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.
Advanced Techniques for Jazz Soloing
For four years I’d been studying intensely with Dom Famularo, who suddenly said during one of my lessons, “Steph, you’re now ready for Jim.”
Funkify Your Swing
As mentioned previously, combining funk rhythms into a swing style can be helpful for players looking for new accompaniment language.
Seven-Note Groupings
We’ll take a seven-note pattern, split it into groupings of three-, two-, and two-note clusters, and play it between our limbs within a swing context.
Latin Jazz Drumming Part 3: Mambo Bell Ideas in 3/2 Time
Welcome to the third installment in our series on Latin jazz drumming. In this lesson we’ll focus on mambo bell variations in a 3/2 time signature. The inspiration for this month’s column comes from an audition experience I had several…
Funkify Your Swing Feel
Fusing rhythms from one style of music to another can help a player develop new ideas and fresh rhythmic approaches that might not have yet been previously explored.
Creative Triplets For The Advanced Player: Part 2
Syncopated figures could be used within an underlying framework of 8th-note triplets.
Creative Triplets For The Advanced Player: Part 1
The following two-part article has been designed to help you improve your ability to fill or solo using syncopated jazz figures amidst an underlying pulse of 8th-note triplets.
Contemporary Coordination Exercises
The exercises in this month’s lesson are meant to challenge your concentration, coordination, and independence. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Assertions And Evaluations
Time passes, and I become convinced more than ever that the diverse elements comprising the art of drumming all work together to give us drum fanatics as good a shot at happiness and fulfillment as anyone on the planet Earth.…
Latin Jazz Drumming - The Mambo, Part 1
In this lesson series we’ll focus on Latin jazz rhythms and interpret them on the drumset. For the first installment, we’re digging into the Afro-Cuban mambo bell pattern. Mambo is an Afro-Cuban style that’s built upon a clave foundation. Traditionally…
Expanding the Paradiddle – Part 3
As was stated in Part 2, this article will examine ways to obtain polyrhythmic patterns by using paradiddles. These exercises should be practiced with a metronome until a natural feel for the rhythms is achieved. Again, keep the muscles relaxed…
