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.
Don't Compete, Create!
There’s always someone better, stronger, faster. If we didn’t know this already, we’re surrounded by reminders that can doom us to self-doubt. In our hyper connected world, it doesn’t take long before we see someone on the drums half our…
The Bass Drum Owners Manual: Applying the Moeller Technique to the Bass Drum, Hand and Foot Combinations
This month Modern Drummer will continue to include excerpts from Michael Packer’s essential book on bass drum control and technique The Bass Drum Owners Manual: Applying the Moeller Technique to the Bass Drum. As you will see, this is a…
Steve Lukather
Guitarist, leader of Toto, solo artist, and session guitarist Steve Lukather has a lot to teach us about drumming and drummers. Whether it’s in Toto, on his 11 solo records, or on the countless sessions in his career, he has…
Out Now - January 2024
Modern Drummer is spotlighting new recordings that have the drums at the center of their sound. These recordings might be drummer-led, or just include a high-quality, special, or unique drumming and musical performance from the drummer and/or musicians in the…
The Evolution of the Hi-Hat
The history of how the modern day hi-hat was invented is a subject that many drummers and drum historians will continue to debate. In this article, I am going to give you historical facts and present actual examples of the…
Aaron Spears 1976-2023
“It’s nice to be important but it is more important to be nice, spread love.” This is what Aaron Spears lived by. When we started to ask his close friends and drummers that Aaron had touched and inspired for quotes,…
Duet 15
Ron Spagnardi wrote a terrific book called Snare Drum Duets: 25 Duets for Two Snare Drummers. It offers a selection of 25 challenging duets that range in difficulty from relatively simple to more complex. A wide assortment of time signatures…
Groups of Two with Fill-ins
Joe Morello advanced the idea of endurance studies with his Fill-In studies included in his book Master Studies. These are not “drum fills,” instead they are endurance exercises built on the idea of filling in between the primary rhythms of…
Take The Money And Run
This month’s transcription comes from the timeless track “Take The Money And Run.” It boasts a fantastic groove with delectable ghost notes that enhance the overall sound. Recorded with Gary Mallaber playing drums, who not only sang but also co-wrote…
Virgil Donati Discusses Designing his New Techra Sticks
Virgil Donati is one of today’s finest and most intelligent drummers. The precision, articulation, and power in his playing is world renowned. When Modern Drummer learned that he was now endorsing Techra Sticks, we were intrigued. We wanted him to…
Lol Tolhurst and Budgie are Curious Creatures
Photo by: Louis-Rodiger It’s hard to imagine two other drummers from the post-punk era more influential than Lol Tolhurst from The Cure and Budgie from Siouxsie and the Banshees. Still to this day, you can’t turn on any alternative internet…
ddrum SE Flyer Pitstop 4 Piece Shell Pack, Vintage Sparkle, Vintage vibes in a small footprint
Beginning last year, ddrum has offered what they refer to as the “Pitstop” configuration of their SE Flyer line of shell packs. The Pitstop configuration features smaller drum sizes than the original SE Flyer kit, which makes it very compact.…
Chris Karabelas - for KING + COUNTRY Percussionist
Photo by: Alex Kluft Percussionist Chris Karabelas’ journey is an interesting story. He grew up outside of Baltimore, MD. His father was a big music fan who took him to more concerts than he can even remember. At five,…
Zildjian 400th Anniversary Celebration
Photos & Article by: Bob Campbell The Avedis Zildjian Company has the enviable reputation of being not only the oldest cymbal maker, but also one of the oldest, highly regarded, and most enduring family businesses in the world. It is…
