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Rhythm And Timing Part 3: Single 16ths
This month we’re going to focus on the four different single 16th notes, which are “1,” “e,” “&,” and “a.” Playing just one note may seem simple, but it can be quite a challenge to isolate “e” and “a” and…
Shifting Sands
Rhythmic Transition Examples Transitioning from one time signature, tempo, or musical style to another is a very common technique in modern jazz. These shifts are often referred to as metric modulations, where a specific note value from the current tempo…
Dubstep Drumming Part 1: The Basics
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music known for its head-nodding beats, dark atmosphere, and ear-shaking bass. It draws on many other genres, including Jamaican dub, hip-hop, jungle, drum ’n’ bass, and 2-step, while fusing them into a unique…
Ricky Wellman
Ricky “Sugarfoot” Wellman may be most widely known as jazz master Miles Davis’s last touring drummer, but perhaps more important is his role in the genesis of go-go music, a marathon funk style indigenous to the Washington, D.C., area. TO…
Travis Orbin
The tech-metal phenom has made tsunami-like waves on YouTube and continues to lay down mind-bending tracks for artists the world over. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Sandy Gennaro
For decades the journeyman drummer has had one rock ’n’ roll adventure after another, from Cyndi Lauper to Joan Jett to Pat Travers to Johnny Winter to the Monkees. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Stella Mozgawa
Her thoughtful yet exuberant playing with Flea, Kurt Vile, Tom Jones, and especially L.A.’s dreamy groovers Warpaint reveals a sophisticated attitude toward songcraft—and an ability to just plain rip. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
A 5-Step Workout for Building Coordination Over a Pulse
Complete independence is something that we all strive for, but it can be very confusing and frustrating to practice. This workout/challenge will focus on what I would consider to be “practical independence.” In other words, it’s designed to build the…
Rhythm And Timing Part 2: Two-Note 16th Groupings
This month we’re going to focus on the six different two-note 16th-note groupings. We’ll begin with “1-e,” and then we’ll move it to “e-&,” then “&-a,” and finally “1-a.” After those first four variations, we’ll do a separate exercise for…
Mickey Roker Style and Analysis
Mickey Roker was born in Miami in 1932, and at age ten he moved to Philadelphia, where he still resides today. Throughout the 1940s and ’50s, Philadelphia was an epicenter for aspiring musicians, including John Coltrane, Stan Levey, the Heath…
Mr. Big's Pat Torpey Interview June 1990
Pat Torpey specializes in power drumming with a relaxed, confident groove, managing to radiate strength without pounding or bullying his drums. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Ronald Shannon Jackson
“As you know, this is only about having fun,” Ronald Shannon Jackson told the audience in his warm Texas drawl at the 1991 Skopje Jazz Festival, a performance archived on YouTube. “We’re here to have a little pleasure and bring…
The 50 Greatest Drummers of All Time
Whose playing endures through the decades? Whose music do we reach for when we want new ideas? When we want to practice? When we want to laugh? Who inspires and delights us most? TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO…
Nate Wood
His playing in the resolutely unclassifiable band Kneebody seems like a match made in heaven. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
