Drum Stroke Rolls: Applications Of The Rudiments
Posted in Learn
Single Stroke Roll The single stroke roll is the simplest, most fundamental rudiment for the drumset. It may seem simple, easily mastered, and "over-lookable", but be warned: it's one of the best options for playing almost any figure or fill around the drumset. What is the single stroke roll? It's as simple as it sounds; Read More »
Drum Set Hardware
Posted in Learn
Honestly, I rarely thought about drum set hardware until I started to carry it around for gigs. There's a lot of heavy metal in those hardware bags! Choice in drumset hardware reflects the way you plan on playing the drums. If you play hard and put lots of strain on your cymbal stands, rack tom Read More »
All About Cymbals - The Guide
Posted in Learn
Cymbals are easily my favorite part of the drumset, especially being a jazz-educated drummer. I get such joy from both the feeling and the sound of laying a stick into a sweet ride, or a dark crash, or any other of the wide varieties of musical metal that exist for drummers today. They are Read More »
Drum History From Inception To Today
Posted in Learn
Drum set history is über important. To know where you’re going, it often helps to know from where you came. We’re going to go all the way back to the inception of the drum set. Before the drum set, drums have existed since the dawn of humanity. They’ve been played together in all sorts of Read More »
Repairing Cracked Cymbals
Posted in Learn
How To Detect a Broken Cymbal If you hear the slightest variation in the normal sound of your cymbals, check them. I mean slightest. For example, for a crash cymbal, any dulling of the normal bright sound, a noticeable decrease in sustain, or just any abnormal sound is usually your first clue. A ride will Read More »
3 Fundamental Bass Drum Techniques
Posted in Learn
Some bass drum techniques are going to be easier than others for you. Everyone is different, and you might find that you're more of a heel-up than a heel-down person, or vice versa. As with all other techniques, foot technique is only a means to an end. If you can play with control (and without Read More »
Beginner and Intermediate Drum Notation
Posted in Learn
Understanding drum notation is a key part of learning the drums. If we can’t read music, we can’t get very far in understanding music theory. As I’ve said before, music theory is key in using the rest of this website. Many of my examples are written out, and many of my descriptions involve notational terms Read More »
The Push Pull Drumming Technique
Posted in Learn
The push-pull is one of the most useful drum techniques, in that it allows you to double your hand speed. Similar to the Moeller Method, the push pull technique is a way for you to get 2 strokes with the fingers for every 1 stroke with the wrist. It’s a simple way to fully utilize Read More »
The Moeller Method
Posted in Learn
The “Moeller Method” is one of the most famous, most asked about, most sought-after technique by all kinds of drummers. While some might think it was invented by Sanford Moeller, this is not entirely true. He was simply one who documented the techniques drummers in the military and other marching bands were using to play Read More »
The Polyrhythm Guide
Posted in Learn
This guide is meant both to explain the concept of polyrhythms to those just getting familiar with it, as well as to provide information, ideas, and inspiration to those looking to further their knowledge. I was introduced to the “poly-rhythms” (which means many rhythms) by jazz drummer Ari Hoenig. If you don’t know his playing, Read More »
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