First Person

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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Foundational Brush Technique

When I first started playing brushes, I copied what I heard on recordings, and what people like Joe Morello were doing. When Joe came to town, I would get as close as I could to watch how he played brushes.…

By Ed Soph. Presented by Drum Channel.
May 17, 2021

Applying Musical Concepts to the Drumset

In order to take what you are practicing and apply it musically to the drumset, you have to develop facility, technique, and independence first. Then, you can transition to playing more freely—almost like a stream-of-consciousness, “beatnik” approach. You have to…

Modern Drummer
Mar 26, 2021

Creative Fills

Stepping Up Without Stepping On the Song “When doing fills around the drumset, the most important thing is the inner clock and that you’re relaxed,” says legendary session drummer John “JR” Robinson while filming a course for DrumChannel.com. “But also,…

Modern Drummer
Feb 25, 2021

Chad Smith

Remembering Neil Peart I spent my sophomore year listening to 2112. Up until that point I had an older brother who listened to a lot of English rock albums. Led Zeppelin was probably my favorite, and John Bonham’s drumming was…

Modern Drummer
Jan 1, 2021

Terry Bozzio Interviews Nick Mason of Pink Floyd

“Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun” This month we have an excerpt of a special interview between legendary progressive drummer and composer Terry Bozzio and rock icon Nick Mason of Pink Floyd. The questions came in from…

Modern Drummer
Dec 1, 2020
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Simon Phillips

“Not from Here” is one of the songs on a DVD/download titled The Gannin Arnold Project that Drum Channel produced featuring Gannin Arnold, Tim Landers, and Billy Mohler, along with five guest drummers: Taylor Hawkins, Jimmy Chamberlin, Terry Bozzio, Gary…

Modern Drummer
Nov 1, 2020

Zigaboo Modeliste on “Cissy Strut”

The Meters’ Funk Master Shares the Essence to Nailing This Timeless Two-Hand Hi-Hat Groove “‘Cissy Strut’ is a song that was written by Leo Nocentelli, and he was very good at writing rhythms,” said Zigaboo Modeliste in an online course…

Modern Drummer
Oct 1, 2020

Chad Smith’s Three Basic Beats to Infuse with Your Own Thing

You can get ten different people playing on a basic drumset, playing a basic rock beat, and they will all sound different. We each have a signature, and that’s a beautiful thing. It’s not “my way or the highway”—it’s about…

Modern Drummer
Sep 1, 2020

Beats and Fills

A Smattering of Favorites from a Few Top Pros This month we’ve gathered a collection of favorite beats and fills from some of the top drummers in the world.Each of these transcriptions was pulled from a Modern Drummer exclusive video…

Modern Drummer
Aug 1, 2020

Thomas Lang’s Coordination and Counting Concepts

A Few Ways to Practice With or Without Drums “Independence, four-way coordination, and ambidexterity are such huge subjects,” says Thomas Lang in a recent video lesson filmed for Modern Drummer by DrumChannel.com. “One way of getting into this is just…

Modern Drummer
Jul 9, 2020

Making Simple Ideas Extraordinary

Modern Pop/R&B Great Aaron Spears on How to Milk the Most from Basic Quarter Notes “Drums are an extension of who you are,” says modern pop/R&B great Aaron Spears in a recent video lesson for DrumChannel.com. “The way you play…

Modern Drummer
Jun 2, 2020

Gregg Bissonette Breaks Down Tower of Power’s “What Is Hip?”

The contemporary studio/touring great gives his take on a classic beat by funk pioneer David Garibaldi. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN

Gregg Bissonette
May 1, 2020
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Neil Peart on “Malignant Narcissism”

“The opening drum pattern of ‘Malignant Narcissism’ came about in some interesting ways,” said Peart during a 2009 video lesson for Drumchannel.com. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN

By Aaron Edgar
Mar 31, 2020

Drums Don't Lie

The former Kyuss and Fu Manchu drummer, who’s currently with Vista Chino, tells it like it is, was, and always will be. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN

By Brant Bjork
Feb 5, 2018
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