MODERN DRUMMER 2022 READERS POLL RESULTS!

THE WORLD’S #1 DRUM RESOURCE SINCE 1977

ROB
SILVERMAN
AND DRUMOLOGY
DRUM DUETS WITH THE MASTERS

DIRK VERBEUREN
THE DRUMMING, THE LEGACY
...AND MEGADETH!

JOE FRANCO
40 YEARS OF DOUBLE BASS DRUMMING

DARU JONES
THE DARU SESSIONS PART 2
LEARN FROM:
CARMINE APPICE • PETER ERSKINE
SEPTEMBER 2022

JOE MORELLO • BILLY ASHBAUGH

TONY VERDEROSA
June 2021 Modern Drummer 1
 CONTENTS

40 ROB SILVERMAN
DRUMOLOGY: DRUM DUETS WITH THE
MASTERS. Rob Silverman is best known for
his series of Drumology records where he
plays drum duets with some of the greatest
drummers in the world. In this exclusive
interview Rob (and his brother Michael) talk
about Drumology 1, 2, and 3, their record label
Autumn Hill Records, and the rest of Rob’s (and
Michael’s) facinating career’s in music.

20 2022 56 DIRK 66 DARU JONES 70 JOE FRANCO 78 THE BIG

MODERN VERBEUREN THE DARU SESSIONS This year is the DRUM BONANZA
DRUMMER Megadeth drummer VOL. 2. In this 40th anniversary “BDB” is a multi-day
READERS POLL Dirk Verbeuren talks installment, Daru takes of Joe Franco’s drum camp event
It’s time to announce about the history and us through his vast groundbreaking book, that started in 2010.
the winners of the 2022 the legacy of drumming influences in Gospel, Double Bass Drumming. It features a different
Modern Drummer for Megadeth and their R&B, and Hip Hop He walks us through group of drum
Readers Poll. Thanks new record The Sick, the drumming. He also a career filled with instructors every year,
to all of the winners Dying… and the Dead! tells us about his two interesting twists and this year boasts a
and runners up for Dirk is a drumming new records Daru Jones and turns involving stellar list of teachers.
their artistry and veteran with a long Play the Breaks (Live at drum programming, We talked to producer
contributions towards career and a wealth of Layman,) and A Daru studio drumming, and host Elizabeth Lang
the history and knowledge to share. State of Mind featuring and television, as well about the history of The
evolution of modern Eddie Sancho. Daru as his gigs with The Big Drum Bonanza and
drumming. We are also also talks about the Good Rats, Chilliwack, what sets it apart from
inducting the great influence of J Dilla, and Fiona, Doro Pesch, the rest.
Taylor Hawkins into the other drummers who Leslie West, Jack Bruce,
Modern Drummer Hall are deserving of more Widowmaker, Steve
of Fame. attention. Walsh, Magellan and
Twisted Sister.
Volume 46 • Number 9
Cover photo by brendan Joyce LESSONS
82 BASICS
Billy Ashbaugh gives us some tips about the business side of
being a working drummer.

84 LESSON
Up-and-coming jazz drummer Jonathan Barber and Drum
Channel share an interesting warmup.

86 CREATIVE PERCUSSION CONTROLLERS

Tony Verderosa continues to walk us through the world of
sound design. He talks about one of his favorite sound
designing tools, the Microcosm Effects pedal.

90 JAZZ DRUMMERS WORKSHOP

This month we start to reintroduce Joe Morello’s legendary
and influential book, Master Studies.

94 ROCK AND JAZZ CLINIC

MD continues to explore Joe Franco’s concepts from his
legendary book Double Bass Drumming. DOWN
DIGITA
LOAD L
INSIDE CODE

98 ROCK PERSPECTIVES
Modern Drummer continues to explore Carmine Appice’s
Ultimate Realistic Rock. This month we explore a section of The
Ultimate Realistic Rock on 9/8 drumming.

EQUIPMENT
12 THE 31st ANNUAL CHICAGO DRUM SHOW
We give you a complete review of the Chicago Drum
Show. The show boasted new and vintage drums, cymbals,
hardware, percussion, and so much more.

16 NEW AND NOTABLE

Modern Drummer brings you the hottest and newest gear
from Tama, Cympad, RTOM, Proel, and Tamburo.

18 PRODUCT CLOSE UP
Donn Bennett gives us a thorough run-down of the new ASI
3DME BT G2 In-Ear Monitor System.

DEPARTMENTS
4 EDITORS OVERVIEW 102 COLLECTORS CORNER
MD Editor Mark Griffith talks about the Tim Northup tells us about his favorite kit
surprises in September’s Modern Drummer. from The Northup Drum Museum. This kit
features many rare instruments and brings
6 KIT OF THE MONTH us back to the time of vaudeville and theater
Canada’s Corey Chernesky shares his Tama drumming for silent films of the 1920-30s.
SuperStar Birch Kit.
104 EYE CANDY
8 JAZZ INSIGHTS Modern Drummer takes a look at Ginger
Peter Erskine reminds us that it’s the time of Baker’s 2015 Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp
year when we dust off our practice pads and Drum Workshop kit.
get ready for the new school year, and gives
us some warm-ups that will serve you well.
 AN EDITOR’S OVERVIEW

Drumming Surprises! Founder Ronald Spagnardi 1943–2003

Co-Founder Isabel Spagnardi

I must admit I often get surprised by

interviewing certain drummers. This
month I had the pleasure to interview
Publisher/CEO David Frangioni
CFO Carolina Frangioni
President David Hakim
double bass drum groundbreaker Joe
Vice-President Ronnie Jimenez
Franco, Megadeth’s Dirk Verbeuren,
CTO Jason Mehler
and Drumology’s Rob Silverman
I have taught from Joe Franco’s Senior Art Director Scott Bienstock
amazing book for years and remember Content Director Mark Griffith
seeing his drum videos in the 90s and Editorial Michael Finkelstein
clinics in the 80s. But I had no idea Editorial Daniel “Ziggy” Laverde
what he had been doing for the last 30 Digital Marketing Manager Ricardo Rodriguez
years or so. I wondered if he had be- Worldwide Education Dom Famularo
come one of the many drummers who Live Fom My Drum Room Podcast John DeChristopher
became disenchanted with the music Archivist Felipe Laverde
business and took their hard-working
approach elsewhere. NOPE! Joe Franco is having an under the THE MD PRO PANEL/ADVISORY BOARD: Chris Adler, Carmine Appice,
radar and successful drumming career that many of us would Kenny Aronoff, Bill Bachman, Eddie Bayers, Gregg Bissonette, Jason Bittner,
Bill Bruford, Will Calhoun,Terri Lyne Carrington, Matt Chamberlain,
kill for. And to say it is a well-rounded career would be the
Peter Erskine, Dom Famularo, Daniel Glass, Alex González, Danny Gottlieb,
understatement of the century. Benny Greb, Matt Halpern, Horacio Hernandez, Gerald Heyward, Taku Hirano,
When I interviewed Megadeth’s Dirk Verbeuren, I was Jonathan Joseph, Jim Keltner, Paul Leim, Peter Magadini, Pat Mastelotto,
equally surprised. I must admit that I am not the biggest speed Rod Morgenstein, Andy Newmark, Carl Palmer, Stephen Perkins, Dafnis Prieto,
Rich Redmond, Brian Reitzell, Jim Riley, Bobby Rondinelli, Antonio Sánchez,
or thrash metal fan around. But Dirk is about so much more
Cindy Blackman Santana, Chad Smith, Steve Smith, Todd Sucherman,
than that! We wound up talking about the history of the great Billy Ward, Kenny Washington, Dave Weckl, Paul Wertico, Dennis Wolfe
drummers of Megadeth, R&B and rap music of the 80s, how
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:
he learned Megadeth’s music for the gig, his drum sound, and Billy Ashbaugh, Donn Bennett, Clayton Cameron, Bob Campbell,
how he went about creating drum parts for the new Megadeth Peter Erskine, Dom Famularo, Bob Girouard, Mike Haid, Brian Hill,
Daru Jones, Nic Kubes, Chris Lesso, Daniel Laverde, Peter Magadini,
record The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead. HE even brought Raghav Mehrotra, James Petercsak, Tony Verderosa
up the fact that had been practicing some jazz drumming
concepts (of all things.) MODERN DRUMMER magazine (ISSN 0194-4533) is published monthly by MODERN
Rob Silverman shared some surprises that he learned while DRUMMER Publications, Inc., 1279 W. Palmetto Park Rd PO Box 276064 Boca Raton,
FL 33427. PERIODICALS MAIL POSTAGE paid at Boca Raton, FL 33427 and at additional
working with the world’s greatest drummers on his Drumology mailing offices. Copyright 2022 by MODERN DRUMMER Publications, Inc. All rights
recordings as well. You don’t really “know” a person until you reserved. Reproduction without the permission of the publisher is prohibited.

have worked with them, and Rob has worked with, and learned EDITORIAL/ADVERTISING/ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES:
MODERN DRUMMER Publications, 1279 W. Palmetto Park Rd PO Box 276064 Boca
from them ALL! Raton, FL 33427. info@moderndrummer.com
I was really pleasantly surprised by all of these talented and
Email: info@moderndrummer.com.
fascinating drummers. They had so much to share about music,
the music business, and the drumming world. Keep your eyes MODERN DRUMMER welcomes manuscripts and photos but cannot assume responsibility
for them.
and ears open, you’ll never know what and who will initiate
that next piece of musical, drum, and life inspiration. SUBSCRIPTION CORRESPONDENCE: Modern Drummer, 1279 W. Palmetto Park Rd
PO Box 276064 Boca Raton, FL 33427. Change of address: Allow at least six weeks
for a change. Please provide both old and new address and send to
Mark Griffith info@moderndrummer.com

Content Director POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Modern Drummer, 1279 W. Palmetto Park Rd PO
Box 276064 Boca Raton, FL 33427.

Canadian Publications Mail Agreement No. 41480017 Return undeliverable Canadian

addresses to: PO Box 875, Stn A, Windsor ON N9A 6P2

MEMBER: National Association of Music Merchants, Percussive Arts Society

Subscribe today at moderndrummer.com/subscribe

MODERN DRUMMER ONLINE: www.moderndrummer.com
Music Key

@ModernDrummer modern_drummer @modern_drummer

4 Modern Drummer September 2022

STAGE READY.
WITH FULL SIZE SHELLS
AND NEW COLORS!

NOW AVAILABLE

THE NEW
GEWA G9
SERIES

gewadigitaldrums
gewadigitaldrums
gewadigitaldrums
// gewadrums.com GEWA music USA, Inc. | 8787 Snouffer
September 2022 | Gaithersburg,
School Road Modern DrummerMD 20879
5
 KIT OF THE MONTH

Corey’s Kit

This month’s Kit of the Month comes

from Canada’s Corey Chernesky. His
impressive Tama SuperStar Birch Kit
features a 7x8 Rack Tom, 8x10 Rack
Tom, 9x12 Rack Tom, 12x14 Floor Tom,
14x16 Floor Tom, and 18x22 Kick Drums.
His backbeats are played on a 6.5x14
Black Nickle Snare Drum. His drums
are equipped with Remo Heads (Clear
Emperors/Toms Coated PowerStroke/
Snare Drums.) His Zildjian cymbals
are 14” Dyno Beat Hi-hats, 14” Quick
Beat Hi-hats, 17” A Custom Crash, 18” A
Custom Crash, 19” A Custom Crash, 20”
A Custom Crash, 20” Earth Ride, 18” A
Custom China, and a 19” Z3 China. His
accessories, hardware, and electronics
feature: Iron Cobra Kick Drum Pedals,
Audix Microphones, FootBlaster
Triggers, Alesis DM5 Module, Focusrite
Scarlett 18i20 Interface, Plunge Audio
In Ear Monitors, and a GoPro Hero 5.

6 Modern Drummer September 2022

August 2022 Modern Drummer 7
 JAZZ INSIGHTS
Back to School
By Peter Erskine

“School days, school days As with all WARM-UPS, the goal is to

slowly build up our speed and volume
Dear old golden rule days
as well as dexterity. That means to take
Readin’ and drummin’ and ‘rithmetic these SLOW. These are, for the most
Taught to the tune of a signature stick …” part, fairly basic beats and counter-
rhythms to play. Part of the fun should

M ost of you
may not be
old enough to
be investigating how well you can play
these while maintaining a good tone
on the drumset AND keep a swinging
remember the tune, (dancing, buoyant) feel going. (To quote
and my apologies for another song, “It don’t mean a thing if it 1968, first day of school
changing a couple of ain’t got that swing.”) at the Interlochen Arts
the words, but hey Academy (my dad took
… that’s what (this) A few comments ahead of time: the photo)
jazz (drumming 1. Be mindful of tempo
column) is all about. 2. Be mindful of volume
In any event, it’s 3. Be mindful of which note is played where (pay attention, don’t
that time of year 1974, teaching at a high school with
take any triplet or 16th-note for granted the real trick with
the Stan Kenton Orchestra
again when we dust many of these will be playing the hi-hat RIGHT ON beats 2 + 4.
off our practice pads 4. Most of these will have self-evident stickings, but please follow
and get ready for the sticking notations when provided.
the new school year. 5. It’s okay to add accents if you like!
If you’re studying 6. Exercise “C” has the bass drum in the middle of the triplet or
in college or high 3-note phrase.
school, the following a. Which drummers play their bass drum on the middle
warm-ups will serve tuplet?
you well. And if b. Which drummers play the bass drum on the 3rd tuplet?
you’re not currently c. Which drummers like to play the bass drum on the first
in school, then (downbeat) tuplet?
you’re probably like Me teaching at the Drummers Collective, with 7. Exercise “L” is for Lamond … Don Lamond. This is a beat I’ve
me: still learning, Warren Bernhardt and Eddie Gomez, early heard him (and only him!) play as a jazz shuffle … it’s an
still a student of the 1980s otherwise surfer beat that’s almost too cool for school.
instrument, and always
happy to come across a challenge that will help make me a better Back to it, gang!
player.

Age 6 The local music store in

Pleasantville, New Jersey (a couple
of towns over from where I grew up)
Some years later, looking at some
music in Capitol Studios, Hollywood

8 Modern Drummer September 2022

 BACK TO SCHOOL WARM-UPS

A
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

/ 4 ™™ 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 ™™
4
Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ

B
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¿ 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

The Peter Erskine Library

C
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

/ ™™ œœœœ¿ œœœœœœ¿ œœ œœœœ¿ œœœœœœ¿ œœ œœœœœ¿ œœœœœœœœ¿ œœœ œœœœœ¿ œœœœœœœœœœœ ™™

Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ

D
/ ™™ œ œ ¿ œ œ ¿ œ œ ¿ œ œ ¿ œ œ ¿ œ œÓ ¿ œ œ ¿ œ œ ¿ œ œ ¿ œ œ ¿ œ œ ¿ œ œ ¿ œ œ ¿ œ œÓ ¿ œ œ ¿ œ œ ¿ ™™
R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L
R L L R R L L R R L L R R L L R R L L R R L L R R L L R R L L R

E
/ ™™ œ œ ¿ œ œ œœ œ ¿ œ œ œœ œ ¿ œ œ œœ œ ¿ œ œ œ œ œ ¿ œ œ œœ œ ¿ œ œ œœ œ ¿ œ œ œœ œ ¿ œ œœ ™™
R L L R R L L R R L L R R L L R R L L R R L L R R L L R R L L R

F 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
/ ™™ œœœ¿ œ œœœ¿ œ œœœ¿ œ œœœ¿ œ œœœ¿ œ œœœ œ¿ œœœ œ œœ¿ œ œ œœœ¿ œ œ ™™
Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ

September 2022 Modern Drummer 9

 2

G 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
¿ ¿ ‰ ¿ ¿ ¿ ‰ ¿ ¿ ¿ ‰ ¿ ¿ ¿ ‰ ¿ ¿ ¿ ‰ ¿ ¿ ¿ ‰ ¿ ¿ ¿ ‰ ¿ ¿ ¿ ‰ ¿ ™
/ ™™ œ œ¿ œ œ¿ œ œ¿ œ œ¿ œ œ¿ œ œ¿ œ œ¿ œ œ¿ ™

H 3 3 3 3 3 3
¿ ¿‰ ¿¿ ¿‰¿ ¿ ¿‰¿¿ ¿‰ ¿ ¿ ¿‰¿¿ ¿‰¿ ™
/ ™™ œ ¿ œ ‰ ¿ œ ¿ œ ‰ ¿J œ ¿ œ ‰ ¿ œ ¿ œ ‰ ¿J ™
J J

I 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
¿ ¿‰¿¿ ¿‰¿ ¿ ¿‰¿¿ ¿‰¿ ¿ ¿‰¿¿ ¿‰¿ ¿ ¿‰¿¿ ¿‰¿
/ ™™ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ ™™
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

J 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 ™™
3 3 3 3
3 3 3 3

K 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿œ œ ¿œœ¿ ¿œ œ ¿œœ¿ ¿œ œ ¿œœ¿ ¿œ œ ¿œœ¿ ¿œ œ ¿œœ¿ ¿œ œ ¿œœ¿ ¿œ œ ¿œœ¿ ™
/ ™™ œ œœœœ
¿ œ œ¿ œ œ¿ œ œ¿ œ œ¿ œ œ¿ œ œ¿ œ œ¿ œ ™
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

L 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
‰ ‰ ‰ ‰
¿
/ ™™ œ œœ¿ œ ¿ ¿œ ¿œ ¿ ¿œ œœ¿ œ ¿ ¿œ ¿œ ¿ ¿œ œœ¿ œ ¿ ¿œ ¿œ ¿ ¿œ œœ¿ œ ¿ ¿œ ¿œ ¿ ™™
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿

Check out Peter’s drummer

profile page, and get a copy
of his Legends book at
modern drummer.com
10 Modern Drummer September 2022
 The
Presents: Legends Collection

Not just another drum book or magazine, It’s Modern Drummer Legends!
Extensive And New In-depth Interviews • Artist Approved Content
New Song Transcriptions With Artist Insight
Never Before Seen Photos • Digital Download components

Legends 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
September 2022 Modern Drummer 11
 The 31st Annual Chicago Drum Show 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 Also in the Lobby was the On The Ropes museum exhibit (Brian
halls. In the lobby, an impressive WFL III Drums display, manned Hill) with a cache of 17th & 18th Century drums and drumsticks
by Bill Ludwig III and his crew, commanded attention. Bill acted as as well as a Truss drum display. One eye-catching bass drum was
the show’s drum ambassador greeting everyone with a smile and emblazoned with a hand-painted eagle and red, white, and blue
a handshake. He was proud to state that, “WFL III drums are from shield. This drum was recently restored and believed to be around
drummers making drums for drummers.” He noted that all of the 350 years old, making it one of the oldest American drums in
wonderful WFL III kits in his booth were prototypes built especially existence. This drum was used in the 1840 presidential campaign
for the show. According to Sib Weisbender (General Manager), WFL of William Henry Harrison. The painting and conversion to a bass
III Drums are made from their “G2” shells and use no wraps but only drum was done in the Federal period around 1800, and the drum
stained, painted, clear-or powder-coated finishes. Also on display may have seen service during the War of 1812. It is believed that the
was a cool prototype black nickel over brass snare drum with double drum originates from the second half of the 17th century when it
lugs and 40-strand snare wires made for John Humphrey (Seether), a was used as a side drum. A truly amazing piece of drum history.
WFL III Drums artist. Sib mentioned that John wanted a snare drum In addition to On The Ropes, there were other very impressive
with more girth and a stadium rock sound. These drums are now “display only” exhibits at the show that alone justified the price of
entering production. 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

12 Modern Drummer September 2022

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.

September 2022 Modern Drummer 13

 Milestone drums are the and most valuable drums at the
hockey of drums - it’s part show was found at Joe Luoma’s
of the fabric of Canadian booth: Billy Gladstone’s
music.” personal gold Gladstone snare
Ronn Dunnett has also drum with three-way tuning.
designed novel drumheads This drum was owned, built,
with a unique film/coating and played by Billy Gladstone
combination, the Res- himself at Radio City Music Hall.
O-Coat, which is being Truly incredible!
manufactured by Remo. The Some of the regular
Res-O-Coat heads have a exhibitors were Ken Anderson,
softer, more forgiving stick Eric Binder’s Vintage Drums,
response combined with Bun E. Carlos and Randy
Remo durability. Instead of Rainwater, Carrington
having the usual break-in Restorations, Crash Bam Boom,
period which traditional Brian Duvall, Billy Baker Drums,
heads require, the Res-O- Jim Johnson, Joe Luoma,
Coat heads feel like they are Mattoon Vintage & Custom,
pre-conditioned to have One up One Down Vintage
that sweet spot from the Percussion, Chuck Scalia, Twin
first play. Cities Drum Collective, Phil
A newcomer to the Chicago Wilson, Joey “Boom” Mekler,
Drum Show was Canadian and Texas Vintage Drums.
drummer, Jeff Woods, of Other vendors included
Woods Custom Drums. Jeff cymbal companies such as
exhibited many awesome Byrne, Centent, Dream, Paiste,
snares, including a gorgeous 6.5 x 14” rosewood/mahogany (6-ply) Trinity, Turkish, Wuhan, and Zildjian, who brought their shiny wares
with patented wood/metal hybrid hoops, Precision 7-position throw to satisfy the connoisseurs of musical metal. Beato, Humes & Berg,
and 42-strand snare wires. This drum was indeed one of the best and Tackle Instruments displayed creative and practical bags and
sounding snares at the cases. Creative Percussion,
show. An impressive first Cymbolt, Drum Factory, No
showing by Woods Custom! Nuts Percussion, PinchClip,
Jeff Woods reflected on Stick Stuff Grips, and Wingtastic
his first Chicago show offered a bevy of innovative
experience: “I met some and helpful percussion-
amazing new friends and related items and necessities.
was welcomed with open Retail music stores were well
arms by all. I’m looking represented by Chicago’s own
forward to next year’s show.” Drugan’s Drums and Guitars,
Many smaller dealers Vic’ s Drum Shop, as well as
that brought an amazing Explorer’s Percussion, Guitar
mix of used, custom, and Center, Skins N Tins, Wood and
vintage drums including Weather, and the Hawthorne
several which were extremely rare: a Ludwig & Ludwig 1940s Top Drum Shop. Diamond Star, XCEL Drumsticks and Physiostorm
Hat kit, 1934-36 Slingerland Abalone Pearl drum kit, early 1930s brought an impressive display of truly innovative approaches to
Leedy Broadway engraved Black Elite snare, and a 1940 Ludwig & drumstick design.
Ludwig “Super-Ludwig” in Red Flash Pearl snare. One of the rarest For those interested in continued technical and historical

14 Modern Drummer September 2022

 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
drum education, a variety of excellent books were available for about his exciting days with Harry James and interactions
sale through Rebeats and at Eric Binder’s booth. The dynamic with Buddy Rich. Most importantly, Les shared his love of drums and
and inspiring Les DeMerle (Jimmy Dorsey, Harry James, David music, and encouraged all to practice, listen to all types of music,
Benoit, Lee Konitz) was on hand to teach on site, helping to inspire and enjoy the craft of drumming. After Les DeMerle, Joe DeRenzo
beginners and sharpen the skills of more experienced drummers. gave a clinic on Jazz brushes and transcribing drums. Joe went
Clinics were held upstairs on both days. At the first clinic, Bill through a series of examples show different brush techniques and
Ludwig III, together with Sib Weisbender and various endorsers how they have been applied in music. In the afternoon, Eric Binder
(Steve Howell [See This Though], Emily Jones [SM-6 Band], Bobby together with his trio (Jamal Damien on trumpet and Evan Levine
T Torello [Johnny Winter, Grace Slick, Michael Bolton], Mike Arturi on bass) presented a clinic entitled, “An Introduction to Comping”.
[Lovin Spoonfull, Spoonfull of Love], Payden Hilliard [Christine Eric gave several examples of ways to comp and improvise, and
D’clario], described the offerings of WFL III Drums and provided then applied these to music with his trio. He also invited members
insights into their construction. UK drummer, Jeff Davenport, of the audience to come up and play in an impromptu lesson.
followed with an interesting clinic on the history of Eric emphasized solid time keeping,
drumheads and tuning. Last up for the day was Jim independence, and keeping in sync with
Catalano, who candidly described his experiences during 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.

