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.
AROUND THE WORLD - Diddling the Baiaó
Over the years, Chick Corea’s bands have featured a lot of great drumming talent. Steve Gadd, Dave Weckl, Roy Haynes, Jeff Ballard—all of these players brought exciting rhythms to the drumming world. We’re going to focus on a song from…
Setting Sights: John Tempesta
Setting Sights John Tempesta The heavy-rock journeyman takes Motor Sister for a Ride. by David Ciauro John Tempesta has been a constant presence on the hard rock and heavy metal scenes since the ’90s, playing with the iconic thrash bands…
JAZZ DRUMMER'S WORKSHOP - Timetable Warm-Up
As drummers, we’re often taught the importance of warm-up exercises. These drills are typically designed to help loosen the muscle groups of your wrists, forearms, and fingers. A good warm-up routine develops your reflexes and helps you produce an articulate…
Get the Most Beat for Your Buck - 4 Options for Building a Primo Snare Collection on a Workingman’s Budget
Shop Talk Get the Most Beat for Your Buck 4 Options for Building a Primo Snare Collection on a Workingman’s Budget by Nate Bauman As a single man in my late twenties with few commitments and even fewer resources, I…
Beware of the Chi-Ga-Da!
Basics Beware of the Chi-Ga-Da! Exercises for Harnessing a Powerful Funk/Fusion Sticking by Rich Redmond The main sticking used in the exercises in this article, RLL, is very popular in funk/fusion playing styles. The hands are split between the snare…
Pataflafla Hemiolas
Strictly Technique Pataflafla Hemiolas Straight and Alternating Versions Over Half-Note Triplets by Bill Bachman This month we’re going to add the pataflafla (a rudiment consisting of two adjacent flams) to some two-accent hemiola patterns to give us a rhythmic and…
The Paradiddle Challenge - Unlocking Keith Carlock–Type Hand/Foot Interplay
Rock ‘N’ Jazz Clinic The Paradiddle Challenge Unlocking Keith Carlock–Type Hand/Foot Interplay by Daniel Bédard I came up with the idea for this article after hearing Keith Carlock’s playing on guitarist Oz Noy’s track “Chillin’,” from the album Ha! I…
Traditional Percussion on Drumset, Part 4: Cajon
Around The World Traditional Percussion on Drumset Part 4: Cajon by Arturo Stble Living in New York City can be quite a rewarding experience for any artist. One of the things I love the most is the fact that I…
Progressive Drumming Essentials, Part 2: Demystifying Polyrhythms
Rock Perspectives Progressive Drumming Essentials Part 2: Demystifying Polyrhythms by Aaron Edgar Polyrhythms, which are two contrasting subdivisions played simultaneously, can create beautifully hypnotic, entrancing patterns that dance around the pulse. They can also weave themselves into complete and utter…
Remo - Powerstroke 77 and Powerstroke 3 Black Dot Drumheads
Product Close-Up Remo Powerstroke 77 and Powerstroke 3 Black Dot Drumheads Extra-durable additions to the ubiquitous pre-muffled batters. Expanding the sound palette of its Powerstroke line of drumheads, Remo recently introduced a black-dot version of the hugely popular P3 bass…
Fidock - 6x13 Heartbreaker Series Snare
Product Close-Up Fidock 6×13 Heartbreaker Series Snare The crème de la crème of one of Australia’s finest tonewood connoisseurs. Fidock (“fye-dock”) is a boutique manufacturer from Australia that specializes in handcrafting high-end stave-shell drums with rare Aussie species like blackwood…
Up & Coming - Ben Thatcher
Up & Coming Ben Thatcher Royal Blood’s percussive half avoids excess at all costs—and the payoff has been handsome indeed. Who said the blues is dead? British power-rock duo Royal Blood has earned success on both sides of the Atlantic…
Zildjian - FX Series China Trashes, Volcano Cup Zil-Bel, and Spiral Stacker
Product Close-Up Zildjian FX Series China Trashes, Volcano Cup Zil-Bel, and Spiral Stacker Inspiring, funky sounds delivered in compact sizes. Seizing on the current trend toward drummers incorporating small, trashy stacks and effects into their setups, Zildjian has added 8″…
ROCK PERSPECTIVES - Progressive Drumming Essentials
Has a song ever caught your ear in just the right kind of wrong way, leaving the music feeling twisted? You knew the musicians were playing together correctly, and you might have even been familiar with the song, but what…
