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.
Teacher's Forum - Interleaving
A typical practice session is often laid out in a format that sports psychologists call “block learning,” where you repeat the same skill over and over for a predetermined amount of time. If you’re practicing four different skills (A, B,…
Jazz Drummer's Workshop - Jazz Comping With Quarter-Note Triplets
In this lesson we’ll liven up our jazz comping with offbeat quarter-note triplets. We’ll incorporate this grouping into a swing feel, apply it to four- and eight-bar phrases, and move it around the drumset. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE…
Rock Perspectives - A New Realm of Groove
It might initially seem strange using the term “groove” in conversations about patterns based in odd subdivisions. But examples of these phrases being used in popular music are abundant. A perfect song to demonstrate this concept is Snoop Dogg’s track…
Concepts - Staying Current
Everybody faces the challenge of staying current. It happens in just about everything in life. The music business in particular always seems to be looking for the next new thing, which can be a problem because it ignores the fact…
Beyond the Noteheads - Benefits and Strategies for Transcribing, Part 2
I lead a lab at Temple University, and at our first meeting of each semester I ask my students what music they have an interest in learning more about. Some want to gain a deeper understanding of a particular style…
Conquering Life’s Stage Fright - Part 1: The Three C's
Imagine you’ve worked on your skillset for many hours throughout your life and you’ve developed what you perceive to be an accurate awareness of your abilities. Imagine having spent most waking hours since the age of five thinking about or…
Stickings That Rock, Part 1: From A Hand Pattern to a Groove
This month we’ll look at a sticking that can be found in the first few pages of George Lawrence Stones’ book Stick Control and apply it to patterns on the drumset. The sticking, RLRR LRRL, is a staple of my…
1,000 Ways to Practice a Single Page, Part 1: Introducing the Method
I’ve always wanted a system for practicing different subjects that I can take with me anywhere without having to lug around a heavy stack of books. My students often forgot materials for their lessons, so we ended up using any…
Twelve Essential Shuffles - Some of Drumming's Most Influential Feels
While simple in concept, the shuffle, which features prominently in early jazz, blues, Motown, soul, funk, rock ’n’ roll, and hip-hop, among other styles, can be difficult to execute even for skilled drummers. In this article we’ll cover the essential…
Progressive Drumming Essentials
Part 6: Syncopated Double Bass...the Easy Way. When I began working on double bass, I was inspired by drummers like Gene Hoglan, Raymond Herrera, and Thomas Lang, all of whom seemed to have a never-ending supply of creative parts. I’d…
World Groove Independence Mash-Up
When I began writing my latest book, Groove Freedom, the goal was to gain flexibility both within my students’ grooves and my own. As I practiced the book’s systems, I realized they helped with independence as well as with groove.…
Endorsements Part 2: Are You Really Ready?
by Russ Miller Last month we started our discussion of product endorsements with the equipment manufacturers. I encourage you to read through that article again to familiarize yourself with some of the terms we’re using this month. We’ve been joined…
Triplet Fill Concepts Part 2: More Three-Over-Four Fills
Welcome to the second lesson in our series on jazz-style triplet fills. This month we’ll continue with the three-over-four triplet concept. For this version of the fill, you’ll play the first three notes of the phrase on the snare and…
Quintuplets Part 2: Polyrhythms With Fives
Last month we got acquainted with quintuplets by using accent patterns and transitions with familiar rhythms. In this lesson we’ll superimpose quintuplets across two beats using a five-over-two polyrhythm and across three beats using a five-over-three polyrhythm. TO READ THE…