September 2022 Modern Drummer 15

 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 offered at an accessible price point,
to announce the launch of making them a great hybrid kit solution
bh single zone triggers, a for drummers on a budget.
new product that instantly Features and Benefits
transforms acoustic drum -Allows drummers to switch from acoustic
heads outfitted with Black to hybrid playing in seconds.
Holes into a hybrid kit. -Features a sleek low profile design that
With RTOM’s bh triggers easily grips onto your black hole rims
the days of requiring mesh without the need for tools or adhesives.
heads, tools, and time to -Snap on and snap off black holes in
transform your acoustic seconds.
heads into an electronic kit, -Offers accuracy and high precision
have come to an end. Now, sound.
simply snap on and snap off -Works seamlessly with all Black Holes
Black Holes equipped with sizes.
bh triggers to your acoustic -Features a highly durable plastic casing
heads and drummers for accidental drum stick hits.
can effortlessly transition -Affordably priced for drummers on a
between acoustic and hybrid budget.
playing in seconds. -Works with most drum modules.
In addition to benefiting -Sold in single and five piece packs.
from quick installation, Visit RTOM.com and bigbangdist.com
drummers can now also enjoy the low volume, quick attack, and for updates on product launch. The single pack bh trigger will be
resonance of the Black Hole Practice System coupled with the sold at retail for $24.99 each, and the five pack bh triggers will be
precision and variety of an electronic kit. Plus, bh Triggers are being 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 the industry’s best-selling drum education -High-quality Tamburo snare stand and
and Vic Firth to create the Dave Black book—all at a budget-friendly price. padded branded water-resistant backpack
Student Signature Snare Drum Pack, Included in the pack are: carrying case, which holds the snare, snare
an extraordinary collection of musical -Tamburo custom T5 snare drum, specially stand, media, books & sheet music, perfect
products and accessories in an all-in- crafted with innovative materials to be for lessons and gigs.
one convenient bundle. This world-class lightweight, durable, and offer professional -The pack is distributed exclusively by Proel
drum pack represents the first product sound quality (beautifully designed in North America.
collaboration between the master luthiers elegant black sparkle or silver sparkle “We have been working on this exciting
at Tamburo Drums, the Italian-made line of finishes). collaboration for over a year, and we are
acoustic drums, and Dave Black, a renowned -A pair of custom Dave Black Signature Vic so proud to finally launch our world-class
drummer, educator, and best-selling author. Firth Nova 5B drumsticks. Student Signature Series at the 2022 NAMM
The Dave Black Student Signature Snare -Alfred’s Drum Method, Book 1, the Show,” said Proel North America’s President,
Drum Pack combines a world-class snare definitive guide to preparing beginners for Antonio Ferranti. “Our dealers can offer their
drum and drum accessories, along with all drum and percussion styles. customers a beautiful high-quality snare

16 Modern Drummer September 2022

drum package that includes Founded in Italy in 1982,
all the essentials for beginning by master drum luthier
drummers. With a retail price Tullio Granatello, Tamburo
of $249.99, drummers are able has been designing,
to get started playing with the crafting, and producing
best snare drum, the best-selling world-class ‘Handmade In
drum method, a high-quality Italy’ acoustic drums and
snare stand and a popular pair drumsets, including its
of drumsticks and go to their signature OPERA series,
lessons and gigs with the highest UNIKA series, and VOLUME
quality backpack carrying case, series. Characterized
and all in a convenient bundle by the unsurpassed
and at a great price. We thank tone, construction, and
our friends and partners at Alfred technology of each
Music and Vic Firth for helping instrument, Tamburo
us create this world-class drum faithfully meets the highest
pack.” This beginning drum perfect start for the drummer in the family.” expectations of drummers.
pack will begin shipping to retailers in time — Peter Erskine Learn more at: www.tamburodrums.com
for back-to-school, lessons, and holiday About Dave Black About Proel North America
seasons. Dave Black received his Bachelor of Music Founded in 2017, and headquartered in
Of the Tamburo collaboration, Dave Black in percussion performance from California Los Angeles, Proel North America is the
says, “Like the fine Italian luthiers of the State University, Northridge. A prolific exclusive distributor of the Proel family
17th and 18th centuries, the tradition has composer and arranger, he has been of ‘Made In Italy’ pro audio, musical
continued into the 21st century with the the recipient of numerous awards and instruments, music gear and accessories
exquisite craftsmanship of Tamburo Drums. commissions. As one of the top-selling brands to the USA and Canada. Proel,
Made in Italy, these are among the finest percussion authors in the world, Dave founded and headquartered in Italy since
and best-sounding drums I’ve ever played Black is the author or co‑author of several 1991, designs, engineers, and manufactures
and heard. I’m proud to play a part in the best-selling books including Alfred’s Drum world-class pro audio, musical instruments,
launch of Tamburo Drums in North America.” Method, Books 1 & 2 (the world’s current best music gear, and accessories that are faithful
“I predict the Dave Black Student seller.) He is the former Vice President and to the highest expectations of musicians.
Signature Drum Pack will be a big hit. The Editor-in-Chief for Alfred Music. Learn more at: proelnorthamerica.com
packaging is a brilliant combo, and it’s the About Tamburo Drums

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. of this unique and very limited edition Starclassic Walnut/Birch kit.
Fresh off its release at the 2022 NAMM show, this new Limited The kit’s configuration is 22”x16” Bass Drum w/ Tom Holder Base,
Edition Starclassic Walnut/Birch kit delivers all the high-end trim 10”x8” Tom Tom, 12”x9” Tom Tom, 14”x12” Floor Tom, 16”x14” Floor
and features a drummer could possibly want. Each shell displays a Tom, and a Double Tom Holder. The add-on Snare Drum is a 14”x6.5”.
stunning Gloss Charcoal finish over highly-figured Tamo Ash outer Tama.com
plies. This design is further enhanced by the addition of Antique
Brushed Black Nickel shell hardware, which completes the aesthetic

September 2022 Modern Drummer 17

 PRODUCT CLOSE-UP
ASI 3DME BT G2 In-Ear Monitor System
By Donn Bennett

I’m a drummer. I make music by banging on things with wooden

sticks. My relationship with my instrument is purely organic. Cords,
wires, buttons, and knobs make me nervous. Don’t even get me
Regarding using in-ears on stage; I considered the fact that my
in-ears supplied such superior ambient noise reduction and the fact
that I couldn’t hear my bandmates talking onstage to be collateral
started on downloading an app. damage. I figured if the band needed to tell me something they
For playing live, the sound isolating earphones I first used actually could just say it into their mic or come over and say it in my ear. We
provided better hearing protection than the custom fit earplugs I would get used to it. I also figured I’d get used to just “sensing” the
had been using, plus my mix was far cleaner and more consistent audience reactions since I could no longer hear their applause (or
than the acoustic monitors I was used to. Even better, I could set lack of it.) I’d never considered these things integral parts of my live
my set my volume at a very comfortable volume and still hear music experience, until they were gone. I was wrong again! Since
everything perfectly. moving on from sound isolating headphones, I’m now an in-ear
In-ear monitors always seemed like a bad idea to me. When convert. I should have made the switch years ago.
my band decided to try in-ears, I hated the idea. I have always I first heard about ASI Audio from original Chicago drummer,
worn earplugs or sound isolating earphones and I have managed Danny Seraphine. He’s a long time ASI endorser. He introduced
to maintain near perfect hearing after almost 50 years of playing me to ASI’s 3DME BT G2 in-ear monitors. The BT G2s have binaural
professionally. The idea of my entire mix being blasted directly at my microphones installed into their earpieces that integrate live stage
eardrums with barely any reduction of the acoustic volume of my and room sound with reference-quality monitors. These monitors
drums seemed like a fast track to deafness. I was wrong!! could allow me all the benefits of in-ear monitoring, without having

18 Modern Drummer September 2022

 The thought of reading a manual, plugging in a bunch
of wires, downloading an app, and synching a bunch
of wireless stuff gave me high anxiety. But I really didn’t
want to wait for my next gig to check these things out.
The first step on the quick start guide was to download
the ASI Audio app onto my phone. That sounds like
kryptonite to a technophobe like me, but all I had to
do was scan their QR code and within a minute the app
was installed, open on my phone, and ready to use.
Then I just had to choose a Small, Medium or Large ear
tip from the included pack of ear tips and plug the cord
into the body pack. I honestly don’t know how the body
pack paired with my existing wireless transmitter, but
they worked the second I hit the “ON” button. I could
easily adjust the EQ, limiter, and ambient mic levels with
sliders on the app. The overall volume is adjusted with
+ and - buttons on the body pack. It was literally five
minutes from opening the box to being ready to rock.
A couple tweaks of the ambient mic, once the band
started again, and I didn’t have to touch it for the rest of
the night.
Did I mention these things sound amazing? First
off, you have a super high-quality earpiece. The sound
quality and noise isolation is far superior to the Shure
SE425s that I have used previously. What makes the
ASI G2s truly unique is the “3-D” effect that is created
by the mix of the ambient mics and earpiece drivers.
ASI’s literature claims “embedded binaural microphones
to learn to read lips. capture dynamic natural ambience with accurate 3-D
I planned to try out the G2s at a gig at a large outdoor venue. I directionality.” I’d assumed this was just fancy marketing jargon, but
left for the gig an hour early so I’d have plenty of time to dial them in it’s exactly what they deliver. It’s those same microphones that make
before soundcheck. Seattle traffic squelched that plan and I arrived it easy to hear the speaking voices of my bandmates onstage, and
just in time to set up with my old in-ears before showtime. During the reaction of the audience.
our 15-minute intermission I bravely attempted to un-box and set up So, what’s not to like? It may sound petty, but I’m surprised such a
my new ASI system. Remember I’m a drummer and a technophobe. well thought out product missed an extremely common and easily
avoidable issue. The entire body pack is black. The
buttons for the volume control are identified with just
raised black on black + and - signs. This is essentially
braille. Onstage, I couldn’t see anything and I had to
wait until a song was over and put on my glasses to
find the volume buttons. The same happened with the
microscopic “ON-OFF” button that is cleverly hidden on
the bottom of the body pack. I’ll easily fix both issues
with a dot of bright pink nail polish that will make
them easy to find on a dark stage. That being said, I
should point out that the controls on the phone app are
extremely well lit and easy to see and use.
The ASI Audio 3DME BT G2 in-ear monitors’ sound is
truly three dimensional and fuller than any headphones
I’ve ever experienced. I love these things and I can’t
wait to use them on my next gig. The list price of the
ASI Audio 3DME BT G2 is $799.00 For more information
visit: https://asiaudio.com/products/complete-
3dme-btg2-system-in-ear-monitor-system

September 2022 Modern Drummer 19

 i n n er s
W
It is time to announce the winners of the 2022 Modern
Drummer Readers Poll. Congratulations to all of the
winners, and thanks for your artistry and contributions
towards the history and evolution of modern drumming.
Thank you for your recordings, concerts, clinics, shows,

202
books, videos, articles, and everything else that you do
to promote great drumming and music worldwide. The
same thanks go to all of the runners up (who are listed
alphabetically) in every category. Some of the votes were
very close and went down to the wire. We created some new
categories this year, and the reaction was overwhelming.
This was one of the largest responses ever to the poll, and
we at Modern Drummer thank all of you who voted.

20 Modern Drummer September 2022

 HALL OF FAME
Taylor Hawkins 2022

Rahav Segev

The Modern Drummer Hall Of Fame, 1979-2022

2022 Taylor Hawkins 2011 Jim Chapin 2000 Dave Weckl 1989 Carl Palmer
2021 Sheila E. 2010 Hal Blaine 1999 Roy Haynes 1988 Joe Morello
2020 Nicko McBrain 2009 Mitch Mitchell 1998 Ringo Starr 1987 Billy Cobham
2019 Dave Grohl 2008 Ginger Baker 1997 Terry Bozzio 1986 Tony Williams
2018 Clyde Stubblefield 2007 Jack DeJohnette 1996 Vinnie Colaiuta 1985 Louie Bellson
2017 Peter Erskine 2006 Charlie Watts 1995 Elvin Jones 1984 Steve Gadd
2016 Vic Firth 2005 Stewart Copeland 1994 Larrie Londin 1983 Neil Peart
2015 Ian Paice 2004 Mike Portnoy 1993 Jeff Porcaro 1982 Keith Moon
2014 Carmine Appice 2003 Simon Phillips 1992 Max Roach 1981 John Bonham
2013 Bernard Purdie 2002 Steve Smith 1991 Art Blakey 1980 Buddy Rich
2012 Phil Collins 2001 Dennis Chambers 1990 Bill Bruford 1979 Gene Krupa

September 2022 Modern Drummer 21

 2022

ALL AROUND
Travis Barker

Paul LaRaia

Runners Up: Gregg Bissonette, Vinnie Colaiuta, Steve Gadd, Steve Smith
22 Modern Drummer September 2022
 2022

ROCK
and BEST RECORDED PERFORMANCE
Chad Smith
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Unlimited Love

David Mushegain

Gear: Drum Workshop, Paiste, Vater, Remo

“I am so honored and grateful to be named Best Rock Drummer and win Best Recorded
Performance for Red Hot Chili Peppers Unlimited Love by the Modern Drummer Readers
Poll. I’m speechless, so thank you for supporting me and the music that I play. This is so
cool, I really appreciate it. I’m going to keep trying to get better, keep playing hard, and
keep doing my thing because that’s all that I can do. I hope to see everybody out on
the road, come see us play.” –Chad Smith

Rock Runners Up: Tre Cool, Alex Gonzalez, Eric Singer, Todd Sucherman
Recorded Performance Runners Up: Steve Gadd Band Live at the Blue Note Tokyo, Iron Maiden
Senjutsu (Nicko McBrain,) Rob Silverman Drumology, Styx Crash of the Crown (Todd Sucherman)
September 2022 Modern Drummer 23
 POP
2022
Tony Royster Jr.

“I just want to take a second, to thank all of my fans, for all of the love
and support. I truly appreciate it, and don’t take it for granted. I am
honored to have been voted, top Pop drummer, in this year’s Modern
Drummer Readers Poll. It couldn’t have happened without you guys.
Much love, and I press forward, hoping to continue motivating and
inspiring others. “ –Tony Royster Jr.

Runners Up: Jotan Afanador, Giulliana Merello, Mike Sleath, Aaron Spears
24 Modern Drummer September 2022
 PROGRESSIVE ROCK
Danny Carey 2022

“Thanks to all of you percussionist, drummers, and fans for voting

for me Modern Drummer’s Readers Poll Prog Rock Drummer of the
Year. I’m very honored to accept this award and very humbled to
be selected to the list of nominees in this category. Special thanks
to Gavin, Mike, Carl, and Nick. I am proud to be in your company as
nominees and would not be here without the inspiration I’ve drawn
from all of you.“ –Danny Carey

Runners Up: Nick D’ Virgilio, Gavin Harrison, Carl Palmer, Mike Portnoy
September 2022 Modern Drummer 25
 STUDIO
2022
Kenny Aronoff
Robert Downs

“Modern Drummer Magazine is the greatest drum magazine in the

world. I have read every issue from day one and I am honored to be
part of the 2022 Readers Poll. Thank You everyone and thank you
Modern Drummer.” –Kenny Aronoff

Gear: Tama, Zildjian, Vic

Firth, Evans, LP, Shure, Royer
Microphones, Mojave Microphones,
BAE (British Audio Equipment,)
Runners Up: Jay Bellerose, Russ Miller, Ash Soan, Nir Z. Humes and Berg, Porter and Davies.

26 Modern Drummer September 2022

 METAL 2022
Jay Weinberg

Justin Nace

“It is truly an honor to be named Metal Drummer o f the Year in the 2022 Modern
Drummer Reader’s Poll. I distinctly remember being a teenager, buying my first copy of
Modern Drummer Magazine at my local drum shop. It’s surreal and humbling to receive
this recognition. Thank you so much to Modern Drummer, the entire MD community,
and everyone who voted. Your support means the world to me. Tomas, Brann, Eloy, and
Matt: you guys know how much your music means to me. Thank you for the endless
inspiration you’ve given the drumming community, and for everything you do to push
the instrument forward. Thank you to my wife Chloe, our dog Papaya, my parents and
siblings, and my bandmates in Slipknot for the love and encouragement. I owe you all a
debt of gratitude I can never repay. To everyone who’s been in my corner all these years,
thank you so much. I sincerely appreciate it.” –Jay Weinberg

Runners Up: Eloy Cassagrande, Brann Dailor, Matt Garstka, Tomas Haake
September 2022 Modern Drummer 27
 22
R&B20Funk
Steve Jordan
Jane Rose

“My heartfelt thanks to all the participants in the

poll / voting. I always appreciate the acknowledgement
and never take it for granted. I play with my heart and
soul, so thanks for listening. Keep groovin’, swingin’,
rockin’ & rollin’. –Steve Jordan

Gear: Yamaha,
Runners Up: David Garibaldi, Daru Jones, Zigaboo Modeliste, Anderson .Paak Paiste, Vic Firth

28 Modern Drummer September 2022

 HIP HOP
Questlove 2022

Todd Owyoung

“I grew up reading Modern Drummer. Being voted #1

Hip-Hop Drummer’ is crazy. I’m very thankful to all of
the fans and readers who support me and continue to
do so.” –Questlove

Runners Up: Trevor Lawrence Jr., Tony “Rico” Nichols, Gear: Ludwig,
Anderson .Paak, Karriem Riggins Zildjian

September 2022 Modern Drummer 29

 2
JAZZ202
Antonio Sanchez

Adrien H. Tillman

"It’s an honor to receive this honor from the MD community. All

the other drummers in the jazz category are great friends that I
respect and admire immensely and I truly believe that anybody
could have gotten the award as their talents are nothing short
of amazing. Thank you all for your vote and for listening to
what we do." –Antonio Sanchez.

Gear: Yamaha,
Runners Up: Les DeMerle, Marcus Gilmore, Eric Harland, Bill Stewart Zildjian
30 Modern Drummer September 2022
 2022
JAZZ FUSION
Dennis Chambers

“I just want to thank everyone at Modern

Drummer, everyone that voted for me in
the Readers Poll, and every other drummer
nominated in the Readers Poll. Thank you very
much!” –Dennis Chambers

Gear: Pearl,
Runners Up: Gergo Borlai, Billy Cobham, Marco Minnemann, Simon Phillips. Zildjian
September 2022 Modern Drummer 31
 2022

COUNTRY-AMERICANA
Chris Powell

“I’ve been reading Modern Drummer since I was thirteen years old
and it’s inspired me along my path. I am floored and honored to
be recognized for this award. Thank you to everyone who voted
for me and thank you to the Modern Drummer community and all
the drummers who have inspired me” –Chris Powell

Gear: Vic Firth, Ludwig,

Runners Up: Chad Cromwell, Paul Leim, Derek Mixon, Rich Redmond Zildjian, Remo
32 Modern Drummer September 2022
 WORLD PERCUSSION 2022

Poncho Sanchez
Estevan Oriol

“Thank you to all of the readers and supporters of both myself

and Modern Drummer. I also want to thank Modern Drummer for
their continued support. It is very important that we keep music
and culture alive and thriving at all times!” –Poncho Snachez

Runners Up: Trilok Gurtu, Mickey Hart, Giovanni Hidalgo, Zakir Hussain
September 2022 Modern Drummer 33
 2022

UP and COMING
Greyson Nekrutman

“My appreciation is deep for each supporter of my musical

journey. You truly are the drive behind what I do on the drumset
and for your time and votes I would like to offer my sincere
thanks and gratitude” –Greyson Nekrutman

Gear: Pearl, Remo, Vic

Runners Up: Nic Collins, Jackson Daw, Daniel Fang, Sarah Thawer Firth, Meinl, 64 Audio.
34 Modern Drummer September 2022
 STREAMING, SOCIAL MEDIA
Luke Holland @lukehollandd 2022

"I’m honestly surprised to have won this award & very thankful
to everyone who voted. I just want to remind everyone out there
that may be reading this; while social media is an incredible tool
to help you where you want to be, nothing beats the feeling of a
live show & traveling the world doing what you love most. Dream
hard & dream big!" –Luke Holland

Runners Up: Jorge Garrido @elesstepariosiberiano, Taylor Gordon

@thepocketqueen, Samus Paulicelli @66samus, Craig Reynolds @reynlord
September 2022 Modern Drummer 35
 2022

CLINICIAN, EDUCATOR, ONLINE

Thomas Lang

“A massive THANK YOU to all the reader’s of Modern Drummer magazine and to all who
have been so supportive of me over the years. Thank you to Modern Drummer magazine
for being the ultimate hub for the worldwide drumming community and for still being
the absolute number one in drumming education, information and entertainment. This is
a huge honor for me. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!” –Thomas Lang

Gear: Drum Workshop,

Meinl, Remo, Vic Firth,
Roland , Audix , QSC
Audio, JK Drum Systems,
Runners Up: Dom Famularo, Tommy Igoe, Todd Sucherman, Dave Weckl Audimute
36 Modern Drummer September 2022
 EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
Todd Sucherman Show Drumeo 2022

“My thanks to those who voted. It’s an honor

to be nominated.” –Todd Sucherman

Gear: Pearl, Sabian, Remo,

Promark, Audix, Drum Art
Runners Up: Carmine Appice “The Ultimate Realistic Rock,” Custom Bass Drum Heads,
Steve Gadd “Gaddiments,” Thomas Lang “Drum Universe” Drum Channel, Artisan Custom Stick
Dave Weckl Online School. Holders
September 2022 Modern Drummer 37
 EDUCATIONAL
2022 INSTITUTION
Berklee College of Music

Runners Up: Manhattan School of Music, School of Rock,

University of Miami: Frost School of Music, University of North Texas
38 Modern Drummer September 2022
CONGRATULATIONS TO KENNY ARONOFF
FOR WINNING THE STUDIO CATEGORY IN
MD’S 2022 READERS POLL.

