October 2013 Issue – Volume 38 • Number 10

Rock Perspectives - Double Bass Workout, Part 3

Rock Perspectives Double Bass Workout Part 3: 16th-Note, 16th-Note Triplet, and 32nd-Note Combinations by Todd Vinciguerra In this lesson we’ll mix 16th notes, 16th-note triplets, and 32nd notes on the bass drums and play them along with 16th-note-based hand patterns.…

Bruno Mars’ Eric Hernandez

Bruno Mars’ Eric Hernandez The R&B superstar he plays for—who happens to be his younger brother—has rocketed to stardom, seemingly in no time flat. But this drummer has had fame in his sights for the better part of three decades.…

Bill Bruford: An Autobiography, Prologue to the Second Edition

Bill Bruford: An Autobiography Prologue to the Second Edition In which the prog-rock pioneer and fusion explorer contemplates the future of our art—and calls on us to determine it for ourselves.In its short life, this book appears to have struck…

Portraits - Ben Koller

Ben Koller by Stephen Bidwell When he’s not holding down the drum chair with the metalcore giant Converge, this force of nature explores psychedelic punk with Acid Tiger, metal with All Pigs Must Die, and mathcore with the two-piece Mutoid…

Mike Portnoy

Mike Portnoy by David Ciauro It takes a big pair to be one of a kind. Since leaving the most celebrated prog-metal gig in the world with Dream Theater, the drummer has thrown himself into an impressive number of diverse…

Strictly Technique - Chops Builders: Hemiolas, Part 1

Strictly Technique Chops Builders: Hemiolas, Part 1 by Bill Bachman This month we’re going to start a three-part series on hemiolas. The word hemiola has Greek roots and means “containing one and a half,” “half as much again,” or “in…

Jazz Drummer's Workshop - Stick Control Revisited Part 2

3/4 and 6/8 Drumset Applications by Steve Fidyk Welcome to the second installment in our series on drumset applications of George Lawrence Stone’s famous book Stick Control. The following variations utilize the “72 Single Beat Combinations” found on pages 5–7.Let’s…

In The Studio - Seeing Sounds: Part 4

Seeing Sounds Part 4: Classic Jazz by Donny Gruendler Small-group jazz drumming is synonymous with legendary players such as Art Blakey, Max Roach, Philly Joe Jones, Elvin Jones, and Tony Williams. Although these five gentlemen had very different approaches to…

October 2013 Issue – Volume 38 • Number 10

Phoenix’s Thomas Hedlund

  Phoenix’s Thomas Hedlund The multi-genre groove monster is as happy engineering towering beats with the post-metal band Cult of Luna as he is hearing his parts reverse engineered to mind-blowing effect with the sophisticated indie-rock hitmakers Phoenix. Story by…