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Kit of the Month - Spirit of America
This American-made, fourteen-piece monster comes to us from percussionist, educator, and collector Mike “Mickey” Jones of Birmingham, Alabama. Jones commissioned the kit more than four years ago from Bridgeport, Connecticut, drum manufacturer RCI Starlite. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE…
Encore - Blue Öyster Cult’s Agents of Fortune
On the one hand, “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper” has kept B.Ö.C.—a hard rock band that bikers, rock critics, and record-store nerds can all seem to agree on—and drummer Albert Bouchard’s percussive prowess alive in the public’s consciousness. At the same…
Conquering Life’s Stage Fright - Part 1: The Three C's
Imagine you’ve worked on your skillset for many hours throughout your life and you’ve developed what you perceive to be an accurate awareness of your abilities. Imagine having spent most waking hours since the age of five thinking about or…
Threes and Fives - Fills With Odd Groupings
I’ve always found it fun and interesting to explore the possibilities available when using common subdivisions such as 8ths, 16ths, or 8th-note triplets. For example, we can play a double-stroke roll or paradiddle sticking within 8th-note triplets to create a…
Casey Scheuerell: With Feeling
Casey Scheuerell is the high-powered drummer who is best known us the driving force behind Jean-Luc Ponty's eclectic violin, on such albums as Cosmic Messenger, Jean-Luc Ponty Live, and A Taste For Passion.
Groove Construction, Part 10: Exploring a Killer Cowbell Pattern
In this lesson we’ll examine a pattern that I get asked about often. I recorded this groove on the song “Rave Against the Machine” with Jan Delay and Disko No. 1 in Germany some time ago... TO READ THE FULL…
Swiss Rudiments - Basel Drumming, Part 4
In this lesson we’ll take a look at a song from Camp Duty Update, my most recent book about the history of rudiments and their European roots. The melody of the tune “The Slow Scotch” was used in nineteenth-century military…
Odd Subdivision Offbeats - Ten- and Fourteen-Note Groupings
When examining 32nd notes, we see that they’re twice as fast as 16th notes. Similarly, we can take this idea of doubling subdivisions and apply it to any grouping. In this lesson we’re going to explore ten- and fourteen-note subdivisions,…
Concepts - The World's Greatest Drummer—And Other Hang-Ups
I've been asked many times, while presenting clinics,
Beyond the Noteheads - Benefits and Strategies for Transcribing, Part 1
I recently thought about my first lesson with the great drummer and educator Ed Soph. I was eighteen years old at the time, and my parents drove me from our home in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to see Ed in New Haven,…
Teacher's Forum - More Effective Learning
As a private teacher, professor, and researcher, I have a great interest in learning how our brains, neural systems, and bodies work together as we develop music and drumming skills. I’ve done research for several years to devise ways for…
A New Year, A New You? Reviewing and Renewing Your Goals, Part 2
Welcome to Part 2 of our new year/new you discussion. Last month we talked about reflection. This time we’re covering the topics of imitation and experience. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Natal - Café Racer Series Drumset
Natal’s initial drum catalog included metal and stave-shell snares and ply-shell drumkits made from ash, birch, maple, bubinga, and American walnut. In early 2016 the company released a new series, Café Racer, which features North American tulipwood shells. TO READ…