TAMA WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE (L2R) MIKE PORTNOY, SIMON PHILLIPS, BILLY COBHAM,
BRANN DAILOR, THE POCKET QUEEN, CRAIG REYNOLDS, AND ELOY CASAGRANDE ON THEIR NOMINATIONS.

Drums: 24x16", 10x8", 12x8",

16x16", 18x16", and
14x5" Trackmaster KA145N
Hardware: Iron Cobra and Roadpro

Hear Kenny's thoughts and demo on his Starclassic

Maple kit and Signature Trackmaster Snare.
September 2022 Modern Drummer 39
Rob Silverman

40 Modern Drummer August 2022

and Drumology: Drum Duets with the Masters
By Mark Griffith

D
rummer Rob Silverman and his brother
pianist Michael Silverman are modern
day musical entrepreneurs. They own and
run a popular record label called Autumn Hill
Records, produce jazz festivals throughout the
midwest, lead bands, compose, record, and
produce records, and write instructional music
books.
Rob is best known for his series of Drumology
records where he plays drum duets with
some of the greatest drummers in the world
including: Dave Weckl, Steve Smith, Steve Gadd,
Todd Sucherman, Gregg Bissonette, Gergo
Borlai, Simon Phillips, Billy Cobham, Gavin
Harrison, and many more. With Rob’s concept
of recording drum duets, he has nearly put
drum duets on the map as a recognized musical
genre. Drumology took everyone by surprise,
Drumology 2 is being released this month and
is sure to turn heads, and Drumology 3 is being
finished as we speak. Rob offers a unique view
into some of history’s greatest drummers from
behind the glass and as a collaborator. Mike
offers a unique view from the composer and
producer’s viewpoint because he is the one
writing the music for each specific drummer
to play. Most importantly, the proceeds from
all of the Drumology projects go to the Neil
Brendan Joyce Photography

Peart Cancer Research Fund. Modern Drummer

was lucky enough to sit down with these two
musicians and talk about their new records,
label, hometown, the greatest drummers in the
world, and of course… DRUMOLOGY!

August 2022 Modern Drummer 41

 MD: Rob, let’s talk about your background a bit. Around that time, we became nearly full-time recording artists,
RS: I’m a drummer from St. Louis Missouri, for the last 20 years my and we started doing a lot more recordings. Autumn Hill now has
brother (Michael) and I have led a band called Bach to The Future a catalog of over 900 hundred recordings that include the new
that transforms the music of Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart into records by The Dave Weckl Band, and drummer Pat Petrillo’s Big
jazz, latin, and rock styles. Saxophonist Eric Marienthal often plays Rhythm Band is being released next month.
in the band, and we have a lot of fun. We play jazz festivals in the MD: What was it like coming up in a great musical city like St. Louis?
US, Canada, and next year we’re heading to Europe. Michael does RS: St. Louis has always been a great musical city. Tina Turner and
a lot of jingle work, we own a commercial studio, as well as our Ike Turner are from here, so is Miles Davis. There are great jazz
home studios. All of that has led (in many different ways) to these clubs here and lots of jam sessions. There are a few universities
Drumology records. like Webster University and UMSL here that have very strong jazz
My father played cello in the St. Louis symphony while we were programs. It’s a good scene.
growing up, so I started out with classical percussion lessons: MD: How about the St. Louis drumming tradition?
tympani, vibes, and snare drum. At age 13, I discovered Neil Peart. RS: There are a lot of great drummers who have come out of St.
I started listening to the classic albums 2112 and All the World’s Louis: Demarius Hicks, Montez Coleman, Steve Davis, Kevin Gianino,
a Stage, and that set a standard for me. Throughout high school and Dave Weckl. Kim Thompson was a student of mine. Gary Sykes
and college that’s how I played, using the drumset as a melodic is one of our elder statesmen of jazz drumming in St. Louis. He plays
instrument, rather than just playing backbeat grooves. Shows and in a trio called Tracer with piano legend Ptah Williams and bassist
concerts were just a vehicle for the big drum solo. I began teaching Darrell Mixon, and they are on our label now. Of course there is also
at Fred Pierce’s Studio Drum Shop and have been teaching there for Fred Pierce’s Studio Drum Shop which is the oldest drum shop in the
25 years. My instructional books Drumset 101, and Drumset for All country. Fifty one years now.
Ages are among Mel Bay’s best sellers. MD: So how did the original concept of Drumology come about?
For the last 15 years my brother and I have run our own record RS: We were recording a song in 2013, and I had the idea to have
label called Autumn Hill Records. My first solo recording for the Dave Weckl and myself do some solo trading in a drum battle sort of
label was a recording called Drums of the World. I grew up playing approach. We had some mutual friends, I approached him, and he
in a lot of Greek, Klezmer, Middle Eastern and Irish bands, and I am agreed to do it. We enjoyed the whole double drumming concept so
a percussionist that collects all sorts of exotic percussion, so Drums much that we wondered if double drumming could become its own
of the World was a natural thing for me to do. That record includes genre of music. That was how it started. I enjoyed the experience
everything from West African drumming, to Taiko drumming, to with Dave so much that I wondered if some of my other drum
Samba drumming. Those recordings have been used for TV many heroes would want to do the same thing. That one track with Dave
times on the HBO series Leftovers and So You Think You Can Dance, started an entire journey that continues today as we are working on
and on films including the Martin Scorsese film called Silence. Drumology Volume 3. I approached Steve Smith and Simon Phillips
Brendan Joyce Photography

42 Modern Drummer August 2022

Brendan Joyce Photography

next, and I was amazed when they said yes. Then I approached drummers.
Gregg Bissonette, John Blackwell, and St. Louis drummer (and RS: On our first tune with Dave, we wanted to feature him
lifelong friend) Casey Adams. It really took off from there. unencumbered, so we wrote a Montuno section and gave him free-
MD: Michael, how are you involved in the Drumology recordings? reign and used that for some trading.
MS: All of the music is written, arranged and produced by either MD: Double drumming is an interesting thing, how do you
myself or by Jay Oliver from the Dave Weckl Band. approach double drumming with these great drummers?
MD: Let’s talk about all of the great drummers that did these MS: When we first started sending the tracks out, we would send
records. Dave was the original inspiration so let’s start with him. them out with Rob playing and big open sections for the guest
MS: Putting together the tune for Dave Weckl and Rob was the to play. That’s the most obvious way to do this. As we went along,
first time we had written a tune for two drummers so that was a we got more creative, and wanted to give more freedom to the
challenge. Luckily, we had Dave’s own tune “Master Plan” from his guest drummers to make compositional choices about where they
first solo record in 1990 as a
guide and inspiration. Dave and From left: John Patitucci, Rob Silverman, and Michael Silverman
Steve Gadd played together
and traded on that tune, so we
could use that as a template.
That template includes a big,
open section in the middle for
drum trading, sections where
each drummer plays a groove
his own way and panning the
drummers a bit so you can hear
them separately. That was a good
way to get started. Eventually,
Rob and I created some different
approaches, but that provided
a good launching point. Soon
after, we created some songs
where Rob and the drumming
guest would actually play an
interlocking groove with two

August 2022 Modern Drummer 43

 would fit into the tune. composing for the konnakol
We started letting the sections. Steve gave me a
guest drummer play the crash course in the concept
track first, and with a few and technique of konnakol so
guys we even had them we could play those scripted

Brendan Joyce Photography

play over a click track passages together, and I have
without any music, and we to say it was a dream come
composed a tune around true. Eric Marienthal played
what they had recorded saxophone, and Michael played
over the click. Those tracks a synth solo too.
were (probably) the ones MS: Whenever we compose a
with the wildest, most tune for a drummer to play on,
interesting results! we really try to find the unique
MD: That sounds like thing about that specific
a pretty difficult (but drummer and compose the
interesting) compositional process. After Dave, you approached song around their strengths and personal style. Each song is tailored
Steve Smith, how did that come about? to the drummer that played on it.
RS: When Jay Oliver moved back to St. Louis, we found each other RS: We would approach each song from a fan’s point of view. We
and started hanging out and doing everything together. Jay had would ask ourselves, what would the guest drummer want to play
worked with Steve in the past, and he had the idea to write a tune and what do drummers like to hear?
based around the Indian konnakol (the Indian rhythmic vocalization RS: Jay and I mixed that tune in my studio. He is an absolute genius!
tradition) that Steve does so well. Jay and Steve worked together on I was amazed that (at the time) Jay hadn’t worked on ProTools
the arrangement and Steve composed and performed the specific much, he’s a Digital Performer guy. So I watched Jay learn and

Brendan Joyce Photography

44 Modern Drummer August 2022

master ProTools right in front of my
eyes. Michael and I learned a lot
from watching Jay work, he’s a great
engineer and composer!
MD: How did Simon Phillips’ tune
work?
RS: Michael wrote a song based on
the sound of Simon’s first Protocol
record from the 80s, where Simon
composed everything on the
keyboards.
MS: Simon used a lot of pitched
percussion sounds on the tunes on
that record. He really likes the sounds
of marimbas and kalimbas. I used
those sounds as a starting point, and
I tried to write the way that he writes.
That became the tune called “Brave
New World.”
He asked if we wanted him to do
anything specific, and we told him
that we really wanted him to use the From left: Jay Oliver, Dave Weckl
Octobans in a groove. He created this and Rob Silverman mixing a track
cool Protocol-Octoban groove that
we really liked. In our minds, that is a amazing drum solo, and an entire drumming intro with him and
part of his signature sound. myself.
RS: We approached Gregg Bissonette next for the track “Ten Times MS: That tune started out as a sort of “sequel” to a tune by violinist
Ten.” He plays Dixon Drums, and they are a St. Louis company so Jerry Goodman. We had done some gigs with Jerry, and he had a
there was a connection there through a mutual friend. We produced tune in 13/8 called “Tears of Joy.” When we played that with him it
his entire session over Skype. Gregg is such a pro; he came in very was really challenging, so I decided to write a tune that was equally
prepared. He said he would play the tune three different ways. as challenging for him, and that’s where “Ten Times Ten” came from.
Initially he played it as if he was doing it for his own record. He Jerry was kind enough to play on the tune with Gregg too.
then did a second take from a pure rock approach, and finally a MD: You got to feature the wonderful late great John Blackwell on a
third take that was much more fusion-ish. Each of the takes –– from song. What can you tell me about that?
beginning to end –– were brilliant ‘first takes’ and any one of them RS: I met John in Florida at an open mic night at a popular beach
could have been THE take! Hearing those three takes honestly blew bar. I was about to play a song, and a friend came and whispered to
me away. Given that the main aspect of the tune is the odd 10/8 me that John Blackwell had just come in. I looked up at him in horror
time signature, we opted to keep it there throughout, including his as they counted in the song “Play That Funky Music.” I survived that
experience, and we ended up hanging
From left: Matt Bollinger, Tracy Silverman, Eric out that night. We became really
Marienthal, Michael Silverman, and Rob Silverman great friends, and I took some lessons
with him. I think his recording on
Drumology might be the last recorded
performance that he ever did, but he
was at the top of his game. He and
I went into a studio in Florida, and I
got the opportunity to produce him,
he did three takes, then we took the
tracks home and I edited together a
final take. We were honored that John
liked the track so much that he began
using it in his clinics around the world.
MS: Rob might not even remember
this, but years ago I played keyboards
with John at a clinic in St. Louis. We
played Chick Corea’s “Spain,” and it was
a thrill. During his clinic, he mentioned
that one of his biggest drumming
influences growing up in the 80s was
playing the parts that were created
with drum machines. His bass drum
foot was super precise, and every note

August 2022 Modern Drummer 45

 was exactly the same, just like a machine. I was thinking about that us a great bass track. Eric, by the way, played on every tune from
when I composed “Drum Duet in C Minor.” the first Drumology record, and of course John Patitucci has been an
MD: Speaking of drum duets, tell us about the next tune on the important figure in the Drumology series as well.
record with Casey Adams. MD: Drumology 2 is being released this month, correct?
RS: Casey is a consummate professional drummer who can play MS: Yes, it will be available by the time this MD issue is released!
with anybody and play anything. Jay Oliver wrote that track and The first song we wrote had lots of those anthemic Styx type of
it is called “Inferno.” Jay, Casey and I are always hanging out and keyboard melodies combined with fusion…
having fun together, and Jay has (sort of ) mentored us. Jay was kind RS: So we called Todd Sucherman, the tune was just a natural fit for
enough to write a song for me and Casey. him. He’s one of those guys who can do anything. We sent him the
MS: Actually it was written and inspired by an older tune that Jay track and when we got it back the mix and playing was absolutely
wrote with Dave Weckl back in 1990 called “Tower of Inspiration,” perfect. We asked him to play anything he wanted to play, and he
(originally featured on the Master Plan album). So for fun, our did. The one thing that made his track different is when we were
working title was “Tower-ish,” which later became “Towering Inferno” trading, he went first. All of his trades sounded like drum ideas that
which became “Inferno.” It’s a typical Jay Oliver fusion masterpiece. needed a musical response, like a question and an answer. He was
His writing with Dave Weckl over the years has been a huge so intuitive to what the song needed - it was perfect.
influence on my own writing so working with him on these albums MD: Mike Mangini and the song “Victory” was next, how did that
is pretty seamless. one go down?
RS: Eric Marienthal played sax on it, along with Larry Kornfeld giving RS: I have a friend that claimed he knew Mike and John Myung, and
though I was skeptical, I wrote up a proposal,
and he sent it to them, and shockingly… He
actually DID know Mike and John from Dream
Theater. Even more shockingly, they were up for
recording! After Mike heard the song, he actually
got involved with composing it. He made some
suggestions and changed some stuff around. He
got very involved and actually rewrote one of the
melodies. He helped with production and was just
incredible. Mike played through the entire song
and I had to decide what parts to replace and play
with or instead of him. That was a tough process -
every note he played was pure genius!
MS: Once we got Todd and Mike to do their tracks
for Drumology 2, we decided that Volume 2 would
be more of a progressive rock record instead of

46 Modern Drummer August 2022

more of a fusion record. The first Drumology was a very jazz-fusion, paid off. Billy is a unique talent, and it might have been impossible
saxophone, and keyboard-oriented sound. The second one became to get his attention in normal times!
much more guitar oriented, with a rock feel throughout. RS: For “Sea Spray” we wanted to reunite Billy and Jerry Goodman
MD: “Timber Falls” features Kenny Aronoff, who we usually don’t and write something that was a 21st Century version of the sound of
associate with a very progressive approach, but he can do it. I’m sure Mahavishnu Orchestra.
that was a fun track for him to stretch out on. MS: I created a through-composed section with a whole lot of
RS: And speaking of guitar, Dweezil Zappa played on that track too. unpredictable angles and a wide- open solo section. Those are the
Again, Kenny went in and recorded the entire tune, and then with two things that you can typically expect in Mahavishnu or Weather
some creative editing, I added my parts. We also traded on it as well. Report type of music. The melody had a bunch of tricky accents, I
There were lots of peaks and valleys in that tune and Kenny played wrote it with Jerry Goodman in mind.
them perfectly. RS: We were surprised by what Billy played. I was expecting funky
MD: With someone like Kenny who has done everything from The stuff with obtuse backbeats, but instead what he played was a
Smashing Pumpkins to John Fogerty to Joe Satriani how did you go main groove with the snare drum as the main sound. It is kind of a
about writing a tune for him? marching rudimental type thing. That was eye-opening. Then I went
RS: This particular song existed before we knew that Kenny would back and did the hi hat and the backbeats over his intricate snare
play on it. drum work. We created a cool double drummer thing.
MS: I thought it would be a good tune for Kenny because it has two MD: Casey Grillo from Queensryche was next.
different meters. One is a triplet thing, and one is a straight rock RS: Yes, but he used to play in a prog band called Kamelot, and
we have known each other for years.
I brought Casey and John Spinelli (of
Spinelli free floating drums) into the
studio and had them play freely to
a click track, and then I composed a
song around what they played. John
and Casey have different styles that
somehow work perfectly together. I had
no preconception as to what we would
compose, but that track might be my
favorite tune from the record. They gave
me such nice stuff to work with, Casey
is a double bass master, and he created
some great stuff for us to write over. John
played his huge sounding Spinelli custom
drums and gave it a huge backbeat and
big Rock fills. We created this classical
shred song that needed some guitar and

Courtesy Gavin Harrison

we wondered who would be a perfect fit?
MS: Besides Yngwie (of course.)
RS: John called Michael Angelo Batio, and
Felipe Laverde

he took it to another level. Larry Kornfeld

played bass and did some wonderful
unison melodic parts with M.A.B.
Actually, Larry played bass on most of
the tunes on Drumology 2 and 3 and was
the recording engineer for most of my
thing. And it switches back and forth between the two feels. As a tracking sessions. I couldn’t have done this without him.
studio drummer, I know that Kenny is very used to playing pretty MD: The next tune features Modern Drummer’s owner David
straight tunes, so I didn’t want to throw any heavy fusion at him. Frangioni, how did that happen?
MD: But believe me, if you did, he would have killed it. He can play RS: David is a fantastic drummer who shares so many of the same
very busy if you ask him to. He’s got a Billy Cobham hat hidden influences as me. David and I did a podcast about Drumology
somewhere in the back of his closet. together. Afterwards we stayed on ZOOM and started talking
MS: You’re right! He’s one of the most recorded drummers out there, about studios, and drumming, and we found out that we had a
and it’s because he can do anything! It was a thrill to hear him play a lot in common. He invited me over to see his drum collection at
really nice, wide-open solo. He’s really not known for that, but it was The Modern Drummer Hall of Fame Museum and I wrote a song
an incredible solo. based around the experience of going to the museum and being
MD: And speaking of Billy Cobham, you created the song “Sea surrounded by all of those iconic drumsets. The tune “Drum Dreams”
Spray” for him to play. was the result. The tune was based on the idea of dreaming to play
RS: I wrote a long letter to Billy and explained the whole project, I on all of your drum hero’s drumsets. He did his drum tracks at the
didn’t think he’d do it. Hit Factory in Miami, and they came out great. We made a video for
MS: The reason we had the nerve to ask Billy was because it was the tune, and you get to see us playing all of these famous iconic
during the pandemic. We gambled on the idea that he and other drumsets. It was a dream come true in so many ways. David is one of
top drummers, might like to do some studio work, and the gamble my really good friends now. We are like drum brothers!

