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.
Rudy Royston
This fearless drummer refuses to let anything get between him and his musical goals—not hard work, not the naysayers… TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Ryan Brown
Since 2006, the music of the late, legendary Frank Zappa has been alive and well in the repertoire of Zappa Plays Zappa, a band led by Frank’s son Dweezil. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Maya Tuttle
The Colourist plays pop music—but it’s pop with teeth. As you’re drawn in by the group’s sunny boy/girl vocals, you might miss some rather less-than-cheerful lyrics. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Duple/Triple Single-Diddle Gear Shifters Part 1: 8th-Note Triplets and 16ths
In part one of this two-part series, we’re going to isolate our timing and sticking “gear shifts” between 8th-note triplets (twelve notes per measure) and 16th notes (sixteen notes per measure). Not only will these exercises be great for your…
Groove Freedom Part 3: 32nd-Note Patterns
Welcome to the third and final installment of my “Groove Freedom” series. For those of you who missed the first two lessons, these articles are based on exercises from my latest book, Groove Freedom. The book is built from the…
Artistry Versus Commerce Balance Is Everything
For this month’s column I’ve chosen to discuss the most-asked question I receive at shows, at clinics, and on the Web: “How do you balance finance and drumming?” The quote by the great Irish playwright Oscar Wilde sums up the…
Words Count
As drummers we’ve long battled identity issues that never seem to go away, no matter how far we advance our art. For years the famed drummer Bill Bruford has pointed out a certain “pitched-instrument bias” on the part of the…
Katy Perry’s Tony Royster Jr.
He grabbed headlines as one of the most talked-about drumming prodigies in the history of the instrument, playing alongside musical icons three times his age and establishing a reputation for blistering clinic appearances. In his first MD interview in years,…
Tim Alexander of Primus
We chat about some big topics in the life of Primus drummer, Tim Alexander. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Crucial Jazz Drumming Recordings, Part 2
Last October we presented fifty albums that show how incredibly far jazz drumming has come since it first appeared on record a century ago. This month we bring you twenty-five more titles as we work toward a clean hundred. The…
Lia Braswell of A Place to Bury Strangers
From an early age the drummer has put her passions and pain into her music, allowing circumstances both within and outside of her control to feed her hungry heart. Like most successful artists, Braswell doesn’t ignore the messy storylines of…
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…
