Rock Perspectives
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.
Rock Perspectives: A Study In Styles
The rock drumming scene has progressed a great deal since the fifties. Those of us who played through that era remember the monotonous eighths and afterbeats, and those relentless right hand triplets. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS…
Rock Perspectives: Ride Rhythm Independence
Traditionally, drummers have used the bass and snare drum to execute independent yet interacting rhythms. The ride rhythm, whether played on the ride cymbal or hi-hat, usually was a repetitive steady rhythm, filling in holes and making everything jell. TO…
Diamonds in the Ruff, Part 2: The Sexy Four-Stroke
Welcome to part two of our miniseries on the ruff. I consider the three-stroke ruff to be the workingman’s rudiment. The four-stroke is much sexier, but it’s not easy to master. And it takes a certain amount of precision, which…
Rock Perspectives - Coordination Development
How many of you like a challenge? In this Rock Perspectives series, I'm going to challenge not only your ability to play, but your ability to think as well. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Rock Perspectives - Theme And Variations
People ask me how I keep my ideas flowing and how I keep from getting stale and bored. This is a problem many drummers seem to have in common; a lack of ideas or concepts to use in their everyday…
Rock Perspectives Rock 'N' Time
The basic role of the drummer has always been that of a timekeeper. Today's music is no exception. I believe that basic role has become clouded in the minds of many due to the high technical level contemporary music has…
Rock Perspectives - Developing Hand/Foot Coordination
For a drummer, one of the most important areas of study and consideration is developing hand and foot coordination. Frequently, I am asked how I develop independence. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Rock Perspectives: It’s an Open and Shut Case
When playing consecutive sixteenth notes on the H.H., with eighth note and/or sixteenth note "swishes" in the pattern, the tendency upon closing the H.H. (at the end of the swish) with the L.F., is to double that note with the…
Rock Perspectives: More Rock Studies
In these examples, you'll notice a distinct difference in the sound of the hi-hat being closed with the foot as opposed to striking it with the stick. These two distinct sounds used with accented and unaccented snare drum/bass drum strokes…
Rock Perspectives - Odd Rock
Experimentation with new ideas and concepts brings growth. There is always a way to incorporate new ideas into your personal musical situation. Many times it has taken me months or even years to successfully incorporate new concepts into my playing…
Rock Perspectives: Odd Rock, Part II
This is an idea that came from playing the 4/4 bar, and as the bar repeated, I subtracted an eighth note. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Rock Perspectives - A Practical Application of the 5 Stroke Roll
The possibilities offered to us by the 5 stroke roll are limitless. In this article, we'll look at a few possible ideas for applying the 5 stroke roll in today's contemporary music. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS…
Rock Perspectives: A Practical Application of Flams
The exercises that follow will utilize two snare drum rudiments. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Rock Perspectives: Polyrhythms
In the third part of this series (November ’09), we applied a four-against-three polyrhythm to either the ride cymbal or the bass drum, while the snare drum played the backbeats on 2 and 4. Now let’s take things a step…