August 2022 Modern Drummer 47

 MD: The last drummer on Drumology 2 is Glen Sobel who I saw dear to our hearts.
recently with Alice Cooper, and he was tearing it up. I’m so glad that MD: Who is on Drumology 3?
you included him. RS: The centerpiece of that record is a tune written and produced
RS: What he does with Alice is amazing. The drumming, the by Jay Oliver reuniting the entire Chick Corea Elektric Band (sadly,
theatrics, he is masterful. But he also does so much more. Glen without Chick himself.) This one is quite special and was written as
is actually on Volume 2 and 3. Glen’s first track is called “Moving a triple drummer epic with Dave Weckl, Steve Gadd, and myself all
Mountains.” We reunited Glen with his old friend (and guitarist playing together. That tune alone took years of coordination. Jay
extraordinaire) Jennifer Batten for a tune that will be on Drumology Oliver was in his glory putting it all together with audio and video,
3. After that track was done, I asked Glen to play some eight and Dave Weckl was integral in everything as well. I’ll have to admit,
measure solo phrases over a click. It was some of the greatest rock I took a back seat to Dave and Jay on that tune, they steered the
drumming segments that I had ever heard. But I couldn’t figure out ship, and I hung on for dear life!
how to use them in the tune. I knew that I didn’t want to leave them Jay had mentioned that the concept for the tune was partially
on the cutting room floor, so I devised a plan to write a mellow tune inspired by the amazing piece that Chick wrote for the Master Plan
that evolved slowly, like you were climbing up a mountain. By the album, later to become the title cut, “Master Plan.” At the time it was
time it got to the end (or the top of the mountain,) we would have an innovative double-drummer piece that featured both Dave and
Glen playing these amazing eight bar phrases. The tune started off his drum hero, Steve Gadd. Dave is my drum hero, so we have three
sort of Pink Floyd-ish and soundtrack-ish. It starts off mellow and by generations of drum heroes. It was a “pinch me” sort of moment.
One by one, each of the guys
from the Elektric Band agreed
to play. Dave actually wrote out
parts for Steve and me to play
which was handy because this
tune was a monster!
Maybe the greatest perk
was that we were all able to
fly out to Phoenix and be in
the room when Gadd did his
tracking session. We brought
along a video crew as well. Of
course, we were psyched that he
did most of his legacy Gadd licks
on this tune which was so cool!
We even got to interview him.
Modern Drummer is going to put
that interview video out at some
point.
MD: Who else is on Drumology 3?
RS: Our violinist Tracy Silverman
has a separate project with Roy
“Futureman” Wooten from Bela
Fleck and the Flecktones. He
is the master of the Zendrum
Drumitar, an instrument that I
play as well. In fact, I might have
played more gigs on Zendrum
than on drumset in my career.
the end it leaves you exhausted. MD: For those that don’t know, what is a Zendrum Drumitar?
MD: Isn’t there a special tune that includes three drummers? RS: It is an electronic percussion instrument that you wear like
RS: Vinnie and Carmine Appice and me. I wondered what it would a guitar. You play it with your fingers; it is a touch sensitive midi
be like to be the third member of their Drum Wars concept, and we controller that you can attach to any sound source or computer.
called Vinnie. I asked them to create a tom groove that we could do Roy “Futureman” Wooten invented that instrument and is my
something with, and they came up with a great one. Vinnie did a inspiration.
whole Korg Wavedrum section in the tune, and Vinnie arranged and We asked Roy to play on a tune, and to our surprise, not only did
wrote an entire chart with specific sections for all of us to play. Then he agree, he brought in his brother Victor Wooten! That just fueled
Michael fleshed it out with a little bit of everything: guitars, bass, our fire, and so we then asked Bela Fleck if he would be interested.
organ, choirs…Matt Bollinger from Bach to the Future played bass. And HE agreed too! Mike wrote a very Bela Fleck type of tune, Roy
MS: It sounds like an Ozzy Osbourne instrumental! went above and beyond to create a cool drum part, Victor played a
RS: I think it’s important to mention that one of the reasons that masterful bass part, and Bela took it to another planet.
many of these drummers agreed to do this project was because of MS: I composed the tune based on the Fibonacci Series of numbers
our association with the Neil Peart Cancer Research Fund. All of the where each number is the sum of the previous two. These numbers
proceeds from Drumology 1, Drumology 2, and Drumology 3 (which are found throughout nature. Roy is very into numbers, so I thought
will be out this fall,) go towards that fund, which is very near and that he might appreciate that, and he did. And we named the tune

48 Modern Drummer August 2022

UNLEASH THE FULL POWER OF YOUR AUDIO INTERFACE
The perfect solution for self-recording drummers

“I´ve finally found the sound

I´ve been after...
...and my drums
have never been
so easy to capture”

MARCELO NOVATI
Juanes

Photo by Mario Alzate ©

8 CHANNEL TRANSFORMER COUPLED CLASS A MIC PREAMP

WITH PREMIUM 24 BIT 192 kHz ADC

www.heritageaudio.com
The sound of yesterday.....
built for tomorrow.
August 2022 Modern Drummer 49
 “Fibonacci Pie.” When I was at the last NAMM show, I stopped into the Baked
RS: We also have the previously mentioned tune with guitarist Potato and drummer Gergo Borlai was playing there, and I was
Jennifer Batten (Michael Jackson, Jeff Beck) and Glen Sobel. Eric floored. We had to have Gergo on Drumology 3, and we brought
Mariental and Larry Kornfeld play on that tune as well. guitarist Jaime Kime to play on a tune called “Jaco’s Dream.” Jamie
and Gergo knew each other, so there was already some chemistry
there. For these tunes we are always looking for chemistry, and it’s
THE JOEL ROTHMAN PUBLICATIONS always nice to include musicians that already knew each other.
MD: How did you find the space to add any other drumming to
NOW AVAILABLE AS EBOOKS Gergo’s tracks? He can really fill up a lot of space.
RS: Oh man, Gergo’s tracks are amazing, he’s quite a talent, and a
true pro. There was a lot of creative editing on his tracks to create
a drumming dialog, that’s one of the best parts about working on
these Drumology records.
MD: And then there’s Gavin Harrison, another amazing drummer on
THE BIBLE OF LINEAR DRUMMING— SON OF THE MINI MONSTER— Drumology.
A MUST HAVE book for anyone The Monster’s first son has written
a study concentrating entirely on
RS: Right. Jay Oliver had brought up Gavin Harrison’s name. He had
looking to play rock in the most
u-to-date way—in the linear way. developing bass drum patterns in known of Gavin from Steve Orkin’s Drum Fantasy Camp. I’m also a
many different time signatures. big fan of his from the band Porcupine Tree. So Jay wrote a tune
ROCK & JAZZ DRUMMING IN STRANGE & called “Sevenish,” that cleverly jumps between 4 and 7, and even 6
UNUSUAL TIME SIGNATURES— a study “My close friends have produced two
that breaks new ground containing bloody great rock books.” Dracula in some spots. Jay is really influenced by Celtic music and one his
material not seen in any other drum heroes is Bill Whelan who composed the Riverdance soundtrack,
book. These books, along with many other so the melody has that Celtic feel, but in 7/8 if you can imagine
titles in eBook form can be obtained
AMBIDEXTERITY— Guaranteed to help by clicking: https://hudsonmusic. that! On the original demo Jay laid down a reference midi drum
you develop the Holy Grail for any com/joel-rothman-collection/ part, which blew our minds. It was so realistic and cool. In fact, a
drummer—total independence with little aside, Jay is coming out with an app for musicians that will
your four limbs. To view all of Joel's close to
be a game changer for every drummer. Seriously. After sending
100 hard copy books go to
BASIC DRUMMING—considered one of www.joelrothman.com the demo to Gavin, I wanted to give him free rein to create a drum
the best and most important drum part that was unique to him. To our surprise he came up with an
books ever written—contains every If you teach drums and have awesome double drum part that involved interlocking grooves
aspect of drumming. never been contacted by Joel
crossing over the bar line in seven. He recorded both parts and
please email him at
MINI MONSTER BOOK OF ROCK info@joelrothman.com panned them to each side. I chose one of the parts, replacing his
DRUMMING—this best-selling book reference track. It was easier said than done! But the end result is us
worldwide contains everything you
have to know about rock drumming. playing this super groovy interlocking groove in seven, and it came
out great.
MPORTANT: Joel is offering FREE, his book, ROCK BREAKS WITH A 12/8
FEEL. Simply email him to receive the book: info@joelrothman.com
MD: And the last tune is called “Sailing.”
RS: Yes. The last tune was done with the great percussionist Gumbi

50 Modern Drummer August 2022

 live your fantasy.
jam with your heroes.

August 2022 Modern Drummer 51

 Ortiz. We have run into Gumbi
on and off for years through
opening for Al DiMeola, and
through hearing Gumbi’s own
fusion band in the Tampa area.
We got St. Louis drummer
Jamie Brauner and Gumbi to
play on this beachy vocal tune
written by singer/songwriter
Paul Molkenbur that features a
whole latin percussion section.
Then Gumbi composed and
performed a big breakdown
section that he sings and plays
on, and it’s just brilliant. The
bass was done by Jimi Blake
who I play in a Latin/funk
project with.
Casey Adams returns for
Volume 3 as well playing the
tune “Falcon 9.” He plays the
first tune on Volume 1 and the
last tune on Volume 3. Casey is
my best friend, and we bounce
everything off of each other
such as our love for Rush’s music
and studying and improving as drummers consider to be a “perfect” bass drum sound. The same
drummers. with snare drums. Some snare drums were much lower in pitch
MD: What have you learned through these collaborations with all of than I thought they would be. I learned that they did that because
these legendary drummers? of how the snare would sit in the mix if it was a little lower in pitch.
RS:When I get the raw tracks from each drummer, I get to hear the It was always cool to see what questions each drummer would ask.
true sound of their drums. All of their drums sound very different. Some would ask about the tempos, and some would ask about bit
I get to hear what each of these drummers would send to a well- rate. It is just interesting to see how each guy prefers to work.
known artist if they were working for them. And I get to hear what MD: Another thing that makes this an art and not a science, is that
their drums would sound like BEFORE they are mixed and produced. there is no absolute “right” way to do anything. It’s what works, it’s
Some guys even labeled what mics they used on each drum. It was personal preference.
just so interesting to hear all of the different ways a drum set can MS: It was interesting to hear how all of these A-list drummers
sound. could have such different touches on the drums too. For instance,
MD: That’s what makes this an art form. There are so many different Steve Smith played powerfully, but much lighter than I thought he
“answers to the question” of how a drum set should sound, or how would. In contrast to that, the Appice drummers play right through
to create music, or what should or shouldn’t be played on a drum the drums. It’s liberating to see that a drummer can “just” be
track. himself, and it’s fine. Like you said, it’s all about what works.
RS: These are human beings, and believe me, everything I got MD: What I think defines art, is that the end DOES justify the means.
wasn’t “perfect.” If it sounds good, it is good. Yet what sounds “good” is always very
MD: Thank God! subjective.
RS: For instance, I got to hear all different versions of what great RS: I agree.
MD: How did you decide what to play on these tracks after hearing
what the guest had recorded?
RS: It was a lot like when you hear a song, and you improvise a
different part on the song based on what you would have played
on that song. After listening to their tracks for a long time, I would
replace different drum sections of songs based on what I would like
to hear on the track. But it could get tricky.
MD: Double drumming is such an interesting (and hard) approach,
and there are so many ways to do it, how did you approach it? Did
you play complimentary parts, or did you try to create unison drum
parts?
RS: We had a few different approaches. The parts where the guest
and I were playing in unison were usually in the final stretch of the
song, where the energy was at its highest point. It was like playing
along with a record of your drumming hero. Then there were times
where it was a dialog back and forth. The third way was when

52 Modern Drummer August 2022

FROM THE RISER
A DRUMMER’S PERSPECTIVE ii

OVER 270 LIVE

ACTION PHOTOS
130 LEGENDARY
DRUMMERS
184 PAGES
FOREWORD BY
NEIL PEART
“IT’S A FANTASTIC BOOK THAT EVEN
WE COULD NEVER TIRE OF FLICKING
THROUGH” Rhythm Magazine
Book Only Available to purchase from
www.music-images.co.uk
August 2022 Modern Drummer 53
 Presents: BEST SELLING DRUM TITLES WORLDWIDE

DIGI
DOW TAL
NLO
AD
INSIDE CODE

The Bass Drum Owners Manual

THE BASS DRUM OWNERS MANUAL

Applying the Moeller Technique DIG

DOWITAL DVD
INCL NLOAD
UDE
D

to the Bass Drum

By Michael Packer
APPLYING THE MOELLER TECHNIQUE TO THE BASS DRUM
BY MICHAEL PACKER
MODERNDRUMMER.COM

DIGI
DOW TAL
NLO
AD
INSIDE CODE

DIGI DIGI

Legends Legends
DOW TAL DOW TAL
COD NLOAD COD NLOAD
E INSI E INSI DIG
DE DE DOW ITAL
COD NLOAD
E INSI
DE

STEVE
PETER SMITH
ERSKINE
Everything
you ever wanted
to know about
Hi Hat Rhythms.
Infinate patterns to
play all styles
of music.

80 pages of extensive and new

in-depth interviews
Exclusive Erskine Recordings Brand new content and interviews
EXCLUSIVE Pictorials of Weather Report, Insight, analysis and drum transcriptions
PHOTO
Peter And Friends, The Early Years
SECTIONS! The Fabric of Rhythm drum solo recordings
Peter’s analysis and insights on
40 + pages of drum transcriptions MD archive of Steve’s cover/feature interviews
Digital Download Component Photos/analysis of Smith’s drumsets through the years

Available in print and digital format at moderndrummer.com or from your favorite music retailer
54 Modern Drummer August 2022
 If you hate snare buzz,
both of us were playing interlocking parts that created a singular you’ll love the
groove that works for the song. That was actually inspired by Dom
Famularo’s book Drumset Duets.
SNARE BUZZ MUTE
MD: My double drumming bibles are the John Tropea record Live
at Mikell’s with Steve Gadd and Rick Marotta. It’s great because
they are finishing each other ideas and fitting together like peanut EASY, RELIABLE AND COMPLETE
butter and jelly. Another is Joe Cocker Organic with Jim Keltner CONTROL OF UNWANTED SNARE BUZZ
and Kenny Aronoff. Of course, the standard (for me) is Joe Cocker
Mad Dogs and Englishmen with Jim Keltner, Jim Gordon, and Chuck
Blackwell. But I can’t tell you enough how interesting it is to hear
about how you have turned double drumming into a genre of Featuring the new
music. What do you look for when you are selecting drummers for
the Drumology records? Anti Choke Bar
RS: It’s an emotional choice for me. It’s because I’m a fan of
their body of work. These are drummers that have touched me,
influenced me, and with whom I feel an emotional bond. That
bond usually comes from the music that I have heard them play.
However, there are a few (like Gergo,) that I haven’t listened to
a whole lot, but who are just ridiculously good and HAD to be
included.
List Price $295
MD: You guys also run a record label called Autumn Hill records.
MS: We are the largest streaming independent instrumental music Introductory Offer $249
label in the world. We have 950 albums available, and stream
about 3 million tracks a day. The last few years have focused on Satisfaction Guaranteed
jazz and jazz-fusion. We also produce some live jazz festivals as
well.
Autumn Hill has recently signed the Dave Weckl Band, released
Tom Kennedy’s solo album, Gary Meeks’ record, and we’re in talks
with Jay Oliver for him to do a solo album. He’s a hard one to crack
Click on the link below for
but we’re working on him! Jeff Lorber and myself put out a record more information, videos
together, I also just did a record with Eric Marienthal. Both John
Pattitucci and Eric Marienthal have put out records on our label and placing orders
too.
RS: Michael is too modest to say so, but he is the most streamed
solo pianist in the world, with 14 number one albums on Apple www.SnareBuzzMute.com
Music.
MD: Lastly, what drums and cymbals are you using on all of these
records?
RS: I am a Yamaha artist, I have a few of their kits and I love the
PHX drums, I play Sabian Cymbals, and I have a huge gong
Testimonial
collection. The gongs find their way onto most of my records.
About 30 years ago I was reading Modern Drummer and I saw “I’d like to share an amazing and much
an ad for the Zendrum Drumitar, and I got one. It has become my needed new drum product. This is the first
other main instrument. There is about 1,000 Zendrummers in the
world, we have a FaceBook group, it’s a real thing. I am also an of its kind and it fills a void that could be the
official endorser for the Zendrum. missing element to every drummer’s drum
MD: Who haven’t you been able to get for Drumology yet? Here is
your chance to put the call out to the drum world. Who would you
set. Finally a solution for unwanted snare
like to include on Drumology 4? buzz from sympathetic vibrations, The
RS: Will Kennedy, Dom Famularo, Jonathan Mover, Bobby Blotzer,
Snare Buzz Mute. It’s incredibly designed,
Dennis Chambers, Thomas Pridgen, Mike Mitchell is an amazing
gospel chops drummer, Nicko McBrain, Eric Moore, Tico Torres has manufactured and packaged.”
agreed to do a track. That’s a good sampler of who I’m hoping to
get.
MD: Your phone should start ringing soon!
-DAVID DEMETER
Drummer, instructor, engineer/producer,
owner of The Drum Lab in Laguna Hills, CA
and a Snare Buzz Mute user!

Check out Rob’s Modern Drummer profile

page at moderndrummer.com

www.SnareBuzzMute.com
August 2022 Modern Drummer 55
 Dirk
Verbeuren:
The Drumming,
the Legacy…
and Megadeth
By Mark Griffith

D
irk Verbeuren is a musical veteran and great drummer with a lot of knowledge to
share. His drumming was first heard with bands such as Aborted and Sybreed.
He co-founded Scarve, a forward thinking death metal band which released four
albums and toured Europe extensively. Verbeuren’s fine-tuned ear, impeccable
musical memory, sensitivity to structure, and ability to read and write rhythms,
made him a highly in-demand session drummer nearly overnight. In 2004,
Verbeuren joined the Swedish melodic death metal band Soilwork with whom he
recorded and toured worldwide for twelve years. He also managed to find time to record
and/or perform with a multitude of established artists, including Danzig, Testament,
Sasami Ashworth, Devin Townsend, Fredrik Thordendal, At The Gates, and Satyricon. A
long-term collaboration with Swedish software company Toontrack has resulted in the
Library of the Extreme, the first ever collection of MIDI metal beats and fills.
In May 2016, Verbeuren was asked to take the drum throne for Megadeth. A few
months later, band leader Dave Mustaine officially announced Dirk Verbeuren as the new
permanent drummer of Megadeth. Today, Verbeuren has made his recording debut with
Megadeth, and he actually co-wrote two songs for The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead! The
band’s sixteenth studio album is slated for release in September 2022. As you will read,
Dirk takes this gig and Megadeth’s musical and drumming legacy, VERY seriously. He is the
perfect drummer for Megadeth, and The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead! proves that fact.
Verbeuren also runs Die Crawling Studio, which incorporates the most recent
innovations developed by Roland and Toontrack, as well as Northwood Sound Studios.
Dirk has been a teacher since 1995. He offers in-person and online drum lessons sharing
techniques, exercises, and career advice to a growing community of drum students. Now
we can all be students of his depth of knowledge and deep insights into drumming and
music.

56 Modern Drummer September 2022

 Jarrod Anthonee

September 2022 Modern Drummer 57

 Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys were very beat driven. Beastie Boys’
MD: Can you tell me about your musical background? Licensed to Ill became very influential to me, as did Paul’s Boutique
DV: I’m from Belgium, and both of my parents were music lovers. and Run-DMC’s Raising Hell. I believe that my interest in rhythm
They listened to mostly classical music, rock, and pop. My dad originally came from hip-hop. If you listen to those early Run-DMC
played guitar and my mom played piano, and they both sang a little and LL Cool J records, their entire foundation is great beats. Those
bit. There was always music around our house. At a young age I beats were so important to the whole vibe. A few years later, as I got
chose to play the violin and played that for several years. into metal drumming, that original inspiration evolved into what I
MD: Did you choose the violin, or was that the instrument they am still doing today.
wanted you to play? MD: Since you mentioned Licensed to Ill, I’ll mention a band that Rick
DV: I have asked them that, and apparently, that was the instrument Rubin produced called Trouble Funk. They were a Washington DC
that I chose to play at the tender age of six. Growing up hearing go-go band, and Rick produced an album of theirs called Trouble
a lot of classical music must have influenced my decision. When I Funk Live. So many of the samples on Licensed to Ill came from that
was 12 or 13 years old, my family moved to Paris, and that’s where I Trouble Funk Live record. When you hear Trouble Funk, which was an
discovered the realm of metal music. I had some friends who were amazing band on their own, you’ll hear all of the original recordings
into a lot of underground stuff, and we started trading tapes, and of some of those ridiculous grooves-samples from Licensed to Ill.
that’s how I discovered thrash metal and bands like Megadeth. DV: That’s pretty cool! I’ll have to check them out. Thanks for the
MD: That’s a pretty big jump from classical music to thrash metal. tip! That was a great time for sampling. The early Public Enemy and
Was there anything in-between? Beastie Boys records used an incredible array of great samples in a
DV: As a kid, I listened a lot to the music of the 80’s. I really loved really cool and creative way. Then you would be listening to other
Prince and Purple Rain, and my dad had Beatles, Stones, and music and hear a beat, a vocal or a sound, and recognize it from Fear
Zeppelin records, and I loved all of that. I was always following of a Black Planet or Paul’s Boutique.
whatever was popular at the time. Then techno and hip-hop MD: What was your first metal gig?
became popular and I really started getting into that. Bands like DV: My parents were incredibly supportive of my passion for this

Cameron Nuez

58 Modern Drummer September 2022

crazy extreme music and allowed me to enroll in the school (now belonging to a scene that was “mine”.
known as) Music Academy International. I co-founded a band called MD: I have heard that point of hearing a style of music for the first
Scarve with Patrick Martin because we had similar band patches on time and not understanding it, but knowing that you liked it and
our jackets, so I knew we were both into the same types of music. wanting to learn more about it, from lots of great drummers and
That was my first band that involved songwriting, touring, and musicians. Can you explain that?
releasing records. At the same time, I also started working with DV: I often talk to my students about that. In the end, music is about
other artists, filling in for other drummers, recording and touring what you feel. That’s the whole point of it: we play to make someone
with various bands. I sort of became a session drummer without feel a certain way. If you want to study it, understand it, and learn
even realizing it. All of that combined was my launching pad to the technical side of music and how it’s put together, that’s cool.
becoming a professional musician. I learned to work in different But it’s not a necessity. You can dig into the beats or the scales, but
settings and spent time getting better on my instrument, which there is something to be said for an instinctual approach. I think
eventually brought me to where I am today. In 2004 the manager that’s something that you have to remember as you dig deeper into
for Scarve’s label Listenable Records told me that Soilwork (another any style of music. I have a grindcore project called Bent Sea, that
band on the label) was looking for a drummer. I did I do on the side because I grew up

Dave Lombardo from

a few tours with them and eventually joined the with that style and I love playing fast.
band. Although I had invested a lot of blood, sweat When I create the tunes, I start with
and tears into Scarve, joining Soilwork was the improvising drums, then I improvise
next logical step for my career. I recorded a bunch
of records with Soilwork including Stabbing the
Slayer and Mick guitar parts over that. I am playing
whatever speaks to me at that very
Drama, Sworn to a Great Divide, The Panic Broadcast,
The Living Infinite, and The Ride Majestic. We toured
Harris from Napalm moment. In some ways, it’s completely
the opposite of traditional songwriting.
a lot, and that’s what brought me to the attention
of Dave Mustaine and the opportunity to join Death, along with Pete That can be really scary sometimes,
but it can also yield amazing results.
Megadeth in 2016. I had already moved to the US Sometimes I listen back and can’t
in 2006, first living in Los Angeles, then in Ohio for Sandoval from Morbid believe what just came out of me.
MD: When you first got the Megadeth
a few years, and then back to L.A., permanently this
time.
MD: How did the original call from Dave Mustaine
Angel and Terrorizer, are gig, you said that you studied their
music to learn the set. How did you
happen?
DV: While I was on tour with Soilwork, I got a my prime influences for study their music?
DV: Throughout my years of playing

starting to play metal.

call from Megadeth’s management. They were sessions and in different bands, I have
looking for a drummer who could fill in for some really perfected my system of charting
shows, and several people in Dave’s entourage had out songs. The first step is (obviously)
recommended me. After a nice phone call with listening to the songs a lot, over and
Dave, I studied the Megadeth set to learn the songs I didn’t already over. I do a sort of active listening where I am really paying attention
know, and 10 days later, in May of 2016, I did my first gig at Rock to the structure of the songs. I will chart out the structure of the
on the Range in Columbus, Ohio. I can’t say that I saw Dave’s call song, and the beats that go with each section. I will do the same for
coming in the least. I had seen Megadeth in 1990 as a kid, and it still any of the fills that I think are important. Then I will take those charts
amazes me to think that all these years later, I’m now a member of to the kit. At first, I’ll play a song seven or eight times in a row and
the band. try to nail all the big and little things that I have charted out. It’s a
MD: So how does a guy that grew up playing violin, listening to very trial and error type of thing in the beginning.
Prince, Run-DMC, Public Enemy, and The Beastie Boys approach With Megadeth, there were songs like “Symphony of Destruction”
playing thrash metal with Megadeth? and “Hangar 18” that I had played as a kid doing covers with my
DV: There were a few key records and players that converted my friends, so I already basically knew them. But there were new songs
musical brain. I remember hearing Reign in Blood by Slayer for the that I had never played, and those took some time to learn. As
first time. That really rocked my world because I didn’t understand someone who does this for a living, I can say that you have to get
what was going on musically, but I was super into the sound and good at picking up new songs very quickly. You’re going to miss
the drumming. I knew that whatever this is, I love it. The same thing gigs if you can’t learn songs quickly. When I filled in with Satyricon,
happened when I heard Scum from Napalm Death. When that first I had two days to learn their entire set, and that was generally more
came out it had a sticker on it that said, “the world’s fastest band.” complex music than Megadeth. So, to have 10 days to learn the
I bought it immediately, but when I put it on, I didn’t understand Megadeth set before the first (and only) rehearsal might seem like
any of it. I actually wanted to return the LP, but instead I listened not a long time, but it actually felt pretty comfortable.
to it non-stop for the next year. Now it’s one of my favorite all-time MD: After hearing the new record, I have to say that you sound very
records. That was back in the day when you would listen to an comfortable playing this music. But the first thing that I noticed
entire record, you didn’t just skip around and look for your favorite when I heard the new record was the drum sound. It’s a very natural
tracks or solos. You would absorb the whole thing. The drummers drum sound that is very un-thrash-metal-like, and the snare drum
from those two records, Dave Lombardo from Slayer and Mick sound is amazing!
Harris from Napalm Death, along with Pete Sandoval from Morbid DV: Most of the record is my signature Tama snare that I have been
Angel and Terrorizer, are my prime influences for starting to play using for several years. It’s a SLP Bronze shelled 5 ½ by 14 drum.
metal. The energy and the excitement of that music and that fast, MD: It sounds fantastic. It’s resonant and very warm. I can tell that
intense drumming really spoke to me. It was new and fresh, and you used that drum on the songs “The Sick, the Dying… and the
very few people around me were into it, so that created this sense of Dead!” and “We’ll Be Back.”

