January 2016 Issue – Volume 40 • Number 1

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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.…

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…

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…

Tycoon - Triple Play Cajon

Tycoon Triple-Play Cajon Three distinct playing surfaces for ultimate tonal variety. For thirty-plus years, Tycoon has been manufacturing top-quality hand percussion instruments at its own factory in Thailand. The company’s expansive catalog includes authentic representations of Latin American congas, bongos,…

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…

Kosa 2015

The innovative drum camp and festival celebrates its twentieth anniversary with a genre-bending lineup featuring heavyweights Dennis Chambers, John Blackwell, and many more.   The KoSA 2015 Grand Finale   KoSA’s annual International Percussion Workshop, Drum Camp, and Festival took place in…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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

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.…