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.
Samba Songo
The Afro-Cuban songo rhythm was created in the 1970s by the Cuban band Los Van Van and its drummer/percussionist José Luis Quintana, aka Changuito. After many years of studying and playing Afro-Cuban and Brazilian rhythms myself, and participating in a…
The Commandments of the Half-Time Shuffle by Zoro
Welcome to the final installment of my three-part series on the half-time shuffle. I thought it would be fitting to end with some transcriptions of a handful of popular recordings. Immerse yourself in the music so that the grooves envelop…
Complete Percussionist - Multiple Percussion
Multiple percussion playing has become a very important area of percussion performance. The ability to perform on a multiple percussion set-up is necessary for playing practically anything from solo recitals to a Broadway show. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE…
On The Job
Disco style drumming has its own unique sound. To authentically capture that sound and feeling calls for a little preliminary preparation. The pulse is basically a moving eighth note rock feeling complete with a 2 and 4 afterbeat. TO READ…
Drum Soloist - Roy Haynes
Roy Haynes is one of the leading exponents of modern jazz drumming. His influence in the development of the progressive styles of the late forties and fifties was equal to that of Kenny Clarke, Max Roach and Art Blakey. TO…
Creating Opportunity - Five Key Components for the Working Drummer
This month’s column is about creating opportunity for yourself. Our quotation by the American author H. Jackson Brown Jr. describes the idea beautifully. Many drummers ask me about opportunity. Sometimes the question is “How do you get gigs?” Or it’s…
Jazz Drummer's Workshop - Practice Musically
Many serious drummers have at some point in their study, spent a great deal of time on technical exercises of a mechanical nature (rudiments, stick control exercises, reading texts, etc.), all done with only the best intentions and sincere dedication.…
Strictly Technique - Warm-Ups
Almost every drummer has his own special collection of favorite warm-up exercises and hand conditioners. I've found the following assortment of simple yet very effective exercises using sixteenth notes, single sticking and accents to be most helpful. TO READ THE…
Rock Perspectives
Rock is now over twenty years old and so are the techniques of rock drumming. Years ago, the simplicity of rock was looked down upon by the astute musician. Today, rock has become extremely complex and progressive. TO READ THE…
Show & Studio
At one point in your drumming career, you're apt to ask yourself, how can I earn more money? The answer may be, become a percussionist. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Complete Percussionist
Rolling is the term used in reference to sustaining sounds on drums. Each percussion instrument has its own techniques of rolling—each unique, but yet each similar in many ways. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Jazz Drummer's Workshop - What Does An Arranger, Composer Look For In A Drummer?
Jay Corre is an internationally known composer, arranger, and performer. He has performed with Buddy Rich, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Frank Sinatra to name a few. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Basics - The Lindy Beat by Rich Redmond
The classic rhythm we’re exploring this month has weathered the test of time since first appearing in the early twentieth century. The pattern is associated with the jazz dance called the Lindy hop, which originated in Manhattan’s Harlem neighborhood in…
Strictly Technique - Consecutive Flams part 3: Inverted Motion
In the third installment of this series, we’re going to modify the exercise by removing one tap from the transitions. Instead of using a flam accent to shift from one hand to the next, we’ll use an inverted flam tap.…
