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.
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,…
Stefano’s Sunburst Tama’s
This month’s Kit of the Month comes to us from Stefano Ashbridge. Stefano’s kit is a Tama Starclassic Maple in Sunburst Fade lacquer. He plays with a large array of Zildjian and Sabian cymbals. The drum sizes are a 16×22…
NEW SNARES FROM DW, NEW COLORS FOR DWe, SENSAPHONICS CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF IEM INNOVATION, SABIAN MIKE PORTNOY MAX COLLECTION, NEW IEM's FROM BEYERDYNAMIC, LP SIGNATURE MARTIN COHEN CONGAS AND BONGOS.
Drum Workshop, Inc. (DW) introduces the Limited Edition DW MFG True-Cast Snare Drum built in collaboration with longtime DW artist, renowned drum educator, and session player Dave Elitch. These snare drums offer a unique and powerful voice that’s dynamic and…
KickTone Microphone
Last month I reviewed the KickPort Bass drum enhancer, which I found to noticeably improve my bass drum’s tone. For this month, I’m testing a companion product from KickPort, the KickTone. It is a bass drum microphone that uses two…
X-Percussion ARC MK1 Trigger Pad
X-Percussion ARC MK1 Pro Trigger Pad Founded in 2020, Gruv-X LLC is known for its flagship product, the X-Click: a hand-crafted Crosstick accessory that mounts to the tension rods of a snare drum. In 2024, they released a single zone…
Nate Morton: The Driving Beat Behind The Voice
It’s been 26 seasons for the NBC hit show, The Voice and Nate Morton has been the driving beat behind every one of them. Self-taught from age five, Nate’s formal drumset training began during middle school with Grant Menefee in…
Jonathan Barber: Leading With Conviction
Since Jonathan Barber won Modern Drummer’s Best Up and Coming Drummer in 2018, he has become one of the busiest drummers in jazz. He has been playing with Terence Blanchard, Christian McBride, Nicholas Payton, Jeremy Pelt, Jimmy Greene, and Pat…
