October 2018 Issue – Volume 42 • Number 10
On 01st Oct 2018
Articles in October 2018
Drumset Ergonomics - Part 4: Snare and Floor Tom Positioning
If you’ve been applying the concepts we’ve discussed so far in this series, you should now be seated comfortably at your kit, with the throne and pedals placed so that your hips and back are in the safest possible positions.…
Yamaha - EAD10 Electronic Acoustic Drum Module
More and more drummers are searching for simple yet reliable ways to document their practice sessions and performances on their mobile devices with high-quality audio, and Yamaha recently developed a near-perfect solution: the EAD10 electronic acoustic drum module (list price:…
Conrad Choucroun with White Denim
Editor’s note: As this story completed production, Modern Drummer learned that drummer Greg Clifford would be joining White Denim for the remainder of their current tour. Since 2006 the Austin-based, genre-blurring indie rock band White Denim has been honing a…
Damian Marley‘s Courtney “Bam“ Diedrick
(Featured Image by Francesco Sciolti) Courtney “Bam” Diedrick grew up in Brown’s Town, St. Ann, Jamaica, only a few miles from the birthplace of Bob Marley, the leader of the Wailers, reggae’s most iconic band. Diedrick couldn’t have imagined that…
John “Jabo” Starks: 1938-2018
“He had that ‘stop-your-heart’ groove.” That’s how Fred Wesley, former bandleader for the “Godfather of Soul,” James Brown, describes the drumming of John Starks, who died this past May 1 at the age of seventy-nine. And the description is apt.…
Paiste - Masters Dry and Extra Dry Rides
Swiss cymbal maker Paiste debuted the Masters series in 2011 with a collection of twelve unique, artist-inspired ride cymbals, all of which are handcrafted from premium CuSn20 (aka B20) bronze. The series was expanded in 2014 with low-pitched, complex-sounding Dark…
Remembering Pat Torpey, Learning to Read Music, the 1978 Issue, Roy Burns, and Dropped Beats
Remembering Pat Torpey Thank you for your article on the Nashville Drummers Jam tribute to the late Pat Torpey . For the longest time I felt like I was the only drummer who considered Pat to be a huge influence.…
Perfect Beings’ Sean Reinert
Sean Reinert made his name drumming up a storm with experimental death metal bands Death and Cynic—playing with fire, precision, and a serious level of technical facility. Last year Sean joined forces with progressive rock/pop group Perfect Beings, after they…
Kendrick Lamar’s Tony “Rico” Nichols
Perpetually relaxed, and seemingly never breaking a sweat, Rico Nichols plays a once-in-a-lifetime mega gig with a broad pocket, enviable self-composure, and a nimble touch that can alternately be described as creamy, mellow, and deep. Born and raised in Chicago,…
Essential Sight-Reading
Many drummers who aren’t exceptional readers can still sight-read arrangements with a fair amount of ease and authority. Their secret—if there is one—could be that they recognize their own limitations and understand which ensemble figures may be omitted without impacting…
Jonathan Barber, Kobie Watkins Grouptet, Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band, Jack DeJohnette, and more!
RECORDING Taking the Reins Photo by Gulnara Khamatova Jonathan Barber VisionAhead The debut recording from the top Up & Coming drummer in this year’s Readers Poll isn’t your typical young-gun-goes-for-the-jugular release. Jonathan Barber’s feel is light and propulsive. You can…
Jethro Tull’s Stand Up
As the drummer for the progressive/folk/hard rock band Jethro Tull in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Clive Bunker infused the group’s music with a frenetic, raw energy. Body twitching, using the butt end of his sticks, Bunker beautifully brutalized…
Bruno Mars’ Eric “E-Panda” Hernandez
When we decided to put together a special issue focusing on live playing, one of the first drummers we thought of who embodies the dedication, endurance, and craft needed to perform at the highest levels was Eric Hernandez. “I’ve toured…
Bernard Purdie
Photo courtesy Bernard Purdie On the ground covered: funk, soul, fat-back New Orleans grooves—even smooth jazz. The guys that supported me have played different genres in the various bands they’ve been in. Each one of them is proficient at hip-hop,…
Joe Magistro on the Magpie Salute’s High Water I
On August 10 the Magpie Salute, a rock band formed by former Black Crowes guitarist and founding member Rich Robinson in 2016, released the studio album High Water I. Drumming on Magpie’s first proper studio album (following last year’s self-titled…
New Drum Gear from Roland, Promark, Matoon Drums, Pearl, Zildjian, Melodics, and Gretsch!
Roland TD-17 V-Drums These electronic kits feature newly developed pads, coaching functions, and built-in Bluetooth connectivity. The head tension of the PDX-12 snare pad can be adjusted for natural rebound, while the height of the snare hoop is ideal for…
Kicked-Up Bell Patterns
By combining different stickings, rudiments, and accent patterns between the bell or bow of the ride cymbal and the snare drum, we can create unique musical effects. In this lesson we’ll explore what I refer to as “kicked-up bell patterns.”…
Lamb of God’s Chris Adler
Legion: XX (pronounced “legion twenty”) commemorates the twentieth anniversary of Lamb of God’s first album release. As most metal fans are aware, that original album was actually the self-titled debut of Burn the Priest; drummer Chris Adler, bassist John Campbell,…
