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.
PRODUCT CLOSE-UP - Canopus Solid Brass and Harvey Mason Signature Snares
Canopus has been hand-building high-end drums in Japan since 1977, with the primary focus being on replicating and updating the most coveted sounds of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
PRODUCT CLOSE-UP - Shure PGADRUMKIT7 Mic Pack
It’s become increasingly common for drummers to bypass professional recording studios as they acquire the skills and tools to record from home. Shure has made a name for itself by providing some of the most reliable microphones available, especially gold…
On The Cover - Ilan Rubin
On The Cover Ilan Rubin It’s tough to tell where his aesthetic as multi-instrumental leader of the New Regime ends and his highly involved support in Nine Inch Nails and Angels & Airwaves begins—this complete musician brings a panoply of…
Catching Up With... Bill Kreutzmann
Catching Up With… Bill Kreutzmann Fifty years after the birth of the Grateful Dead, the band’s founding drummer reflects on a long career. Then, after one last big fling with his old group, it’s back to business as usual: “playing…
Catching Up With... Mike Bordin
Catching Up With… Mike Bordin Faith No More has always followed its own rules. So if the band wants to wait until it’s half a decade into its “comeback” to finally release a new recording, you can bet there’s a…
Oscar Seaton
Features Oscar Seaton Playing with unbridled freedom and being a faithful servant to the groove might seem like two opposing goals. But for this long-revered multi-genre monster, it’s all about the same thing—putting in the time, and acquiring the tools.…
Blake Richardson
Features Blake Richardson Don’t let his calm drumming demeanor with Between the Buried and Me fool you—the ideas flying off his sticks can jolt you like a defibrillator. Long live technical rock ’n’ roll. Story by David Ciauro Photos by…
Joe Saylor Rise Up!
What awaits us down the road? Or around the very next corner? Ask Joe Saylor that question. He has an uncanny tale about a moment of seeming predestination. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Hugh Grundy
Hugh Grundy Story by Dennis Diken Photos by Rahav Segev Highly influential beat group the Zombies separated in 1968,then reunited decades later to finally receive their fair share of accolades. Today an unusual personnel arrangement allows the surviving core…
Kevin March
Guided by Voices/Ricked Wicky leader Robert Pollard’s go-to drummer avoids cliché at every turn—even down to the way he’s managed his career. For him it’s all about living in the moment, in the studio and beyond. TO READ THE FULL…
Cliff Almond
San Diego native Cliff Almond had special advantages as a young drummer banging his way through the business. Surrounded by a family of professional musicians, Almond learned early the value of sight-reading, good time, and showing up to the gig…
BASICS - Backstage Warm-Ups
In this lesson, I’m sharing some of the warm-ups I use before hitting the stage with Jason Aldean each night. I improvise with rudimental figures that isolate both sides of my body, which helps me focus on my weaker hand.…
STRICTLY TECHNIQUE - A Twist on the Buzz
A drummer once approached me after a show and said, “Your rolls sound as smooth as running water.” This statement gave me a new sonic goal, and that’s now what I think about when playing a closed roll. This lesson…
A Different View - John Tropea
A Different View John Tropea The New York–born, Berklee-trained guitarist is part of a small circle of musicians who basically owned the Manhattan studio scene in the ’70s, and whose influence is still being felt today. Drum gods? Yeah, he’s…