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... 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…
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…
