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.
Best Foot Forward
Like most of you reading this article … I am a drummer.And, I would imagine, like a lot of you reading this article … I am a basher.I bashed my way through basement bands as a school kid.I bashed my…
Tool "Chocolate Chip Trip," from Fear Inoculum, drummer Danny Carey
This month’s transcription highlights the incredible drumming of Tool’s Danny Carey. The song “Chocolate Chip Trip,” from their 2019 album Fear Inoculum, serves in part as a tribute to the legendary Billy Cobham. “Chocolate Chip Trip” mirrors the opening of Cobham’s Stratus from…
4OD: The 4 Offenses of Drummers
‘Listen, or your tongue will make you deaf.’ Native American proverb Drumming creates SYNERGY. Synergy is when 1 + 1 = 3, it’s when we as a group go to a place that any one of us couldn’t have gotten…
Encyclopedia of Double Bass Drumming: Double-Stroke Hands, Single Stroke Feet
In the new and revised edition of the Encyclopedia of Double Bass Drumming, Bobby includes nine new double bass drumming chapters. The new and expanded edition covers contemporary techniques such as bass drum double strokes, feet-only exercises, binary and ternary…
Master Studies II: Paradiddles with Fill-Ins Using Single Strokes
As a follow-up to Joe Morello’s legendary Master Studies book, he released Master Studies II in 2006. Joe was a masterful teacher and helped many great drummers with their musicality, technique, and touch. Joe was also masterful at creating exercises,…
Putting It All Together
Modern Drummer founder Ron Spagnardi wrote an excellent book called Understanding the Language of Music, a Drummer’s Guide to Theory and Harmony. This book spells out the basics of theory and harmony in a very easy to understand way. It…
Rhythm Vocabulary Development: Filling in the Spaces in 5/4
A useful way to conceptualize rhythm is to think of it as space. In the context of drumming, each note fills a specific space within the time signature. For instance, a quarter note in 4/4 fills the space of one…
The 2025 Neil Peart Spirit of Drumming Scholarship Award
Neil Peart’s legacy, artistry, inspiration, and the impact that his drumming will forever have, is what the Neil Peart Spirit of Drumming Scholarship is all about. His wonderfully constructed drum parts, his lyrics, and his commitment to drumming will always…
David Garibaldi's Drums and Cymbals
Since David Garibaldi retired from Tower of Power, (but certainly not from drumming), he’s still writing, teaching, recording, performing, pushing his own limits, and exploring new styles of music. David’s career with Tower of Power spanned 55 years. He left…
Out Now April 2025
Modern Drummer is spotlighting new recordings that have the drums at the center of their sound. These recordings might be drummer-led, or just include high-quality, special, or unique drumming and musical performances from the drummer and/or musicians in the band. This…
Caleb Crosby's Kelsea Ballerini Touring Kit
Drums: Gretsch USA Custom in Satin Tangerine Metallic – 14×22 Kick, 9×13 Rack Tom, 16×16 and 16×18 Floor Toms, 6.5×14 2mm Copper Snare (main,) 8×14 Maple Matching (side,) 6.5×14 Bell Brass (spare.) Heads: Remo – Controlled Sound Coated on all Snares/Clear Ambassador…
NAMM 2025
Toca Percussion Congas Tempo Drums Tama Signature Snares Tama ImperialStar Pat Petrillo and his P4 Pad John Otto Limp Bizkit 2024/2025 when they’ll be opening for Metallica OC Percussion Tour Kit Matt Starr and Seven Antonopoulos Ludwig Stainless Sonor 150th…
"You can't be great, without the greatness of others."
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a sports fan, and a lifelong Philadelphia Eagles fan, and I just thoroughly enjoyed the Super Bowl. With students, I often talk about the similarities of becoming great at playing a sport,…
