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.
Jay Postones
Features Jay Postones The drummer with the progressive metal band Tesseract will happily turn to technology to help him realize the ambitious ideas in his head. Then he jumps on the drums, and the real fun begins. by Ben Meyer…
9 Reasons to Love Simon Kirke
It’s a short list of rock drummers who’ve made their mark as a member of two successful bands, as Simon Kirke did with Free and then Bad Company. Kirke’s love of American soul and R&B, particularly the sounds coming out…
JAZZ DRUMMER'S WORKSHOP - Crossovers
This month’s lesson focuses on the crossover, a technique that legendary drummers such as Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, Louie Bellson, Jo Jones, and Sonny Payne popularized in their extended solos. Employing crossovers can help maintain the continuity and flow of…
Basics - More Cowbell!
The phrase “more cowbell” has seeped into the public consciousness with good reason—cowbell rocks! Classic rock songs like “Mississippi Queen,” “Honky Tonk Women,” and “We’re Not Gonna Take It” inspired this month’s lesson. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO…
CONCEPTS - Your Library
American author and clergyman Harry Emerson Fosdick makes a very important point about the acquisition of knowledge in any field. We must look back, stay current, and use inspirations to build our future. For us drummers, spending time gaining knowledge…
A Different View: Merrill Garbus
A Different View Merrill Garbus She describes her band as “a three-person rhythm section where two people are making up the drumkit for a lot of the time.” The leader of Tune-Yards is obviously willing to go pretty far out…
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…
