Rock 'n' Jazz Clinic

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Rock 'n' Jazz Clinic - Double Bass Fills Part 2

The purpose of this lesson, which is a continuation of what we explored in part one (June 2013), is to show you how to overlap bass drum notes at the end of a phrase into a crash at the beginning…

Modern Drummer
Feb 23, 2017

Rock 'N' Jazz Clinic - Samba Coordination Builder

I remember first hearing Chick Corea’s 1978 recording Friends at my music teacher’s house. This was when my ears got hooked on jazz. I was coming from a background in rock and punk, and I was amazed by the high…

Modern Drummer
Feb 23, 2017

Rock 'N' Jazz Clinic - The Odds Are in Your Favor

Searching for a way to break out of the old four-16th-notes-per-drum rut when playing fills? Applying odd note groupings can equip you with some fresh ideas that also sound very hip. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG…

Modern Drummer
Feb 23, 2017

Rock & Jazz Clinic - Melodic Drumming

In this article we’re going to explore a way to represent a melodic guitar riff from a classic-rock tune on the kit, while playing the song’s drumbeat at the same time. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG…

Modern Drummer
Feb 23, 2017

Rock 'N' Jazz Clinic - Bembe-Inspired Half-Time Shuffles

The original inspiration for these patterns came courtesy of Brady Blade’s wonderful groove on the tune “So Damn Lucky” from Dave Matthews’ 2003 solo album, Some Devil, and the parts have roots in traditional rhythms found in Afro-Caribbean bembe music.…

Modern Drummer
Feb 23, 2017
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Grooving in Form with Mike Johnston

Rock ‘N’ Jazz Clinic Grooving in Form Part 1: AABA Beats by Mike Johnstonb One of the first things you learn when you begin to play in bands is song form, and one of the most popular forms is AABA.…

Modern Drummer
Feb 23, 2017

ROCK 'N' JAZZ CLINIC - Hidden Rhythms Part 1 Cookin With 16th

The concept of discovering hidden rhythms within common subdivisions reminds me of the first time I removed the back of my boom box when I was about twelve years old. I knew that this simple device must have something fascinating…

Modern Drummer
Feb 23, 2017

The Paradiddle Challenge - Unlocking Keith Carlock–Type Hand/Foot Interplay

Rock ‘N’ Jazz Clinic The Paradiddle Challenge Unlocking Keith Carlock–Type Hand/Foot Interplay by Daniel Bédard I came up with the idea for this article after hearing Keith Carlock’s playing on guitarist Oz Noy’s track “Chillin’,” from the album Ha! I…

Modern Drummer
Feb 23, 2017

ROCK ’N’ JAZZ CLINIC - Hidden Rhythms Part 2 Odd Groupings

Last month we explored the endless rhythmic and textural ideas hiding inside a measure of 16th notes, including clave and cascara patterns, partido alto phrases, and more. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN

Modern Drummer
Feb 23, 2017

Grooving in Form: AABC with Mike Johnston

Rock ‘N’ Jazz Clinic Grooving in Form AABC by Mike Johnston In our previous lesson (July 2015), we learned how to use the simple song form AABA to create some hip triplet-based grooves. This month we’re going to push the…

Modern Drummer
Feb 23, 2017

ROCK ’N’ JAZZ CLINIC - Squashed Stickings

Finding creative ways to apply rudiments to the drumset can be a great way to discover new vocabulary. In this lesson, we’ll discuss what I call “squashed stickings.” A squashed sticking applies a specific roll to a steady subdivision but…

Modern Drummer
Feb 23, 2017

The Flexible Five - Exploring the Five-Stroke Roll on the Drumset

Rock ‘N’ Jazz Clinic The Flexible Five Exploring the Five-Stroke Roll on the Drumset by Mike Johnston One of the most common questions I get from students is about applying rudiments on the kit. They want to know how to…

Modern Drummer
Feb 23, 2017
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ROCK ’N’ JAZZ CLINIC - Groove Construction

In the second part of this series, we’ll continue to create new grooves by displacing the snare drum. We’ll start with a basic pattern that consists of 8th notes on the hi-hat, snare hits on beats 2 and 4, and…

Modern Drummer
Feb 23, 2017

Bass Drum Development - 4 Focused Exercises for Building Raw Speed

One of the most common questions I get asked in clinics is, “How did you develop your foot speed?” And that is often followed by, “What pedal do you use?” I can promise you this: Bass drum speed has almost…

Mike Johnston
Feb 23, 2017
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