basics
Modern Drummer is the world’s most widely read drum magazine, is dedicated entirely to the art of drumming and caters to the needs of amateur, semi-pro, and professional drummers.
Stickings that Rock, Part 1
This excerpt is taken from the complete article that appears in the March 2016 issue, which is available here. Basics Stickings that Rock Part 1: From a Hand Pattern to a Groove by Rich Redmond This month we’ll look at…
Video Lesson! The Swampy Double Groove with Rich Redmond
This excerpt is taken from the complete article that appears in the January 2017 issue, which is available here. Basics The Swampy Double Groove Grease Up Your Phrases by Rich Redmond With double grooves, the left hand plays every 8th…
Video Lesson! Fundamental Fills, Part 5: Six-Stroke Stickings
This excerpt is taken from the complete article that appears in the December 2016 issue, which is available here. Basics Fundamental Fills Part 5: Six-Stroke Fills by Donny Gruendler During the 1960s, Motown drummers such as Benny Benjamin, Richard “Pistol”…
Video Lesson! Fundamental Fills, Part 1: Solid 16th Notes
This excerpt is taken from the complete article that appears in the August 2016 issue, which is available here. Basics Fundamental Fills Part 1: Solid 16th Notes by Donny Gruendler The abundant amount of educational material on the market can…
Video Lesson! Basics - Advanced Disco with Rich Redmond
This excerpt is taken from the complete article that appears in the July 2016 issue, which is available here. Basics Advanced Disco Beyond Four on the Floor Disco, a style of music popularized in the 1970s, launched dance crazes, drove…
Video Demo! Falling Rocks: A Primer on One of Drumming’s Most Powerful Fills
This excerpt is taken from the complete article that appears in the November 2015 issue, which is available here. Basics Falling Rocks A Primer on One of Drumming’s Most Powerful Fills by Rich Redmond The term “falling rocks” refers to…
Video Lesson! Necessary Ruffness: Make Your Grooves Percolate With Subtle Doubles
This excerpt is taken from the complete article that appears in the October 2015 issue, which is available here. Basics Necessary Ruffness Make Your Grooves Percolate With Subtle Doubles by Rich Redmond The ruff is an essential rudiment that’s directly related…
VIDEO LESSON: Build a Beat! A Step-by-Step Approach
This excerpt is taken from the complete article that appears in the September 2015 issue, which is available here. Basics Build a Beat! A Step-by-Step Approach to Creating Unique and Interesting Grooves by Rich Redmond Over the years, my experiences…
VIDEO LESSON! Beware of the Chi-Ga-Da! Exercises for Harnessing a Powerful Funk/Fusion Sticking
This excerpt is taken from the complete article in the August 2015 issue, which can be purchased at: http://wp.me/p1bQfj-fuj Basics Beware of the Chi-Ga-Da! Exercises for Harnessing a Powerful Funk/Fusion Sticking by Rich Redmond The main sticking used in the…
VIDEO LESSON! Attack of the Juh-Ba: The Flat Flam Followed by a Kick Drum
The excerpt below is taken from the complete article that appears in the July 2015 issue, which is available here. Basics Attack of the Juh-Ba Harness the Power of the Flat Flam Followed by a Kick Drum by Rich Redmond…
Basics: Radio Beats (From the January 2015 Issue)
Radio Beats 7 Real-World Applications of Essential, Time-Honored Grooves by Rich Redmond In this month’s article, we take a look at some popular grooves on country radio right now. All of them are variations of what I call “money beats,”…
VIDEO! The Kick Hiccup: Boost Your Groove With Quick Bass Drum Doubles (From the November 2014 Issue)
November 2014 Basics The Kick Hiccup Boost Your Groove With Quick Bass Drum Doubles by Rich Redmond Drummers all over the world have been hip to the kick hiccup for years. First popularized by Carmine Appice with Vanilla Fudge and…
VIDEO! Power Triplets: Putting the Roll in Your Rock (From the October 2014 Issue)
October 2014 Basics Power Triplets Putting the Roll in Your Rock by Rich Redmond These exercises are inspired by the master jazz drummer Elvin Jones. In Elvin’s world, everything was a triplet. Inspired by the rhythms of Africa, he had…
VIDEO! Screaming Clave: Big Beats Based on Afro-Caribbean Root Rhythms (From the September 2014 Issue)
by Rich Redmond Clave comprises the root rhythms used as the basis for most Afro-Caribbean music. These rhythms are two measures long (written in cut time), with three notes in one measure and two notes in the other. If you…
