March 2013 Issue – Volume 38 • Number 3
Articles in March 2013
Trey Anastasio Band’s Russ Lawton
A pair of late-2012 releases—one crackling with live energy, the other conjuring plenty of studio magic—shows two sides of one crafty drummer. Back in 1998, when Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio was forming his first solo group, he began by…
Latin Rhythms in Pop Music
Part 1: Bossa Nova and Samba I often meet drummers who just aren’t interested in studying Latin rhythms. I’ve heard the same thing many times: “I’m never going to play a samba, mambo, songo, or 6/8 groove, so why…
Popular Play-Alongs Part: 5: Rap-Metal
In this series of articles we’ve focused on developing the proper performance technique, groove vocabulary, and sound to play a wide variety of tunes. In our final installment, we’ll be combining two types of grooves in a rap-metal tune titled…
Indian Clave
Building a Bridge Between Two Rhythmic Cultures Indian Clave Every piece of music has a story to tell, and the one we’re looking at this month, “Indian Clave,” started at a festival in Croatia, when I performed with Horacio “el…
Compound Rudiments The Blam
Many of the basic drum rudiments can be combined. If you analyze a paradiddle, you’ll see that it’s really just two single strokes and a double. With that in mind, I’ve decided to blend two of my favorite sounds on…
Drum Athletes Part 4: Dynamic Stretching
Talk to any professional drummer who travels on a regular basis, and he or she will testify to the benefits of staying healthy on the road. Many touring musicians understand the value of getting enough sleep, drinking a lot of…
Be the Driver!
Ask any musician, especially a non-drummer, “What’s the number one role of the drummer?”
Billy Martin
It’s tough to know where the MMW drummer’s wide-ranging interests end and his singular rhythmic creations begin.
How to Prepare for a Subbing Gig on Short Notice
Having so little time to prepare for a gig is like going into battle. Anything can happen.