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.

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Brush Workshop Part 3: Linear Motion

Many drummers think that brushes can be used only in jazz, but if you’ve been following this series and practicing the various patterns in each article, you should realize by now that brushes can be used in any musical style.…

by Florian Alexandru-Zorn
Mar 9, 2018

The Sounds That Drew Me In And What I Drew Out of Them

Think back to that first moment when you knew drums were it for you. For me, this happened after seeing a traditional Serbian folk group with a drummer who played a set of mounted bongos. TO READ THE FULL STORY:…

by Marko Djordjevic
Mar 9, 2018

Memorizing Tempos

Tips for Finding Your Own Reference Points That seat we sit on is affectionately called a throne. This signifies to me that we are kings—or queens—of our domain. As such, we are in a position of power and honor. This…

by Mark Schulman
Mar 6, 2018

A Look at Hybrid Rudiments

The Hairta and Its Application on the Drumset Hybrid rudiments are permutations, mixtures, or combinations of the classic forty rudiments established by the Percussive Arts Society. In this article we’ll take a look at how one of the more widely…

by Christopher Simms
Mar 6, 2018

Sticking the Beat

A Four-Step Process to Discovering New Grooves In this article I’ll show you how sticking patterns can be applied to the drumset to create various grooves. Each groove is built from the ground up, progressing through four easy-to-understand steps. The…

by Joel Popelsky
Mar 6, 2018
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The Journey of Self-Discovery

Thoughts on Developing Your Own Musical Voice     One of the things I mentioned in last month’s column was how I feel there are way too many drummers who sound alike in the field today. Of course, this is…

by Russ Miller
Mar 2, 2018

Consecutive Flams Part 1: Spaced Out

This month we’re going to kick off a challenging three-part series on flams. All of these exercises will consist of single flams followed by sets of two, three, and four flams. Then we’ll reverse the order to end up back…

by Bill Bachman
Mar 2, 2018

All Together Now! Focus on Unison Exercises

Practicing unison exercises is an excellent way to determine the accuracy and precision of your four limbs as they function together. Like links in a steel chain, the sturdiness of your groove depends on the strength of your weakest limb.…

by Steve Fidyk
Mar 2, 2018

The Paradiddle Polyrhythm Pyramid

Sharpen Your Rhythmic Awareness and Control The following exercise was going to be called the Paradiddle Polyrhythm Rudiment, but I felt that it was too long to be just one rudiment. Instead, it makes for a formidable polyrhythm exercise in…

by Peter Magadini
Mar 2, 2018

Duple/Triple Single-Diddle Gear Shifters Part 2

16th Notes and Sextuplets This month we’re going to isolate timing and sticking gear shifts between 16th notes and sextuplets (aka 16th-note triplets). These exercises are great for improving your hand technique as well as your timing. Using singles and…

by Bill Bachman
Feb 28, 2018

Color Your Groove Tips for Playing Drums and Handheld Percussion Simultaneously

Adding handheld percussion, like shakers and tambourines, to tracks in the studio is nothing new. Producers have long taken advantage of the opportunity to overdub layers of rhythmic texture without necessarily worrying about how it’s all going to be replicated…

by Eric Novod
Feb 28, 2018

Syncopation Revisited Part 6: Assorted Applications

Welcome to the final installment of our series on ways to interpret the classic Ted Reed book Progressive Steps to Syncopation for the Modern Drummer. The following applications can be used with any of the seventy-two repetitive one-measure examples from…

by Steve Fidyk
Feb 28, 2018
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Be Prepared! Long-Term and Short-Term Skills for Success

I thought I would use this month’s column to elaborate on the details of developing your product. Last month we discussed balancing artistry and commerce. We broke that down into the four parts of these vital components. First, make a…

by Russ Miller
Feb 28, 2018

Mind Matters - The Power of “No”

Q: My lead guitarist is finding fault with the drum parts I write. When we first attempt a new tune, he often rolls his eyes, makes a face, and stops the song. He’ll either start offering suggestions or ask to…

by Bernie Schallehn
Feb 28, 2018
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