Advertisement

December 2017 Issue – Volume 41 • Number 12

TO READ THE FULL STORY:

Articles in December 2017

Black Swamp - Dynamicx Sterling, Live!, and BackBeat Snares

Pristinely crafted wood-shell drums for any professional situation.

by Michael Dawson
Oct 31, 2017

Peter Magadini’s Polyrhythmic Life

Given that rhythm is the playground of drummers, polyrhythms seem to have a particular resonance. The possibilities of two against three, three against four, and beyond are continually explored in jazz, rock, and other styles. For many a drummer across…

by Martin Patmos
Oct 31, 2017

The Psychedelic Furs’ Paul Garisto

Paul Garisto  joined the iconic post-punk band the Psychedelic Furs in late 1983 and remained with them until early 1988. After that initial run with the band, he toured and recorded the album Instinct with Iggy Pop, contributed to albums…

by Chris Boyle
Oct 31, 2017

Rhythmic Conversions - Part 5: Brazilian Grooves and the Half-Note Triplet

In this lesson we’ll superimpose a new tempo over an existing pulse using a half-note-triplet subdivision. We’ll then manipulate the subdivision to create Brazilian grooves in the new tempo. I recommend that you practice these patterns with a metronome and…

by Steve Fidyk
Oct 31, 2017

What’s Your Favorite Prog Drumming Record?

To coincide with this month’s feature on twelve heartland prog-rock drumming albums, we asked our readers and social media followers for their own favorite prog records. Plenty of choices featuring drum legends such as Bill Bruford, Neil Peart, and Phil…

Modern Drummer
Oct 31, 2017
Advertisement

Drum Design Knowledge, Part 2: Shell Types and Thicknesses

Last month we discussed hoops. This time we’re discussing the thickness of the shell and what you can expect sonically from the various designs. Drum shells have been made in different thicknesses over the years, from a single half-inch piece…

by Russ Miller
Oct 31, 2017

Flowing Diddles, Triple Strokes, and Paradiddles

Essential Motions for Smoother Transitions

by Bill Bachman
Oct 31, 2017

Dennis Bryon

Since the mid-’70s, Dennis Bryon’s hypnotic grooves have been responsible for luring most of the civilized world’s population onto the dance floor. Bryon accomplished this feat by playing with one of the most successful groups of all time, the Bee…

Interview by Zoro
Oct 31, 2017

Los Cabos - White Hickory, Red Hickory, and Maple Drumsticks

Top-notch products from a smaller Canadian company with big-time aspirations.

by Michael Dawson
Oct 31, 2017

Paiste - 900 Series Cymbals

Hand-hammered 2002 bronze with a special dark finish for a slightly warmer tone.

by Michael Dawson
Oct 31, 2017

John Aldridge

The famed engraver, drum tech, and vintage enthusiast helped start a movement.

by Harry Cangany
Oct 31, 2017

Learn to Love Easy

There’s a folksy old saying that goes something like, “People sure do make things more difficult than they need to.” We’ve all made that observation at one time or another about others—and, let’s be honest, at times we even make…

by Adam Budofsky
Oct 31, 2017
Advertisement

Queens of the Stone Age’s Jon Theodore

It’s been four years since the esteemed ex–Mars Volta drummer began playing in QotSA. Now we’ve been gifted with the multifarious Villains, and at long last we get to hear what he sounds like on a full-length record with the…

Story by David Ciauro | Photos by Andreas Neumann
Oct 31, 2017

Modern Drummer 2018 Readers Poll

Make your voice heard in the most important poll in the drumming world! Voting is open November 1-24, 2017. Hall of Fame Jimmy Cobb Roger Hawkins Levon Helm Danny Seraphine Clyde Stubblefield Studio Jay Bellerose Matt Chamberlain Steve Jordan Miles…

Modern Drummer
Oct 31, 2017

Roy McCurdy

On playing on the classic 1963 album Sonny Meets Hawk! I’d been working with Sonny Rollins for about a year prior to recording that album. Sonny was such a strong player that he made me play strong. He loved Coleman…

Interview by Bob Girouard
Oct 31, 2017

Dave Weckl, Omar Hakim, D'Addario and More!

Dave Weckl Launches Online Drum School Fusion legend Dave Weckl recently launched an online school that includes HD video lessons, play-along packages, and exclusive live footage and lessons from current tours. Courses include hand and foot technique and drum tuning.…

Modern Drummer
Oct 31, 2017

Dressing Up Your Fills

Fresh Ideas to Kick Off the Band

by Powell Randolph
Oct 31, 2017

Eli Keszler

When the Brooklyn-based performer and composer Eli Keszler settles in behind a drumkit, it’s likely that he’s given as much thought to the space he’s playing in as the notes he’s filling it with. “As a composer it’s essential that…

Story by Keith Carne | Photos by Brendan Burdzinski
Oct 31, 2017

Sonor Swinger

When the indie rock group Faux in Love went into the Guilford Sound studio in Guilford, Vermont, to record its latest record, drummer Bruce Black decided to bring this vintage, late-1960s Sonor Swinger setup. According to Black, and confirmed to…

Modern Drummer
Oct 31, 2017
Advertisement

Neo-Prog, American Style

The Oakland-based Once and Future Band doesn’t shy away from the influence of progressive rock’s legendary forefathers throughout its self-titled debut, with a heavy emphasis on sunny harmonies and ELO/Yes-inflected song structures. Drummer RAJ OJHA navigates the ever-shifting arrangements with…

by Ilya Stemkovsky
Oct 31, 2017

Advertisement