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.
CRITIQUE
RECORDINGS Archie Shepp, Raw Poetic, and Damu the Fudgemunk Ocean Bridges A delightfully swinging hip-hop-meets-jazz excursion that sounds composed yet is completely improvised. Ocean Bridges features tenor great Archie Shepp; his nephew, rapper Raw Poetic; and Earl “Damu the Fudgemunk”…
“Color Toys”
This month’s KOTM is one of a number of different setups Brooklyn drummer Joshua Berrios likes to break out, depending on the gig. Joshua Berrios enjoys experimenting with drum setups, and from the photos he sent us, he has a…
DW, DrēmTrigger, Gibraltar, RTOM and more
DW Design Series Additions These drums are offered in standard five-piece configurations with three add-ons: a 7x8 rack tom, and 12x14 and 16x18 floor toms. The shells are said to sound full, resonant, and responsive. Features include True-Pitch tension rods,…
Terry Bozzio Interviews Nick Mason of Pink Floyd
“Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun” This month we have an excerpt of a special interview between legendary progressive drummer and composer Terry Bozzio and rock icon Nick Mason of Pink Floyd. The questions came in from…
Get on the Good Foot!
Part 3: Hi-Hat Comping in 5/4 Welcome to the third and final part of our lesson on hi-hat comping. This article explores hi-hat rhythm variations in 5/4. The phrases included are intended to help develop dynamic balance between your hi-hat…
Coordinating the Body
Exercises for Better Alignment In this lesson we’ll explore exercises that can be utilized to strengthen the alignment of your limbs. Although these ideas are designed to help alignment between the hands and feet, they also challenge subdivision accuracy, consistency…
Individuality
Part 1: Where Did It Go? Individuality is defined as the unique characteristics and traits that make someone or something one of a kind. I thought a discussion about being yourself was important to bring up, and I will be…
In the Studio with Wes Little
A New York transplant cranking away in Nashville Wes Little moved from New York City to Nashville in 2008. In NYC he attended the Manhattan School of Music to study jazz and performed regularly with several different bands, including Confrontation…
Savannah Harris
She’s all over the jazz, avant-garde, and crossover scenes, playing gigs with everyone from stately ambassadors like Kenny Barron to the fierce hip-hop collective Standing on the Corner. Here the drummer discusses her ideas about playing and composing—including how kindness…
Bill Bruford
Part 2: The Go Between While some of his peers from the ’70s were content to rest on their laurels, our man never settled for settling down. Moreover, not only did his appetite for new sensations push his drumming into…
Nick Mason
The long-delayed release of a live album by his new Saucerful of Secrets band provides a good opportunity to catch up with Pink Floyd’s sticksman—much better late than never. This past March, two years after launching Nick Mason’s Saucerful of…
Stan Lynch
It’s been thirty years since he recorded with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. But for many drummers, his playing defines the late rocker’s greatest work. Now all those fans have got good reason to celebrate. If you’re having difficulty remembering…
The Killers’ Ronnie Vannucci Jr.
His secret to drumming greatness: passion plus musicality.As a pair of new albums demonstrate, it’s a recipe that never fails him. Somewhere around the midpoint of “My Own Soul’s Warning,” the lead-off track on the Killers’ new album, Imploding the…
