April 2012 Issue – Volume 37 • Number 4

Inner Drumming Part 1: How to Listen With All Four Limbs

Ever since I privately published my book Inner Drumming in 1983, I’ve received hundreds of letters and emails wanting to know exactly what it is and how to obtain a copy. This is the first of a series of articles…

April 2012 Issue – Volume 37 • Number 4

Open-Handed Playing Part 3: Triplet Groove Systems

In this article I’d like to take the idea of avoiding crossed hands into the rhythmic field of triplets. Triplet-based grooves have their own special twists and turns. Playing these ideas open-handed can be a serious challenge, one that will…

Glenn Kotche

The lengths some people will go… Wilco’s compositionally minded drummer prepares his kit with a glorious array of mechanical and digital devices, each with a specific, meaningful effect—and its own set of performance demands. At one point in the middle…

Chops Builders Part 18: Irish Spring

This month we’re going old school—with a new twist. What we’re working on is a standard exercise called Irish Spring that comprises swung double beats with smooth hand-to-hand turnarounds. This exercise has been used by rudimental drummers for decades, but…

Michael Sarin

Texture shifts, quiet drive, and a finely honed melodic sense are the subtle tools this drummer uses to facilitate some of today’s most intriguing new jazz. “One thing I like to do is mute the snare with the brush, then…

TONY ESCAPA: In Constant Motion

Exemplifying the power of versatility and the perseverance of tradition, Ricky Martin’s main rhythm man is a juggernaut of sheer drumming muscle. If you could somehow merge the monster groove of Abe Laboriel Jr., the jazz skills and independence of…