February 2023 – Volume 47 • Number 2
On 31st Jan 2023
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Articles in February 2023
Rogers 1960s Gold Louie Bellson and Sammy Davis Jr. Kit
This Rogers kit was originally owned and used by Louie Bellson in the 1960s. Noted drum historian and drum shop owner Steve Maxwell once owned the kit, and he provides the following description: the kit features two 14X24 bass drums,…
Phil Seamen: Percussion Genius, Legendary Rebel, and Born Raver By Peter Dawn
One day in late 2022, my phone rang, it was drum industry stalwart John DeChristopher telling me that fellow drum industry vet Colin Schofield was trying to get in touch with me. I emailed Colin only to learn about a…
Jerry Shirley’s Humble Pie Ludwig Roses Set
You never know what you’ll find on Craigslist. What initially looked like the crappiest set of drums I’ve ever seen, turned out to be one of the greatest and most iconic rock and roll drum sets of our time with…
Understanding the Language of Music A Drummer’s Guide to Theory and Harmony
Modern Drummer founder Ron Spagnardi wrote an excellent book called Understanding the Language of Music, a Drummer’s Guide to Theory and Harmony. This book spells out the basics of theory and harmony in a very organized and easy to understand…
Pat Petrillo Groove Breakdowns
Pat Petrillo breaks down some important Roots Grooves that every drummer drummer know. EARL PALMER GROOVE: The great Earl Palmer is one of my favorite drummers. He influenced an entire generation of drummers from Ringo all the way up to…
The Encyclopedia of Double Bass Drumming Two Consecutive 16th Notes
Bobby Rondinelli and Michael Lauren wrote The Encyclopedia of Double Bass Drumming. It takes a slightly different approach from our ongoing studies from the Joe Franco book on double bass drumming. Last month we began with some basics. This month’s…
Six- Against-Four Polyrhythm Exercises in African-American Funk
This month we continue with our excerpts from Jonathan Joseph’s book Exercises in African-American Funk: Mangambe, Biktusi, and the Shuffle. We began with last month’s exploration of the three-against-four polyrhythm, the next step in our exploration of African polyrhythms is…
Double Bass Drumming Accented Rolls and Accented Patterns with Triplets
As we continue to include sections from Joe Franco’s book Double Bass Drumming, this month Joe teaches us about playing accented rolls and accent patterns over a double bass drum roll that uses his Single Stroke System. This is a…
Exercises for the Development of Control and Technique
This month we continue to feature the wonderful exercises from Joe Morello’s book Master Studies. While some teachers talk about speed and chops, Joe Morello focused on control and technique. Proper technique and controlling your hands, movements, and the sticks…
Pat Petrillo’s drum solo on “Runnin”
This month’s transcription is Pat Petrillo’s solo on the song “Runnin’” from his recording Pat Petrillo: The Big Rhythm Band, The Power Station Sessions. He explains, “We do a cool version of Earth Wind and Fire’s “Runnin’.” They were in…
The Four Practice Pockets #1 Release Your INTUITION
“Good practice is fluid and adaptable, it mirrors nature.” The IREC practice model (Modern Drummer Dec. ’22) is when we use the four practice pockets of Intuition, Reps, Edges, and Celebration to get more out of the time we have…
Brann Dailor: Mastodon’s Modern Metal Master
Brann Dailor is an interesting drummer. He was brought up around musicians, and it wasn’t a question of if he was going to play music. It was a question of what instrument would he choose to play? His interest was…
Mark Kelso Expect the Unexpected
Mark Kelso is not your typical Canadian or your typical drummer. He doesn’t follow hockey, root for The Toronto Maple Leafs, live on poutine, or eat all of his meals at Tim Hortons. However, after getting over that initial shock,…
PARAMORE’S ZAC FARRO ALWAYS EVOLVING
Drummer Zac Farro was 16 years old when Paramore’s second album Riot! was released. Shortly after the release of their next record, Brand New Eyes, Zac went out on his own. He left the band in 2010, marking the end…
Pat Petrillo: Big Rhythm from Jersey
Pat Petrillo is the quintessential hard working professional musician. He is both a “drummer’s drummer,” and to some, an unsung hero. Pat has earned the respect of his peers and has built a great reputation in the drum industry. He…
Doc Sweeney’s Hollocore Snare Drum A Resonating New Twist on Shell Construction
The guys over at Doc Sweeney Drums are well known for putting together a high-quality product. They are also known for having no fear when it comes to thinking “outside the box.” A lot of people like to throw that…
GEWA G3 Studio Electronic Drum Kit
German musical instrument manufacturer GEWA was founded in 1925 in a region known for its rich musical history. In 2020, GEWA began developing digital drums as part of their drum division. The subject of this month’s product closeup is the…
ROLAND INSTRUMENTS FOR FIRST TIME DRUMMERS, AND EXAMINING THE PHYSICAL AND COGNITIVE EFFECTS OF DRUMMING
Roland TD-02 V-Drum Series The Roland TD-02K and TD-02KV V-Drums kits provide a premium musical experience for first-time drummers, practicing students, and adults looking to start playing drums again. The kits are based around the TD-02 module, which includes 16…
TAMA ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF NEW STAGESTAR SERIES KITS
New for 2023, TAMA has announced the release of their new, super-affordable STAGESTAR drum kits. STAGESTAR provides a full sounding drum set with durable hardware and functional cymbals. 100% Poplar 6ply 7mm shells produce full, dynamic tones for each drum.…
The Art & Challenge of Teaching
I am writing this on the last day of 2022, in preparation for my last semester of teaching full-time at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California. Why am I leaving such a coveted job? The…
AJ’s Swampy Outlaw Kit
The most recent Kit of the Month comes to Modern Drummer from AJ Newton, who is the drummer for Nautical Rock Band Rusty Shipp based out of Nashville, TN. Michael explains, “Back in 2019 Michael Outlaw of Outlaw Drums built…
Persistence
As I read this month’s Modern Drummer, I see a common theme, persistence. Unfortunately, as I look around the musical world (and the world in general,) I see less and less of it. There seems to be a lot of…
