Modern Drummer is the world’s most widely read drum magazine, is dedicated entirely to the art of drumming and caters to the needs of amateur, semi-pro, and professional drummers.
Simulated Double Bass
Double bass drum techniques have increased the repertoire of drummers, both in playing beats and soloing. Here are some ideas which can give a player with a single bass drum setup the opportunity to effect double bass drum sounds. By…
Omar Hakim — Going For The Feeling
WEATHER Report reaches the part in “D Waltz” where they bring it down real low. The drummer is smoothly and effortlessly executing a feather-light roll pattern between the hi-hat and snare, catching all the synth and sax accents with his…
Ian Paice — Freedom
FIFTY minutes outside London, lan Paice awaited my arrival in his Porsche. How but good, having just watched lush, rolling countryside from my train window? Time passed quickly as we sat in a pub and lan related his story to…
Tristan Fry — Modest Virtuoso
There is a slight problem of perspective when writing about the achievements of Tristan Fry. He manages to have three successful careers, all as a drummer/percussionist, running simultaneously, and he is still only in his early 30s. Tristan joined the…
Allen Herman
Eight times a week from 1978 to 1981, an extraordinary feat of drumming took place at a Broadway theater. A Broadway show drummer sat behind an elevated drumset up on stage and re-created the artistry, excitement, and magic of Gene…
Russ Kunkel
THERE are a few drummers in rock who always seem to know the right thing to play, and can play it without trying to throw in the kitchen sink too. Russ Kunkel fits into that category. TO READ THE FULL…
Cozy Powell Taking Charge
The drums themselves offer Cozy the physical outlet his energy seems to need. "If I didn't play drums, I'd go berserk, "he admits. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Horacee Arnold - Examining The Values
Ten years ago, Horacee Arnold seemed poised for a take-off. His Tales Of The Exonerated Flea LP—released in the heyday of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather Report, and Return To Forever—got the kind of reviews that many of the other fusionists…
Girlschool’s Denise Dufort
Backstage at the Ritz in lower Manhattan, Denise Dufort sits quietly in a corner of the tiny dressing room. Unassuming and perhaps a bit shy to boot, Dufort hardly gives off the impression that she’s the drummer in the all-female,…
Jim Capaldi
Jimmy Miller, producer of Traffic’s second album, in 1968, quipped in the liner notes that Jim Capaldi’s time is so perfect that even the drops of sweat falling from his brow keep the beat. A flawless time-keeper he is, but…
Stars Are Only Human
Perhaps some of the young drummers who took exception to Neil Peart’s comments on fame in the April issue misunderstood him. Sometimes we create an imaginary personality for people we admire. When the personality revealed seems different (as it always…
Adding Variety To Simple Grooves
A popular remark among drummers has always been that “simple is better.” Many drummers, especially beginners, tend to over-play, failing to realize that in most situations the drummer’s role is to lay down a foundation—a background for other musicians to…
Jerry Speiser — Drummer At Work
Jerry Speiser comes from a land down under—Australia, to be exact. And he's in the group that helped make the land down under a desirable place to be and to be from. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS…
Les DeMerle — Transfuser
During this interview, Les DeMerle voiced slight annoyance and perplexity at reviewers who "always'' refer to him and/or his music as being "eclectic. " I believe that the commonly misunderstood definition of eclectic music is that it's weird, hard to…