September 2022 Modern Drummer 59

 DV: Yes, I believe that’s my snare on those two tracks. We tracked at most on really trying to simulate the FEEL of the songs.
Blackbird Studios in Nashville, and they have an incredible stable of MD: It’s refreshing to hear that you have really worked to learn the
Keplingers, so of course I had to use one of those on a few songs. history of the drumming approach in the band, and how it fits into
I think there is a mandatory Black Beauty on there too, but my the legacy of Megadeth.
signature drum made most of the record. I used the SLP Dynamic DV: That’s because the drum parts are really essential to the overall
Bronze on Soilwork’s The Ride Majestic too, before turning that snare sound. For example, the way a drummer plays the hi-hat is (to me) a
into my signature model. defining element. Hats are very expressive and personal. Nick Menza
MD: Let’s go through the tracks for the new record. “The Sick, the played them differently from the way I naturally play them. I really
Dying… and the Dead!” has a nice sparse but a HUGE groove. It’s not try to bring a bit of Nick’s feel by adjusting the way I attack the hi-
the type of drumming that I would expect from Megadeth. hat on songs like “Trust” and “Symphony of Destruction.”
DV: As I recall it, my approach to that song was to support the riffs MD: What were some other things you heard when you heard those
and provide a nice driving feel. It didn’t need me to go all out and solo drum tracks?
create a complex drum part. DV: Sometimes it was cymbal stuff. There are certain cymbals that
MD: How do you create drum parts and specific grooves? stand out in the mix; however, you can easily miss a cymbal that’s a
DV: The first question I ask myself is: what is my place in the song? bit more subtle or that’s being played where you weren’t expecting
What do I need to bring to it? That really varies from song to song. it, for example.
With Megadeth, I take into account the history of the band and Gar’s parts were recorded with boomier drum sounds, and
the drummers that helped write it. I really spent time studying the because of that, there are details that can be hard to discern. There
drum parts of Gar Samuelson, Nick Menza, and Chuck Behler. Those is a beat I call “The Gar Beat” where the snare is on the beat and
are the guys that created the legacy of the Megadeth drumming the kick drum is on the second and fourth sixteenth note (E and
sound and style. Their work informed my approach to creating my A). It’s used in songs like “The Conjuring” and “Peace Sells”. Early on,
parts for the new album. Of I mistook that for a standard
course, there’s some of me in double kick beat with the
there as well. But as a fan of the bass drums playing all of the
band first, I know what I would sixteenth notes, because it
expect to hear from Megadeth was hard to hear what Gar was
drumming if I picked up a new playing in the original mix. I was
record, so I kept that in mind. doing it wrong until someone in
Gar came from a jazz-fusion the band alerted me to it. Those
background, and he could are the types of things that
also lay down a really solid make drummers unique. The
old-school groove. Nick Menza devil is in the details.
played somewhat more sparsely Every drummer has a
and had a really strong attack. natural groove. These days,
Nick’s parts were always very when mostly everyone is
well thought out. I was sort of playing to a click, that groove
thinking of his approach for the can sometimes get a little lost.
title track. I understand the reasons for
The band really reached its using a click, especially from
first peaks with the records the producing and engineering
Peace Sells.. but Who’s Buying, side. But there’s something
with Gar, and Rust in Peace with to be said for playing tunes
Nick. Those two records hit the together in a room, doing full
scene pretty hard and they’re takes, like Megadeth did on
the defining records that I still Youthanasia. It adds that extra
look to today. I was fortunate to pizazz that I find lacking in some
tour for three years playing all those classics before we did any sort current-day recordings.
of songwriting or recording together. MD: Let’s get back to the new record. On “Life in Hell” you play some
MD: How loose does Dave let you get with the drum parts from nice breaks that leave some space. I don’t usually notice space in
previous recordings, and how closely does he want you to stick to speed metal drumming. I also like how you set up the transition to
the recorded parts? the half-time feel. That might be my favorite track on the record.
DV: He was super cool about that from the very beginning. There DV: When I was younger and in bands like Scarve, my modus
were a few things that I hadn’t heard correctly, and we fixed them operandi was often to fill up every space. Now, I’m trying to play
over time. After I was in the band for a little while and getting more more for the song, to lay a solid foundation.
comfortable, he suggested that I go back to the original recordings “Life in Hell” was actually a song that I composed and brought to
and really study them to hear the details that I maybe hadn’t the band. Dave had asked us to contribute, so I brought that demo
originally heard. He had all the drum tracks sent to me so I could in and Dave added his swagger. He made the riffs much better. Of
hear them without the music. I discovered various things that were course, I’m no Dave Mustaine on the guitar- no one can play like
maybe somewhat buried in the mix, so I went back and redid my him! He’s a genius when it comes to that. I’m glad that you heard
charts with more detail and memorized everything I had previously all that stuff on “Life in Hell” because I’m really proud that that song
ChrisOf
missed. Coleman
course, there’s always some of my interpretation of any made it onto the record.
older drum part that is “mine,” and Dave’s cool with that. I focus the MD: I swear I didn’t know that was your tune. The advance version of

60 Modern Drummer September 2022

the record that I got didn’t have any songwriting credits on it. MD: Was this record done with a click?
DV: There are a lot of little drum details that I have to learn, for when DV: Yes, but we use a dynamic click. That means the click speeds up
we play it live. and slows down at certain sections of a tune. Making the dynamic
MD: So it’s not only other people’s drum parts that you have to click feel natural is another drumming skill that you now need to
learn, but sometimes you have to learn your own drum parts from a have. A lot of playing with a click has to do with learning how to play
recording. People never talk about that. not only “with” or “on” the click, but “around” it.
DV: True! I was listening to the record and thought “Damn, I’m going MD: Do you guys play live with a click?
to have to figure out how I did that!” DV: Yes, mostly because of the video content that’s happening
MD: How do you (not the band) write? during our show. The video makes the click necessary. But we do
DV: Some people say that they need to wait for inspiration to come. have a great deal of dynamic clicks live too. We adapt the album

Virgil Donati
Cameron Nuez

I understand what they mean, but personally, I like to think that I tempos for the stage. For instance, a song like “A Tout Le Monde”
can write at the spur of the moment. If I’m feeling excited about is sped up when we play it live, compared to the album version.
music and I have a few hours, I can sit down and write something. It Whenever we introduce a new tune or a tune that hasn’t been
doesn’t always yield a good result. Sometimes I’ll listen back a few played live for a long time, we spend time finding the right tempos,
days later, and just say “nope!” But other times I’ll think, “Yeah, I can tweaking them during soundcheck. It’s an intricate process, but it
do something with this.” Then I’ll spend some more time on it. But it makes for great live show where everything is played at the optimal
really comes down to making time for it. Life tends to be consuming, tempo.
and there’s always something going on. So if you keep pushing the MD: Any tips for playing to a click live?
writing away for whenever things aren’t busy, it’s rarely going to DV: Don’t have it too loud. I keep mine just above the point where
happen. I just carve out a little time here and there to record some I can’t hear it. That way if I’m on, I can’t really hear it, and if I get off
beats, put some riffs on top of them, and see what happens. I do slightly, I can adjust back and make it unnoticeable. I use the click as
play some guitar. I probably wouldn’t play it in a live setting, as I a guideline more than anything else. I rely on my inner tempo. But
don’t consider myself a “guitarist” in the proper sense of the word, it’s also good for those days where you have a ton of energy, and
but I can play enough to write and record. And in the case of “Life in you feel like playing everything 20 bpm faster. The click is there to
Hell” I was trying to write a good old-school Megadeth song. remind you to chill.

September 2022 Modern Drummer 61

 MD: What click sound do you like? about that extensively, so I’m glad it stood out to you.
DV: I use the Cubase beeps. Most people hate those, but I’m used MD: You also get a nice cymbal sound and have a nice touch as well.
to them, and they work great for me. I tried a cowbell sound, but it DV: I try to play with a lot of dynamics. I think a lot of swing comes
doesn’t cut through the volume of my drumming enough. from dynamics. When I was discovering extreme drumming and
MD: Is the whole band hearing the click? Or just you? developing my playing, I was also listening to people like Chad Smith
DV: Everyone hears it. Recently I also started slating, which is of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Tim Alexander of Primus. Those
recording myself saying the song title at the start of each count-off. two guys are all about swing. How the cymbals are being played, the
That way, if anything ever goes wrong, I know what song is being ghost notes, the accents, the push or pull of the kick versus the snare-
counted in. Because as we all know, no matter how prepared you are, all of that creates a feel within the beat and that creates swing.
things can go wrong. Dave always makes sure we address anything When I was in music school, I attended jazz lessons, and I went
and everything we can think of during pre-production, so everyone to see a lot of masterclasses by jazz-fusion drummers. I had a great
that spends their hard-earned money to come and see Megadeth teacher in Franck Agulhon who taught me about the basics of
gets a KILLER show! jazz drumming. That really opened my mind. Also, Sean Reinert
MD: Your internal balance on the entire new record is really was a huge influence on me. For those who don’t know, he was
wonderful. I know the record is mixed and produced, but it sounds the drummer in Cynic, and he played on the Death album Human

Cameron Nuez

like if I was in the room hearing you track, it would have sounded very (together with bassist Steve Di Giorgio, who incidentally recorded
natural and sort of “pre-mixed” coming directly from the drums. the bass on the new Megadeth album). Sean had a huge influence
DV: Wow! I’m glad that you heard that. I have respect for all types on the entire extreme metal scene back in the day. He was so ahead
of production and mixing, but for me, the best records are the ones of his time. He brought splashes, dynamics, and a wonderful touch
that sound just like you said, like you are in the room listening to to extreme metal drumming. To this day, I feel that Human is an
the performances. Every time I go into the studio, I try to achieve unparalleled masterpiece of drumming. Last year I was fortunate to
that. I realize sometimes it’s not what a project requires, and other be able to play at a few tributes to (Death singer and guitarist) Chuck
times it’s simply not what the artist or producer wants. But IF there Schuldiner, and because in the last years of his life, Sean was a very
is a possibility, I usually push for that. We spent a lot of time on this good friend to my wife and me, that was very emotional. But it was
record to get a natural drum sound. A lot of it comes from consistency also an opportunity to really study his drumming again. There are so
in volume and attack. But I like to play dynamically, and I use a great many amazing ideas there, it’s amazing to think that he created the
deal of contrast and things like ghost notes in my grooves. Some of drums on that record when he was only 19.
that can really get lost if it’s not recorded, mixed, or treated properly. It’s maybe not a very “metal” thing to say, but swing is everything.
Dave and Chris Rakestraw (co-producer of the record) and I talked I was literally just sitting practicing some jazz stuff before this

62 Modern Drummer September 2022

interview, I’m not kidding! vision of how the song would work once we would be recording the
MD: What type of stuff were you practicing? “real” parts. We also did a few songs that were really short, like 30
DV: The jazz ride pattern and breaking up ideas between the snare second jingles. Although I have done 30 second grindcore songs, I
and the kick drum. Reading figures with the kick drum and filling in hadn’t ever played on a jingle. It was interesting to figure out how to
the spaces with the snare drum. I wouldn’t say that I could fill in with a tell a story in such a short time. It’s about adapting to the narrative of
jazz quartet, but it’s great stuff to develop your balance at the drums. a video game and telling that story instrumentally instead of lyrically.
MD: By balance, do you mean the inner dynamics of the drum set and Usually, I will ask the composer what the game is about, and ask for
how to balance the sounds while you are playing? some screenshots, just to have a starting point.
DV: Yes, absolutely, that’s what I’m talking about. In this last year, I MD: The same way that we might ask about the lyrics of a song to
went through a huge period of listening to Miles Davis and Dave help us create a drum part.
Brubeck almost daily. There is just so much greatness in their music! I DV: Exactly.
remember my dad showing me “Take Five” when I was 16 or 17. At the MD: So maybe in the end, it’s not really that different from creating
end of the day, good music is good music, and it’s always beneficial music for other situations.
to open your mind, no matter what music you are playing. I think it’s DV: You’re right, and I would guess that being a musical director at
a huge benefit to have broad influences. That’s what Sean showcased a video game company would require understanding a range of
on Human, and that’s a lot of what made it a GREAT record! musical styles, which brings us back to the benefits of developing an
MD: You can hear a stark difference between
your drumming approach in “Life in Hell” and
“Night Stalkers.” “Night Stalkers” seems like a
I really spent time studying the drum parts of Gar
more typical thrash metal tune and approach.
DV: Absolutely. But it’s also a very complex Samuelson and Nick Menza. Along with Chuck
track. There are a lot of layers to this music.
When uninitiated people hear loud, fast Behler, those are the guys that created the legacy
metal, at first, they tend to just get struck
by this wall of sound. But there’s a lot to it
once you develop your ear. Dave is a genius
of the Megadeth drumming sound and style. Their
at arranging, including little melodies that
he calls ear candy, and creating smart song
work informed my approach to creating my parts
structures. There are so many times when you
will hear little things in a Megadeth song that for the new album.
you hadn’t heard when you first listened to it.
MD: That’s my definition of great music: music
that, upon repeated listens, reveals itself to you over time. Music that, open mind towards different types of music.
although you might have listened to a song thousands of times, you MD: Back to the new record. You get a nice tom groove on
will always hear something new and wonder why you had never “Psychopathy,” and you are getting a very nice drum sound. What kind
heard it before. That applies to everything from Stravinsky to John of drums are you playing?
Coltrane to Prince to Cynic to Megadeth. DV: I have been with Tama since 1995, and with Megadeth I’m using a
DV: Absolutely. I learn a lot watching Dave arrange songs. The way he Starclassic Maple kit. Before that, I played a Birch/Bubinga Performer,
approaches songs makes them exciting to listen to, not only the first but to me, Maple is the sound of Megadeth. Nick Menza played Maple
five times, but the first 25 times. Tama’s, and my first Tama kit was a Starclassic Maple, so I went back to
MD: The groove on “Junkie” is pretty cool, where did that one come that. The drums are 22x18” kicks, 10, 12, 13” rack toms, 16 and 18” floor
from? toms, and my signature 5½ x 14” bronze snare that we talked about
DV: The working title for that song was “Gran Torino” because it had earlier. Tama built me a gorgeous custom matte black kit featuring
this “driving a fast car through the desert” kind of feel. Coming from our mascot Vic Rattlehead.
Europe, I think of that as a very American thing, so that groove was My cymbals are Meinl. I use Classic Customs Dark crashes,
my interpretation of what that would feel like. Dave has written a lot secondary hi-hat and china, combined with Byzance Brilliant Heavy
of car songs, so I was trying to bring that type of vibe. That riff has Hammered ride, main hi-hat and china. Those models work great
so much character, bite, and swagger that it made me think of the together. The dark crashes have a perfect attack without being
Stones, like developing something similar to how Mick and Keith overpowering, and the Byzance Brilliant ride and hi-hat are my
interact on stage. favorite cymbals in the world.
MD: The mention of Gran Torino makes me think of Grand Theft Auto MD: “Killing Time” has a nice feel.
which reminds me that you have done some drumming on a few DV: Kiko Loureiro wrote the foundation for that song, and we went
different video games. How did that happen? in as a band and finalized it together. It’s very melodic, which is in my
DV: A good friend of mine and amazing keyboard player, Kyle opinion one of Kiko’s biggest strengths as a player and composer. It
Morrison, put me in touch with the people at Epic Games. They turned out to be a really cool song.
had me play some stuff for Fortnite. Ra Diaz from Korn and Suicidal MD: On “Sacrifice” you introduce the groove in pieces. You start with
Tendencies played bass, and it was fun to do something that was a snare drum, then the bass drum, and then the cymbals. I don’t hear
completely different. stuff like that on many speed metal tunes.
MD: How is video game music different? DV: I really like to tell a story within a song. I like to have a beginning,
DV: The musical director that wrote the Fortnite music came up with a middle, and an end to my drum part. As I introduce the drumming
pretty precise ideas about how the song should evolve, and what the in the choruses, I like to add a little more each time the next chorus
structure should be. He gave me a demo, but he had a very specific comes around, so that when I get to the finale, I can be playing some

September 2022 Modern Drummer 63

 really crazy stuff. When a song is an AB, AB, lead, AB kind of structure, listen to what’s going on around you. That doesn’t only mean while
it tends to suit that approach. Building things up when the parts you are playing; it means at the drums, and away from the drums…
come back around helps me tell the story. That often (as you said) Be a good listener and ask questions! You can get valuable advice
means starting off more sparsely, so there’s room to evolve. If you go from almost anyone in this business. Ask questions of managers,
all out from the start, there just isn’t anywhere you can go. agents, producers, engineers, and other musicians, especially those
MD: I always call that approach “playing the plotline.” that have been in this business longer than you. Any information is
DV: That’s it exactly. On the other side of things, we have songs like good information.
“Dogs of Chernobyl” where the structure is A, B, C, and nothing really MD: You can always filter whatever you are told.
repeats. That means I have to tell the story in a different way. In a DV: Yes, and then you can build a library of knowledge that is going
certain sense, that type of structure gives you more freedom because to play to your advantage. Listening to and learning from other
you are not beholden to the verse-chorus concept. It’s an opportunity people is important in all aspects of life.
to bring different colors and different nuances with every musical MD: And isn’t it amazing that being a good listener is also what makes
section, which is fun too. someone a great drummer too?
MD: What is the writing process like in Megadeth? Does Dave bring DV: That’s so very true, good point!
you complete demos? MD: What is the drumming inspiration for “We’ll Be Back?”
DV: For this record, Dave started things off by selecting a number of DV: That’s an old school scorcher. It has that vibe from back in the
guitar riffs from his vault, which spans decades of ideas. I went to his day when speed and thrash metal were nascent, exciting, and new;
house and tracked drum ideas to each of the riffs he picked out. He when nothing had been done that sounded like that. I have a few
would give me suggestions or instructions. For each riff he’d ask me little tributes to previous Megadeth drummers in that tune. In the
to play a straight beat, a busy beat, a fast beat, and an adventurous beginning, when I am hitting the kicks and cymbals at the same time,
beat. That way, we’d get to hear which approaches worked and didn’t I do the cross-handed thing that Nick was famous for. Later on in the
work with each riff. Kiko came in to learn the riffs and sometimes add song, I play a fill that goes from the snare to the toms, but before I go
to the toms, I put in a few open hi-hats,

It’s maybe not a very “metal” thing to say, but swing

which is something that Gar loved to
do. Both of those things happened very
instinctually and organically, but I am
is everything. I was literally just sitting practicing really happy that “We’ll Be Back” became
the first single, because I care deeply about
some jazz stuff before this interview, I’m not kidding! the tradition of Megadeth drumming.
MD: What can you tell me about the tune
“Célebutante?”
harmonies. Then, we got together for several months in 2019 and DV: For me, that has a real Motörhead meets Megadeth feel. It has
started fleshing things out. As the songs started taking shape, Dave that kind of energy. We dug into Dave’s vault of riffs and found some
would sometimes get more specific and ask me to play a certain idea cool ones that we thought fit together, and just started jamming on
at a certain time in a song. He knows what he wants and he’s a very them.
good arranger. In the end, I did compose all of my drum parts. I love MD: It’s so weird that you mention Motörhead because when I first
that I was in on the songwriting process from the beginning. That heard this record, I wondered, “When did Lemmy join Megadeth?”
gives you a sense of familiarity so that by the time you’re in the studio, DV: You’re not the first one to say that. I think Dave has found a great
you can perform with confidence and work on every detail. When new voice since beating throat cancer and his neck operation. That
doing session work, you don’t have that luxury most of the time. tune really does have a Motörhead on steroids kind of feel. There is a
Dave is really fun to work with. He has been depicted in the past lot of technical and challenging drumming on that one, some off-beat
as some kind of “tyrant.” But he really is just a guy who cares a lot accents and intricate fills. I like to challenge myself in the studio and
about his band and about what he does. He wants people to take subsequently on stage, and that song will definitely be challenging
it seriously, and he really wants this to be a BAND where everyone to play. I wanted the drums to match the urgency of the riffs, that
gets a chance to shine. He lets me experiment with drum parts and excitement I felt as a teenager discovering this kind of music.
he wants everyone to contribute music. In the end, does Dave have It also occurred to me that if I wanted to honor the jazz-fusion
the final say? Of course. Megadeth is the band he created back in the approach that Gar created on Killing is My Business and Peace Sells…,
early 80s, and it’s going stronger than ever. then “Célebutante” might be the perfect song to do that. Dave’s
MD: That’s great to hear. It’s so refreshing to hear about someone who riffs left the space for me to do go a little crazy without everyone
cares so deeply about what they do, and demands high quality in his wondering, “What the hell is Dirk doing back there?”
workmanship and art. There is nothing wrong with that. It’s like we said: in the end, it’s all about uplifting feelings and
DV: It’s tough being a bandleader. Whenever something goes wrong giving the people who buy the record or see us live something to get
in the public eye, the responsibility falls on Dave. Leading a band is a excited about. That’s what creates that magical loop of energy that
difficult and multi-faceted job with new challenges almost every day. makes everyone have a great night at a concert or have fun listening
I was managing Soilwork for a while, and believe me, things can get to a record. This is a great time to see and listen to Megadeth. We are
tense. It takes a strong personality to fill that role. firing on all cylinders, The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead! is great, and
MD: As a drummer who really has his business together and has been the band is super tight. James LoMenzo is back playing bass, Kiko is
around for a while, can you give young drummers some business awesome, and Dave sounds fantastic. We are really bringing it every
advice? night.
DV: Outside of being the best on your instrument that you can be, MD: And the drummer is absolutely killing it!!!
which is (as we know) a lifelong mission, and being easy to get along DV: Thanks. I am super proud to be a part of Megadeth.
with, I think it’s really important to be a good listener. You have to

64 Modern Drummer September 2022

new! Now I n c luded in 

DC Mem b ershi p

GROW with the

elements of drumming
...E XP ER I ENCE IS T HE B E ST T EACHER!

f u n d a m e n ta l s rudiments of the g r o o v e s , b e at s , LEARN HOW TO

of drumming drum set & fills P L AY M U S I C I A L LY

Chad Wacktrmane’ Thomas Lange’ Grtgg Bissonttte’ TtrrÔ BoÓÓioe’

DRUM ROOM DRUM UNI~ERSE DRUM SCHOOL ART OF DRUMMING

$197 $‰97 $1‰7 $197

INCLUDED INCLUDED INCLUDED INCLUDED

F eaturing AWARD - W I NN I NG DRUMM I NG I N ST RUC T OR S these sequential

courses are now included with D rum C hannel membership.

