< PreviousModern Drummer September 2022 8 Back to School By Peter Erskine “School days, school days Dear old golden rule days Readin’ and drummin’ and ‘rithmetic Taught to the tune of a signature stick …” M ost of you may not be old enough to remember the tune, and my apologies for changing a couple of the words, but hey … that’s what (this) jazz (drumming column) is all about. In any event, it’s that time of year again when we dust off our practice pads and get ready for the new school year. If you’re studying in college or high school, the following warm-ups will serve you well. And if you’re not currently in school, then you’re probably like me: still learning, still a student of the instrument, and always happy to come across a challenge that will help make me a better player. As with all WARM-UPS, the goal is to slowly build up our speed and volume as well as dexterity. That means to take these SLOW. These are, for the most part, fairly basic beats and counter- rhythms to play. Part of the fun should be investigating how well you can play these while maintaining a good tone on the drumset AND keep a swinging (dancing, buoyant) feel going. (To quote another song, “It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing.”) A few comments ahead of time: 1. Be mindful of tempo 2. Be mindful of volume 3. Be mindful of which note is played where (pay attention, don’t take any triplet or 16th-note for granted the real trick with many of these will be playing the hi-hat RIGHT ON beats 2 + 4. 4. Most of these will have self-evident stickings, but please follow the sticking notations when provided. 5. It’s okay to add accents if you like! 6. Exercise “C” has the bass drum in the middle of the triplet or 3-note phrase. a. Which drummers play their bass drum on the middle tuplet? b. Which drummers play the bass drum on the 3rd tuplet? c. Which drummers like to play the bass drum on the first (downbeat) tuplet? 7. Exercise “L” is for Lamond … Don Lamond. This is a beat I’ve heard him (and only him!) play as a jazz shuffle … it’s an otherwise surfer beat that’s almost too cool for school. Back to it, gang! 1974, teaching at a high school with the Stan Kenton Orchestra 1968, first day of school at the Interlochen Arts Academy (my dad took the photo) Me teaching at the Drummers Collective, with Warren Bernhardt and Eddie Gomez, early 1980s Some years later, looking at some music in Capitol Studios, Hollywood Age 6 The local music store in Pleasantville, New Jersey (a couple of towns over from where I grew up)September 2022 Modern Drummer 9 The Peter Erskine Library ™ ™ ™ ™ A ™ ™ ™ ™ B ™ ™ ™ ™ C ™ ™ ™ ™ R R L L R L L R R R L L R L L R R R L L R L L R R R L L R L L R R R L L R L L R R R L L R L L R R R L L R L L R R R L L R L L R D ™ ™ ™ ™ RLLRRLLRRLLRRLLRRLLRRLLRRLLRRLLR E ™ ™ ™ ™ F 4 4/ 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 BACK TO SCHOOL WARM-UPS / 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 / 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 / / / 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Œ œ œ œ ¿ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ¿ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ¿ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ¿ Œ œ œ œœ œ œ ¿ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ¿ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ¿ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ¿ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ ¿ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ¿ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ¿ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ¿ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ¿ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ¿ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ¿ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ¿ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ ¿ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ¿ Œ œ œ œœ œ œ ¿ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ¿ Œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ ¿ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ¿ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ¿ Œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ ¿ œœ ¿ œœ ¿ œœ ¿ Ó œœ ¿ œœ ¿ œœ ¿ œœ ¿ œœ ¿ œœ ¿ œœ ¿ œœ ¿ Ó œœ ¿ œœ ¿ œœ ¿ œœ ¿ œœ ¿ œœ œ œœ ¿ œœ œ œœ ¿ œœ œ œœ ¿ œœ œ œœ ¿ œœ œ œœ ¿ œœ œ œœ ¿ œœ œ œœ ¿ œœ œ Œ œ œ œ ¿ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ¿ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ¿ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ¿ Œ œ œ œ ¿ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ ¿ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ¿ Œ œ œ œ œ ¿ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œModern Drummer September 2022 10 ™ ™ ™ ™ G ™ ™ ™ ™ H ™ ™ ™ ™ I ™ ™ ™ ™ J ™ ™ ™ ™ K ™ ™ ™ ™ L / 33333333 / 333333 / 33333333 33333333 / 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 33333333 / 3 3 33 3 33 3 33 3 33 3 33 3 33 3 33 3 3 / 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿‰¿¿ œ ¿ œ ¿‰¿¿ œ ¿ œ ¿‰¿¿ œ ¿ œ ¿‰¿¿ œ ¿ œ ¿‰¿¿ œ ¿ œ ¿‰¿¿ œ ¿ œ ¿‰¿¿ œ ¿ ¿‰¿ œ ¿ ¿ œ ‰ ¿‰¿¿ ¿ J œ ¿‰¿¿ ¿œ ‰ ¿ J œ ¿‰¿¿ ¿ œ ‰ ¿‰¿¿ ¿ J œ ¿‰¿¿ ¿œ ‰ ¿‰¿ ¿ J œ ¿ ¿ œ¿ ¿‰¿¿ œ¿œ ¿‰¿¿ ¿ œ¿ ¿‰¿¿ œ¿œ ¿‰¿¿ ¿ œ¿ ¿‰¿¿ œ¿œ ¿‰¿¿ ¿ œ¿ ¿‰¿¿ œ¿ ¿‰¿ ¿ œ œ ¿ œ œ ¿ ‰ ¿¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ œ ¿ ‰ ¿ ¿ œ œ ¿ ‰ ¿¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ œ ¿ ‰ ¿ ¿ œ œ ¿ ‰ ¿¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ œ ¿ ‰ ¿ ¿ œ œ ¿ ‰ ¿¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ ‰ ¿ ¿ œœ œ ¿ ¿ œœ œ ¿ ‰ ¿ œœ œ ¿ ¿ œœ œ ¿ ‰ ¿ œœ œ ¿ ¿ œœ œ ¿ ‰ ¿ œœ œ ¿ ¿ œœ œ ¿ ‰ ¿ œœ œ ¿ ¿ œœ œ ¿ ‰ ¿ œœ œ ¿ ¿ œœ œ ¿ ‰ ¿ œœ œ ¿ ¿ œœ œ ¿ ‰ ¿ œœ œ ¿ ¿ ‰ ¿ œœ œ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿¿ ‰ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿¿ ‰ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿¿ ‰ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ ¿ ‰ ¿ Check out Peter’s drummer profile page, and get a copy of his Legends book at modern drummer.comLegends Coming Soon: Billy Cobham • Carmine Appice • Gavin Harrison • Giovanni Hidalgo • Carl Palmer Cindy Blackman Santana • Dave Weckl • Charlie Watts • Eric Singer • Alex González Buy from your favorite music retailer Check out more at moderndrummer.com/legends Presents: Legends Collection The Extensive And New In-depth Interviews • Artist Approved Content New Song Transcriptions With Artist Insight Never Before Seen Photos • Digital Download components Not just another drum book or magazine, It’s Modern Drummer Legends!Modern Drummer September 2022 12 Story by Brian Hill and Bob Campbell Photos by Bob Campbell O n May 21 & 22, 2022, the Chicago Drum Show hosted/produced by Rob Cook returned in full force to the Kane County Fair Grounds. Rob and his staff really outdid themselves again this year by continuing to produce the longest running and largest drum show. With over 160 vendors, the event offered literally something for everyone! The show attracted over 1400 attendees from many countries around the world making this a truly international event. As always, this year’s show boasted new and vintage drums, cymbals, hardware, percussion, industry swag, vintage advertisements, and rare parts and pieces, as well as some really special exhibits. You could literally spend both days here and still miss something very cool. For those of you who could not attend this year, here’s a quick run-down of the show. At the show’s entrance was a central lobby area that separated the two large exhibit halls. In the lobby, an impressive WFL III Drums display, manned by Bill Ludwig III and his crew, commanded attention. Bill acted as the show’s drum ambassador greeting everyone with a smile and a handshake. He was proud to state that, “WFL III drums are from drummers making drums for drummers.” He noted that all of the wonderful WFL III kits in his booth were prototypes built especially for the show. According to Sib Weisbender (General Manager), WFL III Drums are made from their “G2” shells and use no wraps but only stained, painted, clear-or powder-coated finishes. Also on display was a cool prototype black nickel over brass snare drum