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.
Jazz Coordination Studies
Jazz-oriented independent coordination is basically the ability to play any rhythmic idea with your left hand and/or right foot, without ever breaking the time flow being played by the right hand on the ride cymbal. Below are some exercises designed…
Developing Speed Naturally
Almost all young drummers attempt to see how fast they can play at some point. This is a natural stage of development. It is sort of like flexing your muscles just to see how strong you are. Technique is needed…
Papa Jo Jones
"I don't waste time," Papa Jo says, the words snapping upside my head like a malevolent rimshot, the eyes bugging out and his voice becoming as hard and sharp as flint. "Time is too precious. TO READ THE FULL STORY:…
L.A. Studio Drummers Roundtable, Part 2
For a long time, a shroud of mystery covered the fact that our favorite groups on vinyl were not always the same individuals we saw in concert. Certainly the records never revealed anything to the contrary. But as the facts…
L.A. Studio Drummers Roundtable, Part 1
For a long time, a shroud of mystery covered the fact that our favorite groups on vinyl were not always the same individuals we saw in concert. Certainly the records never revealed anything to the contrary. But as the facts…
Jackie Santos: No Labels, Please
I first met Jackie Santos when his group, Tavares, was playing the Copacabana in New York City. The band was excellent. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Practicing With Records
When I was a young drummer, practicing with records was very difficult. Headphones and stereo sets were not available. I would turn up the volume on my small record player to the point where I could hear it over the…
Abbey Rader
SF: You’re a musician who’s referred to as an expatriot who started his career in the U.S. and then moved to West Germany. What prompted the move? AR: I moved in about 1978. I’d been living in New York and…
Ignacio Berroa and Daniel Ponce
In Verna Gillis’ apartment in Greenwich Village’s west side, the doorbell rings with a special rhythm—the clave; the beat that underlies almost all Cuban music. And if Verna’s phone could ring to that rhythm, it would because she owns Soundscape,…
Buddy Rich — Unstoppable
When Buddy Rich took charge behind the kit, the air crackled. Buddy aimed to excite, to give audiences their money’s worth with precision, sophistication, and world-class quality. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Gregg Potter
No two drummers’ stories are exactly alike. From heavy rotation on MTV in the heyday of ’80s hair metal to his current role as the driver of the Buddy Rich Band, it’s clear that very few drummers’ career trajectories are…
Steve Shelton
To the self-styled number cruncher with Confessor and Loincloth, if he’s communicating an “unbalanced” feel with his drumming, he’s doing something very right. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra's John Riley Chats With VJO Sub Paul Wells
When you take over the drum chair associated with a bona fide legend, there’s a huge responsibility to get it right. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
The CRASH Course to Success — Part 5: Hunger
This article focuses on the fifth and final portion of my CRASH concept. CRASH is an acronym that stands for “commitment, relationships, attitude, skill, and hunger.” These five global topics can be used by anyone to attract success to his…