G uaranteed to ta(e your playing F ROM GOOD T O GREAT.

GET 30% OFF WITH FOR LESSONS AND ENTERTAINMENT

PROMO CODE: MD30 DISCOVER DRUMCHANNEL.COM
September 2022 Modern Drummer 65
 The Daru Sessions
David Swanson

66 Modern Drummer September 2022

Vol.2 Influences
and Hip Hop
Drumming
By Mark Griffith

Daru Jones and I have returned with the second

episode of The Daru Sessions. Daru Jones has just
released a record called Daru Jones Play the Breaks
(Live at Layman.) On it, he plays 25 grooves that he
has recorded with other artists, and he explains their
origins. The project comes with a book that has an
introduction by the legendary Breakbeat Lou. It is a
perfect source to create loops of Daru’s drumming.
Daru just released another project with producer
Kev Brown called A Daru State of Mind featuring
Eddie Sancho. Like Daru Jones Play the Breaks (Live
at Layman,) this is also an entire recording of classic
Daru beats and grooves. These records feature some
great drumming. Some of the beats are sideways,
some are straight up and down, but they all have that
Daru “swag” that makes them special. All of Daru’s
various drum influences come through on these
records. This time around I wanted to see if Daru
could dive a little deeper into his many musical and
drumming influences.
MD: You ended our last conversation by saying, “I am still
learning and developing, but I think that I have developed
a noticeable drumming identity and voice.” It’s interesting
to hear you say that a drummer like yourself in your early
forties, you feel like you are still continuing to further
your voice and identity on the drums. I run across young
drummers every day who are 15 or 18 years old who say they
are finding “their voice” and identity on the drums. Can you

September 2022 Modern Drummer 67

 speak to your process of developing your own voice on the drums? gospel music. I don’t mean “fusion gospel,” and this was before
DJ: A lot of younger drummers are doing things and playing ideas “Gospel Chops.” I’m talking Andre Crouch with drummer Bill Maxwell
that have already been played, but because they haven’t done vibe. He’s one of my favorite drummers. I still listen to all of the
their homework, they don’t realize that what they think is new, has Winans records that he did, all of the Andre Crouch records that he
already been done. They think they have developed “their did. Bill Maxwell is a genius in my eyes, he’s really special.
thing” but they are playing MD: Have you ever heard him on the Koinonia records, it’s groove
something because they heaven!
already heard it somewhere. DJ: Dana Davis was one of my biggest gospel influences from
MD: Yes, but it is pretty hard to Detroit, and he was the Winans touring drummer. We Also become
put the pressure on yourself to good friends. He would always tell me
always be playing “something about Bill. Although Dana was always
new.” playing New-Jack Swing in church, he
DJ: I agree, but if you widen always had an island sound or influence in
your influences and your his playing, and I think Bill does too.
sounds, you will come up with There was another drummer named Michael
new combinations of things Williams who played with Commissioned.
that already exist. For example, That was the group that Fred Hammond was
I can take something that has in, and then Fred went solo and started his
already been played by one of our heroes, and leave own group with…
a few notes out. Or I can play an idea that someone MD: Marvin McQuitty!
else has played, but play it on my different drumset. If DJ: I was crushed when Marvin died.
I do those things, the identity of the vocabulary with MD: That was right when the “Gospel Chops”
become mine. thing began to take off, and he just never
MD: How were you influenced by the older R&B drummers? seemed to get the appreciation that he deserved because he had
DJ: I really dug the intention that they played with. You could hear died. But he was an amazing drummer.
every little note that those guys played. Whether it was a little ruff MD: Did the “Gospel Chops” approach have a strong influence on your
in the groove, or some ghost notes in a fill. They were very clear playing?
with what they were playing, and how they played. They also DJ: I always want my, for lack of a better term, “real” Gospel roots to
taught us how important come through in anything that
repetition is in groove. I play. To me that means letting
Those guys were human the true spirit of playing from
loops. Every bar was the within, and letting the creator
consistent and very similar. come into me and use me as a
Their beats felt so good, vessel to uplift, spread joy, and
but they were wonderfully connect with people. The Gospel
repetitious, which is what attitude of “say what you mean
helped make the music and mean what you say” is a big
groove. Listen to a couple of part of my playing. But the way
the greatest grooves ever, the Gospel Chops guys would
Clyde Stubblefield’s “Funky just go for it did influence me
Drummer” and Bernard too. But it was more from the
Purdie’s “Purdie Shuffle.” “go for it” attitude of “how” they
Those guys don’t add that played, more-so that “what” they
much to each bar when they played.
play those grooves, but that There is another drummer
repetition is infectious and from that same style that never
funky. got the attention he deserved
MD: Did you ever listen to named LaDell Abrams. LaDell
James Gadson? played with John P. Kee and
DJ: He’s a little different. He Usher, and he later played with
would move notes around Cece Winans. The drummer that
to coincide and stay out of played with the Indiana State
David Swanson

the way of the lyrics. When I Mass Choir is named Kenny

worked with producer Pete Phelps, and I love his playing.
Rock, he wanted me to do He was probably the first Gospel
that. Pete liked when you drummer that I heard playing
would create variations on with a double bass drum pedal.
the groove to compliment It sucks that guys like Bill, Marvin,
the lyrics. Dana, LaDell, and Eddie Heyward
MD: You had mentioned gospel music in a previous interview that and Jeff Davis who both played with Hezekiah Walker kind of got
we did. What gospel music did you grow up hearing? overlooked from a certain standpoint. They are some of Gospel’s
DJ: Chris Coleman and I came up together we grew up playing biggest drumming influences that also had an impact on me as well.

68 Modern Drummer September 2022

MD: I don’t know why some drummers have become more famous Welcome To Detroit, Ruff Draft, De La Soul Stakes is High, Tribe
and more well-known, and some drummers haven’t. Called Quest Find My Way, and the Busta Rhymes stuff is killin! You
DJ: Maybe those drummers I mentioned didn’t have an interest mentioned Donuts, that was the first project that he did with purely
in industry-wide recognition. One thing that any young drummer samples and loops, there was no additional drums on Donuts. But
can do is to go to the NAMM and PASIC conventions. People get every time I listen to Slum Village, it sounds like it was released
comfortable playing in their own environments, but (in my opionion) yesterday.
you have to keep expanding. It’s always a great idea to meet people MD: If we are talking about rap and hip-hop drumming, and guys that
face to face and shake their hands. There are a lot of drummers who died young, and guys that have gone virtually unnoticed, I have to
haven’t paid a lot of dues, but they have gone to these conventions ask you if you are hip to Pumpkin?
and shaken some hands, so they wind up getting more attention and DJ: Wow, I just recently learned about Pumpkin, he was one of, or
the spotlights. maybe the original, hip-hop drummer. I have a band with guitarist
MD: Speaking of drummers Marcus Machado and
that haven’t gotten Doug Wimbish the
enough attention, I want bassist from Living
to ask you about J. Dilla. Color called DMD The
You came in as the Slum Vibes, and Marcus
Village drummer for their and Pumpkin are first
live band, and they were cousins. Marcus told
a group that J. Dilla was me that Pumpkin was
producing and creating the playing mostly Simmons
beats. I have always dug drums on a lot of the
J Dilla’s “thing,” but I don’t old Sugar Hill Gang
know much about him. Tell and Grandmaster Flash
me about Dilla? records.
DJ: J Dilla was a great MD: He does have a
drummer. He wasn’t the record out of his own,
most technical drummer, but if you want to talk
David Swanson

but he could play enough about OG of hip-hop

to compose and produce, drumming, Pumpkin
and he had an identity. He is it. Unfortunately,
became known for those he died a while back,
drunken sounding, glitchy and no one has really
drum beats and patterns. championed him, so he
Back in the day when is a little forgotten. The
drummers like Bernard Purdie were playing and they would get a only thing that I could ever found out about him was that the springs
little sideways because something got a little messed up. I believe on his bass drum pedal were so stiff and tight that you could almost
that was the stuff that inspired Dilla, and he started to try to play like stand on it without it moving. He has a record out and on the cover
that. I’m guessing that when he programmed things, he wouldn’t of the record he is playing a big Pearl bass drum, what looks to be 13”
want to quantize them, and he started to try and actually play very and 14” Gretsch Toms, and what looks to be an 18” floor tom
un-quantized. He would actually practice that stuff. DJ: I just want people to know that when they hear me play, I’m
From what I have heard when he would sample, he would sample bringing a small piece of influence of all of these drumming greats
anything and make music out of it. But when he sampled music that to the table with me: John Bonham, Bill Maxwell, Clyde Stubblefield,
was identifiable, he would cut it up and manipulate it so much, that it Stewart Copeland, Dana Davis, Vinnie Colaiuta, ?uestlove, J Dilla and
became un-identifiable. Then there was his stuttering drum patterns. more, along with my own gospel roots and original vibe.. Those guys
Other producers did this stuff too, but Dilla took it to the next level, are a part of my drumming DNA. When people don’t talk about their
and it became his musical identity. influences and who inspired them, they just aren’t being truthful.
All of the groups that were part of the “Boom Bap 90s” like De MD: When you are playing live hip-hop drums these days, are you
La Soul, Common, A Tribe Called Quest, and Busta Rhymes were all using your traditional kit?
influenced by J Dilla. He wound up producing a lot of those groups, DJ: I just got some of the new Paiste flats and I love them. I had never
but just when that started getting big, he died at the age of 32 from played a flat ride, then I played them at PASIC and thought that was
Lupus. He was truly ahead of his time. a sound that I could really use in my set-up, and I love it. I was using
Dilla’s influential style was passed along to Detroit’s Kareem a 22” Dark Energy for a while, but it was a little too dark, but the
Riggins, who is killin’ and he is carrying the torch. When I was playing brightness of the new flat will be a nice contrast to my other rides,
with Slum Village I had been a fan of Dilla’s production’s, and that and I am going to put some miles on the new flat.
made it easier for me to absorb his approach. You know, the “You are MD: It makes sense that a flat could work in a hip-hop setting. They
what you eat” type of thing. I couldn’t write it down, and I don’t even won’t wash out the vocals. I really love how it sounds when you lay
know if I could explain it, I just heard it all of the time, and I was forced into and crash a flat too.
to figure it out. No YouTube, no books, just listen and figure it out. DJ: That’s a really funky sound, I agree.
MD: What are some of the best J Dilla recordings to check out. I have MD: I’ve heard that the next time that we talk we can talk about some
had my copy of Donuts for a long time, and I’m ready for something other new equipment that you are using too.
new? DJ: Maybe....
DJ: Slum Village Fantastic Vol. 1 and 2, his own projects called

September 2022 Modern Drummer 69

 Joe Franco Double Bass Drum
Renaissance Man
By Mark Griffith
Cheryl Smith

70 Modern Drummer September 2022

T his year is the 40th Anniversary of one of the best drum books ever written, Joe
Franco’s Double Bass Drumming. In 1964 Colin Bailey published Bass Drum Control.
That was the first book that dealt with the subject of playing the bass drum, bass drum
control, and speed. It is a legendary book written by a legendary teacher. By 1982 a
musical change was happening. Jazz drummers like Louie Bellson, Ed Shaugnessy and
Dave Black, and rock drummers like Ginger Baker, Carmine Appice, and Aynsley Dunbar
had all started to utilize two bass drums and had started to create a new vocabulary
for what was being called “double bass drumming.” At the time, drummers were using
Bailey’s book for developing their double bass drumming. Louie Bellson had written a
book on double bass drums, but there were no books that dealt specifically with the
powerful sound of double bass drums in rock music. Carmine Appice’s book Realistic
Rock had a short section on double bass drumming. It was a fantastic primer that laid
the groundwork for how Baker and Appice were playing with two bass drums. Carmine
had also started to develop a concept of how to develop new beats and a specific
double bass drum vocabulary.
With the inspiration of the aforementioned drummers and books, drummers started
to take the new idea of double bass drumming very seriously. But there was a need
for a good book to support and nurture this new approach in drumming, and 40 years
ago, Joe Franco filled that need.
Joe Franco is a New York City drummer that has made a name for himself
playing with The Good Rats, Chilliwack, Fiona, Doro Pesch, Leslie West, Jack Bruce,
Widowmaker, Steve Walsh, Magellan and Twisted Sister.
Joe Franco’s book Double Bass Drumming is the most important book
in developing a strong concept in double bass drumming. His approach
(called The Single Stroke System) brought power, control, and a new
vocabulary to double bass drumming. And today, 40 years later,
Joe’s book is still teaching and inspiring drummers to play double
bass drums. Modern Drummer has been sharing some of Joe’s most
important concepts from the book. And in upcoming months, Joe
is going to show us some new ways to apply and work through the
book, as well as some new double bass drum lessons. But before we
do that, we wanted to re-introduce Joe Franco to the younger world
of drumming, because (as you will read) he has had a very interesting
and successful career. However, it is a career that (throughout the
last 20 years,) has not had him on the front pages of drumming magazines. But that
doesn’t mean that he hasn’t been out there working, making music, teaching, playing
in front of big crowds, and inspiring musicians. Joe Franco is a truly renaissance
drummer and musician.

MD: I must admit, that since your book and New York version of that scene with The Rascals,
success with the various rock bands, I have Vanilla Fudge, and The Vagrants (Leslie West’s
lost track of your career. When I watched you first band). The difference was that those bands
on the Modern Drummer Podcast with John were from my area, and the guys were local
DeChristopher I had no idea what you had been and approachable. Dino was a cooler version of
doing for the last 30 years. Ringo, and he played at my high school. Carmine
JF: I’ve had a very interesting career and being was Dino on steroids and I saw his very first drum
a drummer has led to everything else in my life. clinic in Hempstead, Long Island. I’d never seen
You begin as a young drummer in a bar band, that kind of power on a drum kit from up close,
and that (hopefully) leads to other things. and I was blown away. I asked him if he taught,
MD: In your case it has led to many other things! and he gave me his number, so I started taking
JF: Indeed! My musical beginnings were like lessons with him while he was writing Realistic
most musicians my age. Seeing the Beatles on Rock. Carmine’s influence really stayed with me
Ed Sullivan, then the British Invasion bands. and inspired me to write Double Bass Drumming
Soon after I became very influenced by the local ten years later. I was impressed seeing a “Rock

September 2022 Modern Drummer 71

 Star” putting tons of energy
towards education through his
clinics and lessons. Carmine
noticed that my left foot was
lazy, so he suggested playing
time with my left foot on the
hi hat to build strength and
coordination. My left foot
started “dancing” and when I
started playing double bass,
I played the way that Ginger
and Carmine did. I took my
left foot which was pumping
eighth notes on my hi hat and
moved it to my left bass drum.
No matter what I was playing
(a duple feel or a triple feel,)
my left foot always either kept
time on the hi hat or led my
double bass rolls and shuffles.
I did that for ten years from
1972 until 1982. At the time my

Steve Pace
band, Good Rats were opening
for bands with cool double
bass drummers from Rush with
Neil to Journey with Aynsley
and Steve and I had a bird’s guitar where you have down strums and up strums.
eye view of their playing. At the time, late 70’s, whenever the Rats MD: That might seem a little “obvious” to drummers today.
weren’t touring, we were mainstays in the thriving NY club scene. JF: Yes, but at the time it was different from how everyone was
In the early 80’s that club scene changed for lots of reasons, and I playing double bass. Seasoned drummers were comfortable playing
saw the writing on the wall, so I took a touring gig with a successful time with their hi hat foot and adopted the approach of moving
Canadian band, Chilliwack. After I came home from that tour in the hi hat foot to the left bass drum. As I said, that’s how Ginger,
December 1982, it was the first time in ten years I wasn’t constantly Carmine, and Aynsley Dunbar played, so my concept of The Single
gigging, and I decided to write a drum book. Stroke System was a new thing at the time. When I started teaching
At the time, I had
developed fast double bass
drum rolls and shuffles.
Audiences were impressed,
but I wanted to do more. I
wanted to do something
different with my bass drums,
something more musical.
Playing fast sixteenth notes
was cool but I wanted to play
patterns and wanted to have
an organized way of playing
the patterns so my ideas went
directly to my limbs without
having to use my brain. That’s
why I developed the Single
Stroke System.
MD: So what is the Single
Stroke System?
JF: The Single Stroke System
is a simple concept. You lead
with your right (or main) foot
on the down beats, so you
play downbeats with the right
Cheryl Smith

foot and upbeats with the left.

The body stays in motion, and
everything sounds fluid. It’s
very much like strumming a

72 Modern Drummer September 2022

this system to beginners, it was totally “obvious” to lead with their writing the book, I talked to every double bass drummer and picked
main bass drum. their brains. I remember approaching Terry Bozzio at a PAS show and
In the book I have different rhythmic patterns in the first section, asked him why he led rolls with his left foot and if it bothered him
I have a linear section, and then I have a third section based on to have to crash at the end of a phrase with his left foot. He thought
playing a bass drum roll and being able to coordinate your hands to about it for a second and said, “No it doesn’t bother me as I just play
play accents and different permutations of singles and doubles over a double right at the end of the phrase and still crash and play with
the bass drum roll. my right bass drum.” Ha!
With this system, you can take notes out of patterns to create Recently, I’ve been listening to a few European metal bands like
different grooves. But what’s important is that if a note is left out, Soen and Gojira, and those guys are doing exactly what I envisioned
the footing doesn’t change. For example, in a sixteenth note roll, drummers doing when I wrote my book. I’m really digging Soen’s
if you leave out beat three (that would be played with the right new record Imperial, it’s like Pink Floyd meets Tool, they’re a cool
foot) the next note that you play is still a left. Picture a blackboard band.
where you have RLRL RLRL RLRL RLRL for all of the sixteenth notes MD: What were your original double bass drumming influences?
in a bar. If you erase any note, the footing still stays the same. That JF: When I first started playing, I wasn’t aware of Louie Bellson, who
is the subtractive way of thinking. But you can also think of an is usually credited as the first double bass drummer. I heard Cream’s
additive approach. If you start with the right foot playing 1& and 3&, “Toad,” and that’s what did it for me. I noticed that Ginger had two

Steve Pace

then play the e’s and a’s of 1 and 3 you get an embellished groove, different pitches happening in his bass drum roll.
but the main kick drum still plays 1& and 3&. All of this works and MD: Because he had the two different sized bass drums.
sounds fluid because your body stays in constant motion JF: Yup, the 22” on the left and the 20” on the right. However, the first
MD: And it sounds musical. Which is sometimes a downfall of time I heard “Toad” on Fresh Cream, I didn’t even know it was double
double bass drumming. bass, I thought he was playing a roll between his floor tom and kick,
JF: Yes, and one of my favorite things about this system is when you so I practiced playing a sixteenth note roll with my right hand on
come out of a linear fill, you’re set up to crash on the downbeat with my floor tom playing the down beats, and my right foot on my bass
your right hand and right foot together. drum playing the up beats. I had that down!!! Then I saw a picture
MD: So simply put, if you start out by playing RLRL sixteenth notes, of Cream, and I saw the two bass drums, and it blew my mind. Two
no matter what notes you leave out the sticking stays the same. bass drums hadn’t even occurred to me.
JF: That’s it. In the early 1900’s, there was a guy who taught sticking Then I watched Brits like Michael Giles, Barriemore Barlow, and
this way named Ed Straight. He was a founding member of NARD Jon Hiseman. Eventually I saw Terry Bozzio with Zappa and was
(The National Association of Rudimental Drummers). He developed blown away. Then (of course) Billy Cobham with “Quadrant 4,” and
what he called the “Straight System” of sticking and called it “a Simon Phillips with “Space Boogie.” I was hooked!
natural way to play the drums.” When I did some research while What’s interesting is that at the time I wrote my book, if I only

September 2022 Modern Drummer 73

 wrote about what I was playing on
double bass at the time, the entire book
would only be the third part, which is
soloing over the double bass roll. That’s
what I developed first, and (as I said)
impressed audiences. But I wanted to
explore a little more. I started teaching
and while teaching, I developed
concepts that were more musical.
That’s where the Single Stroke System
came from. While I was exploring these
concepts, I was trying them out with
students.
MD: That is such an important aspect
to a great book. The fact that you were
teaching these ideas while you were
writing the book. I believe that is how
ALL of the greatest drum books have
evolved. A great drummer teaches,
and through teaching, he devises his
own processes and concepts, and then
he puts them into a book. It shouldn’t
happen in reverse. Can you talk about
the importance of your teaching on the
book?
JF: Teaching was an important part of
the process as I was teaching concepts
as I was developing them and getting
feedback from my students was