with double lugs and 40-strand snare wires made for John Humphrey (Seether), a WFL III Drums artist. Sib mentioned that John wanted a snare drum with more girth and a stadium rock sound. These drums are now entering production. Also in the Lobby was the On The Ropes museum exhibit (Brian Hill) with a cache of 17th & 18th Century drums and drumsticks as well as a Truss drum display. One eye-catching bass drum was emblazoned with a hand-painted eagle and red, white, and blue shield. This drum was recently restored and believed to be around 350 years old, making it one of the oldest American drums in existence. This drum was used in the 1840 presidential campaign of William Henry Harrison. The painting and conversion to a bass drum was done in the Federal period around 1800, and the drum may have seen service during the War of 1812. It is believed that the drum originates from the second half of the 17th century when it was used as a side drum. A truly amazing piece of drum history. In addition to On The Ropes, there were other very impressive “display only” exhibits at the show that alone justified the price of admission. The Bloo Goose Percussion exhibit offered a pristine and complete Neil Peart “R-30” drum kit, #9 of only 30 made by DW, for September 2022 Modern Drummer 13 photo opportunities and even to play! The Mitch Mitchell Fan Club booth had several replica kits on display representing the different drum sets which Mitch played over the years with The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Other drum companies at the show included A&F Drum, Baltimore Drum, Chicago Drums, Craviotto, Dunnett Custom/George Way, Holland Drums, Independent Drum Lab (Inde), Jenkins-Martin (displaying a custom fiberglass kit with Picasso’s famous Guernica painting as the graphic), Joyful Noise (with the newly introduced Knight Hawk ferromanganese snare drum), Ludwig, Palmetto Drum, Rogers, Trick, and Woods Custom drums to name but a few. Notably, Ronn Dunnett recently acquired the intellectual property rights to Milestone percussion and is now starting production of these illustrious Canadian drums. Much like Ronn had successfully done with George Way Drums, Ronn aspires to restore the Milestone brand, keeping to the traditional sound but with some modern Dunnett-inspired updates. A prototype fiberglass snare in the booth grabbed a lot of attention with its impressive build quality and sound. When asked about his motivation to purchase Milestone, Ronn replied, “Thirty years in this industry and I’ve never been more excited to be restoring a great Canadian brand like Milestone. Modern Drummer September 2022 14 Milestone drums are the hockey of drums - it’s part of the fabric of Canadian music.” Ronn Dunnett has also designed novel drumheads with a unique film/coating combination, the Res- O-Coat, which is being manufactured by Remo. The Res-O-Coat heads have a softer, more forgiving stick response combined with Remo durability. Instead of having the usual break-in period which traditional heads require, the Res-O- Coat heads feel like they are pre-conditioned to have that sweet spot from the first play. A newcomer to the Chicago Drum Show was Canadian drummer, Jeff Woods, of Woods Custom Drums. Jeff exhibited many awesome snares, including a gorgeous 6.5 x 14” rosewood/mahogany (6-ply) with patented wood/metal hybrid hoops, Precision 7-position throw and 42-strand snare wires. This drum was indeed one of the best sounding snares at the show. An impressive first showing by Woods Custom! Jeff Woods reflected on his first Chicago show experience: “I met some amazing new friends and was welcomed with open arms by all. I’m looking forward to next year’s show.” Many smaller dealers that brought an amazing mix of used, custom, and vintage drums including several which were extremely rare: a Ludwig & Ludwig 1940s Top Hat kit, 1934-36 Slingerland Abalone Pearl drum kit, early 1930s Leedy Broadway engraved Black Elite snare, and a 1940 Ludwig & Ludwig “Super-Ludwig” in Red Flash Pearl snare. One of the rarest and most valuable drums at the show was found at Joe Luoma’s