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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! Jazz Drummer’s Workshop: Approaching Standards, Part 2: Melody and Form (November 2013 Issue)
A Framework for Musical Practice, Part 2: Melody and Form by Steve Fidyk Welcome to the second installment in our series on approaching jazz standards. This article reveals ways of using the melodic rhythm as the source for creating…
Product Close-Up: Turkish Rhythm and Soul Series Cymbals
October 2013 Product Close-Up Turkish Rhythm and Soul Series Cymbals by Kyle Andrews Turkish is a company based in Istanbul that makes all of its cymbals from scratch. It begins with a proprietary bronze formula and casts each cymbal blank…
Jazz Drummer's Workshop: Stick Control Revisited, Part 2: 3/4 and 6/8 Drumset Applications (October 2013)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TAqAjMoVWE Welcome to the second installment in our series on drumset applications of George Lawrence Stone’s famous book Stick Control. The variations in this lesson utilize the “72 Single Beat Combinations” found on pages 5–7. Be sure to check…
Jazz Drummer’s Workshop: Approaching Standards, Part 1 (September 2013 issue)
September 2013 Jazz Drummer’s Workshop Approaching Standards A Framework for Musical Practice, Part 1: Phrasing by Steve Fidyk Jazz musicians spend a considerable amount of practice time learning standard tunes in a variety of keys. By doing so, they become…
Jazz Drummer’s Workshop: Stick Control Revisited, Drumset Applications
August 2013 Jazz Drummer’s Workshop Stick Control Revisited Drumset Applications by Steve Fidyk The August issue of Modern Drummer’s Jazz Drummer’s Workshop features some of my favorite applications of the classic George Lawrence Stone book Stick Control. The exercises…
Jazz Drummer’s Workshop: Focus on Brushes
June 2013 Jazz Drummer’s Workshop Focus on Brushes From Basic Patterns to Advanced Techniques by Steve Fidyk Practicing brushes is excellent for building strength in your wrists and fingers. It can help develop muscles and reflexes and also improves…
Swingin’ the Clave: Advanced Exercises for Developing Independence (VIDEO)
July 2012 Jazz Drummer’s Workshop Swingin’ the Clave Advanced Exercises for Developing Independence by Steve Fidyk In jazz, the ride cymbal is the focal point for creating a flowing, swinging time feel. In Afro-Cuban music, the clave assumes this role.…
Get Up: Strategies for Playing Fast and Staying Relaxed (w/ VIDEO)
May 2012 Jazz Drummer’s Workshop Get Up! Strategies for Playing Fast and Staying Relaxed by Steve Fidyk It’s widely understood that the faster the tempo, the more relaxed your body needs to be. In some cases, however, players psych themselves…
Focus on the Hi-Hat: The Classic Swing Sound (VIDEO)
March 2012 Jazz Drummer’s Workshop Focus on the Hi-Hat The Classic Swing Sound by Steve Fidyk Before small groups reigned supreme and the ride cymbal became king, the beacon in jazz timekeeping was the hi-hat. Jo Jones with Count…
Bosphorus Hammer Series Cymbals
The review of the new Hammer Series 19", 21", 24" crash-rides and 20" China from Bosphorus is in the February 2012 issue of Modern Drummer magazine. Click below to listen.
Cliff Leeman: The Embodiment Of Tasteful Drumming
“I try to play behind the soloist. I’d rather play a four-bar chase chorus with a horn, something with different tones and sounds, than get into a rudimental solo,” said Cliff Leeman, one of jazz drumming’s most tasteful artists. Never…
Lewis Nash: Jazz's Most Valuable Player
by Ken Micallef Swing, swang, swingin’! Splang-a-lang! Snap, crackle, pop! These well-worn words go a long way toward describing this thing of ours we call jazz, but they also illustrate the style of one of the idiom’s modern masters: Lewis…
Carl Allen: Embracing the Journey
story by Michael Dawson Soon after moving to the New York area in the early ’80s, Carl Allen landed a dream gig with post bop trumpeter Freddie Hubbard. That gig established the then nineteen-year-old drummer as a leading light among…
Scott Neuman
Scott Neumann, born and bred in Oklahoma, combines formal and informal techniques of playing the drumset--to great effect. Neumann began performing as a child, graduated from North Texas with a degree in music education, and over a decade ago entered…
