In The Pocket
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.
Dubstep Drumming Part 2: Essential Tracks
In the last article we examined the various components used in dubstep, including the 2-step groove, the wobble bass, and the rewind. Now let’s take a look at some influential and real-world dubstep patterns and tunes. The following transcriptions are…
Dubstep Drumming Part 1: The Basics
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music known for its head-nodding beats, dark atmosphere, and ear-shaking bass. It draws on many other genres, including Jamaican dub, hip-hop, jungle, drum ’n’ bass, and 2-step, while fusing them into a unique…
Beyond "Funky Drummer"
Great Drum Breaks of the ’60s and Early ’70s Much has been written about Clyde Stubblefield’s legendary drum break on James Brown’s 1969 song “Funky Drummer.” Those few bars laid the groundwork for dozens of hip-hop tracks, and Stubblefield’s playing…
Funk Drumming Training Camp
Part 1: Paradiddles and 16th-Note Subdivisions Having a tight, solid, good-feeling groove has always been important in drumming. In many cases, bandleaders, singers, and other musicians value a drummer with a solid groove and a good feel more than…
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…
Grooving on the Snare - Six Beats That Break From the Kick/Snare/Hat Cliché
The first grooves that most of us learn are variations of countless rock, R&B, and pop recordings that feature the bass drum on beats 1 and 3, the snare on beats 2 and 4, and the ride or hi-hat chugging…
"Rock Steady" Demystified - Four Steps to Mastering an Advanced Funk Groove
Have you ever checked out Bernard Purdie’s beat on Aretha Franklin’s “Rock Steady”? And what about the classic drum break that includes Purdie’s signature hi-hat bark? That’s one of the most recognizable funk licks of all time, and we’re going…
Take Your Shuffle to the Max!
The two most common types of shuffles are the jazz and blues shuffle. We won’t get into the history here, but the obvious difference is in the ride pattern. Either version can be used, depending on the song, the band,…
In The Pocket: Funk Drumming Training Camp
In part one of this series (May 2013 MD), we talked about the importance of developing a tight, solid, feel-good groove. Things you can work on to tighten up your playing include gaining an intimate knowledge of the feel of…
In The Pocket - Funk Drumming Training Camp
In the previous two lessons (May and June 2013), we discussed the importance of groove and feel, and we covered ways to develop those concepts. This includes practicing things that are more complex than what you’ll play on the gig,…
IN THE POCKET - The Collapsing Concept in 6/8
The legendary drummer and long-time member of Tower of Power, David Garibaldi, emailed me last year with variations on a lesson I wrote for Modern Drummer’s March 2015 issue. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Ghost Notes 101 with Jim Riley
One thing that separates the novice drummer from the professional is the ability to play grooves that have dimension. Ghost notes are a great way to achieve this, but first you need to understand, on an elemental level, how to…
