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.
Teacher's Forum - Interleaving
A typical practice session is often laid out in a format that sports psychologists call “block learning,” where you repeat the same skill over and over for a predetermined amount of time. If you’re practicing four different skills (A, B,…
Rock Perspectives - Converting Those Old Rhythms, Part II
In Part I we learned how to play a shuffle properly and how to apply it to a "half-time, shuffle-funk" concept. In Part II we'll explore this idea further with an emphasis on more complicated patterns. T TO READ THE…
Jazz Drummer's Workshop - Bass Drum Technique
The bass drum foot should be developed with the same technical/musical objectives as the hands: control of tempo, dynamics, and syncopation. A simple approach to these objectives is to relate bass drum technique to hand technique. TO READ THE FULL…
Sum 41's Frank Zummo
Frank Zummo has always been a team player—whether performing with his drum brothers in Street Drum Corps, filling in for an injured Tommy Lee in Mötley Crüe, or joining existing lineups with Dhani Harrison’s thenewno2, Gary Numan, the late Scott…
Concepts - Playing From The Inside Out
This month I’d like to discuss one of the biggest issues I see with young drummers: the loose and questionable sound of unintentional ideas. This usually happens during fills and solos, but it sometimes exists during grooves as well. Many…
Product Close-Up - Zildjian S Family Cymbals
After two years of research and development, Zildjian has released a new series of B12 (12% tin and 88% copper) cymbals, the S Family, to replace its mid-level ZHT line. While retaining the bright, explosive tonal qualities and competitive price…
Product Close-Up - Tama Superstar Classic Drumset
Tama’s Superstar Classic series feature well-crafted, versatile drums that make for a great all-around kit at an affordable price point. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Product Close-Up - Promark ActiveGrip Forward 5A Drumsticks
Promark experimented with its ActiveGrip coating on Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche’s signature Active Wave 570 stick, which was released in the summer of 2015. This year the company is expanding the ActiveGrip coating—to be offered in black—to some of its…
On The Cover - Dom Famularo
In the hundred or so years since our instrument was invented, the art of playing it has evolved significantly. And so has the way we teach it. Few people understand drumming history more fully than this month’s cover artist—and no…
Catching Up With... Harold Jones
His boss, the sprightly octogenarian singer Tony Bennett, is often described as an ageless talent. The same can be said of the drummer, who’s still burning it up after more than half a century near the top of the jazz…
Dave Matthews Band's Carter Beauford
“I tried to assemble a kit that would fit with what we were doing musically,” says Carter Beauford. “Everyone in the Dave Matthews Band comes from a different musical background, and we were all those different backgrounds through the music.…
Catching Up With... Frankie Banali
Quiet Riot’s drummer is a poster boy for pushing through adversity. A new documentary tells the tale, warts and all. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Catching Up With... John Convertino
Two and a half decades in, the Tex-Mex-imbued alt-rock vets of Calexico continue to find magical new ways to mix and match sounds. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Jason Rullo
For twenty years, the time he’s put into improving the things that he does with his hands and feet has continuously elevated the music of Symphony X. Recent events have found him working through matters of the head and heart…
