Rock & Jazz Clinic
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 Lesson! Bass Drum Development with Mike Johnston
This excerpt is taken from the complete article that appears in the November 2015 issue, which is available here. Rock & Jazz Clinic Bass Drum Development 4 Focused Exercises for Building Raw Speed by Mike Johnston One of the most…
Video Lesson: The Flexible Five
This excerpt is taken from the complete article that appears in the October 2015 issue, which is available here. Rock & Jazz Clinic The Flexible Five Exploring the Five-Stroke Roll on the Drumset by Mike Johnston One of the most…
Rock & Jazz Clinic: Grooving in Form, Part 1: AABA Beats (VIDEO)
The excerpt below is taken from the complete article that appears in the July 2015 issue, which is available here. Rock & Jazz Clinic Grooving in Form Part 1: AABA Beats by Mike Johnston One of the first things you learn…
VIDEO LESSON! The Drumset Drag: Orchestration Options for Powerful and Melodic Textures
This excerpt is taken from the complete review that appears in the June 2015 issue, which can be purchased here. Rock & Jazz Clinic The Drumset Drag Orchestration Options for Powerful and Melodic Textures by Powell Randolph In this lesson we’re…
Rock & Jazz Clinic: Progressive Independence: Rock Revisited (VIDEO)
Progressive Independence: Rock Revisited A Step-by-Step Method for Building Creative Coordination by Miguel Monroy Fifteen years ago, the founder of Modern Drummer, Ron Spagnardi, published a book devoted to developing independence for rock and funk drumming. This book, Progressive Independence:…
LESSON! Rock & Jazz Clinic: Odd Groupings Over Samba (From the Feb. 2015 Issue)
The following excerpt is taken from the February 2015 issue of Modern Drummer. Rock & Jazz Clinic Odd Groupings Over Samba by Mike Johnston What do you do when you have two things in the refrigerator or pantry that taste…
VIDEO! Rock & Jazz Clinic: Give the Audience Some! (From the March 2014 Issue)
by Mike Johnston Playing songs in odd times can be challenging to you as a drummer, but one thing that doesn’t get much attention is how tough odd times can be on the audience. It’s called “odd” for a…
VIDEO! Rock & Jazz Clinic: Rediscovering Rudiments (January 2014)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPWiZet1qfg by Miguel Monroy Regardless of your desire as a drummer, whether it’s to play blistering solos or tasteful grooves, studying the rudiments will do much to help you take your craft to the next level. In this article, our…
Rock & Jazz Clinic: Melodic Drumming (October 2013 Issue)
In this lesson we’re going to explore a way to represent a melodic guitar riff from a classic-rock tune on the kit, while playing the song’s drumbeat at the same time. Be sure to check out the complete article in…
Rock & Jazz Clinic: Samba Coordination Builder (August 2013 Issue)
August 2013 Rock & Jazz Clinic Samba Coordination Builder 12 Independence Exercises Based on Chick Corea’s “Sicily” by Daniel Bedard I remember first hearing Chick Corea’s 1978 recording Friends at my music teacher’s house. This was when my ears got…
Rock & Jazz Clinic: Brush Workshop, Part 4 (VIDEO)
May 2012 Rock & Jazz Clinic Brush Workshop Part 4: Rudiments by Florian Alexandru-Zorn Almost every drummer practices the rudiments—with sticks. If you’re serious about learning how to use brushes, why not also practice the rudiments with them? This article…
Rock & Jazz Clinic: Brush Workshop, Part 3 (VIDEO)
February 2012 Rock & Jazz Clinic Brush Workshop Part 3: Linear Motion by Florian Alexandru-Zorn Many drummers think that brushes can only be used in jazz, but if you’ve been following this series, and practicing the various patterns in each…
Rock & Jazz Clinic: Brush Workshop, Part 2 (VIDEO)
December 2011 Rock & Jazz Clinic Brush Workshop Part 2: Half-Circle Motion by Florian Alexandru-Zorn A goal of mine has been to play with brushes and think not in terms of patterns but in a more musical way, transferring all…
Open-Handed Playing, Part 2: Asymmetrical Accents and the Control Stroke
November 2011 Rock 'N' Jazz Clinic Open-Handed Playing Part 2: Asymmetrical Accents and the Control Stroke by Claus Hessler One of the biggest advantages to playing open-handed is that you no longer have to deal with the obstructed movement of crossing…
