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.
CATCHING UP WITH - Aric Improta
The Night Verses drummer has masterminded a multi-player video whose variety of styles, setups, and sounds make it one of the most compelling percussive productions in recent memory. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
BASICS - Five-Stroke Glue
The world’s greatest drummers have often laid the foundation of their grooves and fills with the five-stroke roll. It can act as a connective tissue that binds musical ideas together. Think about Steve Gadd’s hypnotic marching rhythms, Carter Beauford’s slick…
JAZZ DRUMMER'S WORKSHOP - Rhythmic Conversions
For Part 1 of this series, we’ll focus on accented 8th-note phrases and convert them into triplet patterns. I find this concept beneficial for students who struggle to create an even and consistent drumset flow when trading fours and improvising…
Catching Up With... Slim Jim Phantom
The drummer’s bold playing and even bolder stage presence with the ’80s rockabilly icons the Stray Cats helped prompt a resurgence of interest in rock’s roots. Though that wasn’t necessarily the plan from the start. TO READ THE FULL STORY:…
Up & Coming: Poly-Math’s Chris Woollison
The progressive British trio Poly-Math rocks. Hard. And all without vocals, because the music is already so full. Consisting of guitarist Tim Walters, bassist Joe Branton, and drummer Chris Woollison, Poly-Math has recently released a three-song mini album, Melencolia, its…
Pack That Van! 15 Essential Things to Take With You on Your First Tour
You got the gig, the band is rehearsed, and you’re excited to hit the road. All that’s left is to throw your stuff in the van and go. But before you do, consider bringing along these items to ensure that…
Jeremiah Green
Rabid fans of Modest Mouse were relieved to see the band return with a new album and tour in 2015. The drummers among them got an especially big bang for their buck. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS…
Scarlett Stevens
She adds a number of vital elements to San Cisco’s deceptively sunny sound, including lead vocals and drum parts that can catch you by surprise with off-the-cuff wildness and well-thought-out weirdness. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG…
Benny Goodman - The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert
It was the floor tom heard round the world, Gene Krupa’s call to revolution: “Drummers to the fore!” TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Rebuilding Double Bass Chops
As in any area of drumming, there are no shortcuts to building chops. You have to invest a considerable amount of time and make sure you’re practicing efficiently and effectively, with proper mechanics. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO…
Strictly Technique - Hearing The Click On The "E"
In this lesson, we’ll work on shifting our perception of a metronome so that we’re hearing each quarter-note pulse as the second 16th note, or “e,” of each beat. Benny Greb has talked about using this concept to help improve…
In Memoriam - Jim Coffin
Coffin was born in Waterloo, Iowa, in 1931, and received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). After playing professionally in Los Angeles, he returned to Iowa and taught high school starting in 1956. TO READ…
Hybrid Drumming Basics - 3 Contemporary Scenarios That Meld Electronics and Acoustics
Many of today’s most successful pop and hip-hop artists are using the sampled production textures heard on the recordings alongside a live drummer whose responsibility is to augment and add excitement to the stage show. TO READ THE FULL STORY:…
Starting (or Advancing) at Any Age
I have the privilege of meeting players from all over the world. I also meet many people who are interested in taking up the drums but are torn about it. Many of the excuses for not starting to play are…
