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.
Who Is Your Favorite Post-Beatles Drummer on Any Former Beatle’s Solo Albums?
Apparently, the Modern Drummer community loves their post-Beatles drummers. When we reached out on our Facebook page to query you about your favorite drummers on the solo albums of Paul, John, George, and Ringo, we received quite a flurry of…
How a Dave Weckl Performance Changed My Life
I’ll never forget the first time I saw Dave Weckl play the drums. At the time, I had heard Dave on records, but had never seen him play live or on TV. One fateful day, I happened to have the…
Sheila E - Modern Drummer, July 1991
A lot of percussionists—and drummers, too—have that problem of overplaying. The way you overcome it is by developing discipline. I learned all about discipline when I became a session player. I’d go into the studio and the producer would say,…
Milford Graves 1941-2021
John Zorn once called Milford Graves a “20th-century shaman.” It wasn’t just because the pioneering free-jazz drummer created an extremely personal approach to drumming that included ferocious explosions of churning beats across his entire kit, complementary vocalizations, and mid-performance narratives.…
RECORDINGS
Forty-four-year-old German-born drummer/composer Jochen Rueckert has released five swinging and visceral jazz records—all with top New York City players, and all tinged with the drummer’s left-of-center approach. Stars and Garters—which refers to awards and medals—is yet another Rueckert jazz side-swipe…
How It Feels to Be Something On
Sunny Day Real Estate From the cover art alone, you get the sense that something was burning at Sunny Day Real Estate’s core when they released How It Feels to Be Something On in September 1998. The sun image on…
Applying Musical Concepts to the Drumset
In order to take what you are practicing and apply it musically to the drumset, you have to develop facility, technique, and independence first. Then, you can transition to playing more freely—almost like a stream-of-consciousness, “beatnik” approach. You have to…
Realistic Reggae Rock
Hi-Hat Patterns, Part I Starting with this month’s issue, Modern Drummer is offering a three-part series curated from Carmine Appice’s brilliant book, Realistic Reggae Rock . Get those hi-hats grooving, gang! Part I consists of hi-hat patterns that apply to…
“Gaucho”
In It’s About Time: Jeff Porcaro, The Man and His Music, author Robyn Flans relates the story that the title track to Steely Dan’s Gaucho album was nearly cut when the musicians couldn’t get a good take, causing Donald Fagen…
Paradiddle Combinations
We’re taking a little trip into the past to revisit a fantastic paradiddle lesson from Joe Morello’s essential book, Master Studies II . The following exercises are great for developing control. Practice each one slowly at first, and remain relaxed…
Donn Bennett’s Drum Vault
Tico Torres’ 1984 Bon Jovi Pearl Drumset By 1984, Tico Torres and his band Bon Jovi had worked their way through the ranks of the New Jersey bar scene, had recorded their first album, and were opening for established acts…
Zildjian, Latin Percussion, GrooveTech, DW and more
Zildjian Armand’s Personal Collectio In celebration of what would have been Armand Zildjian’s 100th birthday, Zildjian is releasing vintage cymbals from the Zildjian family vault for the first time. This release features 200 hand-selected vintage 20" cymbals from Armand’s collection.…
Mono - 24" Cymbal Bag
Simple, comfortable, and durable—everything you need to transport your prized pies with ease. For most of us drummer, a cymbal bag is a necessary piece of gear but one of simple utilitarian nature. Most of us skimp out and go…
