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.
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…
ROCK ’N’ JAZZ CLINIC - Squashed Stickings
Finding creative ways to apply rudiments to the drumset can be a great way to discover new vocabulary. In this lesson, we’ll discuss what I call “squashed stickings.” A squashed sticking applies a specific roll to a steady subdivision but…
The Responsibility Is Ours by Russ Miller
Concepts The Responsibility Is Ours Calls to Action to Combat the Current State of Affairs by Russ Miller This month I want to discuss one of the biggest concerns facing the drum world: the fact that fewer and fewer people…
Necessary Ruffness - Make Your Grooves Percolate With Subtle Doubles
Basics Necessary Ruffness Make Your Grooves Percolate With Subtle Doubles by Rich Redmond The ruff is an essential rudiment that’s directly related to the double-stroke roll, or buzz roll. The ruff can be played open, as we have it here,…
Build a More Balanced Double-Stroke Roll
Strictly Technique Build a More Balanced Double-Stroke Roll Inverting the Diddles to Increase Strength and Precision by Jeff W. Johnson This month we’ll examine a technique used to balance out the double-stroke roll. A double-stroke roll should have a machine-gun-type…
The Flexible Five - Exploring the Five-Stroke Roll on the Drumset
Rock ‘N’ Jazz Clinic The Flexible Five Exploring the Five-Stroke Roll on the Drumset by Mike Johnston One of the most common questions I get from students is about applying rudiments on the kit. They want to know how to…
Swing Style 101, Part 2: The Other Half
Jazz Drummer’s Workshop Swing Style 101 Part 2: The Other Half by Justin Varnes One of the main reasons why it can be so hard to make jazz sound and feel right is that here the basic timekeeping elements of…
A Yogi’s Approach to Learning Drums
Teacher’s Forum A Yogi’s Approach to Learning Drums Awareness Exercises for Developing a More Fluid Connection With the Instrument by Nicholas Schlesinger One of my drum students is a yoga instructor, and recently during a lesson where we were focusing…
Progressive Drumming Essentials, Part 4: How to Feel Odd Subdivisions
Rock Perspectives Progressive Drumming Essentials Part 4: How to Feel Odd Subdivisions by Aaron Edgar When I was first learning quintuplets and septuplets, I would mentally cut them into smaller groups of two and three. So quintuplets would be felt…
