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.
Tif “Teddy” Lamson: The Rhythm Made Her Do it
Tif “Teddy” Lamson is different from many of the drummers that appear in Modern Drummer. She is a multi-instrumentalist and a songwriter that happened to choose the drums as her main instrument. She is walking in the singing-drumming-songwriting footsteps of Levon Helm, Karen Carpenter, Dave…
Pepe Mangaña of Ministry
Pepe Mangaña has been paying his dues on the music scene for a long time. He has built a career doing everything from teaching, to playing with L.A. tribute bands, to touring and recording with Kyng. But in 2024, he…
Allan Holdsworth "Letters of Marque" from I.O.U. drummer Gary Husband
18 Years Old! That’s how old Gary Husband was when he recorded “Letters of Marque,” our featured transcription this month from Allan Holdsworth’s recording I.O.U.—and we’re all in for an incredible lesson. When I started to transcribe this piece, I was…
The Rhythm of Story
Dissect many drummers that have given a lifetime of work, and you’ll see they hover around a few concepts that are recycled endlessly. It may seem like a fountain of endless ideas, but they’re simply better at less. Like a…
Progressive Drumming Essentials: Beat Displacement
Progressive Drumming Essentials is a collection of articles originally written for Modern Drummer magazine. They are exactly what the title says, PROGRESSIVE drumming essentials. This series of articles, and the book that contains them all, represent a great deal of material that Aaron…
Master Studies II: Control Studies, Accents on the First Note of the Triplet
As a follow-up to Joe Morello’s legendary Master Studies book, he released Master Studies II in 2006. Joe was a masterful teacher and helped many great drummers with their musicality, technique, and touch. Joe was also masterful at creating exercises, many of Joe’s exercises…
The New Breed: Even More Melodies
Gary Chester’s groundbreaking book The New Breed is legendary. The book, and Gary’s teaching methods are deeply intertwined, it is a lifelong commitment of dedication, study, and development. Gary Chester’s Systems, Reading Exercises, Advanced Systems, Advanced Reading Exercises, Composite Systems, Grooves, and Applications are…
Rhythm Vocabulary Development Series Part 7: Exploring 13/8
For many drummers, 13/8 is a meter that sits at the outer edges of what most players encounter regularly, yet its internal structure—like 7/8, 9/8, and 11/8 before it—invites creativity, balance, and deeper rhythmic understanding. When you learn to feel…
Early Drummer's Traps, Chinese Toms, and Sound Effects
In the early 1900’s the proper term for a professional working drummer was a “Trap Drummer,” this was short for “contraption drummer.” These musicians were much more than simple timekeepers. They provided live musical accompaniment and sound effects for vaudeville…
Out Now November 2025
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 high-quality, special, or unique drumming and musical performances from the drummer and/or musicians in the band. This…
John Lennon & Yoko Ono, John/Yoko Plastic Ono Band
Power to the People, with Elephant’s Memory and Special Guests Box Set Capitol Records’ new Power to the People, with Elephant’s Memory and Special Guests Box Set is an amazing set for any music fan, but it’s an absolute treat…
Alvin Ford Jr.'s Jon Batiste’s Touring Kit
Drums: Pearl Masters Maple/Gum in Satin Rose finish – Rack Toms: 7×8, 7×10, 8×12, Floor Tom: 16×16, Bass Drum: 14×20. Snares: 6.5×14 Matching Maple/Gum Snare (Main snare), 6.5×13 Matching Maple/Gum Snare (Left Snare), 6.5×14 Hybrid Exotic (Kapur/Fiberglass – Right snare…
Special LP Edition for National Record Store Day 11-28-25
National Record Store Day has become a major event for music lovers, musicians, and record stores everywhere. Some of today’s greatest drummers grew up and got an education working in, and hanging out in, record stores. Many still do. A…
