Rock 'n' Jazz Clinic

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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Raw Speed Bass Drum Workout with Mike Johnston

This bass drum workout is all about developing your raw speed. Raw speed is very different from pattern speed. Pattern speed requires your brain to keep track of a specific sequence of rights, lefts, and kicks, and you have to…

Mike Johnston
Feb 23, 2017

Rock 'N' Jazz Clinic - Groove Construction

Ghost notes are an excellent way to expand your dynamic range. In this lesson, we’ll focus on dynamics and technique while working on ghost notes by using an ostinato approach. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN

Modern Drummer
Feb 23, 2017

Groove Construction - Part 11: Perceiving the Click as Triplets

In this ear-training workshop, we’ll work on hearing a metronome on different partials of 8th-note triplets. Working on these exercises will improve your ability to internalize different rhythms before you start playing them. Plus, these exercises will definitely improve your…

Jost Nickel
Feb 23, 2017

Groove Construction, Part 10: Exploring a Killer Cowbell Pattern

In this lesson we’ll examine a pattern that I get asked about often. I recorded this groove on the song “Rave Against the Machine” with Jan Delay and Disko No. 1 in Germany some time ago... TO READ THE FULL…

Jost Nickel
Feb 23, 2017

Groove Construction, Part 9: Split Grooves

This month’s groove workshop introduces split patterns. In these phrases, the right hand alternates between two voices, the hi-hat and ride. The arm should hardly move; the motion should originate from the wrist. This concept is especially effective with patterns…

Jost Nickel
Feb 23, 2017
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Twelve Essential Shuffles - Some of Drumming's Most Influential Feels

While simple in concept, the shuffle, which features prominently in early jazz, blues, Motown, soul, funk, rock ’n’ roll, and hip-hop, among other styles, can be difficult to execute even for skilled drummers. In this article we’ll cover the essential…

Rich Scannella
Feb 17, 2017

World Groove Independence Mash-Up

When I began writing my latest book, Groove Freedom, the goal was to gain flexibility both within my students’ grooves and my own. As I practiced the book’s systems, I realized they helped with independence as well as with groove.…

Modern Drummer
Nov 18, 2015
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