Steve Pace
rewarding and assuring.
MD: I always like to ask drummers who
teach about their old students. Do any of
your old students stick out in your mind?
JF: I have a student who I started
teaching when he was 15 named John JF: Well, I did a lot of programming in the late 80s. I had already
Macaluso. He played with TNT and Yngwie Malmsteen, and he’s done some programming for offshoot projects for the TV show
a killer drummer with a brilliant imagination. He studied with me Sesame Street. There was a new Sesame Street type of show in the
while I was writing the book. Greg D’Angelo from White Lion was late 90’s called Between the Lions which had a bunch of former
studying with me when he was a teenager as well. John Tempesta Sesame producers and writers. They were putting a band together
reminded me that he took a lesson with me way back. I didn’t for the show and invited me to play drums. I had just put together
remember but we’re now buds. He’s such a great rocker! my studio, Beatstreet and asked if they’d consider recording me
The teacher student relationship is very personal. I’m proud of there as I was always mic’d up and ready to rock. They came to see
many of my former students. Some of them are still my best friends, my studio and said they’d love to record the music for the show
much like the relationship I had and still have with Carmine. He used there. That led to even more work for children’s TV and since then,
to take me out to clubs to see jazz drummers like Roy Haynes, and the studio has tripled in size. We do a lot of work for Nickelodeon
then I did the same thing with my students, and today hopefully the and Sesame Workshop. But now it’s not just music, we do sound
tradition continues. So many drummers would come to New York design, foley work, 5.1 mixing and all things audio. But again, how
and just take a lesson or two with me to see what my double bass did it start? It started 25 years ago with me being asked to play
drum thing was about, in the same way that I took some lessons drums for a kid’s TV show.
with Tony Williams. I knew that no matter what happened in the MD: It’s so interesting to see how careers develop. Your main
lesson, I’d come out inspired! focus has gone from playing in hard rock bands, to teaching and
MD: I know there were others, but I think it’s nice to see how publishing a book on double bass drumming, to programming, to
drummers like Carmine really created the template for guys like you owning a studio, to kids TV, and then back to playing in hard rock
and I and many others. Working drummers who do some teaching, bands.
develop some concepts while teaching, write a book or two that JF: Yup, in my mind, I’m still a hard rock drummer. One of my favorite
describe those concepts, keep working as musicians, do some bands I played in was Widowmaker. Dee Snider asked me to play in
clinics, and develop entire careers emanating from the drums. Widowmaker after I played with Twisted Sister. However, because
JF: I agree and like I said, being a drummer led to everything else it took five years to get going, music tastes had moved on and we
in my life. I met my wife 30 years ago on a session that she was were playing 80’s music in the grunge 90s so the band never took
producing. My “second career” in audio for television started when I off.
wasChris Coleman
asked to play drums for a children’s TV show. One of the coolest experiences of my career was with Leslie West
MD: Let’s talk about that interesting twist in your drumming career. and Jack Bruce. That was probably the record I played on that I’m

74 Modern Drummer September 2022

the proudest of, (for obvious reasons.) While we were recording JF: You would like to think that you are in control of your career but
the album, we got a phone call from a theater in Poughkeepsie NY you’re not. The phone rings and you try to seize every opportunity.
called The Chance. A band had cancelled last minute on them, and I’m lucky to have grown up in NYC where there were opportunities
they were wondering if we would come up and fill in for that night’s galore.
show. Jack and Leslie agreed, and I was on cloud nine! Before I knew MD: You just mentioned living in New York City, how much has that
it, we were in the dressing room and Jack was writing out a set list contributed to your career and education in music?
on a paper plate. That was one of my happiest days as a drummer. JF: When I was young, I lived at the Fillmore East, I saw Hendrix
Thankfully, they recorded the whole show, and parts of that show there, I saw Jethro Tull, Procol Harum and Traffic two or three times
have surfaced in many forms. a year. You couldn’t do that anywhere else except perhaps San
MD: You mentioned that you had started doing a lot of Francisco or Los Angeles. We used to have a routine where we’d go
programming at one point. to the early show at the Fillmore, and then go around the corner to
JF: Yeah, in the mid 80’s, studio work was slowing down as drum The Electric Circus. It seemed like this band called Sly and The Family
machines were becoming the norm. I detested their whole existence Stone was playing there every other week. They would play covers
(like everybody else.) I hated the original Linn Drum but when the of the old R&B classics, I thought they were a local band. This was
EMU SP-12 came out it really changed my life. With the SP-12, you way before “Dance To the Music.” They had records out before that
were able to personalize the machine with your own sounds. Then was a hit.
with the evolution of samplers, I started sampling a ton of hi hat MD: That was probably around A Whole New Thing, and the tune
sounds and played them on an Octapad and eventually, a Drumkat. “Underdog.” Virgil Donati
My hi hat sampling and programming made drum tracks sound JF: Yup, “Underdog” a great tune! Gregg Errico was playing drums,
very realistic, and that caught the ear of a producer named Ric they were amazing. I found out later that they were from San
Wake, which led me to do programming for records by Taylor Dayne, Francisco. The Electric Circus would bring all these great bands in:
Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Diana Ross, all the divas! Meanwhile, in Sly, Deep Purple, James Gang, Alice Cooper.
the rock world Mutt Lange was creating humongous drum sounds MD: You mentioned Jethro Tull, was that with Barrimore Barlow or
on all those Def Leppard records, and everyone wanted their drums Clive Bunker?
to sound like that. By then, I was way into the electronic thing, so JF: Clive Bunker was their drummer in the Fillmore days. The
I started getting gigs replacing drum sounds. At the time, I was four records that he played on were my musical formative years.
in Twisted Sister, then Widowmaker playing metal while I was Barrimore came later when they were playing big venues like
programming drum parts for the pop divas and replacing drum Madison Square Garden.
sounds on rock records. It was a busy time. MD: I don’t know much about Clive Bunker, tell me something about
MD: Were you in Twisted Sister before or after AJ Pero? seeing him.
JF: I was in Twisted Sister after AJ and I miss him dearly, he was a JF: He was a little like Mitch Mitchell, he was a jazzer. You can hear
good friend. All the guys in Twisted Sister are still close friends of the beginning of Clive playing double bass on Benefit. Both he and
mine. Mitch played double bass for a bit, that was Ginger’s influence,
MD: AJ and I met later in his career, and his humanity made a huge but it wasn’t really their thing. In fact, I remember Ian Anderson
impression on me, he was a GREAT guy, I learned a lot from him. It’s introducing Clive at the Fillmore after a drum solo when he first
always fascinating to see how careers in music develop. added a 2nd bass drum as “that’s Clive Bunker on his Ginger

Steve Pace

September 2022 Modern Drummer 75

 Baker drum kit”. So back to your question. Yes, New York was very Immortality is amazing. Killer playing and what a drum sound! I
important because you could see everybody, but also because you would put it up there with Spectrum and Believe It, it’s that good!
could study with everybody. MD: So what were lessons with Tony like?
MD: You had mentioned studying with Tony Williams, how did that JF: We sat down with a pad between us. He asked me to play some
come about? on the pad. I was probably playing with my pinky’s out, and he
JF: Tony Williams used to put an ad in the Village Voice advertising stopped me and said, “You gotta play with your hands!” He got me
for drum lessons. I simply called and booked a couple of lessons. to grip the sticks with my last two fingers. He told me, “That’s where
During lessons, I couldn’t help but notice all the vinyl hanging the fulcrum is, forget about your front fingers.” I recently saw a video
around and at the top of the stack were The Ramones and Pink of him giving a clinic in Dallas on YouTube, and he was talking about
Floyd. This was 1973, and Tony Williams was listening to The the same stuff.
Ramones, how cool is that?!? MD: Before you wrote your book and were teaching, were you
Let me back up a bit. In my high school years, Cream and the thinking of double bass drumming as a separate entity or was it just
Jimi Hendrix Experience were a religion. After they both broke up, a part of what you did. Because you eventually became the “double
I followed the players. When Cream broke up, Jack Bruce started bass drumming” guy?
Steve Pace

playing with this guy, “Tony Williams.” I didn’t know who Tony was, JF: It was always a part of what I did, but when the book came out
I wasn’t listening to Miles Davis at the time. But I went out and and I started doing drum clinics, it became a predominant part
bought Tony’s Turn it Over because Jack Bruce was on it. As soon of what I did. I love talking and teaching double bass. Most of the
as I heard the first tune on the second side in 6/8, my mind was clinics and drum shows I’ve done, I talk about double bass. I also like
blown. I immediately started checking out all the jazz-rock guys like talking about phrasing as I’m a math nerd and like exploring the
Alphonse Mouzon, Billy Cobham, Lenny White and Narada Michael ways you can mix up groupings of notes in a measure or in multiple
Walden throughout the 70s. This was also around the time that Tony measures.
was putting the New Lifetime together with Holdsworth. I have MD: You mentioned some of the Brits, how into them were you at
always been a sonics guy and love great sounding records. When the time?
Tony put out Believe It, with the 24” kick, he sounded huge. Ditto for JF: Michael Giles really caught my ear. Both Bruford and Peart gave
Billy on Spectrum with Ken Scott engineering. Both of those albums Michael Giles a lot of credit for his inspiration. His approach to drum
blew me away. For me it was about the drumming and the sonics. parts on the first King Crimson album is legendary. He did a cool
Speaking of Narada and sonics, I have to say that his newest record record with Ian MacDonald called MacDonald and Giles and it had a

76 Modern Drummer September 2022

song called “Turnham Green.” recovering from surgeries, I started taking stick technique lessons
MD: I LOVE that record! with Bill Bachman.
JF: So do I! Giles played cool double bass patterns as opposed to just MD: How has the process with Bill gone, and where and why did it
playing rolls. start?
MD: I ‘think” he might have used two different size bass drums too. JF: I had a bit of tendonitis on the top of my left wrist, and I read an
JF: I’m not sure, it’s possible. article in Modern Drummer that Bill wrote on the topic, so I looked
MD: Aside from you, were there any other drummers at the time him up. He has changed my grip from a very palms down German
who were leading with their right foot when playing double bass grip to a sort of American grip where my thumbs are halfway
drums. between French (thumbs up,) and German (palms down.) Now I
JF: Yes, Steve Smith. Good Rats used to open for Journey when can practice for 3 hours, and my butt hurts before my hands do.
Aynsley was in the band a lot. When Steve joined the band, we were Bill is a really good teacher. After going through his Extreme Hands
still doing openers for Journey, and he and I really bonded. Steve Makeover, he got me into hybrid rudiments. I’ve also been going
was ditching the tradition of left foot lead and showed me how he through Steve Gadd’s Gaddiments, which is a challenging book.
was using the Colin Bailey book to work on his right foot lead. He MD: Did your hip issues come from drumming?
interpreted that book for his linear stuff. I tried talking to as many JF: I’m pretty sure they did. I used to sit 20 inches off the ground,
double bass players as I could, and Steve was the only cat I knew and that’s too low. I’m now sitting higher now with my butt higher
who was playing right foot lead. These days so many drummers are than my kneecaps.
playing doubles and Stick Control patterns with their feet, which is MD: It’s strange, as drummers we are always concerned with our
amazing. I gotta say I’m totally old school when it comes to double hands, backs, and rotator cuffs, but no one really ever mentions hips.
bass. I keep it simple and I like to
move air!
MD: How do you tune and muffle to
get more air moving?
JF: I tune medium tension and use
the DW adjustable pillows that
lightly touch each of the heads. I also
use two holes in each front head to
get a little more air moving.
I’ve been playing DW drums for
20 years or so. When I started doing
the TV shows I had to lose my 24’s
as I needed a more versatile kit. So
DW and I put together a kit that I
could use on either a metal gig or
a children’s TV show recording by
simply changing the snare. I can use
this same DW kit consisting of 10,
13, 15, 18 toms and two 22 kicks for
everything. For the rock gigs I use a
5.5 Edge snare, and for the TV gigs
Steve Pace

I use a 13 x 4” Aluminum snare. The

13” snare really sits nicely in a mix,
and the Edge takes over a mix! I love
these tom sizes as I can tune them
in fourths. I like the spread between
the 10 and 13 and with the 15” floor tom, the 18 is an inch closer. The But I know quite a few drummers who have had hip issues and hip
15 is a great sounding floor tom. replacements.
MD: I agree, I love 15” floor toms, they should be a standard. JF: It’s an issue, I’m glad I got mine fixed, I feel great now.
JF: When we discussed the drum sizes, I didn’t think I would like MD: Did you ever think about writing a second book on double bass
the 15, so DW made me both a 15 and a 16. Scott Garrison told me drumming?
that after I tried the 15, I would never use the 16. He nailed it! The JF: Yes, I started a Volume 2 but then things got busy so when I did
first time I had a 15” tom was in the early 70’s and it was a rack tom. my Double Bass Drumming Video, I took the ideas that would have
I had a Ludwig Maple kit in the 70s that was a 26, 15, 16, 18. I then been in Volume 2, like sextuplets, thirty-second notes, 3 & 4 Stroke
switched to 18 and 20 floor toms, making the kit 26, 15,18, 20. ruffs and put them there so the video covers some cool concepts
MD: DAMN! Talk about moving air! that aren’t in the book.
JF: Ha! Those Ludwig Maples were great drums with nice thin MD: I use it today to teach double bass drums, and I can’t find a
shells. My DW’s actually sound very similar to them, I still have the better book to help people develop their double bass drum sound,
Ludwig’s. Eventually I traded in the 26 for two 24s. power, and control.
MD: How is your body holding up after a lifetime of drumming? JF: Thank You! And thanks for celebrating the 40th anniversary of
JF: Well…I had issues with both hips recently but thanks to modern the book with this interview. I’m proud of the book and can’t believe
technology and titanium, I’m back on my feet. This all happened it’s been 40 years!
over the pandemic, so I guess it was timely. During my down time

September 2022 Modern Drummer 77

 Elizabeth Lang:
THE BIG DRUM BONANZA By Mark Griffith

On September 22nd through 25th

Champion Sight and Sound Studios in
Los Angeles will try to contain
The Big Drum Bonanza. “BDB” is
a multi-day drum camp event that
started in 2010. It features a different
group of drum instructors every year,
and this year boasts a stellar list of
established pros and new-comers
including Simon Phillips, Kenny
Aronoff, Russ Miller, Nate Morton,
Jotan Afandor, and Sarah Thawer.
However, what really makes the Big
Drum Bonanza really special and stand Elizabeth Lang and Aqulies Priester
apart from anything else that’s out there, they are actually playing along. That creates this wonderful
there (in terms master classes and team environment. That single aspect of this camp makes a huge
impact on learning, participation, and enjoyment. Everyone is
players camps,) is that this is the only working together, making their own mistakes together, and learning
together.
one that each student-member in I think it’s very typical for people in a one-on-one environment to
feel a little stressed or anxious if you’re not doing things correctly.
the camp has his own practice drum But all of that just melts away in a group setting, because you’re
set to use during classes. We talked just right there playing along fearlessly with the group. It’s like
singing along to the radio in your car. You can sing along all day,
to producer and host Elizabeth Lang but the second the music stops and it’s just you all alone, you get
very self-conscious and stop. In the environment of the Big Drum
about the history of The Big Drum Bonanza, you are never playing alone, and that’s exciting! At the
BDB you are not stagnant, you aren’t sitting and just listening.
Bonanza and what sets it apart from There’s just no substitute for that kind of learning, teamwork, and
the rest. spirit. It’s inspiring and it lifts everyone up. We’ve been doing this
camp for so long, it’s been incredible for me to see people that have
MD: Congratulations on your 10th year of the Big Drum Bonanza, attended our camp have remained friends and have gone on to
we’re glad to see that you made it through the obstacle of COVID. build professional drumming careers.
Where are you doing the camp this year? MD: Who attends your camps?
EL: This year we are going to be at Champion Sight and Sound EL: We’ve had everybody from the very young, to people who are
Studios in Los Angeles. That is an incredible recording facility, thinking about going on to study music at a university, to people
we’ve got a huge room, we’ve got a big space, and everybody has who are playing in bands, to older people who have played drums
their own practice kits so when our instructors are teaching their their whole life and this is their yearly getaway. In those cases,
lessons everything is truly hands on. The students aren’t just sitting sometimes people bring their families, and the family sightsees
while they participate in the camp. It’s a unique blend of destination

78 Modern Drummer September 2022

tourism, education, and a musical event. It’s
not called a bonanza for nothing! However,
we do ask that no one attends the camp
that has no experience playing drums, you
should have some level of learning on the
instrument to attend. But we do encourage
spouse and parents to come and stay with
their family members, that’s fine.
MD: Have you had any students who have
gone on to find big success in building
their careers?
EL: JD Beck, who is playing with Anderson
Paak, was one of our attendees at our first
camp. It’s really exciting to see what he
has done. He was really young when he
attended, and he was focused like a tiger
the entire time.
I have seen this camp literally change
people’s lives. We had to take two years
off for COVID, but it’s so great to be back.
It’s fun to create a different team and
a new experience every year. I enjoy
helping people reinvigorate their love
for playing music.
MD: You can’t ask for more than that. Who is on the
team this year?
EL: Simon Phillips, Kenny Aronoff, Jotan Afandor, Sarah
Thawer, Russ Miller, Nate Morton, and a few more to
be announced.
MD: You have had some great teachers in the past.
EL: The list of teachers that we have had is amazing:
Virgil Donati, Thomas Lang, Stanton Moore, Jeff
Hamilton, Tony Royster Jr., Jim Keltner, Chad
Wackerman, Aquiles Priester, Matt Garstka, Gergo
Borlai, Derek Roddy, Dave Elitch, Chris Coleman has
done our camp several times, the list goes on and on.
We really try to bring in people that have something
a little different to offer. We try to vary the skill sets
and ages of the instructors, so there is something for
everybody. One of the most exciting things for me is
when someone comes to learn from a specific person,
and they wind up learning a lot from someone else
that they previously didn’t know much about.
MD: How many people can attend, is there a cap to
the attendance?
EL: Yes, we try and keep it small, this year we can
take 35 people. We have a bigger space this year,
but everyone has to have enough space to work and
learn. People come for the special attention that they The 2022 instructors; Kenny Aronoff, Russ Miller, Nate Morton ,Sarah Thawer,
receive, and we are very loyal to that, so we have a cap Jotan Afandor, Simon Phillips, and a few more to be announced.
of 35 students.

September 2022 Modern Drummer 79

 MD: Are you doing any concerts
or livestreaming events along Jeff Hamilton,
with the bonanza? Stanton Moore
EL: This year we are doing a and Thomas Lang
livestream that is in addition to
what the attendees experience.
On Saturday and Sunday both
Kenny Aronoff and Simon
Phillips are going to do a
special livestream that will be
icing on top of the cake for the
attendees, and it will let people
around the world tune in to
sample, enjoy, and see what the
camp is about. Those events
will be partly educational and
partly entertainment and will
be in addition to the Bonanza
curriculum.
MD: Is there any set BDB
curiculuum?
EL: We ask the attendees what
they would like to learn, and
then we communicate that to
the drummers. We like each
teacher to focus on what they
are known for, but each of the

four days has a focus.

MD: What have past days focused on?
EL: Focused days can be on different styles, feet vs. hands…
Amazingly, we have found that people are really hungry for different
practice skills.
MD: Yes, I found in my own teaching that many drummers have to
learn HOW to practice, not just WHAT to practice.
EL: Many of our attendees have learned that they just weren’t
practicing efficiently. We really encourage our guests to speak up
and suggest topics that they would like to learn about.
What it comes down to is this. You can watch as many YouTube
videos and watch as many on-line drum schools as you want,
that’s wonderful. But you can’t download the feeling, experience,
and inspiration of being in the same room with someone who
is amazing at what they do. The moments of personal contact
between the instructors and the attendees where someone’s grip
gets adjusted, or a minor change is made in someone’s playing just
can’t be replicated anywhere else, that is what really sets us apart.
You can’t download that.
MD: What makes you choose each instructor?
EL: Variety, we also watch the Modern Drummer Reader’s Poll very
closely to see who people are interested in. We are also thrilled to
have Modern Drummer as a sponsor this year.
MD: What have you learned in your years of producing this camp?
EL: One year, before anyone got here, the instructors all took turns
playing the same kit that was set up. I was amazed in how different
one drum set can sound with different people playing it. That was
surprising! Then a few days later, Dave Elitch had the campers all line
up and play the same kit, and he commented to me about the same
thing. Every single person had such a different sound on the same
kit.
This year I am so excited to have some younger instructors
Chris Coleman like Sarah and Jotan. Diversity is really an important thing. The
demographic of our attendees has really changed in the 10 years

80 Modern Drummer September 2022

 community of drummers and drumming has such a positive impact
on people’s lives. Drumming is for everybody, it’s good for your
mind, your spirit, and your body. Unfortunately the drumset is
usually not part of a public-school music education.
Music education should not be a “nice addition” to education, it is
necessary!
MD: I agree, music education should be mandatory.
EL: Music is a language, it is a life skill, it is something that is part of
who we are as human beings, it is part of our culture, and with all
apologies to the mathematicians out there, we don’t get together to
celebrate someone’s birthday and do trigonometry, we SING “Happy
Birthday!” Drumming and music are not only an enjoyable activity,
they enhance your life.
MD: I believe they are an essential component of enjoyable life.
EL: And it’s even more enjoyable when you do it, and learn about it,
as part of a group.

Virgil Donati
Ruth Turner

Wunderkid JD Beck
playing for Gergo Borlai

that we have been doing this. At the beginning it really was male
dominated, and mainly ages 35 to 54. But that has changed
completely. Every year there are more females attending the camp,
we now have parents bringing their kids.
MD: It’s really nice to see more women and young girls playing
drums these days.
EL: And speaking of diversity, we have had people come to the
camp from 28 different countries: Hong Kong, Peru, Japan, Italy,
Turkey, Israel. And the range of age of our attendees is amazing too.
It’s really rewarding for me when a parent from the UK contacts
me to ask about their kids attending, because their kids have never
travelled. Then their parents call me during the week to tell me that
their child is having the time of their life. I take the trust that parents
put in us very seriously. As a host and a producer, those are the most
impactful moments for me. MD: I always say that if more people played drums, the world would
I also love to see the person who isn’t really comfortable on be a much better place. And at Modern Drummer we are (also) just
day one, and then I see them absolutely tearing it up and living trying to improve the world one drummer at a time, that’s why
their best life on day four, that makes me feel so wonderful. The Modern Drummer is so excited to be sponsoring the bonanza.
EL: The best thing for us at The
Big Drum Bonanza is when a
camper leaves and comments
about how inspired he (or she)
is, and how he has (literally)
months (or even years) of
new things to practice. To
help people create that self-
motivation to practice and
improve their drumming life is
Francesco Desmaele

what is really special to me.

MD: It sounds like The Big Drum
Bonanza and Modern Drummer
are really trying to do the exact
same thing!

