January 2016 Issue – Volume 40 • Number 1

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…

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…

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…

Kit of the Month

"I am always experimenting with objects of all kinds to create new sounds, colors, and textures,” Brian Melick of Ravena, New York, says. “With my son at a Lego BrickFair in Virginia, I watched two children and their parents build a…

The War on Drugs’ Charlie Hall

The War on Drugs hit the ground running after Lost in the Dream was released in March 2014, and never slowed down in 2015. MD caught up with drummer Charlie Hall while the band was performing in Miami. “On this…

Progressive Drumming Essentials

  Part 6: Syncopated Double Bass...the Easy Way by Aaron Edgar When I began working on double bass, I was inspired by drummers like Gene Hoglan, Raymond Herrera, and Thomas Lang, all of whom seemed to have a never-ending supply…

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.…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

It's Questionable - I Want My Old Drums Back

I recently received a promotion at my day job, so I decided to treat myself to a new set of drums. My old kit had big, deep power toms with a 24" bass drum, and they had started to look…

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…

January 2016 Issue – Volume 40 • Number 1

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…

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,…