November 2025 – Volume 49 • Number 11
On 01st Nov 2025
Articles in November 2025
Neil Young and Chrome Hearts, Promise of the Real: The Universal Sound of Anthony LoGerfo
Anthony LoGerfo is one of those drummers who has played with everyone, yet you might not know his name (yet.) He was the drummer for 16 years in the band Promise of the Real, and he has played with legends…
TUNER FISH Lug Locks
Stay Tuned… hey say you can’t tune a fish… but you can tune a drum! Most of us have had a drum that just won’t stay in tune because the tension rods wiggle loose, thus detuning the head. This can…
Early Drummer's Traps, Chinese Toms, and Sound Effects
In the early 1900’s the proper term for a professional working drummer was a “Trap Drummer,” this was short for “contraption drummer.” These musicians were much more than simple timekeepers. They provided live musical accompaniment and sound effects for vaudeville…
Congrats, Geddy, Alex, and Anika!
Upon hearing the news about Rush’s 50 Something Tour, I was instantly happy for Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson; they deserve to be out there playing the music that they love and created with Neil Peart. I think Neil would…
All in the Family Slingerland’s
This month’s Kit of the Month comes to us from Bryan Beyer. We’ll let Bryan tell us about this kit’s unique history in his drumming family. “This is an early 60s Slingerland “Windsor” outfit that was originally purchased by Pierson…
Frank Zummo From Street Drum Corps to Sum 41 to Electric Callboy
From his musical beginnings in New York to the lure of LA and Hollywood, Frank Zummo has done it all. Early on, there were recordings and tours with Thenewno2, theStart, Krewella, Gary Numan, and Dhani Harrison. More recent tours and…
Progressive Drumming Essentials: Beat Displacement
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 material that Aaron…
YAMAHA DTX8K-M PROX
Whether on stage, in the studio, or in the comfort of home, Yamaha has earned its reputation for building instruments that just work. As a proud owner of a late-90’s Yamaha Beech Custom drum kit, I can vouch for that…
Master Studies II: Control Studies, Accents on the First Note of the Triplet
As a follow-up to Joe Morello’s legendary Master Studies book, he released Master Studies II in 2006. Joe was a masterful teacher and helped many great drummers with their musicality, technique, and touch. Joe was also masterful at creating exercises, many of Joe’s exercises…
Sehr Kühl
Whenever my German language skills begin to get rusty, I like to sharpen them by revisiting that country. The first time I played in Germany was while touring with the Stan Kenton Orchestra back in 1973, and as time went…
Allan Holdsworth "Letters of Marque" from I.O.U. drummer Gary Husband
18 Years Old! That’s how old Gary Husband was when he recorded “Letters of Marque,” our featured transcription this month from Allan Holdsworth’s recording I.O.U.—and we’re all in for an incredible lesson. When I started to transcribe this piece, I was…
The Rhythm of Story
Dissect many drummers that have given a lifetime of work, and you’ll see they hover around a few concepts that are recycled endlessly. It may seem like a fountain of endless ideas, but they’re simply better at less. Like a…
Tif “Teddy” Lamson: The Rhythm Made Her Do it
Tif “Teddy” Lamson is different from many of the drummers that appear in Modern Drummer. She is a multi-instrumentalist and a songwriter that happened to choose the drums as her main instrument. She is walking in the singing-drumming-songwriting footsteps of Levon Helm, Karen Carpenter, Dave…
Pepe Mangaña of Ministry
Pepe Mangaña has been paying his dues on the music scene for a long time. He has built a career doing everything from teaching, to playing with L.A. tribute bands, to touring and recording with Kyng. But in 2024, he…
The New Breed: Even More Melodies
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, Grooves, and Applications are…
Gretsch Drums Announces Leadership Transition: Paul Cooper Passes the Baton to Josh Safer
Gretsch Drums has announced an important leadership transition at its U.S. production facility in Ridgeland, South Carolina. After more than 25 years of shaping the sound and reputation of Gretsch’s USA-made drums, longtime production leader Paul Cooper is passing the…
Special LP Edition for National Record Store Day 11-28-25
National Record Store Day has become a major event for music lovers, musicians, and record stores everywhere. Some of today’s greatest drummers grew up and got an education working in, and hanging out in, record stores. Many still do. A…
Alvin Ford Jr.'s Jon Batiste’s Touring Kit
Drums: Pearl Masters Maple/Gum in Satin Rose finish - Rack Toms: 7x8, 7x10, 8x12, Floor Tom: 16x16, Bass Drum: 14x20. Snares: 6.5x14 Matching Maple/Gum Snare (Main snare), 6.5x13 Matching Maple/Gum Snare (Left Snare), 6.5x14 Hybrid Exotic (Kapur/Fiberglass - Right snare…
Rhythm Vocabulary Development Series Part 7: Exploring 13/8
For many drummers, 13/8 is a meter that sits at the outer edges of what most players encounter regularly, yet its internal structure—like 7/8, 9/8, and 11/8 before it—invites creativity, balance, and deeper rhythmic understanding. When you learn to feel…
