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Drum Miking 101, Part 4: Four Microphones
A closer distance between the mics and the drums will give you a bit more definition and clarity. But be careful that you don’t get too close with the main overhead microphones, because you’ll start missing instruments. For this article…
Rock Perspectives - Coordination Development
How many of you like a challenge? In this Rock Perspectives series, I'm going to challenge not only your ability to play, but your ability to think as well. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Driver's Seat - Big Band Basics
In my last article, I gave nine rules for better big band drumming. As you may recall, they were: (1) Support, (2) Don't get in the way, (3) Cue (or Direct) the band, (4) Don't overplay (simplify), (5) Keep the…
Britt Walford - Slint's Rhythm Machine Revs It Up With Watter
His list of recordings over the past three decades isn’t vast, and his drumming charms aren’t the type that 32nd-note junkies fawn over. But his contributions to landmark albums by indie-rock kings and queens cannot be overstated. TO READ THE…
Jazz Drummer's Workshop - Feet First
We have all heard drummers with terrific hands but with a bass drum foot that could best be described as concrete. We look at the problem. The hands are playing off of the drums using rebound and the control of…
Rock 'N' Jazz Clinic: Double Bass Fills
The purpose of this lesson is to show you how to overlap bass drum notes at the end of a phrase into a crash at the beginning of the next phrase, in order to maintain a continuous flow of ideas…
Jazz Drummer's Workshop - Double Time Coordination
Often a soloist will play over the rhythm section in either half or double the tempo of the section. Sometimes it is musically effective if the drummer complements the rhythmic direction of the soloist by playing part of the set…
South Of The Border - Afro-Cuban
The African influence in Latin music is evident to the point where certain rhythms and instruments, including those from the Caribbean and Brazil, can be directly traced to a specific African region or tribe. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE…
Drummer/Percussionist - Larry Bunker: L.A. Studio Pro
Drummer/Percussionist Larry Bunker: L.A. Studio Pro by David Levine Larry Bunker is one of those Los Angeles studio musicians whose playing is constantly heard on TV, movies, and records. Though his name is seldom mentioned, Bunker’s experience, knowledge and musicianship…
Pataflafla Builder - Exercises for Developing a Challenging Yet Musical Rudiment
One of the most beneficial of the forty PAS rudiments is the pataflafla. It’s one of the few where each hand plays a totally different part. The leading hand uses what I call the Moeller whip-and-stop technique, and the secondary…
Jazz Drummer's Workshop: Reading And Jazz Interpretation
A drummer's interpretive powers grow once he has established the foundational techniques of hands and feet. Coordination, which means hearing something and spontaneously reacting to it in a musical manner, develops. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG…
Take Your Shuffle to the Max!
The two most common types of shuffles are the jazz and blues shuffle. We won’t get into the history here, but the obvious difference is in the ride pattern. Either version can be used, depending on the song, the band,…
Jojo's Modified Swiss Triplets - A Slick Sticking for Quick Jungle Grooves
Jojo Mayer’s command of the jungle/drum ’n’ bass style took the drumming community by storm. Mayer manages to traverse the blinding tempos and computerized breakbeats effortlessly, thanks to flawless technique and his creative use of rudiments like the Swiss triplet.…
Traditional Percussion on Drumset, Part 2: Bongos
In order to fully understand the function and possibilities of the instrument called bongo, you must explore the Cuban styles of changui, rumba, and son. According to musicologist Fernando Ortiz, the bongo may have originated as ancient drums built specifically…
