In this month’s Modern Drummer, legendary songwriter Lenny Kravitz, Justin Timberlake’s Mike Reid, and Chic’s Ralph Rolle all allude to the phrase, “Listen to what the music is telling you to play” in their interviews regarding the subject of how to create a drum part for a song. When I am teaching today, this question often comes up from students of all ages and levels. Furthermore, I remember asking my teacher’s this exact same question when I was a very young and aspiring drummer. My first teacher Dan Davis told me, “Just listen to what the music is telling you to play, that’s how you create a drum part!” I must admit, I was young, and my teacher was a very intellectual and “deep” guy, I was VERY lucky! But I wasn’t quite prepared for that type of “philosophical” answer. I didn’t understand. I remember thinking, “Listen to what the […]

April 2024 Issue