March 2024 – Volume 48 • Number 03

1928 Ludwig “Ludwigold” The “Rajah-Supreme” Trap Set

Drum finishes are an interesting part of drum history. In 1926, Ludwig introduced a textured gold sparkle painted finish called “Stipelgold.” This was quickly replaced in 1927 with the “New Ludwigold Iridescent Display Finish.” In 1927, the Ludwig drum company…

March 2024 – Volume 48 • Number 03

Carlos Palmet’s Pitbull Trilogy Tour Set

DRUMS: Mapex Saturn Evolution Hybrid in Gun Metal Grey Lacquer with Black Brushed Hardware: 16x22 Maple/Walnut Hybrid Bass Drum, 7x10 and 8x12 Birch/Walnut Hybrid Rack Toms, 16x16 Floor Tom, 16x18 EVO Kick/Floor Tom Hybrid by Mark Bennet (Maple/Walnut), 16x18 Gong…

Out Now - March 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…

The Encyclopedia of Double Bass Drumming - Eighth Note Triplets

This article of double bass drumming with eighth note triplets comes from the original book Encyclopedia of Double Bass Drumming, which is also included in the new and revised edition. Triplets are a challenging aspect of double bass drumming due…

Xvive PX Personal Mixing System

For drummers who use in-ear monitors, it can be challenging to get the right mix of instruments, click track and backing tracks in your ears. It’s nice when you can control the mix right from your seat. Traditionally, this involves…

Duet 5

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…

As Time Goes By

“The fundamental things apply, As time goes by …” So goes the song written by Herman Hupfeld in 1931, made famous by its appearance in the classic film, Casabalanca. The man who composed the score for that film and others…

Dirty Honey’s Jaydon Bean - Can’t Find the Brakes

Dirty Honey is going full speed ahead, keeping the rock and roll flame burning and breaking the rules. Their song “When I’m Gone” was the first single by an unsigned band to ever reach #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock…

Michal Miskiewicz - Playing ECM’s Air with Feeling

Jazz is a truly American artform, as is jazz drumming. However, that doesn’t mean that this important resource hasn’t been exported to the rest of the world. Poland was an importer of American jazz in the 1950s and 60s. But…

Mikkey Dee - Playing Heavy Music on the Drums

From 1985 through 1989 drummer Mikkey Dee created a modern style of progressive hard rock drumming with the band King Diamond. The recordings and the drumming on Abigail and Conspiracy laid the groundwork for many of today’s most extreme metal…

Scorpion Percussion Immortal Series Drumsticks - A Venomous Mix of Style and Functionality

Though the company has been around since 2008, Scorpion Percussion has really made waves in the past few years. Maybe it’s the cool factor. The drumsticks with the green grip and the menacing scorpion logo keep popping up on-stage with…

Bryan’s Fibes Homage

This month’s Kit of the Month comes from Cleveland, Ohio’s Bryan Beyer. The kit is a Fibes clear Crystalite setup that he uses in his Pink Floyd tribute band called Dark Side of the Moon. The kit shown consists of…

Triplets with Flams

These exercises should be played as written, on a snare drum or practice pad, without accenting the flams. After playing these at a medium dynamic, practice them at various dynamic levels, from very soft to very loud. You should also…

Four Generations and Four Countries

As we were assembling this month’s issue of Modern Drummer, I discovered a hidden theme. It was not obvious to me until just now. It turns out that this month’s issue features four generations of drummers from four different countries.…

Andy Gander - Rhythmic Doctor from Down Under

In North America, unfortunately we rarely think about the tradition of drumming from other countries. Some of us have studied the evolution of English drumming. And if we have really dug deep maybe we have started to investigate the traditions…

New And Notable March 2024

Pearl’s Midtown Series All-In-One Drum Set With Giggable Hardware. At home on the street and stage, Pearl’s ultra-portable Midtown Kit has become a vital tool for the gigging drummer on the move. Pearl offers Midtown as a complete drum set…

“Smells Like Teen Spirit” - Transcription by Marc Atkinson

This month’s transcription dives into the opening track from the iconic Nirvana album Nevermind, spotlighting the incredible drumming of Dave Grohl. It’s a masterclass on how to drive a band. Once the drums kick in the energy is relentless with…

To Master Your Craft, Go Outside of It

I have many favorite “drummers” that aren’t drummers at all: Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, Eddie Van Halen, and Bruce Lee. These non-drummers have just as much impact on my expression as the great drummers. Sticking within your field, can make…