all young drummers attempt to see how fast they can play at some point. This is a natural stage of development. It is sort of like flexing your muscles just to see how strong you are. Technique is needed…
Practicing With Records
When I was a young drummer, practicing with records was very difficult. Headphones and stereo sets were not available. I would turn up the volume on my small record player to the point where I could hear it over the…
Style and Analysis: U2's Larry Mullen
Larry Mullen plays drums with the very popular three-piece band, U2. Larry and bassist Adam Clayton lay down a solid foundation for the guitar. U2 is a prime example of a drummer and bass player working together as a unit.…
The CRASH Course to Success — Part 5: Hunger
This article focuses on the fifth and final portion of my CRASH concept. CRASH is an acronym that stands for “commitment, relationships, attitude, skill, and hunger.” These five global topics can be used by anyone to attract success to his…
Fours and Sevens in 7/8 Part 2: Double Strokes
This month we’re going to work on playing the Fours and Sevens in 7/8 exercise with double strokes. The key is developing the finger control to play well-balanced and even doubles. The rhythmic placement of the doubles in this exercise…
Action Figures
Approaches for Big Band Rhythmic Articulation This month we’ll explore ways of approaching and articulating ensemble rhythms. As drummers, we obviously can’t perform note lengths with the same exactness as a horn player. We can, however, use the many long…
Improve Your Bottom Line Part 3: Bass Drum Comping in 5/4
Welcome to the third and final installment in this series on bass drum comping. This time we’ll be working in 5/4. The phrases included here are intended to help you develop dynamic balance with your bass drum foot in unison…
Don’t Disturb the Groove! Part 2: Hi-Hat Substitutions
In this article we’ll discuss substitutions where we’re basically using the hi-hat foot to replace either a hand or a bass drum note. The idea is to look at the hi-hat as not just an instrument that plays quarter notes…
The CRASH Course to Success Part 4: Skill
This month we focus on the fourth part of our CRASH concept for success. For those of you who have not been following this series, CRASH is an acronym that stands for “commitment, relationships, attitude, skill, and hunger.” These are…
