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.
Rock Perspectives: More Rock Studies
In these examples, you'll notice a distinct difference in the sound of the hi-hat being closed with the foot as opposed to striking it with the stick. These two distinct sounds used with accented and unaccented snare drum/bass drum strokes…
Basic Brushes
Basic Brushes by Charley Perry In the history of drumming, brushes are a fairly recent addition to the drummer’s arsenal. They go back perhaps forty years and have been used almost exclusively in jazz and dance bands. The origins of…
Show And Studio: Victor Feldman Up-Close
Victor Feldman is a distinguished veteran of the recording industry. His unique abilities as a keyboard player and percussionist are sought by such artists as Hubert Laws and Joni Mitchell, plus groups like Steely Dan and the LA Express. His…
Catching Up With... George "Funky" Brown
Five decades on, the legendary dance band Kool & the Gang was recently honored with a Soul Train Legend Award and given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. One drummer has been there from the start. by Bob…
Chet McCracken and Keith Knudsen: Takin' It To The Doobies
Keith Knudsen and Chet McCracken, drummers for the popular Doobie Brothers, relate how the advantages outweigh the difficulties working in a two .0drummer situation. The pair also evaluate their own performance styles and preferences within the musical context of the…
Jazz Drummer's Workshop: Getting It Together With the Bass Player
Everybody knows that if the rhythm section is not 'happening' neither is the rest of the band. The drums and bass are two different sides of the same musical coin, and when two players are really together it is a…
Andrew Cyrille: An Aesthetic Endeavor
Andrew Cyrille has always been interested in the interpretive power of drums and percussion, and he has shown various aspects of this in contexts ranging from the Cecil Taylor Unit, to solo percussion albums and concerts. Here, he shares his…
Saul Goodman The Master Tympanist
With every instrument, there are certain players who, through their musicianship, manage to raise everyone's consciousness about how that instrument can he played. Often, these players also become involved with instrument design, in an effort to reduce the physical limitations…
Rock Perspectives: It’s an Open and Shut Case
When playing consecutive sixteenth notes on the H.H., with eighth note and/or sixteenth note "swishes" in the pattern, the tendency upon closing the H.H. (at the end of the swish) with the L.F., is to double that note with the…
South of the Border: Mambo on the Drum Set
The Mambo, along with its close relative the Son Montuno, makes up a significant share of the music played at Latin dances. It is too bad that the Mambo is not played more often at American dance jobs. It is…
Rock & Jazz Clinic - Melodic Drumming
In this article we’re going to explore a way to represent a melodic guitar riff from a classic-rock tune on the kit, while playing the song’s drumbeat at the same time. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG…
Gov't Mule's Matt Abts - On Tour & On Stage Making It Work On The Road
Mistakes? He's made a few. But Gov't Mule's longtime drummer knows that sweating the small stuff doesn't pay when your goal is jam-band Nirvana. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Strictly Technique: Extending Stick Control
Stick Control by George L. Stone is perhaps the most widely accepted text on "pure" technique for snare drum. However, many drum set players of very high caliber have also mentioned this book as a constant study source. TO READ…
Jazz Drummer's Workshop - Solving Technical Problems
All instruments have several approaches to a foundational technique. These techniques are determined by the physical nature of the instrument, the styles of music to be played on that instrument, and the physical limitations and advantages of the musician. TO…
