January 2023 – Volume 47 • Number 1

Joe Franco Double Bass Drumming, Double Bass Fills

In this part of Joe Franco’s book Double Bass Drumming patterns are broken up systematically between both hands and both feet. These patterns can be used as one bar fills, or they can be repeated or combined with each other…

Drum Workshop’s Don Lombardi and John Good and Roland’s Masahiro Minowa: A New Team for 50 More Years of Innovation

Upon the news of the purchase of Drum Workshop by Roland, and in celebration of Drum Workshop’s 50th Anniversary, Modern Drummer is excited to sit down with the primary players in this new musical dream team: Don Lombardi,John Good, and…

Ludwig Classic Maple, classic indeed!

Every Modern Drummer Kit of the Month doesn’t have to be a huge monster kit. Sometimes there’s nothing cooler than a classic four-piece kit. This month’s Kit of the Month comes to us from Jim Chronopoulos of Whitby Ontario, Canada.…

Hybrid Drumming with Alternate Mode

This month let’s take a closer look at hybrid drumming that uses several advanced triggering concepts. We will also be focusing on “randomizing” sound selection. Hybrid drumming is a highly complex system and process, particularly when you move into the…

EPLEX7 ANNOUNCES THE NEW CARDIAM D-142k VACUUM TUBE PASSIVE EQUALIZER PLUGIN VST

The Cardiam D-142k is an boutique vst plugin equalizer inspired by classic American coil and vacuum tube equalizers from the 50s and 60s. It is characterized by a soft “passive style” sound in the middle, highs and transients. Liquid and…

Drumsville! The Evolution of the New Orleans Beat

In Modern Drummer’s “Out Now” column, we usually spotlight several different CD’s, DVD’s, or books that have been recently released that feature notable drummers or impeccable drumming. But every once in a while, something comes along that deserves a little…

January 2023 - Volume 47 • Number 1

The 2022 Music City Drum Show

It was another difficult year with COVID-19 in our midst, but with vaccinations and boosters, people have started to venture out, live life, and enjoy live music again. One of the highlights of 2022 was the return of the Music…

Chris Johnson

From Gospel to Gaga… and Everything In-Between! On the heels of another huge Lady Gaga tour, and a newborn son, drummer Chris Johnson has a lot to smile about. The last 20 years have been filled with tours with Rihanna,…

Tama’s Dream Theater Custom Logo kit

The kit shown here is from Dream Theater’s 2002-04 tour. It was created by Tama drums to meet Mike’s imaginative specifications and was dubbed “The Siamese Monster” because it essentially consists of two conjoined kits. The massive collection of drums…

How To Practice When You Have No Time: The 3 Minute Rule

“Don’t break the chain. Your only job is to not to break the chain!” These are not the words of a drummer, but of comedian Jerry Seinfeld. When asked how he works on his craft, he says that he writes…

Three-Against-Four Polyrhythm

Exercises in African-American Funk This month we will address is the three-against-four polyrhythm, which is crucial to many African rhythms. It’s necessary for you to be able to hear and feel this rhythm in order to alley some of the…

Samsun Cymbals Dre Energy Signature “Remix” Line

A full line of artist inspired Turkish Cymbals Tradition In Progress: Not just a catchy tag-line, but more of a statement of fact. Mustafa Diril, the founder and master cymbal craftsman of Samsun Cymbals, has been learning and plying his…

GRETSCH ENERGY SERIES: JUMP INTO A DRUMMING ADVENTURE

You’ll never forget your first drum kit.Experiencing your own look, your own sound, your own instrument for the first time means taking care of all the components, putting together cymbals and hardware, and possibly also being disappointed with the setup…

Jamie Wollam

The Inner Workings of Tears For Fears Everyone wants to be a “rockstar.” The fame, the lights, the constant validation…while this lifestyle is appealing for most, it includes certain unseen realities and obstacles that are only faced once in the…

“Duet 9”

As an ongoing tribute to Ron Spagnardi who founded Modern Drummer Publications in 1977 and was an excellent drum teacher and author in his own right, Modern Drummer is going to include some of the articles, exercises, and pieces that…

Master Studies

In Modern Drummer’s ongoing salute to Joe Morello’s legendary book Master Studies and his teachings, this month we present Joe Morello’s Table of Time, and his advice on Using the Metronome. Table of Time This will help your development of…

Myles and Layne Ulrich of Taipei Houston

Being the sons of a Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame drummer (Metallica’s Lars Ulrich,) comes with its own set of challenges and ever-evolving history. But Layne and Myles Ulrich are not exactly shy and retiring. In fact, they are…

Polyrhythm Books, Professor, Distinguished Drummer: Pete Magadini

Drumming history has a wonderful lineage of fantastic and illustrious teachers: George Stone, Gene Krupa, Jim Chapin, Alan Dawson, Joe Morello, Gary Chester, Joe Porcaro, Gary Chaffee, Peter Erskine, Carmine Appice, John Riley, Pete Magadini, and many more. According to…

ROLAND REIMAGINES FIVE CLASSIC RHYTHM MACHINES IN NEW DRUM MACHINE COLLECTION

Roland, a leading manufacturer and distributor of electronic musical instruments and software products, introduces its Drum Machine Collection, which includes five of the brand’s most revered rhythm machines from the ‘80s as recreated modern plug-ins. These plug-ins are enhanced with…