Gruendler
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.
VIDEO! In the Pocket: Dubstep Drumming, Part 1: The Basics (From the May 2014 Issue)
http://www.youtube.com/embed/gWnGHbR5I9Q by Donny Gruendler Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music known for its head-nodding beats, dark atmosphere, and ear-shaking bass. It draws on many other genres, including Jamaican dub, hip-hop, jungle, drum ’n’ bass, and 2-step, while fusing…
VIDEO! In the Studio: Seeing Sounds, Part 5: Specialty Mics (November 2013 Issue)
by Donny Gruendler In the first four installments of this series we discussed very broad ideas for achieving stylistically appropriate drum sounds, from pop-rock to traditional jazz. Each setup employed different drums, head selections, and tunings, and we used…
In the Studio: Seeing Sounds, Part 4: Classic Jazz (October 2013 Issue)
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 timekeeping, each contributed to the jazz art form and…
In the Studio: Seeing Sounds, Part 3: Funk (September 2013 issue) UPDATED
September 2013 In the Studio Seeing Sounds Part 3: Funk by Donny Gruendler Funk drumming is synonymous with masters like James Brown’s Clyde Stubblefield, Tower of Power’s David Garibaldi, P-Funk’s Tiki Fulwood, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith.…
Seeing Sounds, Part 2: The Deep, Fat “Thud??? (UPDATED)
July 2013 In the Studio Seeing Sounds Part 2: The Deep, Fat “Thud” by Donny Gruendler There’s been a trend in recent years of drummers going for deep, dark, heavily muffled tones, whether in indie rock or mainstream pop. Steve…
Popular Play-Alongs, Part 5: Rap-Rock
March 2013 Jobbing Drummer Popular Play-Alongs Part: 5: Rap-Metal by Donny Gruendler In this series of articles we’ve focused on developing the proper performance technique, groove vocabulary, and sound to play a wide variety of tunes. In this final installment,…
Popular Play-Alongs, Part 4: Dance-Rock
February 2013 Jobbing Drummer Popular Play-Alongs Part: 4: Dance-Rock by Donny Gruendler In the last three play-along articles (July and October 2012 and January 2013), we focused on developing the proper performance technique, groove vocabulary, and sound to play alongside…
Popular Play-Alongs, Part 3: Synth Metal
January 2013 Jobbing Drummer Popular Play-Alongs Part 3: Synth Metal by Donny Gruendler In the last two play-along articles, we worked on the proper performance technique, groove vocabulary, and sounds of contemporary pop/R&B and punk-pop—two styles of music that you’ll…
Popular Play-Alongs, Part 2: Pop-Punk
October 2012 Jobbing Drummer Popular Play-Alongs Part 2: Pop-Punk by Donny Gruendler In our first play-along article (July 2012), we developed the proper performance technique, groove vocabulary, and sound to play a Top 40 Justin Timberlake–style tune. This month we’re…
Popular Play-Alongs: Timber Grooves
July 2012 Jobbing Drummer Popular Play-Alongs Part 1: Timber Grooves by Donny Gruendler Pop music is all over the airwaves. Drummers need to realize that the music on the radio is vital and deserves our attention as aspiring working musicians.…
Playing With Drum Loops (Revisited)
Original article from the April 2011 Issue of Modern Drummer Magazine February 2011 Electronic Insights Playing With Drum Loops Choosing Tones And Tunings by Donny Gruendler Many drummers are trained to have metronomic time, solid technique and reading skills, and…
Donny Gruendler of Rhett Frazier Inc.
MD readers. It’s been a couple years since I’ve blogged, so I’ll reintroduce myself. My name is Donny Gruendler, and I am a Los Angeles–based drummer, producer, and tech head. During my formative years in Detroit, I learned to love…
