Search

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.

Advertisement

Elvin Jones’ First Set of 1982 American K Zildjians with Embossed Bag

Shortly after Elvin Jones passed in 2004, his wife Keiko invited me to help her with the massive collection of drum gear Elvin had amassed throughout his career. The collection filled an entire apartment in their New York City apartment…

By Donn Bennett
Jun 1, 2026

Out Now June 2026

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 a high-quality, special, or unique drumming and musical performance from the drummer and/or musicians in the…

Modern Drummer
Jun 1, 2026

Aerosmith (Legendary Edition)

The Debut That Changed Everything, Finally Heard the Way It Was Meant to SoundBy David FrangioniCEO, Modern Drummer Artist: Aerosmith    Album: Aerosmith (Legendary Edition) (Capitol Records/UMe, 2026)Format: 5LP Deluxe Box Set / 4LP Deluxe / 3CD Expanded / 1CD /…

Modern Drummer
Jun 1, 2026

Isaac Carpenter’s Guns N’ Roses Touring Kit (B-Rig) 

Drums: DW Collector’s Series Pure Maple with Black Ice Finish: 18 x 24 Bass Drum, 9 x 12 Rack Tom, 10 x 13 Rack Tom, 16 x 16 Floor Tom, 16 x 18 Floor Tom, 6 x 14 Snare Drum.  Cymbals: Zildjian: 14” K Light Hi-Hats, 20” A Ping Ride,17” K…

Photos by Jason Mehler
Jun 1, 2026

Tower of Power’s “The Skunk, The Goose and The Fly,” from East Bay Grease. Drummer, David Garibaldi

This month, we travel back to 1970—the explosive dawn of funk music. At the time, James Brown ruled the genre, building its very foundation alongside legendary drummers Clyde Stubblefield and Jabo Starks. Concurrently, Sly and the Family Stone were riding…

Transcription by Marc Atkinson
Jun 1, 2026
Advertisement

YAMAHA EAD50, NEW PORTER & DAVIES USERS, NEW AKAI SOFTWARE UPDATE

New Yamaha EAD50 Yamaha is proud to introduce two exciting additions now available to drummers: the EAD50 Electronic Acoustic Drum Module, a high‑spec next‑generation model that expands on the EAD10 concept, and the DSU50 stereo condenser microphone, included with the…

Modern Drummer
Jun 1, 2026

Speed-A-Beat: Universal Bass Drum Pedal Roller-Ball Module 

Can you double your foot speed? That’s what John Crocken’s Speed-A-Beat sets out to answer. The patented module is built around a single mechanical idea: replace the friction between foot and footboard with a bed of free-spinning steel bearings and see what happens. John Crocken, known…

By Jason Mehler
Jun 1, 2026

Summer Drum Reading

Summer is here! If you are touring you will be logging many hours in busses, vans, and planes. If you are vacationing, there may be hours at the pool, lake, or beach. Maybe you are a homebody and just enjoy…

Modern Drummer
May 1, 2026

Clean, Compact, and Consistent. 

And now for something completely different… This month’s Modern Drummer Kit of The Month comes to us from Seattle, Washington’s Jon Levitt. The origin of Jon’s rig is that after he got into electronics, he realized that he was carrying…

Modern Drummer
May 1, 2026

Ichi Go, Ichi Ye

It’s been fifty-two years since I first visited Japan. Back then I was the 19-year-old drummer for Stan Kenton’s big band, long of hair while short of experience, but with no lack of enthusiasm to be here. I’m typing this…

By Peter Erskine
May 1, 2026

SOFTWARE UPDATES FOR SPD-SX PRO V 2.0, LP IMPROVES THE CYCLOPS, THE NEW GRAHAM PEDAL, DW SOUNDWORKS METAL LEGACY 2

Roland is announcing the Version 2.0 update for the SPD-SX PRO sampling pad. Offering customizable trigger LEDs, multiple audio outputs and trigger inputs, massive onboard memory, and much more, the rugged and reliable SPD-SX PRO is the ultimate solution for professional…

Modern Drummer
May 1, 2026

Ebenor Quality Percussion: Noranda Copper Snares

Modern Drummer received an extremely cool snare from Ebenor’s Noranda Copper Collection to see what we thought of this high-end offering in the world of snare drums. Ebenor is a high-end, custom shop located in St-Sebastien, Quebec, Canada, and their…

By Brian Hill
May 1, 2026
Advertisement

OCDP: Orange County Drum & Percussion, The Loudest Name in Drums Returns!

Guitar Center has resurrected the Orange County Drum & Percussion brand with the help of original OCDP founder Daniel Jensen and No Doubt’s Adrian Young. Together they will reclaim the brand’s custom shop legacy as they mark its 35th anniversary.…

By Brian Hill
May 1, 2026

CHICAGO DRUM SHOW SCHEDULE, NEW ROLAND EL SEGUNDO HEADQUARTERS

2026 Chicago Drum Show Announces Diverse Schedule of Educational Sessions. An exciting variety of drum clinics will be featured at the upcoming Chicago Drum Show — the 35th Anniversary edition of the world’s largest and longest running independent new, vintage,…

Modern Drummer
May 1, 2026
Advertisement