March 2026 – Volume 50 • Number 3
On 01st Mar 2026
Articles in March 2026
“Amber” by 311 from the recording From Chaos, drummer Chad Sexton
This month’s transcription takes a dive into this month’s cover feature interview Chad Sexton’s laid-back groove on the 311 song “Amber.” It’s a deceptively simple and deeply felt part that is built entirely on restraint, groove, and phrasing. Chad settles into a relaxed,…
Roland VAD516
Roland VAD516 V-Drums Kit If you‘ve followed Roland’s Acoustic Design lineup of V-Drums over the past few years, you already know the story: full size shells, premium hardware, and an e-kit that looks like it belongs in front of a large audience rather than in the…
Progressive Drumming Essentials: Groove Contraction
Progressive Drumming Essentials is a collection of articles originally written for Modern Drummer magazine. They are exactly what the title says, PROGRESSIVE drumming essentials. This series of articles, and the book that contains them all, represent a great deal of…
2026 NAMM Pictorial
Efnote DrumsLiverpool SticksPearl Belle Meade Bourbon KitJohn Dolmayan Yamaha 2025 Tour KitJohn Dolmayan Yamaha 2025 Tour KitMeinlScorpion PercussionIstanbul Mehmet IMCKingzbeat KitSonorCanopusBritish Drum Co.Rick LathamJackson Daw, Vinny Appice, Andrew DawJason Gianni and Joshua SimondsChris Hart and Kirsten JensenTerry Baker, Rashid Williams,…
Out Now March 2026
Modern Drummer is spotlighting new recordings that have the drums at the center of their sound. These recordings might be drummer-led, or just include a high-quality, special, or unique drumming and musical performance from the drummer and/or musicians in the…
It Takes a Village to Create a Drummer
Think back to when and how you started drumming? Many of us grew up listening to the radio, hearing recordings, seeing drums on TV, watching MTV, attending concerts, and eventually going to drum clinics, watching drum videos, and going down…
Alex Gonzalez using a DWe kit on the New Maná Vivir Sin Aire Tour
Drum Workshop, Inc. is delighted to see Alex González using his DWe Acoustic-Electronic Wireless kit on the current 29 arena date of the Maná Vivir Sin Aire tour. Maná is considered by many to be one of the greatest Spanish-language…
Artstruments MR1 Drum Mounting Bracket
In a previous review of Artstruments products, I explored the full display experience of the 5PK-L Drum Mounting Kit with its multiple brackets and LED lighting designed to turn a drum set into an elaborate art installation. The reality is…
Roland V-Drums 3 and 5 Series, TR 1000 Rhythm Creator, and CR-78 Software Rhythm Composer, DW 3000 Hardware Series Hardware Packs, True-Cast Snare, PDP Concept Series Locking Thrones, Concept Acrylic Kit and Snare, Latin Percussion City Timbales, Limited Edition Cherry Congas and Bongos
Roland V-Drums 3 and 5 Series Roland was showcasing the V-Drums 3 and 5 Series, two all-new electronic drum kit lineups based around the powerful V31and V51sound modules during The NAMM Show 2026 (Room 202, Level 2). These next-generation modules are part of a unified ecosystem with…
The New Breed: Advanced Reading
Gary Chester’s groundbreaking book The New Breed is legendary. The book, and Gary’s teaching methods are deeply intertwined, it is a lifelong commitment of dedication, study, and development. Gary Chester’s Systems, Reading Exercises, Advanced Systems, Advanced Reading Exercises, Composite Systems,…
Jordi Radnoti: The Pressure of Being Prepared
Jordi Radnoti’s drumming is rooted in preparation and trust. Trust in the work, the music, and herself. After coming up through drumline, local bands, and a wide mix of styles, she learned early what it actually takes to operate at…
Keeping the Volume Down!
This month’s Modern Drummer Kit of the Month comes to us from Alison Gibb. Alison started to play at the age of 50 and has been playing and taking lessons for four years. She bought this Mapex kit from her…
New Yamaha Recording Custom Snare Drums: Aluminum and Stainless Steel
In Modern Drummer’s first look at the new series of Recording Custom Snare Drums, we looked at the Birch and Brass shell models. This time we are going to look at a few more shell versions of this storied series.…
Luigi Paraventi: Precision, Patience, and the Next Generation
For Luigi Paraventi, momentum didn’t just arrive, it arrived with preparation. At just 20 years old, the São Paulo born drummer has already stepped into professional situations that demand authority, precision, and trust. He’s carrying himself with a calm that…
Lowell “Sly” Dunbar
May 10, 1952 – January 26, 2026 Interview by Ken Micallef In 2018, MD chatted with the legendary Sly Dunbar about some of his most noteworthy performances, his influences, and quizzed the living legend on the qualities of a serious reggae…
The Swing Pulse
“It don’t mean a thing, if it ain’t got that swing.” Duke Ellington The swing pulse is that kinetic quality that you can’t quite put your finger on, the quality that you intuitively know when it’s there, or when it’s…
Snare Drums from the Northup Drum Museum
The snare drum originated from the medieval tabor, a rope-tensioned drum used for military signals, it became a distinct instrument with sharper, brighter, sounds through innovations like screw-tensioning gut and coiled metal snares. Throughout the Middle Ages it was used to…
Sean T. Lane’s Heart Touring Kit
Ludwig Drums - Classic Maple 2017 Mod Orange Finish: 9x13 Rack Tom, 14x14 Floor Tom, 16x16 Floor Tom, 14x22 Bass Drum. Snares - 7x14 Keplinger Black Iron Snare, 6.5X14 Keplinger Stainless Steel Snare (swap between for main snare.) Paiste Cymbals: 19” Formula 602 Modern Essentials Crash, 20” Formula 602 Modern…
Chad Sexton: The Musical Unity of 311
In 35 years as the drummer for 311, Chad Sexton and 311 have recorded 14 studio records, two live records, four EP’s, and four DVD’s. Several of their recordings have resulted in platinum and gold records and numerous hit tunes,…
