August 2024 – Volume 48 • Number 08

ETS: Embrace The Suck

Are you one of the sheep, or the sheepdog who leads the pack? Sheep wander in a crowd semi-aimlessly, going where the majority go without much thought. They’re easily led, and easy to pick off by wolves. The sheepdog is…

KIT Drums – Connor Denis

Kit Plugins out of Nashville, TN has been developing high quality audio plugins for several years now. Their Blackbird Studio series of plugins are regarded as some of the best available. Last month, they stepped into the drum sample world…

August 2024 – Volume 48 • Number 08

Slipknot’s “Sulfur,” drummer, Joey Jordison

This month, we dive into the world of Slipknot with their high-energy track, “Sulfur.” Get ready to move fast because this one is a real foot burner! “Sulfur” comes from their album All Hope Is Gone. Written by guitarist Jim…

Al Cleveland III’s Melanie Martinez Touring Kit

Photos by Jason Mehler Drums: Pearl Masters Maple - Matte Olive Burst (color) - 7x10 rack tom, 8x12 rack, 16x16 floor, 16x22 kick. Snares: 6.5x14 Pearl UltraCast, 6.5x14 Pearl Ian Paice signature, Pearl M1060 6x10 Maple. Heads: Remo – 14-inch snare drums:…

1941 WFL Ray Bauduc De Luxe Marble Capitol Outfit

Dixieland jazz, also referred to as traditional jazz, hot jazz, or simply Dixieland originated in the early 1900’s in New Orleans. The stock market crash of 1929 started the Great Depression and lasted for next decade. During that time a…

Drumset Duets

The concept of using two drummers on stage has a long and celebrated history. Artists like the Joshua Redman Double Trio in jazz and John Mayer in his live performance in Los Angeles (“Where the Light Is”) have utilized this…

New and Notable August 2024

MORGENSTEIN TOOL, BOOM CRD™ DRUM SOUND ENHANCER, NEW SABIAN CYMBALS, STX WARM-UP/WORK-OUT PAD, NEW TRX XX SERIES CYMBALS Rod Morgenstein announces the Morgenstein Tool Morgenstein Tool is thrilled to announce that renowned drummer Rod Morgenstein will make a special appearance…

Understanding the Language of Music: Chord Voicings

Modern Drummer founder Ron Spagnardi wrote an excellent book called Understanding the Language of Music, a Drummer’s Guide to Theory and Harmony. This book spells out the basics of theory and harmony in a very easy to understand way. It…

Yamaha’s Matt Rudin and Drummer Charles Ruggiero Talk About the EAD10

There hasn’t been a product that is as intriguing and as mystical as the Yamaha EAD10 in quite a while. The EAD10 came out at NAMM 2018 and the product had been building awareness prior to the Covid lockdown. The…

Roger Cardillo’s TJS Kit

This month’s Modern Drummer Kit of the Month comes to us from Roger Cardillo of New Jersey. Roger’s kit was custom made by Tom Shulz of TJS Custom Drums. It has six ply Maple shells in a natural finish with…

Gerry Brown: Groove Reverence

In this business NOTHING beats longevity, a big gig or two doesn’t hurt either. Drummer Gerry Brown has had all of that plus a whole lot more. Gerry had early aspirations to become a classical percussionist, but after seeing the…

Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket

Both, Dave Elitch and Nick Buda uttered this phrase in their interviews this month, and it’s an important one. The older readers of Modern Drummer probably know what this phrase means and have heard it a million times. But the…

Sound Quality Essentials: The Mechanics of Hitting a Drum

Years ago, I was sitting alongside my teacher, Ralph Humphrey, in a private lesson. We were at the drums, and he was demonstrating a stroke. When he played it, it sounded as big as the wall. When I played it,…

2024 Chicago Drum Show

The Chicago Drum Show, one of the largest and longest continuous running events of its kind, just completed its 34th year thanks to the tireless efforts of Rob Cook and his crew. Over 1400 attendees from around the world flocked…

Out Now August 2024

Modern Drummer enjoys 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 performances from the drummer and/or musicians in the…

Master Studies: Stroke Combination Studies

Going from single strokes, to double strokes, to buzz (multiple rebound) strokes, involves different pressures on the sticks. You must be able to change the pressure your fingers are putting on the sticks without tension developing in the wrists. When…

Dave Elitch

Getting and Staying Out of the Way Talking in-depth to Dave Elitch has been a long time coming. He’s a successful working drummer with credits like The Mars Volta, M83, Killer Be Killed, Miley Cyrus, and Weezer. He is a…

It Pays To Listen

The standard advice is to listen. A common admonishment is, “You’re not listening.” There are some good quotes about listening. Malcom Forbes said, “The art of conversation lies in listening.” Stephen Covey, the author of Seven Habits of Highly Successful…