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August 2020 Issue – Volume 44 • Number 8

Developing a Modern Straight-8th Concept In this article we’re going to explore the broken, straight-8th feel that the late, great Norwegian drummer Jon Christensen utilized to majestic effect on many classic albums for German jazz label ECM. The exercises included here are designed to help you develop a feel for Jon’s flowing style of accompaniment. Let’s start by playing four bars of constant 8th notes with one hand on the ride cymbal and the other on the snare. I’ve written out a suggested sticking that’s designed to illustrate one way to keep the pattern from sounding too rudimental and symmetrical. Now let’s orchestrate that four-bar phrase by moving the hands around the drums and cymbals. Notice the little tonal patterns and melodies this type of movement creates. Now let’s add in some non-repeating foot patterns, first with the bass drum and then adding in the hi-hat. This time, instead of […]
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Articles in August 2020

Thomas Lang

While “normal” drummers are figuring out how to keep good time behind that guitar solo or how to tune that second rack tom so it doesn’t sound like a cartoon sound effect, Thomas Lang is deeply concerned with something called…

Modern Drummer
Jul 8, 2020

Modern-Jazz/Rock/Fusion Powerhouse Ronald Bruner Jr..

Grammy-winning drummer, producer, singer, and songwriter Ronald Bruner Jr. is one of today’s most electrifying performers. His exciting “no holds barred” approach has gained the respect of some of the industry’s top artists, and his genre-busting style is a combination…

Modern Drummer
Jul 8, 2020

Critique

RECORDINGS Testament Titans of Creation The band’s thirteenth studio release proves once again how they themselves are titans of creation in the thrash metal lineage. Although drummer Gene Hoglan is not an original member of Testament, his drumming style created…

Modern Drummer
Jul 9, 2020

Lana Del Rey’s Tom Marsh

Serving the singer onstage requires all of this multithreat’s many skills. Lana Del Rey currently ranks among the top pop singers in the world. Steadily releasing albums since 2012, her classic torch-song voice graces moody material with a modern sensibility.…

Modern Drummer
Jul 7, 2020

Donn Bennett’s Drum Vault

Elvin Jones’ Cymbal Collection Elvin Jones was one of the most influential, inspirational, and beloved jazz musicians of all time. Few artists have touched the world as deeply as he did. Though I only briefly met Elvin a couple times,…

Modern Drummer
Jul 9, 2020
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Readers Platform

Neil Peart I am a longtime subscriber to Modern Drummer and have been eagerly awaiting the May 2020 issue ever since I read that you were writing a tribute to Neil Peart. Neil has been one of my biggest drumming inspirations…

Modern Drummer
Jul 6, 2020

Alesis - Strike Pro Special Edition Mesh Kit

This eleven-piece set is as professional-grade as it gets, yet somehow keeps the cost-conscious consumer in mind. For a number of years, Alesis has positioned itself as the leading producer of affordable electronic drumsets, multipads, and drum machines best suited…

Modern Drummer
Jul 9, 2020

Stick Technique Revisited

Part 2: The Free Stroke The free stroke, which is also commonly referred to as the full stroke, rebound stroke, or legato stroke, is the most important technique you should learn, as it’s the foundation for almost every other stroke…

Modern Drummer
Jul 9, 2020

The Black Keys’ Patrick Carney

In the five years since the band’s last full-length album, the drummer has spread his creative wings as a producer of note. Here we talk about that growth, and spend time with the drummer’s partner, Dan Auerbach. The hiatus between…

Modern Drummer
Jul 8, 2020

Billy Cobham’s Spectrum

The ex-Mahavishnu phenom was out to prove he had the drumming and writing chops to stake his own claim with his 1973 solo debut. By the early 1970s, Billy Cobham had spent time drumming with several legendary jazz artists, including…

Modern Drummer
Jul 9, 2020

Bad Religion’s Jamie Miller

Sometimes the job you were meant to do comes about when you least expect it. For this drummer, the opportunity came decades after he first imagined it. In 2015, after relocating from Baltimore to California, and barely into a hiatus…

Modern Drummer
Jul 8, 2020

Sean Reinert (1971–2020)

To those in the know, Sean Reinert was one of the most astounding heavy-rock drummers of all time, with timeless albums by Cynic and Death providing more supporting evidence than one would ever need. But from very early on, he…

Modern Drummer
Jul 9, 2020
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Be Your Own Shaman

As usual, it was a dame that turned my drumming all topsy-turvy…. Sorry, I’ve been watching too many Humphrey Bogart movies during this lockdown. But that lead is actually true. Besides overdosing on Bogey, I also recently started binge-watching Outlander,…

Modern Drummer
Jul 6, 2020

Innovative Percussion

LAX-1, SF-1, and MATT-1 Drumsticks and KDB-2 Cloud Beater Versatile drumset sticks and a modern take on the fluffy thumper. Nashville-based Innovative Percussion—one of the leading manufacturers of symphonic and marching sticks, mallets, and accessories—has been steadily growing its catalog…

Modern Drummer
Jul 9, 2020

Koide - 703 and 10J Series Cymbals

Japan’s premier cymbal maker fuses centuries-old techniques with modern-day processes. Although relatively new to the international market for high-end cymbals, Japanese company Koide (pronounced “co-ee-day”) has a long history in metallurgy that dates back to 1947, when founder Toshio Koide’s…

Modern Drummer
Jul 9, 2020

Matt Laug on Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know”

The existence of live and programmed drums on a track is commonplace today. Twenty-five years ago, though, it was such a fresh idea it could launch a career. If you were anywhere near a radio or MTV in the latter…

Modern Drummer
Jul 9, 2020

Louie Bellson

Drummer, Composer, Bandleader, and Double-Bass Pioneer Last month we talked about the father of modern jazz drumming, Papa Jo Jones. This time we’re featuring one of Papa Jo’s disciples, the great jazz artist and drumset innovator Louie Bellson.Bellson was the…

Modern Drummer
Jul 9, 2020

LP, Mackie, Grover Pro, Roland, and more

Latin Percussion Stainless Steel Salsa Snares The new Salsa snares are fitted with stainless-steel rims, eight lugs, and twenty-four-strand wires. Available in 5.5x13 and 4.5x12 sizes, these drums are said to sound cutting and bright with a sharp attack.lpmusic.com Mackie…

Modern Drummer
Jul 9, 2020

Thomas Lang’s Coordination and Counting Concepts

A Few Ways to Practice With or Without Drums “Independence, four-way coordination, and ambidexterity are such huge subjects,” says Thomas Lang in a recent video lesson filmed for Modern Drummer by DrumChannel.com. “One way of getting into this is just…

Modern Drummer
Jul 9, 2020
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Kassa Overall

On his second solo outing, I Think I’m Good, the Seattle native and New York City resident raps/sings over engrossing music built of sampled and live sources, in the process practically creating his own genre: the jazz-hip-hop confessional. A gifted…

Modern Drummer
Jul 9, 2020

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