booth: Billy Gladstone’s personal gold Gladstone snare drum with three-way tuning. This drum was owned, built, and played by Billy Gladstone himself at Radio City Music Hall. Truly incredible! Some of the regular exhibitors were Ken Anderson, Eric Binder’s Vintage Drums, Bun E. Carlos and Randy Rainwater, Carrington Restorations, Crash Bam Boom, Brian Duvall, Billy Baker Drums, Jim Johnson, Joe Luoma, Mattoon Vintage & Custom, One up One Down Vintage Percussion, Chuck Scalia, Twin Cities Drum Collective, Phil Wilson, Joey “Boom” Mekler, and Texas Vintage Drums. Other vendors included cymbal companies such as Byrne, Centent, Dream, Paiste, Trinity, Turkish, Wuhan, and Zildjian, who brought their shiny wares to satisfy the connoisseurs of musical metal. Beato, Humes & Berg, and Tackle Instruments displayed creative and practical bags and cases. Creative Percussion, Cymbolt, Drum Factory, No Nuts Percussion, PinchClip, Stick Stuff Grips, and Wingtastic offered a bevy of innovative and helpful percussion- related items and necessities. Retail music stores were well represented by Chicago’s own Drugan’s Drums and Guitars, Vic’ s Drum Shop, as well as Explorer’s Percussion, Guitar Center, Skins N Tins, Wood and Weather, and the Hawthorne Drum Shop. Diamond Star, XCEL Drumsticks and Physiostorm brought an impressive display of truly innovative approaches to drumstick design. For those interested in continued technical and historical September 2022 Modern Drummer 15 drum education, a variety of excellent books were available for sale through Rebeats and at Eric Binder’s booth. The dynamic and inspiring Les DeMerle (Jimmy Dorsey, Harry James, David Benoit, Lee Konitz) was on hand to teach on site, helping to inspire beginners and sharpen the skills of more experienced drummers. Clinics were held upstairs on both days. At the first clinic, Bill Ludwig III, together with Sib Weisbender and various endorsers (Steve Howell [See This Though], Emily Jones [SM-6 Band], Bobby T Torello [Johnny Winter, Grace Slick, Michael Bolton], Mike Arturi [Lovin Spoonfull, Spoonfull of Love], Payden Hilliard [Christine D’clario], described the offerings of WFL III Drums and provided insights into their construction. UK drummer, Jeff Davenport, followed with an interesting clinic on the history of drumheads and tuning. Last up for the day was Jim Catalano, who candidly described his experiences during his 36-year career with the Ludwig Drum Company. This clinic included some great anecdotes about his time with Bill Ludwig II and the harsh realities of the music business. Legendary drummer Les DeMerle started the second day of clinics with a rousing drum solo behind a beautifully crafted solid shell walnut Craviotto drum kit. He tastefully used mallets, brushes, and sticks to demonstrate the variety, textures and dynamics they provide in skilled hands. Les brought decades of experience, ideas, stories, and musicianship to share with the audience. He reminisced about his exciting days with Harry James and interactions with Buddy Rich. Most importantly, Les shared his love of drums and music, and encouraged all to practice, listen to all types of music, and enjoy the craft of drumming. After Les DeMerle, Joe DeRenzo gave a clinic on Jazz brushes and transcribing drums. Joe went through a series of examples show different brush techniques and how they have been applied in music. In the afternoon, Eric Binder together with his trio (Jamal Damien on trumpet and Evan Levine on bass) presented a clinic entitled, “An Introduction to Comping”. Eric gave several examples of ways to comp and improvise, and then applied these to music with his trio. He also invited members of the audience to come up and play in an impromptu lesson. Eric emphasized solid time keeping, independence, and keeping in sync with other band members. In summary, the 31st Chicago Drum Show went off this year without a hitch and sported a large and excited crowd that was not only happy to get out of the house but to gladly spend that time at the largest drum show in the world. The overall feeling of the show was one of