January 2016 Issue – Volume 40 • Number 1
On 01st Jan 2016
Articles in January 2016
This is 40
by Adam Budofsky There are forty-year periods…and there are forty-year periods. Back in the Paleolithic era, all we managed to accomplish in a few million years was figuring out how to knock out some basic stone tools. The big headline…
World Groove Independence Mash-Up
Improving Facility With Afro-Cuban Inspiration by Mike Johnston When I began writing my latest book, Groove Freedom, the goal was to gain flexibility both within my students’ grooves and my own. As I practiced the book’s systems, I realized…
40 Years of Innovation - A look at Drum Gear Then...and Now
Drums are as old as history, and possibly older—there’s probably a cave drawing somewhere depicting a guy happily jamming away. Cymbals, too, are so ancient that they figure prominently in the Old Testament. The drumset, on the other hand, was…
New and Notable
Zildjian Premium Cymbal Bags and Cases The Zildjian 24" rolling cymbal vault, which features a molded polyethylene shell that holds five to ten cymbals, provides protection and durability. For lightweight yet sturdy transport, the 22" and 24" premium cymbal bags…
Triplet Fill Concepts Part 2: More Three-Over-Four Fills
by John Xepoleas Welcome to the second lesson in our series on jazz-style triplet fills. This month we’ll continue with the three-over-four triplet concept. For this version of the fill, you’ll play the first three notes of the phrase…
Amedia - Kommagene Series Cymbals
Amedia Kommagene Series Cymbals Dark-finish cymbals with appropriately dark yet cutting tones. by Michael Dawson Commagene is the name of an ancient civilization that existed from 163 BC to 72 AD in a region of Europe that now comprises south-central…
News
Out Now Converge Thousands of Miles Between Us Metalcore pioneer Converge is dropping the multi-format audio/video release Thousands of Miles Between Us, the centerpiece of which is a full twenty-song show filmed in HD on the All We Love…
It's Questionable - What's This Ride?
"I bought this Meinl ride on Craigslist, and I’ve been wondering if it’s a rare cymbal. The writing on it says it’s a Byzance series 21" Dry ride, but when I searched for that exact model I couldn’t find anything.…
Endorsements Part 2: Are You Really Ready?
Photo by Miguel Monroy by Russ Miller Last month we started our discussion of product endorsements with the equipment manufacturers. I encourage you to read through that article again to familiarize yourself with some of the terms we’re using this…
Modern Drummer: The First Decade
In the mid-’70s, a relatively unknown drummer named Ron Spagnardi had a big idea: to create the first independent magazine for and about drummers. He had no funds to speak of, and even less experience in publishing. He did, however,…
Yamaha - Stage Custom Birth Hybrid Kit
Yamaha Stage Custom Birch Hybrid Kit An all-in-one setup for blending acoustic and electronic elements. by Michael Dawson Being that it manufactures acoustic drums, electronic pads, sound modules, drum triggers, and a full range of hardware, Yamaha is in a…
The Future State of the Art
Eleven of today’s most forward-looking players ponder how drumming will evolve as we hurtle ever deeper into the twenty-first century. In its hundred-year history, the drumset has been adorned by temple blocks, timpani, and bass drum heads with nature scenes painted…
Catching Up With...Travis Orbin
The greatest session drummers of yesteryear would dart from one legendary L.A. or New York studio to the next, where they’d crank out smash hits that the world would be singing along to a few short weeks later. Today’s busiest…
Quintuplets Part 2: Polyrhythms With Fives
by Bill Bachman Last month we got acquainted with quintuplets by using accent patterns and transitions with familiar rhythms. In this lesson we’ll superimpose quintuplets across two beats using a five-over-two polyrhythm and across three beats using a five-over-three polyrhythm.…
Neil Peart
For his (record) ninth MD cover-story interview, Rush’s drummer holds a typically fluid and intense discussion of soloing and set lists, the very real differences between his drumming past and present, and the much-speculated topic of his band’s future. Interview…
Catching Up With...Zach Danziger
Throughout the arts there are the trailblazers who establish the paths that others follow. Beginning in the mid-’90s, Zach Danziger began exploring and building what he calls his “hybrid electronic drumkit.” Many drummers have augmented acoustic drums with electronics, but…
Critique
Frank Zappa Roxy: The Movie Fans of Zappa and the Mothers’ seminal double-drum-powered live album Roxy & Elsewhere, rejoice! Recorded over three nights in December 1973, Roxy: The Movie is the visual companion to the classic live Frank Zappa album…
Flam It Up: Add Some Meat to Your Fills
by Rich Redmond Flams are fun! A flam is defined as a soft stroke, or grace note, and a louder main stroke played closely together to sound like one. Flams can be closed (less space between strokes) or open…
How to Practice: Get the Most Out of Whatever Time You Have
by Gary Williams Enthusiasm is your fuel to improve your drumming. You probably spend time working on grooves and fills, playing along to recordings, searching YouTube for videos, attending concerts, practicing from method books, and jamming with other musicians. These…
