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.
Don’t Disturb the Groove! Part 2: Hi-Hat Substitutions
In this article we’ll discuss substitutions where we’re basically using the hi-hat foot to replace either a hand or a bass drum note. The idea is to look at the hi-hat as not just an instrument that plays quarter notes…
Exploring The New Frontier — Moving Beyond Pattern-Based Thinking
Practice materials laid out in any given method book are often validated by the possibilities for musical application that await those who work through the pages patiently of diligently. This article is designed to give you a glimpse of the…
Don’t Disturb the Groove! Part 1: Broken Doubles and Paradiddles
“Don’t disturb the groove.” Whether we’re playing to an audience that’s pumping their fists, moshing, or simply dancing, as drummers we never want to be the one held responsible for clearing the floor. But what happens when someone yells, “Give…
Funky Threes — Breaking the Mold With Broken Stickings
In this article, we’re going to look at a very simple three-note sticking pattern (LLR) and apply it on the drumkit in a way that you may not have thought of before—with the double strokes voiced between the hi-hat and…
Metrically Modulated Drum ’n’ Bass
Using Triplets to Imply Faster Tempos Over the past decade, the drum ’n’ bass style of drumming has taken off in a big way. Many drummers tend to emulate this style by simply playing in double time. For example, if…
Composing on the Drumset
Simple Ways to Bring More Intention to Your Grooves I believe that as drummers we have the ability to create music and compose on our instrument in more ways than in the conventional manner. We learn good technique through the…
Brush Workshop Part 4: Rudiments
Almost every drummer practices the rudiments—with sticks. If you’re serious about learning how to use brushes, why not also practice the rudiments with them? TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Brush Workshop Part 3: Linear Motion
Many drummers think that brushes can be used only in jazz, but if you’ve been following this series and practicing the various patterns in each article, you should realize by now that brushes can be used in any musical style.…
Sticking the Beat
A Four-Step Process to Discovering New Grooves In this article I’ll show you how sticking patterns can be applied to the drumset to create various grooves. Each groove is built from the ground up, progressing through four easy-to-understand steps. The…
Color Your Groove Tips for Playing Drums and Handheld Percussion Simultaneously
Adding handheld percussion, like shakers and tambourines, to tracks in the studio is nothing new. Producers have long taken advantage of the opportunity to overdub layers of rhythmic texture without necessarily worrying about how it’s all going to be replicated…
Groove Freedom Part 3: 32nd-Note Patterns
Welcome to the third and final installment of my “Groove Freedom” series. For those of you who missed the first two lessons, these articles are based on exercises from my latest book, Groove Freedom. The book is built from the…
Volume Independence and Musicality
More About “How” Than “What” There are many different concepts and methods for developing independence. Most of us spend countless hours working on independence the traditional way, by playing a rhythm with one hand (e.g., a jazz swing ride pattern)…
Groove Freedom Part 2: “Funky Drummer” Permutations
Welcome to the second installment of articles based on my new book, Groove Freedom. I wrote this book for myself as much as I did for my students. There is nothing quite like the feeling of having one hundred percent…
Groove Freedom Part 1: One-, Two-, and Three-Note Permutations
Welcome to the first of three articles based on my new book, Groove Freedom. I wrote the book for my own practice after realizing how limited I was in certain grooves—in other words, how little “freedom” I had. Playing a…
