Among the topics Gil Sharone explores in the current issue of Modern Drummer are shuffles, which can be deceiving in their complexity and difficulty level. “Shuffles are near and dear to my heart,” Sharone says in his first MD cover story. “They mean a lot to me because I play them in so many different applications, whether it’s reggae or rock or jazz or blues—even metal. Shuffles swing, and I feel that all drummers need to learn how to swing.”

Another deceptive concept Gil talks about is layering, or playing two or more surfaces in unison in order to add power and uniqueness to a groove. “Even if I’m playing in unison to a programmed track,” he shares, “I still like to find a way to make it interesting by orchestrating the part on the kit a certain way. For ‘Cupid Carries a Gun’ and ‘Slave Only Dreams to Be King’ [from Manson’s album The Pale Emperor], for instance, there’s a way I’m using the floor toms and the bass drum, all playing in unison. The execution, the tightness, that’s very much a part of the feel.”

Check out Sharone demonstrating these concepts and more in this exclusive video, which he made specially for us in conjunction with his MD interview.