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.
Joe Morello’s Maple Ludwigs
This Ludwig five-piece sliver sparkle maple drum kit (14×22, 9×13, 16×16, 16×18, and 5.5×14 Hammered Bronze Snare) was owned and played by Joe Morello for many years. David Frangioni studied with Joe in the 80’s and they became very close.…
Pearl Welcomes Drummers to High-End Reimagined
The emerging power drummer, gigging player, or up-and-comer can expect a fresh new selection of visuals for Pearl’s Decade Maple Series drums. Two new satin lacquer finish options are being introduced with the arrival of Blue Mirage, and Rose Mirage,…
Sam Smith, The 1975, Interpol, Black Crowes, Blur, and Placebo Drummers Use Porter & Davies
Photo by David Phillips The silent tactile monitors made by Porter & Davies (P&D) are used around the globe by many top professional drummers. Joining the growing P&D family are Jonathan ‘Ginger’ Hamilton (Sam Smith), George Daniel (The 1975), Sam…
2023 Chicago Drum Show: The Drummers Family Reunion!
The Chicago Drum Show, now in its 32nd year, returned to the Kane County Fairgrounds on May 20 & 21, 2023. The show was a rousing success with an attendance of around 1500 visitors and over 180 booths. Attendees came…
DW’s Alex Gonzalez Collectors Series Icon Snare Drum: Iconic drummer, Iconic Snare Drum
Drum Workshop sent Modern Drummer over one of their newest Collector Series Icon snare drums for a look-see. The Alex Gonzalez DW Collector’s Series ICON snare drum was created as a tribute to Latin Pop icons Mana and their legendary…
Godsmack’s Shannon Larkin Mountain vs. Machine
Photo by Mike DeMillia As you walk in drummer Shannon Larkin’s house there are no pictures of himself, or Gold or Platinum records on the wall. The only thing that would clue you into the fact that you are in…
Joe Farnsworth: Playing from the Past, and for the Future
Photo by William Brown I tell drum students this all of the time. If you become a music major in college, pay as much attention to your peers as you do to your teachers. You can learn as much (and…
OUT NOW! New Recordings in the August 2023 Issue
Modern Drummer is spotlighting new recordings that have the drums at the center of their sound. These recordings might be drummer-led, or just include a high-quality, special, or a unique drumming and musical performance from the drummer and/or musicians in…
HalBlaine’s 1950s Rogers “Constellation” Drum Set
The set that started it all… By now, studio drummer Hal Blaine’s legend is pretty well known. He is widely considered the most recorded musician of all time. His extraordinarily prolific career spanned four decades from the the 1950s through…
Groove Concepts for Fusion-Funk Music
I began playing with the Carl Mayotte Fusion Quintet in 2018. We have recorded four albums since 2018 and have had the chance to release a play along series for drum and bass with Hudson Music in 2023. Creating the…
Understanding the Language of Music Basic Chord Structure
Modern Drummer founder Ron Spagnardi wrote an excellent book called Understanding the Language of Music, a Drummer’s Guide to Theory and Harmony. This book spells out the basics of theory and harmony in a very easy to understand way. It…
Triplets with Flams
In previous months we have learned about an often-ignored sound of drumming called Flat Flams. Then we learned about Joe Morello’s creative way of combining eighth notes with Flams.This month we will continue with a study of playing triplets with…
Explosive CONFIDENCE Through Drumming
Where does true confidence come from? It’s found in the evidence of actions when you faced your dragons, and came out the other side. It’s not just thinking, but KNOWING. Everyday, we earn another 1%, but we don’t always see…
