
Ralph MacDonald

In this lesson, we’re going to take a look at some ways to incorporate Ralph MacDonald’s tambourine part into that same groove.

Modern Drummer’s first discussion of percussion includes four of the busiest drummers on the New York Scene today: Herb Lovelle, Ralph MacDonald, Bernard Purdie and Grady Tate.

Dave Grohl, Ralph MacDonald, Dave King, Rich Beddoe, Diana Krall, Matt Sorum, Susie Ibarra, Jason McGerr, Troy Luccketta, Dana Hammond, Steve Goulding, Andrea Centazzo, Walfredo Reyes Jr., Jeff Hamilton, Terry Bozzio
Posted: May 8, 2012
Modern Drummer Education Team Weighs In On: Practicing With a Metronome
The MD Education Team chimes in on the pros and cons of practicing with a metronome….
Posted: January 23, 2012
Jan Web Update News
Ringo Starr’s seventeenth solo studio record, Ringo 2012, will be released on January 31 in the United States and January 30 internationally. The album, which was produced by Starr, was recorded in L.A. and mixed in England by Ringo and Bruce Sugar. For more, visit www.ringostarr.com. Kenny Aronoff is still …
Posted: December 19, 2011
Legendary Percussionist Ralph MacDonald Passes
Ralph MacDonald, a Grammy-winning writer, producer, and percussionist who worked with an enormous number of top musicians over a fifty-year career, passed away on Sunday, December 18, from complications stemming from a stroke he suffered several months ago.
Posted: December 8, 2011
Tom Roady: Down Home Percussionist
An interview with the late, great Nashville percussionist, which originally appeared in the May 1996 issue of Modern Drummer magazine.
Posted: November 22, 2011
November Web Update News
Drumming news for the month of November complied in one place.
Posted: November 12, 2010

Toph-E & the Pussycats’ Chris Parker
Hi, MD readers! The making of Toph-E & the Pussycats’ new CD, No Ordinary Day, featuring Clifford Carter on piano, Will Lee on bass, Ralph MacDonald on percussion, David Mann on tenor and soprano saxes, and me on drums, was a long project, stretching over a year and a half. …
Posted: November 12, 2010
Toph-E & the Pussycats’ Chris Parker
Hi, MD readers! The making of Toph-E & the Pussycats’ new CD, No Ordinary Day, featuring Clifford Carter on piano, Will Lee on bass, Ralph MacDonald on percussion, David Mann on tenor and soprano saxes, and me on drums, was a long project, stretching over a year and a half. …
Posted: March 1, 2006
A Few Minutes With Rick Marotta
Rick Marotta is no stranger to MD readers. And he’s certainly familiar to anyone who’s had the pleasure to see him play or crack jokes while hosting Yamaha’s Groove All Star show….
Posted: May 12, 2004
Ralph MacDonald: Living The Island Life
The lyrics from one of Ralph MacDonald’s songs on his latest CD, Home Grown, start and end with words that sum up his life: “There is no better life than the island life. I love the island life, it makes my body free, it keeps my head together.”