Jazz Drummer's Workshop
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.
Triplets with Accents
This section of triplets with accents is similar to last month’s lesson of accent studies of eighth notes with accents. Both come from Joe Morello’s outstanding book Master Studies. Again, strive for evenness of sound, paying particular attention to the…
Accent Studies with Eighth Notes
This section combines alternate stickings with one handed stickings, while stressing accents. It is essential to maintain only two dynamic levels in each exercise: the accented level and the unaccented level. Also be sure to keep an even sound when…
Triplets with Flams
These exercises should be played as written, on a snare drum or practice pad, without accenting the flams. After playing these at a medium dynamic, practice them at various dynamic levels, from very soft to very loud. You should also…
Endurance Exercise with Fill-Ins
Joe Morello combined the idea of Endurance Studies with his Fill-In studies in his book Master Studies. These are not “drum fills,” instead they are endurance exercises built on the idea of filling in between the primary rhythm of the…
Groups of Two with Fill-ins
Joe Morello advanced the idea of endurance studies with his Fill-In studies included in his book Master Studies. These are not “drum fills,” instead they are endurance exercises built on the idea of filling in between the primary rhythms of…
Threes and Fours with Fill-Ins
Joe Morello advanced the idea of endurance studies with his Fill-In studies included in his book Master Studies. These are not “drum fills,” instead they are endurance exercises built on the idea of filling-in between the primary rhythms of the…
Fill-In Studies Groups of Four Fill-ins
Joe Morello advanced the idea of endurance exercises with his Fill-In Studies included in his book Master Studies. These are not “drum fills,” instead they are endurance exercises built on the idea of filling in between the primary rhythm of…
Fill-In Studies
In previous issues of Modern Drummer, we have printed the first three parts of the “Stone Killer.” Joe advanced the idea of those endurance exercises with his Fill-In Studies These are not “drum fills,” instead they are endurance exercises built…
“Chapinism” to Jazz Solos: Solo applications from Advanced Techniques for the Modern Drummer, Vol 1 Coordinated Independence
I had the chance to study with the great Jim Chapin during the last four years of his life. Jim passed away at 90 years of age on Independence Day (July 4, 2009). Ironically, he has been referred to as…
Triplets with Flams
In previous months we have learned about an often-ignored sound of drumming called Flat Flams. Then we learned about Joe Morello’s creative way of combining eighth notes with Flams.This month we will continue with a study of playing triplets with…
Master Studies Eighth Notes with Flams
Last month we learned about an often-ignored sound of drumming called Flat Flams. This month we will continue with a study of playing (the more common) Flams. Both sounds are useful on both the snare drum and drumset and are…
Flam Studies
In all of our learning, we (hopefully) concentrate of the creative use (and sound) of flams. However, in our desire to play the “perfect” open and fat flam sound, we often ignore the (also unique) sound of “flat flams.” These…
The Stone Killer Part 3
Last month we included the second part of Joe Morello’s “Stone Killer” that was inspired by George Lawrence Stone’s “Stone Killer” exercise. These exercises originally appeared in Joe Morello’s book Master Studies. Originally George only wrote out the first four…
The Stone Killer Part 2
In the September 2022 issue of Modern Drummer, we reprinted Joe Morello’s version of George Lawrence Stone’s amazing exercise The Stone Killer Part 1. There are actually three parts to this legendary speed and endurance workout. This month we will…
