Chris Lesso

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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Getting Started With Open Handed Drumming

You might have seen me play and noticed I do things a little differently. By now, hopefully you know that “different is good,” because there are no rules! The way I play is called open handed drumming, which simply means…

Chris Lesso
May 1, 2024

To Master Your Craft, Go Outside of It

I have many favorite “drummers” that aren’t drummers at all: Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, Eddie Van Halen, and Bruce Lee. These non-drummers have just as much impact on my expression as the great drummers. Sticking within your field, can make…

Chris Lesso
Mar 1, 2024

delete, Delete, DELETE! Masters Of Minimalism

“Half my life is an act of revision.” —John Irving Deciding what to cut away is the playground where the real masters play. The root meaning of the word decision is ‘to cut away’. Knowing what to DELETE refines your…

Chris Lesso
Jan 31, 2024

Don't Compete, Create!

There’s always someone better, stronger, faster. If we didn’t know this already, we’re surrounded by reminders that can doom us to self-doubt. In our hyper connected world, it doesn’t take long before we see someone on the drums half our…

Chris Lesso
Dec 31, 2023

The Long Game of Excellence

“I dare you to do better.” —Dom Famularo These were the final words I heard in my last meeting with my mentor and teacher Dom Famularo, only weeks before he passed. I’d known him almost three decades, and I’d heard…

By Chris Lesso
Dec 1, 2023
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Be Undeniable

“Be so good they can’t ignore you.”  –Steve Martin Whether you want to be a rising star on stages around the world or simply cultivate a daily drumming meditation in your practice room, be undeniable in all you do. It’s…

By Chris Lesso
Nov 1, 2023

The Teacher Learns Twice

“One heart, one mind, one groove.”  –Rick Lazar, Samba Squad Drummers around the world have something no other instrumentalists have, we’re one big tribe, one that supports and shares like no other. As soon as you meet another drummer, the…

By Chris Lesso
Oct 1, 2023

Step Up and Raise Your Standards!

Getting to your next level of excellence comes in evolutions, not revolutions. We all share the battle of fighting self-sabotage from our “shadow selves.” This lesser part of us survives by running to the light of ease and safety. Fighting…

By Chris Lesso
Aug 31, 2023

Explosive CONFIDENCE Through Drumming

Where does true confidence come from? It’s found in the evidence of actions when you faced your dragons, and came out the other side. It’s not just thinking, but KNOWING. Everyday, we earn another 1%, but we don’t always see…

By Chris Lesso
Jul 31, 2023

How To Deal with Nervousness

“The struggle ends when the gratitude begins.”-Neale Donald Walsch The RLG mantra will empower you to channel new levels of energy and creativity when it counts. Performance anxiety can get in the way of big moments when all we want…

By Chris Lesso
Jun 30, 2023

Stop Skipping Steps!

Many people never realize their life through rhythm by unknowingly skipping steps. I get it, this is how I started too! I was eager to get right to bashing out the joyful roar I was hearing from my drumming heroes.…

By Chris Lesso
May 31, 2023

The 4 Practice Pockets: #4. Celebrate the Wins

“Each day, and the living of it, has to be a conscious creation in which discipline and order are relieved with some play and pure foolishness.”-May Sarton CELEBRATE, THE FUN PRACTICE To celebrate is to refill your well of enthusiasm,…

By Chris Lesso
Apr 30, 2023
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The 4 Practice Pockets: #3. Push the EDGES: The Blue Ocean (Great Unknown) of Practice.

Venture into the blue ocean (great unknown,) by doing something you don’t know how to do… YET! I’ve never met a drummer that didn’t want to learn in the “Matrix style.” In the hero’s journey movie The Matrix, Neo plugs…

By Chris Lesso
Mar 31, 2023

The 4 Practice Pockets: #2: Stack the Reps, The 10,000 Reps Mindset

“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”–Bruce Lee Back in the early days of recording, bands had to be grittier to get a magical…

By Chris Lesso
Feb 28, 2023
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