Health And Science Archives - Modern Drummer Magazine

Health And Science

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.

Exercise for Drummers

Four Strength-Training Moves to Improve Bass Drum Speed and Endurance

by Brandon Green
Sep 30, 2019

Warm-Ups and Mobility Guidance

Part 1: Stretching Facts and Myths

by Brandon Green
Nov 30, 2018

Drumset Ergonomics - Part 6: Positioning Secondary Suspended Instruments

In this final installment of this series, we’re going to address how to position the instruments that we only play five to thirty percent of the time, such as splashes, Chinas, cowbells, electric pads, additional rack toms, and auxiliary crashes.…

by Brandon Green
Oct 30, 2018

Drumset Ergonomics - Part 5: Positioning the Hi-Hat, Ride, and Rack Toms

Welcome back! The final two articles in this series will focus on the placement of primary and secondary suspended instruments, with an emphasis on preserving shoulder health. Primary suspended instruments are the ones we play most often (hi-hat, ride, and…

by Brandon Green
Sep 28, 2018

Drumset Ergonomics - Part 4: Snare and Floor Tom Positioning

If you’ve been applying the concepts we’ve discussed so far in this series, you should now be seated comfortably at your kit, with the throne and pedals placed so that your hips and back are in the safest possible positions.…

by Brandon Green
Aug 29, 2018

Drumset Ergonomics - Part 3: Pedal Placement

In Part 2 of this series, we discussed the importance of setting your throne height to a position that will be optimal for your body to be comfortable and strong for a lifetime of playing. This time we’re going to…

by Brandon Green
Jul 31, 2018

Drumset Ergonomics - Part 2: Seat Height

This month we’re going to explore the critically important relationship between the drum throne and the human body. Selecting an appropriate throne height is one of the most overlooked steps of setting up a drumset, yet it could have the…

by Brandon Green
Jun 27, 2018

Drumset Ergonomics - Part 1: An Introduction

Hello, Modern Drummer readers. My name is Brandon Green, and I’m the owner of a muscle system health and fitness studio in Newmarket, Ontario, called Strata Internal Performance. I’m also a drummer. My mission is to help people move better…

by Brandon Green
May 30, 2018

Drum Athletes Part 4: Dynamic Stretching

Talk to any professional drummer who travels on a regular basis, and he or she will testify to the benefits of staying healthy on the road. Many touring musicians understand the value of getting enough sleep, drinking a lot of…

by Billy Cuthrell
Oct 30, 2017

Physical Hazards Of The Throne

13 Exercises to Minimize the Wear and Tear of Drumming Drummers play thousands—maybe even millions—of strokes throughout the course of their careers. With that amount of repetitive activity, mechanical wear can occur, which can then cause pain or injury. Over…

by John Platero
Oct 24, 2017