good will and camaraderie as everyone appeared to have a good time. For a full line up of all the vendors and clinicians present at the show, check out Rebeats. com.Modern Drummer September 2022 16 Cympad Adds Pink To Its Chromatics Series Of Foam Cymbal Washers. Cympad has expanded its Chromatics line of colorful, cellular foam cymbal washers with a new pink color option. With this latest addition, Chromatics are now available in a choice of Pink, White, Orange, Yellow, Green, Purple, Red, Crimson, Blue and Camouflage— providing an easy and affordable way for drummers to enhance the look and sound of their kits. Cympad Chromatics cymbal washers are now available in convenient 5-packs and used by today’s top drummers, including Hayley Brownell, Emily Moon, Stephen Perkins, Queen Drums, Elise Trouw and many more. To learn more, visit your favorite drumshop or go to www.cympad.com. RTOM’s bh single zone triggers usher in a new era of hybrid drumming. RTOM corporation is proud to announce the launch of bh single zone triggers, a new product that instantly transforms acoustic drum heads outfitted with Black Holes into a hybrid kit. With RTOM’s bh triggers the days of requiring mesh heads, tools, and time to transform your acoustic heads into an electronic kit, have come to an end. Now, simply snap on and snap off Black Holes equipped with bh triggers to your acoustic heads and drummers can effortlessly transition between acoustic and hybrid playing in seconds. In addition to benefiting from quick installation, drummers can now also enjoy the low volume, quick attack, and resonance of the Black Hole Practice System coupled with the precision and variety of an electronic kit. Plus, bh Triggers are being offered at an accessible price point, making them a great hybrid kit solution for drummers on a budget. Features and Benefits -Allows drummers to switch from acoustic to hybrid playing in seconds. -Features a sleek low profile design that easily grips onto your black hole rims without the need for tools or adhesives. -Snap on and snap off black holes in seconds. -Offers accuracy and high precision sound. -Works seamlessly with all Black Holes sizes. -Features a highly durable plastic casing for accidental drum stick hits. -Affordably priced for drummers on a budget. -Works with most drum modules. -Sold in single and five piece packs. Visit RTOM.com and bigbangdist.com for updates on product launch. The single pack bh trigger will be sold at retail for $24.99 each, and the five pack bh triggers will be sold at retail for $74.99 per set. Proel North America Releases the Dave Black Student Signature Snare Drum Pack Tamburo Drums unites with Alfred Music and Vic Firth to create the Dave Black Student Signature Snare Drum Pack, an extraordinary collection of musical products and accessories in an all-in- one convenient bundle. This world-class drum pack represents the first product collaboration between the master luthiers at Tamburo Drums, the Italian-made line of acoustic drums, and Dave Black, a renowned drummer, educator, and best-selling author. The Dave Black Student Signature Snare Drum Pack combines a world-class snare drum and drum accessories, along with the industry’s best-selling drum education book—all at a budget-friendly price. Included in the pack are: -Tamburo custom T5 snare drum, specially crafted with innovative materials to be lightweight, durable, and offer professional sound quality (beautifully designed in elegant black sparkle or silver sparkle finishes). -A pair of custom Dave Black Signature Vic Firth Nova 5B drumsticks. -Alfred’s Drum Method, Book 1, the definitive guide to preparing beginners for all drum and percussion styles. -High-quality Tamburo snare stand and padded branded water-resistant backpack carrying case, which holds the snare, snare stand, media, books & sheet music, perfect for lessons and gigs. -The pack is distributed exclusively by Proel North America. “We have been working on this exciting collaboration for over a year, and we are so proud to finally launch our world-class Student Signature Series at the 2022 NAMM