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 is a fantastic book for drummers looking to learn about the language of music beyond drumming. We are honored to reprint the parts of Ron’s book here in Modern Drummer for everyone to read and learn. This month we will be talking about a vital subject to drummers (and all musicians,) form and structure. All music has a form and structure, and it is essential for drummers to know what the form and structure is for any song or music they are playing. Musical forms exist whether you are playing music by Sinatra, Santana, Slipknot, or Snarky Puppy. If we know what the form and structure is, then we will […]

February 2024 Issue