May 2015 Issue – Volume 40 • Number 4
On 01st May 2015
LOG IN
Digital Access
$4.99 /month or $49.99 /year
SAVE $10 | Yearly Subscription
- Digital Monthly Magazine
- 47 Years of Archives (500+ Issues)
- 40+ Drum Channel
All Access (Print + Digital)
USA $179.99 / year (Billed Annually)
- Digital Subscription
- 6 physical copies of Modern Drummer, sent bi-monthly
- Access to exclusive giveaways and meet and greets
- Modern Drummer t-shirt / Modern Drummer hat
- Modern Drummer Masterclass
Articles in May 2015
Catching Up With... Nikki Glaspie
Catching Up With... Nikki Glaspie Just when you think that this groove merchant, who’s worked with Beyoncé and Dumpstaphunk, couldn’t possibly be any funkier, she takes her beats to the Nth Power. by Robin Tolleson “My music is totally across…
Catching Up With... Tony Palermo
Catching Up With... Tony Palermo The members of Papa Roach had planned to focus on heaviness for their latest album. But it soon became clear that there was going to be more to the story of F.E.A.R. by Steven Douglas…
Catching Up With... Tyshawn Sorey
Catching Up With... Tyshawn Sorey The top-call jazzer’s output is a never-ending tribute to making the most of whatever materials are at hand. His latest solo collection continues the trend. by Kevin Micallef Performing at the New York City club…
Up & Coming - The Contortionist's, Joey Baca
Up & Coming The Contortionist's, Joey Baca by Ben Meyer This phenomenal young talent clearly takes the term progressive metal drumming at face value, pushing his playing in more and more compelling ways with each new recording. More proof of…
On The Cover - Jojo Mayer
On The Cover Jojo Mayer His passionate call for artistic dissent may at first seem at odds with his tireless historical research. But everything Nerve’s drummer/leader does and says has a singular purpose: feeding the fire of boundless creativity. Story…
Jojo's Modified Swiss Triplets - A Slick Sticking for Quick Jungle Grooves
Rock 'N' Jazz Clinic by Terry Branam Jojo Mayer’s command of the jungle/drum ’n’ bass style took the drumming community by storm. Mayer manages to traverse the blinding tempos and computerized breakbeats effortlessly, thanks to flawless technique and his creative…
Britt Walford - Slint's Rhythm Machine Revs It Up With Watter
by Hank Shteamer His list of recordings over the past three decades isn’t vast, and his drumming charms aren’t the type that 32nd-note junkies fawn over. But his contributions to landmark albums by indie-rock kings and queens cannot be overstated.…
Drum Miking 101, Part 4: Four Microphones
Electronic Insights Drum Miking 101 Part 4: Four Microphones by John Emerich At this point in the series, you should have a good idea of how microphone placement affects the sound of your drums. A closer distance between the mics…
Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
Encore Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti A high-flying double album featuring some of John Bonham’s most exciting drumming hits shelves again, with cleaned-up sound and a bunch of bonus workshop tracks. Pound for pound, Physical Graffiti is Led Zeppelin’s fattest album.…
Ty Segall
Ty Segall The multi-instrumentalist—who’s never off the drums for long, on stage or in the studio—always hits that sweet spot between retro and radical. At first blush, you’d likely mistake Ty Segall for your stereotypical Southern California slacker. He’s a…
Pataflafla Builder - Exercises for Developing a Challenging Yet Musical Rudiment
Strictly Technique Pataflafla Builder Exercises for Developing a Challenging Yet Musical Rudiment by Bill Bachman One of the most beneficial of the forty PAS rudiments is the pataflafla. It’s one of the few where each hand plays a totally different…
Take Your Shuffle to the Max!
In The Pocket Take Your Shuffle to the Max! Layering in Quarter-Note Triplets by Greg Sundel The two most common types of shuffles are the jazz and blues shuffle. We won’t get into the history here, but the obvious difference…
Traditional Percussion on Drumset, Part 2: Bongos
Around The World Traditional Percussion on Drumset Part 2: Bongos by Arturo Stable In order to fully understand the function and possibilities of the instrument called bongo, you must explore the Cuban styles of changui, rumba, and son. According to…
Elvin Jones-Style Triplet Fills, Part 1
Jazz Drummer's Workshop Elvin Jones-Style Triplet Fills Part 1: Creating a Rolling Melodic Feel Using Basic Stickings by John Xepoleas In this lesson I’m going to show you how to create high-energy Elvin Jones–style triplet fills based on common jazz…
10 Essential Drummer Autobiographies
10 Essential Drummer Autobiographies The most popular musician autobiographies tend to come from famous singers and guitar heroes. But drummers can tell a tale as well as anyone else. Here’s a ten-pack of proof. by Patrick Berkery Tony Allen An…
Concepts - Defining Your Role
Concepts Defining Your Role Six Degrees of Communication by Russ Miller Music is a team effort, and figuring out our position on the team is key. This will help us better communicate in any scenario, which leads to more contentment…
GoPro - Hero3+ Black Edition Music Bundle (Video)
Product Close-Up GoPro Hero3+ Black Edition Music Bundle A near-perfect solution for capturing quality drum videos from any vantage point. We drummers have tried everything we can think of to record ourselves, whether in individual practice, in band rehearsal, or…
Cymgard - Cymbal Accessories (Video)
Product Close-Up Cymgard Cymbal Accessories A dual-purpose product that provides ultimate edge protection and significant sound reduction. The drum industry has plenty of cymbal accessories, including mutes, bags, and fancy felts. So what’s next? Cymgard thinks it has the answer,…
Castle - Tapered Snares (Video)
Product Close-Up Castle Tapered Snares Conical stave-shell drums for lively, diverse tones. Massachusetts-based craftsman David Cheney has developed a unique conical snare drum shell with function as its focus. The shell is created using solid wood staves and features a…
GMS - Special Edition Series Drumset
Product Close-Up GMS Special Edition Series Drumset Custom-shop quality at production-level prices? Sold! Back in 1987, when Long Islanders Rob Mazzella and Tony Gallino joined forces to create the GMS Drum Co., there weren’t many companies offering custom drumsets that…
Zildjian 21" K Custom Organic and 20" K Constantinople Renaissance Rides (Video)
Product Close-Up Zildjian Crash/ride versatility is the name of the game with these new, dark offerings. Zildjian recently teamed up with two of its artists, drummer/educator Pat Petrillo and jazz great Adam Nussbaum, to create specialized signature rides designed to…
