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.
Septuplet Permutations - Diving Deep Into an Odd Subdivision
I find that the best way to become proficient with a new subdivision is to isolate each partial within the grouping and then combine the partial with all of the other available notes in the subdivision. Using triplets as an…
Playing Melodically - Part 1: “Billie’s Bounce”
In this new series I hope to present my thoughts and pass along some experience and insights on playing jazz. These lessons will largely deal with the symbiotic relationship between playing what the mind hears versus what the hands and…
1,000 Ways to Practice a Single Page - Part 4: Orchestrated Flams on the Drumset
Last month we learned how to interpret a single page of rhythms using flams. In this lesson we’ll apply this concept to the drumset. We’ll practice a few common ways to orchestrate flams on the kit before diving into some…
Groove Construction - Part 13: Left-Handed Split Grooves
In this workshop we’re expanding a groove concept that I introduced in the January 2017 issue, in which we split the right hand between two voices in various places throughout a phrase. This time we’ll focus on grooves that split…
Hi-Hat Splashes - Spicing Up Your Backbeats
The hi-hat foot splash is an under-used voice, especially among younger players. Performing the splash requires getting the ball of the foot and much of the leg involved in the motion. Legendary players like Steve Gadd and Steve Smith are…
Rock Perspectives - A Practical Application of Swiss Army Triplets
The Swiss Army triplet was shown to me several years ago by Keith Knudsen of The Doobie Brothers.
Teacher's Forum - Practice And Jazz Drumming
In my article "The Chorus Form and the Jazz Drummer" (December/January issue of Modern Drummer), I said that all practice material for jazz drumming should be practiced with, and without, records. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG…
Concepts - Rudiments: For or Against?
Talking to drummers about the rudiments is much like talking to the average person about politics.
Drum Soloist - Terry Bozzio
Fills A through D were taken from Frank Zappa Live In New York. The song is
Concepts - The World's Greatest Drummer—And Other Hang-Ups
I've been asked many times, while presenting clinics,
Driver's Seat - Hints On Playing With Big Bands
by Charlie Persip The important difference between big bands and small bands is in the orchestration/arrangements. A conventional big band has trumpet, trombone, sax and rhythm sections. These sections will, at times, play the same melodic and rhythmic figures collectively…
Jazz Drummers Workshop - The Music of the Drums, Pt. 2
Today's music has developed to the degree that anything conceived can be used if it's done musically. The basic drum has changed considerably since the days of the stamped pit and the slit log drums of Africa.
Rock Perspectives - Concept for Two Drum Sets
The year following my high school graduation, one of the big favorites was James Brown and the Famous Flames. At least once a year he came to the San Francisco Bay Area and played all the big auditoriums.
Concepts - Drum Solos
Most people, including most drummers, like a good drum solo. By good, I mean a solo that is rhythmical, musical, well constructed, well executed, in tempo and relates to the musical context in which it is played. TO READ THE…
