May 2013 Issue – Volume 38 • Number 3
Articles in May 2013
Spirit's Ed Cassidy
In the late 1960s, the generation gap was so wide that the Who was singing “I hope I die before I get old” and activists were warning “Don’t trust anyone over thirty.” That’s just one reason why the jazz-influenced psychedelic…
Beware of Mr. Baker
Madman or genius? A new documentary paints a vivid picture of Cream’s Ginger Baker while making a persuasive argument in both directions. It’s not entirely clear what possessed the former model, boxer, and music video director Jay Bulger to fly…
Live Drum Soloing
Getting Started In this article we’ll give some insight into how to conceive, construct, and execute a drum solo in a live rock context. For those who’ve never performed a solo, it can be a very scary idea. But…
Funk Drumming Training Camp
Part 1: Paradiddles and 16th-Note Subdivisions Having a tight, solid, good-feeling groove has always been important in drumming. In many cases, bandleaders, singers, and other musicians value a drummer with a solid groove and a good feel more than…
Triplet Gear-Shifter
12-18-24 Exercise, Part 1 This month we’re going to challenge your hands by playing triplets as 12th notes, 18th notes, and 24th notes, with and without accents. (We’ll use two other stickings in the second installment.) First let’s define…
Minimal Miking Techniques
One-,Two-,and Three-Mic Setups for a More Natural Sound by Mark Parsons Whether you use the term “minimal,” “organic,” “old school,” or “vintage,” there’s definitely a renewed interest in capturing that drumset-in-a-room vibe that was employed on pretty much…
Cully Symington
Symington in Italy recording a cover of Frank Ocean’s “Lovecrimes” with the Afghan Whigs. Photo by Greg Dulli The natural-born thriller’s curious, powerful beats have made him a favorite among indie-rock royalty. Any proper search for truth or wisdom is…
Study Up!
You can learn a lot just by listening to drummers talk about their own educational backgrounds. This month MD asks two Pro Panelists about their unique paths of instruction, the teachers who’ve been the most influential on them, and their…
Kendrick Scott
It doesn’t take long to realize just how much detailed analysis this blazing leader and sideman applies to his art. And that might be exactly why, when the time comes to create in the moment, he’s so free to…
No Doubt's Adrian Young Inteview May 2013
Behind the larger-than-life drumming persona of Adrian Young you’ll find many of the same qualities shared by the rest of us humble timekeepers. It takes a certain amount of mojo to play sold-out arenas wearing only a Mohawk and a…
Areosmith's Joey Kramer
Watching Aerosmith perform, you're likely not thinking about the band's famous feuds, or about singer Steven Tyler's stint on American Idol. What you probably are wondering is how, after forty years, their drummer can still rock so impossibly hard. It…