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.
Up and Coming: Butch Baron
Butch Baron was raised on Long Island, New York, but has spent the last few years on the West Coast. He has taken the seeming "adversity" of being a drummer with only one leg and turned it into an "opportunity."…
Gene Krupa 1909-1973
"I'm happy that I succeeded in doing two things: I made the drummer a high priced guy, and I was able to draw more people to jazz." TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Reflections on Gene Krupa
In 1939, I first met Gene. I started at the Hickory House in 1938. So Gene and I had been friends for over 30 years. I guess that everything that has been said about the man has been said before…
Michael Shrieve: Transcendence
I can remember being 16 years old, listening to 17-year-old Mike Shrieve on the first Santana album. It was released soon after Santana's stunning performance at the Woodstock Festival. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Rock Perspectives - Developing Hand/Foot Coordination
For a drummer, one of the most important areas of study and consideration is developing hand and foot coordination. Frequently, I am asked how I develop independence. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Aaron Sterling
In an era when the concept of the studio drummer is constantly being redefined—and even questioned—the player who’s tracked for artists including Taylor Swift, Sara Bareilles, the Civil Wars, and John Mayer has made no bones about embracing the role…
Rock 'N' Jazz Clinic - Samba Coordination Builder
I remember first hearing Chick Corea’s 1978 recording Friends at my music teacher’s house. This was when my ears got hooked on jazz. I was coming from a background in rock and punk, and I was amazed by the high…
Jazz Drummer's Workshop: Developing A Musical Approach
In my article "Reading and Jazz Interpretation," in the August-September issue of Modern Drummer, I mentioned the necessity of practicing musically. One way we may do this is by actually playing tunes on the drums. TO READ THE FULL STORY:…
On The Road With Gene Krupa
The best way for a musician to really get to know another musician is to work on the same band together. The following four musicians all worked on the Gene Krupa band for various periods between 1938 and 1942. They…
Drivers Seat: More On Phrasing
In my last article, I discussed the various methods used to learn the chart and the importance of phrasing. I'd like to go into phrasing with the band further. Let's check some recorded works of the same charts by different…
Complete Percussionist: Interpreting Marches
Is it possible to "kick" a march in much the same way you kick a dance band? As long as we're not talking about dance band rhythms, but are talking about support (supporting the brass and reeds in a march…
South Of The Border: Brazilian Percussion
Brazil has been a rich source of music and rhythm for many years. Virtually every percussionist has a few Brazilian percussion instruments in his "toy" collection. It is important for drummers to he familiar with these fascinating instruments, since by…
Billy Cobham
Billy Cobham is one of the strongest innovative forces on the drumming scene today. Both his technique, and drum set-up are awesome.We met at Starr Recording Studios where Billy was to record an instructional tape for the Tama Drum Company.…
Reflections: Don Lamond
"I was fascinated by the drums. I was always banging on things but I couldn't figure out how people rolled on drums. How could they play fast enough to produce a continuous sound?" TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO…