Show,” said Proel North America’s President, Antonio Ferranti. “Our dealers can offer their customers a beautiful high-quality snare 17 September 2022 Modern Drummer drum package that includes all the essentials for beginning drummers. With a retail price of $249.99, drummers are able to get started playing with the best snare drum, the best-selling drum method, a high-quality snare stand and a popular pair of drumsticks and go to their lessons and gigs with the highest quality backpack carrying case, and all in a convenient bundle and at a great price. We thank our friends and partners at Alfred Music and Vic Firth for helping us create this world-class drum pack.” This beginning drum pack will begin shipping to retailers in time for back-to-school, lessons, and holiday seasons. Of the Tamburo collaboration, Dave Black says, “Like the fine Italian luthiers of the 17th and 18th centuries, the tradition has continued into the 21st century with the exquisite craftsmanship of Tamburo Drums. Made in Italy, these are among the finest and best-sounding drums I’ve ever played and heard. I’m proud to play a part in the launch of Tamburo Drums in North America.” “I predict the Dave Black Student Signature Drum Pack will be a big hit. The packaging is a brilliant combo, and it’s the perfect start for the drummer in the family.” — Peter Erskine About Dave Black Dave Black received his Bachelor of Music in percussion performance from California State University, Northridge. A prolific composer and arranger, he has been the recipient of numerous awards and commissions. As one of the top-selling percussion authors in the world, Dave Black is the author or co-author of several best-selling books including Alfred’s Drum Method, Books 1 & 2 (the world’s current best seller.) He is the former Vice President and Editor-in-Chief for Alfred Music. About Tamburo Drums Founded in Italy in 1982, by master drum luthier Tullio Granatello, Tamburo has been designing, crafting, and producing world-class ‘Handmade In Italy’ acoustic drums and drumsets, including its signature OPERA series, UNIKA series, and VOLUME series. Characterized by the unsurpassed tone, construction, and technology of each instrument, Tamburo faithfully meets the highest expectations of drummers. Learn more at: www.tamburodrums.com About Proel North America Founded in 2017, and headquartered in Los Angeles, Proel North America is the exclusive distributor of the Proel family of ‘Made In Italy’ pro audio, musical instruments, music gear and accessories brands to the USA and Canada. Proel, founded and headquartered in Italy since 1991, designs, engineers, and manufactures world-class pro audio, musical instruments, music gear, and accessories that are faithful to the highest expectations of musicians. Learn more at: proelnorthamerica.com TAMA unveils a new Starclassic Walnut/Birch kit TAMA is proud to unveil a beautiful new Starclassic Walnut/Birch kit featuring a compelling Light Charcoal finish over a Tamo Ash outer ply. This finish provides a fantastic complement to the texture of the wood grain, creating an intricate, intertwining cascade for a unique visual effect. The design is capped off with Antique Brushed Black Nickel shell hardware, bringing one last stunning, high-end element to this exciting new kit. This design will only be available in very limited quantities and should be highly sought after for its rare visual characteristics. Fresh off its release at the 2022 NAMM show, this new Limited Edition Starclassic Walnut/Birch kit delivers all the high-end trim and features a drummer could possibly want. Each shell displays a stunning Gloss Charcoal finish over highly-figured Tamo Ash outer plies. This design is further enhanced by the addition of Antique Brushed Black Nickel shell hardware, which completes the aesthetic of this unique and very limited edition Starclassic Walnut/Birch kit. The kit’s configuration is 22”x16” Bass Drum w/ Tom Holder Base, 10”x8” Tom Tom, 12”x9” Tom Tom, 14”x12” Floor Tom, 16”x14” Floor Tom, and a Double Tom Holder. The add-on Snare Drum is a 14”x6.5”. Tama.comNext >