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.
Uptempo Studies - Part 1: Whole Notes and Half Notes
In this series, we’ll focus on exercises that develop flexibility and endurance when playing fast tempos (300 bpm and up). To efficiently play at these speeds, it’s essential to stay relaxed. To gain the confidence and language necessary to handle…
Clem Burke: Pure Pop Power
“Clem was new wave’s premier drum showman, but his showmanship never got in the way of his emphatic, tom-heavy drumming style. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Grizzly Bear's Chris Bear
It turns out that any name similarities between Grizzly Bear and its drummer are purely coincidental. Musically, the seamless match is more like fate.
Linkin Park's Rob Bourdon
Most bands with a winning track record eventually hit a creative wall, where the fork in the road to the future leads either to reinvention or a rehashing of their old hits. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS…
Howard Grimes
He might not share quite the same name recognition as some of his contemporaries, but his deep grooves grace many of the heaviest and most well-known soul recordings of all time. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG…
Hozoji Matheson-Margullis
Covering lead and backing vocals while playing over rapidly shifting arrangements—with a refreshing open-handed approach—she can’t help TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
The Paradiddle Pyramid
A Quick and Effective Warm-Up Routine for the Hands and Feet The following exercise routine is great for drummers who have limited practice time. It also makes for a killer warm-up before gigs, sessions, or rehearsals. The routine is…
Volume Independence and Musicality
More About “How” Than “What” There are many different concepts and methods for developing independence. Most of us spend countless hours working on independence the traditional way, by playing a rhythm with one hand (e.g., a jazz swing ride pattern)…
Syncopation Revisited Part 4: Brazilian Applications
We continue our series on ways to interpret the classic Ted Reed book Progressive Steps to Syncopation for the Modern Drummer by applying Brazilian rhythms and phrasing ideas to the written manuscript. The following applications can be used with any…
“Nothing Endures but Change” — An Introduction
When the editors of Modern Drummer invited me to write a few Concepts pieces, my first reaction was, “Me? That’s Roy Burns and Billy Ward’s column, right?” I always loved reading Roy’s articles. He was the first drum clinician I…
Armando Perazza
Percussionist Armando Peraza, whose pioneering work brought together the worlds of Afro-Cuban, jazz, and rock music, passed away this past April 14 in San Francisco at age eighty-nine. He is survived by his wife, Josephine, a daughter, and three grandchildren.…
