May 2026 – Volume 50 • Number 5
On 01st May 2026
Articles in May 2026
Payton Taylor’s Zara Larsson Touring Kit
Drums: Pearl Reference One: 16x22 Bass Drum, 7x10 Rack Tom, 8x12 Rack Tom, 16x16 Floor Tom. Snares: 5x14 Pearl Sensitone Black Nickel over Brass (Main Snare,) 8x14 Professional Maple (Deep Snare,) 3x13 Maple Piccolo Snare. Cymbals: Zildjian (from stage left to stage right): 20” K…
Ebenor Quality Percussion: Noranda Copper Snares
Modern Drummer received an extremely cool snare from Ebenor’s Noranda Copper Collection to see what we thought of this high-end offering in the world of snare drums. Ebenor is a high-end, custom shop located in St-Sebastien, Quebec, Canada, and their…
Clean, Compact, and Consistent.
And now for something completely different… This month’s Modern Drummer Kit of The Month comes to us from Seattle, Washington’s Jon Levitt. The origin of Jon’s rig is that after he got into electronics, he realized that he was carrying…
Gunnar Olsen: Inside Puscifer’s Normal Isn’t
For more than two decades, Puscifer has operated in its own universe; part band, part experiment, part performance art, always evolving and never standing still. Led by Maynard James Keenan and driven by the sonic vision of Mat Mitchell, Puscifer…
Silent Drum Practice – Part 3: The Imaginary Drum Set
I’m excited to bring you Part 3 of my series on practicing drums without a drum set! This workshop series is conducted using what I call the Imaginary Drum Set. This allows you to perform coordination exercises anytime, anywhere, without…
Grace Under Pressure: Super Deluxe Edition
Rush’s 1984 Masterpiece Gets the Definitive Treatment It DeservesBy David FrangioniCEO, Modern Drummer Artist: Rush Album: Grace Under Pressure — Super Deluxe Edition (Anthem/Mercury/UMe, 2026)Format: 4CD + Blu-ray / 5LP + Blu-ray Super Deluxe Box Set Release Date: March 13,…
CHICAGO DRUM SHOW SCHEDULE, NEW ROLAND EL SEGUNDO HEADQUARTERS
2026 Chicago Drum Show Announces Diverse Schedule of Educational Sessions. An exciting variety of drum clinics will be featured at the upcoming Chicago Drum Show — the 35th Anniversary edition of the world’s largest and longest running independent new, vintage,…
OCDP: Orange County Drum & Percussion, The Loudest Name in Drums Returns!
Guitar Center has resurrected the Orange County Drum & Percussion brand with the help of original OCDP founder Daniel Jensen and No Doubt’s Adrian Young. Together they will reclaim the brand’s custom shop legacy as they mark its 35th anniversary.…
Summer Drum Reading
Summer is here! If you are touring you will be logging many hours in busses, vans, and planes. If you are vacationing, there may be hours at the pool, lake, or beach. Maybe you are a homebody and just enjoy…
Ichi Go, Ichi Ye
It’s been fifty-two years since I first visited Japan. Back then I was the 19-year-old drummer for Stan Kenton’s big band, long of hair while short of experience, but with no lack of enthusiasm to be here. I’m typing this…
Enter the Dojo
“Medicine men live in caves.” Jean-Michel Basquiat Eccentric artists find sanctuary in their studio. Elite athletes train hard at their gym. Inventors innovate in their lab. Defiant disruptors and wave-makers have always had their space away from the world to…
Devon “Stixx” Taylor: A New Era of Greatness
For Stixx Taylor, the journey started behind a drum kit at two years old, but the road from church rehearsals in Atlanta to stadiums, residencies, and the Super Bowl stage was built on far more than talent alone. It was built on faith,…
The History of Parade, Circus, and Vaudeville Drums
Parade, circus, and vaudeville drums share a common DNA rooted in military tradition, but each evolved with their own personality as they moved into the world of entertainment. Here is some history of these types of drums and their uses.…
The New Breed: (Some More) 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,…
SOFTWARE UPDATES FOR SPD-SX PRO V 2.0, LP IMPROVES THE CYCLOPS, THE NEW GRAHAM PEDAL, DW SOUNDWORKS METAL LEGACY 2
Roland is announcing the Version 2.0 update for the SPD-SX PRO sampling pad. Offering customizable trigger LEDs, multiple audio outputs and trigger inputs, massive onboard memory, and much more, the rugged and reliable SPD-SX PRO is the ultimate solution for professional…
Elise Trouw: The Architect of Loop and Groove
Elise Trouw’s sense of rhythm showed up long before she ever touched a drum kit—counting patterns in everyday life, naturally thinking in time before she even understood it. That instinct eventually led her into drums, then quickly expanded into piano,…
Adonis Rose: New Orleans Drumming, and Much More!
You can’t talk about New Orleans without talking about great drummers and drumming. In the last few years, Modern Drummer has featured New Orleans drummers Johnny Vidacovich, Joe Dyson, Herlin Riley, Teddy “Tif” Lamson, and others. The lineage of influential…
Out Now May 2026
Modern Drummer enjoys 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…
Chick Corea Elektric Band II “Ished” from Paint the World, drummer Gary Novak
This month’s transcription features the incredible Gary Novak—an absolute beast. “Ished” comes from the second incarnation of the Chick Corea Elektric Band and the recording Paint the World. This is the kind of tune that, if you’re listening in your…
