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.
Is that a Sinatra Drummer in your Pocket, or are you Glad to See Me?
Photo by Tom Ranier Shortly after receiving word that my name appeared at the top of a list in the Modern Drummer 2023 Reader Poll (for Jazz, a list that includes Brian Blade, Terri Lyne Carrington, Joe Farnsworth and…
New And Notable October 2023
Pearl’s Masters Maple Gum Series drums When it comes to drumming in the modern recording environment, the Maple/Gum shell combination has a sublime history. Pearl first incorporated this legendary blend on Masterworks drums with the Sonic Select Studio shell recipe.…
Studio Legend Chris Parker Returns to His Roots
Photo by Marie Shelto Who can Tell Me (or us) about drummer Chris Parker? Bob Dylan, Donald Fagen, Paul Butterfield, The Brecker Brothers, Stuff, Joe Cocker, Boz Scaggs, Linda Ronstadt, Aaron Neville, Lou Rawls, Elvis Costello, Patti Austin, Bryan…
Turnstile’s Daniel Fang, Breaking Beats and Pushing Boundaries
Photo by Pooneh Ghana From the energetic crowds to the adrenaline-pumping music, there’s nothing quite like a Turnstile show. For years, this hardcore punk band has been captivating audiences with their unique blend of punk, funk, and hardcore, earning…
Vinnie Paul Replica Pearl “Damage Plan Kit”
This month’s Eye Candy kit is a Pearl set that was custom created by John Douglas. This is a replica of Vinnie Paul’s Damage Plan kit. The kit features two 24 x 26 bass drums, 14 x 14 and 15…
Ron Spagnardi 1943-2003 Remembered After Twenty Years
It was twenty years ago this month that Modern Drummer Founder and Publisher Ron Spagnardi succumbed from his battle with cancer. Although Ron wasn’t comfortable with the term “visionary,” that’s exactly what he was. Every drummer around the world owes…
Two 1930s Slingerland Green Trap Kits
Here’s a little history of how Slingerland got into the drum business. In the 1920’s the banjo was very popular in music of day. Up until 1927 Slingerland was a banjo company. Ludwig had been a drum company since 1909.…
Snare Drum Duets: Duet 3
Ron Spagnardi wrote a terrific book called Snare Drum Duets: 25 Duets For Two Snare Drummers. It offers a selection of 25 challenging duets that range in difficulty from relatively simple to more complex. A wide assortment of time signatures…
“Chapinism” to Jazz Solos: Solo applications from Advanced Techniques for the Modern Drummer, Vol 1 Coordinated Independence
I had the chance to study with the great Jim Chapin during the last four years of his life. Jim passed away at 90 years of age on Independence Day (July 4, 2009). Ironically, he has been referred to as…
African and American Combinations
The next step in our African-American journey is to combine the long-three polyrhythm in bikutsi with mangambe and shuffle-funk elements. Let’s begin by playing the mangambe right-hand pattern on the cymbal and the six over four polyrhythm with the foot…
Step Up and Raise Your Standards!
Getting to your next level of excellence comes in evolutions, not revolutions. We all share the battle of fighting self-sabotage from our “shadow selves.” This lesser part of us survives by running to the light of ease and safety. Fighting…
The Encyclopedia of Double Bass Drumming: Feet Only—Triplets
In the new and revised edition of the Encyclopedia of Double Bass Drumming, Bobby Rondinelli includes nine new double bass drumming chapters. The new and expanded edition covers contemporary techniques such as bass drum double strokes, feet-only exercises, binary and…
The Bass Drum Owners Manual: Applying the Heel Up Technique to Grooves
This month Modern Drummer will continue to include excerpts from Michael Packer’s essential book on bass drum control and technique The Bass Drum Owners Manual: Applying the Moeller Technique to the Bass Drum. As you will see, this is a…