September 2022 Modern Drummer 81

 BASICS

The Business Side of Drumming

By Billy Ashbaugh

F or this month’s article, I’m going to share some of my personal

insights for dealing with the business side of drumming. If you’re
lucky enough to be making a living playing drums, then you are
required from me for that gig. How far is the gig? This is important
for obvious reasons. There’s a big difference between driving 30
minutes (one way) to the gig vs. two hours. Not only is your time
already aware of the importance of this topic. Bad decisions in involved, but you also have to consider wear and tear on your car as
business can either make or break well as the cost of gas. I also ask about
your success. Even though we the length of the gig. Again, there’s a
get to do what we love and make difference between a three-hour gig or
money at it, remember this is still a six-hour gig. I once took a corporate
a business. For me, there’s more to gig without asking the schedule and
it than simply how much money we ended up doing a four-and-a-half-
you’re going to make for a gig. hour first set! That was when I started
Let’s get started… asking the schedule for every gig. Just
Have you ever had to decide like with pay, if someone hesitates
on whether to take a gig that when answering this question, the
was offered? All professional red flag goes up for me. Don’t get
drummers have had to do this me wrong, I love playing. However,
at some point in their career. this is a business, so it’s important to
Making this decision is (of course) know how much of your time you’ll
a personal choice that you must have to spend at the gig. Speaking of
make. Everyone has their own time invested, I also make sure to ask
personal circumstances that help if there are any rehearsals required.
them to determine this decision. You’d be surprised how many times
In the past, I haven’t always had the person offering me work expected
the luxury of debating whether me to put in time for rehearsals, often
to take a gig. Sometimes I simply without pay. For this reason, I always
needed the money and took make it a point to ask. It’s just good
whatever gig was offered at to know. The last thing to find out
the time. We’ve all been there. concerning my time invested is the
Naijah Ashbaugh

However, I have (occasionally) song list. If it’s a bunch of material I’ve

been fortunate enough to be able never played, then I need to be ready
to pick and choose my gigs, and to put the time in to learn the songs.
I’d like to share my approach to By taking the time to ask these few
making those decisions. simple questions, I’m able to better
I’ll admit, in the past I’ve gauge how much time I need to set
taken some gigs that I regretted. aside for each gig.
Whenever this happened, I tried to reflect on what went wrong. Over Finally, I ask questions that address my musical comfort level.
time, I came up with a “check list” for what I need from a gig before I In other words, how much will I enjoy playing this material. This is
accept it. These are factors that help me to determine if it’s worth my usually last on my list. I don’t always have the luxury of being this
time and energy to take the gig. The goal is to evaluate everything picky, but when I do, I always ask who else is playing on the gig.
that goes into the gig, and then sit back and look at the “big picture” Hopefully it’s musicians I know, and with whom I enjoy playing. I’ll
to see if it’s something that benefits me at that time. I always make also ask about the material (what songs are we playing?) Hopefully it’s
sure I can “check off” enough areas before I accept the gig. music I enjoy playing. Again, this subject is not often a determining
Whether it’s local work or a tour with an artist, my first question factor, I look at it as more of a luxury that I get from time to time.
is always about the pay. Although this is not the only reason to take These are the things I look at before I take any local gigs. It’s
a gig, it’s still the first thing I like to determine. This can be done in basically my attempt to answer all of the questions about the gig
a very nice and professional manner. I’ve had people tell me that before I’ve done the gig. I try to avoid surprises. Your invested time
they’re uncomfortable asking that right away. But for me, it makes is very important. So is your pay, but there are a lot of factors to
perfect sense to address this right up front. After all, I am being hired consider. These are all personal choices we each must make. There is
to provide a service and it’s only fair to know what my pay will be. no “one” right way to reach this decision. The trick is to find your own
Would you except any job without knowing your salary first? Probably proper balance between all of these areas. Often, there are tradeoffs,
not. If the person hiring me doesn’t offer that info right up front, the and you have to sacrifice certain things. However, I’ve found that by
red flags go up for me. Every time someone was vague or uncertain using this approach, I’m able to avoid the gigs that turn out to be a
about the pay, things always turned out bad for me. My best advice regret.
is to walk away from the gig if you experience this issue. Anyone with I have a rather different “check list” for taking a tour. There are some
a legitimate gig will have no problem telling you up front how much different factors that come into play for touring. Of course, pay is
you’re going to make. always discussed first. But for touring I need to find out if it’s a weekly
The next few questions I have address the amount of time that’s salary or am I paid per show? Depending on the schedule, this can

82 Modern Drummer September 2022

really make a difference. If the artist has me on the road for a week Were the musicians right in their decision to walk away from the gig
but only does two shows, that will probably influence my decision. over gas and toll money? Everyone will have their own answer to
Determining the length of a tour is also important. Although things this question. The only opinion that matters (at that point) is yours. I
do change from time to time, it’s great to have an idea of your don’t think there’s one “set answer” for anyone. It’s easy to look back
schedule before you hit the road. and see what you should have done, but it’s much more difficult to
There are several areas that I like to address before I go on tour. I’ll make the correct decision “in the moment.” Whenever I’m put in this
ask if there’s a per diem. That’s a weekly salary allotted for your eating situation, it’s tough. I do my best to try and look at every angle to
expenses while on the road. Some artists pay per diem, and some make sure I’m not walking away from a gig I will regret later.
don’t. Obviously if there’s no per diem, then I’ll have to use part of my One day I got a phone call from a young drummer that I met
salary for eating expenses. Not a deal breaker, but good to know. while I was out on tour. He had just landed a gig with a big up and
I’ll also confirm that all hotels and travel are covered by the artist. coming artist and wanted some business advice. He told me that
While this is normally the case, I have found that not all artists are he was very excited about his new gig, but he also said he was very
willing to do this. I’ll also confirm if travel days and rehearsals are surprised how they (management) handled the business side of
paid. Sometimes they are, and sometimes they’re not. things. He told me that they said that he was responsible for going
Another question that comes up is “tour expenses”. I try to find out out and buying and programing a new drum machine and trigger
if there’s a budget to cover my cost for sticks, heads and replacing pads for the gig. Basically, he was responsible for getting his “touring
cracked cymbals while on the tour. One final thing I like to check on rig” together at his own expense. He thought that it seemed odd that
is if I’m going to be using my own drums and cases, or if they will he had to pay for the gear instead of them. He asked me what I would
be supplied by a back-line (rental) company. If we’re using a back- do. I instantly shared this story with him. Back in 1992, I got a gig with
line company it’s no big deal, as long as the gear is in good shape the artist Snap! My wife actually got the gig a year before, but they
and sounds great. Luckily, that’s almost always the scenario. Plus, (Snap!) decided to take out dual drummers for the next tour and they
sometimes it’s nice to not put the wear and tear on your own gear. were calling me to see if I was interested. As we began to prepare for
Not all of these factors will make or break my decision to take our tour, the same thing happened to us. We were asked to invest
a tour. These are simply some money and time to get
questions that allow me to see our touring rigs together. At
exactly what I’m committing the time, my wife and I also felt
to up front. Just like local gigs, like my friend who had reached
tours vary from each other. out. We didn’t really understand
And just like local gigs, there why we had to pay for the gear
are tradeoffs and sacrifices that ourselves, but we made the
you must make from tour to decision to invest in the gig. As
tour. There’s nothing wrong it turned out, we went on to do
with politely asking any of several years of touring around
Naijah Ashbaugh

these questions. It certainly the world and that exposure is

beats surprises once you’re on what led to my gig with ‘NSYNC.
the gig! The truth is that artists just don’t
The next question often have the budget to cover all of
angers a lot of musicians. the expenses. If you’re ever faced
Should you take a gig for with this situation, you too will
exposure and-or for less have to make your own decision
money? This subject angers musicians because if you’re out there at that time. It’s a very tough call, but sometimes you have to try
making a living playing music, the last thing you want (or need) is to look at the big picture when you make these decisions. I’m very
someone coming along and doing your gig for less money or even thankful that my wife and I made the investment in our gear when
for free. I get that. However, I also agree that sometimes the pay we did. I’m sure my friend who reached out feels the same.
really isn’t always a significant factor to a gig. It really depends on the One final note. Remember this is a business so you need to treat
situation. I’m not saying that you should go out and play for free, but it accordingly. You’re offering (selling) your time and services for hire.
sometimes it’s worth losing a little money and time to get a certain Even though we get to do what we love for a living, it’s important to
gig under your belt. Before you get mad at me, let me share a couple stay on top of your game. Make sure your gear is in good condition.
of stories. Always be on time. Make sure you’re always prepared for the gig. Try
Back when a live band was being put together for the first ‘NSYNC your best to be a team player and be easy to get along with, don’t be
tour, we were rehearsing in Orlando. Now keep in mind that ‘NSYNC that person who causes drama. These are all basic business skills but
wasn’t popular yet. In fact, they were only known in Germany at the sometimes we lose sight of that. You have to make yourself worth
time. Most of the band was from the Orlando area. However, two of hiring. A friend of mine once told me, “Job security means being the
the musicians were from Miami. This meant they had to commute answer to someone’s problem.” I couldn’t agree more.
back and forth for rehearsals. Apparently, management did not I hope you enjoyed this insight into how I approach “the business
want to reimburse those players for their expenses for gas and tolls side of drumming.” I realize that my approach may not be right for
to travel to rehearsals. Both players ended up quitting right before everyone. We all have our own agenda and priorities. I only hope that
the tour in Germany started. Literally as the guys from ‘NSYNC were by sharing my viewpoints, it will help you to make the best business
walking into the studio to join rehearsals, the two Miami players decisions that you can for your drumming future. Good luck and
were walking out the door with their gear in hand. Management enjoy the journey!!
scrambled to replace them at the last minute, and we went on to do
what would be the first of many great tours. This poses the question:
Check out Billy’s Modern Drummer profile page
at moderndrummer.com
September 2022 Modern Drummer 83
 LESSONS

Accent Options
By: Jonathan Barber

Drum Channel and I would like to share something with you that I
created called accent options. This is a warmup or rudimental exer-
cise that I like to use. You can take any rudiment that has an accent
and apply three different strokes to the accented note. The first one
is the single stroke, the second one is a buzz stroke, and the third
one is a diddle stroke.

Courtesy Drum Chanel

For example, when I play a paradiddle, I’m (naturally) going to be
accenting the first stroke of the paradiddle. I could play that accent
with a single stroke, or substitute a buzz stroke or a diddle stroke.
You could also take the five-stroke roll or a double paradiddle and
apply these three accents. It’s good to practice these one at a time.
Once you are able to use the accent options with the rudiments,
you can explore and apply them to different phrases or patterns
that you like to play. Again, take any accent you have and apply the
Jonathan Barber
sticking to a single stroke accent, a buzz stroke accent, or a diddle
stroke accent. It’s going to create different textures, but you’re
playing the same phrases. It’s very cool, enjoy! Accent Options
Paradiddle Accent Options

1a Single Stroke 1 b Buzz Stroke 1 c Double Stroke

> > > > > >
7 7
/ ™™ 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 ™™
R L R R L R L L R L R R L R L L R R L R R L L R L L

5-Stroke Roll Accent Options

2a Single Stroke 2b Buzz Stroke 2c Double Stroke

> > > > > >

7 7
/ ™™ 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 ‰ ™ ™™
R R L L R L L R R L R R L L R L L R R L R R L L R R L L R R L L

Double Paradiddle Accent Options

3a Single Stroke 3b Buzz Stroke 3c Double Stroke

> 3> 3 > 3> 3 > 3> 3 > 3> 3 > 3> 3 > 3> 3
7 7 7 7
/ ™™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ ™™ ™™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ ™™ ™™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œœ œ œœ
R L R L R R L R L R L L R L R L R R L R L R L L R R L R R L R R L L R L L R L L

84 Modern Drummer September 2022

 META PASS
NFT

These NFTs will be your key to Modern Drummer's Music, Media

& Entertainment ecosystem in Web 3. Our community is
growing fast & will reap rewards for all META PASS holders.

MODERNDRUMMERCLUB.COM

HTTPS://DISCORD.GG/MODERNDRUMMERCLUB

HTTPS://TWITTER.COM/DRUMSNFT

September 2022 Modern Drummer 85

 CREATIVE PERCUSSION CONTROLERS

Sound Design Part 2: The Microcosm Effects Pedal

By Tony Verderosa

I n Part 2 of this Sound Design Series, we will explore the use of

hardware effects pedals as a means of processing drum and
percussion sounds. In Part 1 of this series, we focused on computer-
weird metal device that looks like a “star”, an 18” kick drum and one
roto-tom. Note, I am intentionally NOT mentioning the electronic
drum pad, the micro-freak synth, the Korg monologue synth and the
based effects plugins used in a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). DTX midi trigger module. These devices are not being used in any
Computer based DAW’s along with music production software like of the music and video produced in this month’s column. I will cover
Logic or Cubase can be steep in terms of price and learning curve. those items in a future article. In this month’s column, I am only
Therefore, in this month’s column, we will look at a simpler and more recording acoustic percussion/drums into a special hardware effects
cost-effective alternative. pedal.
All the video clips below are recorded on my secondary hybrid
drum rig. This setup is intentionally built for speed and simplicity. MACKIE MIXER
I want the least amount of “friction” when it comes to creativity. The Mackie Mixer
This rig consists of percussion/drums, a Mackie VLZ-4 Mixer, a few has great sounding
microphones, and an iPad. preamps and offers
My goal with this streamlined recording system is to sit down at me flexibility for
the kit and immediately capture sounds. Anything that slows down incorporating
my creative flow is unacceptable. I never power down this iPad or multiple external
the mixer. It’s always ready to record. I spent quality time months effects pedals. My MACKIE MIXER
ago testing my microphone placement. iPad is pictured with
I am not concerned with recording separate audio tracks for a USB hub so the iPad
kick, snare, djembe, or anything with this sound design rig. I record can communicate
everything as a stereo track. This iPad-based system is an “idea with my Steinberg
incubator”, a creative testing ground to explore new textures, new USB interface. The
grooves, and sound sculpting techniques. There is an immediacy to USB hub enables me
this rig that is really gratifying. Adding a hardware effects pedal such to capture the analog
as the Microcosm by Hologram makes it even more fun. In the words sounds coming from
of the founders of Hologram, “We hope you find our equipment the Mackie Mixer into
useful as a tool for both arranged performance and experiments the iPad via the UR44 iPAD with STEINBERG CUBASIS iOS
into randomized creativity.” audio interface.

ALT HYBRID DRUM SYSTEM STEINBERG UR44 AUDIO INTERFACE

In the photos of my Secondary Alt Hybrid Drum System and the With the Steinberg UR44 USB Audio Interface, I am connecting
various components you can see the Djembe in the foreground. I the stereo left and right out the Mackie Mixer directly into the
have a few gongs, a “boing sheet” from Creative Percussion, a 17” Microcosm Pedal. I connect the left and right output from the
Sabian crash, a Sabian VFX crash, a 12” snare, an LP trash snare, a Microcosm into the UR44 which then converts the sounds digitally
into my iPad for recording and
additional sound design treatments. I
also added a small Bluetooth keyboard
which can speed up the work flow. The
Microcosm effects pedal. I am routing
the stereo left and right output of the
Mackie Mixer directly into this pedal.
The Microcosm is a powerful sound
design tool. It is a granular effects
pedal and looper combined. The left
and right output of this pedal goes
directly into the Steinberg UR44 for

STEINBERG UR44
ALT HYBRID DRUM SYSTEM AUDIO INTERFACE

86 Modern Drummer August 2022

 preset variations. The microcosm allows me to
stretch, slice, rearrange and manipulate drum and
percussion sounds in some exciting ways. It also
allows for additional sound design features by
giving me access to pitch modulation, a low pass
filter and 4 different reverb effects. The built-in
phrase looper function is also amazing and requires
its own article and set of videos to explore the many
creative possibilities.
The stereo phrase looper allows for recording
up to 60 seconds of your performance and then
you can record unlimited overdubs on top of your
primary loop. There is even a “Hold Sampler” for
recording short bursts of your phrasing. I can reverse
the playback of the samples and loops and I can also
playback the loops at various speeds.
The first video clip demonstrates feeding
just an acoustic bass drum through the Microcosm
MICROCOSM BY HOLOGRAM ELECTRONICS via the Mackie Mixer. I am using the FILTER knob
to adjust the low pass filter and I have also applied
recording processed loops and individual samples. We will focus the SPACE knob to add some dramatic reverb to the
on the Microcosm in this article because it is such a fantastic sound sound. You will also notice on the left side there is a knob called
design tool. TIME which will establish the various subdivisions of each hit. I
have set this TIME knob to “8X” to produce a very busy cascading
WHY DOES SOUND DESIGN MATTER? effect of multiple bass drums. The blinking light is indicating the
Let’s put these sounds into context. Why would I want to put all my
drums and percussion through a pedal like the Microcosm? For me,
it’s about offering up something unique and pursuing sounds that I
have not heard before. That’s my goal as a composer and that’s also
my goal as a drummer/percussionist.
If I am approaching an artist like Joe Satriani with new ideas for
collaboration or remixing, I want to offer him a sound and musical
perspective he won’t find anywhere else. When he hears one of
my tracks or drum grooves, it must be compelling enough for him
to say, “yes - that’s different. I haven’t produced any songs yet with
that type of drum sound.”.
My motivation is the same in the world of TV and Film.
Developing new sounds and textures with a pedal like Microcosm
will help me compose music that feels inspired and fresh. The ritual
of sound design can also have a Zen-like/meditative quality. You STAR PERCUSSION DEVICE
get to follow your bliss and take the journey down that rabbit hole
to discover unusual sounds. I am still playing drums and bringing
years of practice and dedication to the table, but these new tools
allow me to process my instruments in unpredictable ways.

WHAT IS THE MICROCOSM?

The Microcosm rearranges and re-animates everything that I
play into it. It is a granular sampling, delay, and looping pedal.
The Microcosm is also known as a “Guitar Stomp Box” because it
often sits on the floor. You can radically alter the sound of your
instrument by “stomping” on one of the buttons with your foot.
I can use the tap tempo feature to establish a fixed bpm for the
effects to sync to. Some of the effects include cascading micro
loops, tempo synced rhythms, diffused ambient soundscapes,
hypnotic drones and much more. LP TRASH CAN SNARE
The pedal has 11 unusual effects built in with a total of 44

August 2022 Modern Drummer 87

 BPM based on a quarter note pulse. The effect I am getting from snare drum to find out how the same effect might work on a snare.
the TIME KNOB set to 8X is a very intentional GLITCH sound, like a This video clip is a good example of “going down that rabbit hole”.
burst of 32nd note triplets or 64th notes every time I stomp on my I am experimenting with this pedal and adjusting parameters to
bass drum. arrive at new sounds. All of this was recorded into my iPad. That
The low pass filter and SPACE effect makes the kick drum sound strange bass drum sound could become the basis of a new film
even more ominous. At the very tail end of this video clip, I hit the cue. With my workflow, I immediately upload all new recordings
and samples into my drobox via the iPad. I can come back to that
loop next week or next month to use it in a virtual sampler on my
computer or import this sound into a Roland SPD-SX sampling
Multi-Pad device.
This first beat I recorded into the iPad using the Microcosm
effect is called “BLOCKS”. Using this effect, incoming audio will
trigger glitches or random bursts of notes. Adjusting the “Activity
knob” controls the amount of variation and sample manipulation
applied to the sound source. There are 4 preset slots, and each
preset gets more complex. In the groove example on the video, I
am applying EFFECT PRESET D.

BLOCKS EFFECTS PRESETS

Presets A, B, C and D are described as follows:
18” INCH BASS DRUM A. Rearranges your playing and adds bursts of sequenced runs of
recent notes
B. Rearranges and pitch-shifts incoming signal
C. Filtered samples overlap and fade out resulting in a softer, less
angular glitch sound
D. Rearranges the incoming signal using pitch-shifts and bit-
crushing

The next groove variation on groove A1 is recorded using the

Microcosm effect called “BLOCKS”. I am hitting the drums a bit
harder and accenting some of the gongs with a louder hit to
see how the Microcosm pedal reacts. You can definitely hear the
Microcosm applying aggressive random pitch shifting to the burst
of snare hits and gong hits.
You can see at the very beginning of this video I am still
TELEFUNKEN M82 KICK DRUM MIC “learning” what the pedal is capable of by experimenting with some
light hits on the roto-tom and Latin percussion. This video clip is a
bit longer since I am becoming more comfortable locking into the
pulse and random weirdness of this “Blocks” effect. Softer hits on
the snare and djembe produce some really nice results. I will easily

SPECIAL BASS DRUM BEATER GONGS + NEUMANN KM 184 MIC

88 Modern Drummer August 2022

develop this groove into its own song and/or film cue. TUNNEL Pre-sets A, B, C and D are described as follows:
At the start of the video clip, I am adjusting the reverb “SPACE” A. Drone sample length compresses and lengthens
knob. I am playing a light cross stick backbeat. What I discovered B. Sub-octave drone with filter sweeps
is that the burst of glitching/pitch shifted notes are activated by C. Drone samples have resonant bandpass filters
louder velocities. You can hear some of the softer bass drum strikes D. Envelope-triggered compressing and lengthening of drone
don’t produce that crazy burst of bass drum glitches. The reverb I sample length
added feels nice. This would definitely make an excellent ambient
electronic track with a few synths added on top of this groove.
In this video clip, I am experimenting with the TIME KNOB to
change up the Subdivisions on this “blocks” effect. I was able to
cycle through some 1/8th note repeating effects and finally settled
on a 16th note subdivision. It takes some getting used to playing
with these new effects. As you can see in this video, I am a little
hesitant trying out this new funk groove. I am experimenting and
trying to figure out what will work well with this new microcosm
effects setting.
This is a “Four on the Floor” house music groove where I get to
explore the 16th note subdivisions on the TIME knob. I played lots
of accents on the gongs, djembe and snares.

SABIAN HHX Thin Complex Crash

AKG C414 MIC

This last video example is called Microcosm Time Stretch “Tunnell”

I used preset variation D and customized it a bit with the envelope
shape. The time stretch on this effect is applied to the drone sample
which you can clearly hear repeating and locked to the TEMPO. This
one was tricky to play along with because it hard to hear the tempo
in the pulsing, repetitive drone. I also added a healthy amount of
reverb to this groove. It’s also worth noting that any time you arrive
at a customized version of a preset, you can save it in one of the 16
user slots that are available. This makes it possible to revisit the exact
same settings anytime you need them at the push of a button.
I hope you enjoyed this up-close look at the Microcosm pedal by
Hologram Electronics. The sound design capability of the Microcosm
is innovative and expansive. I could easily do a separate article and
BOING SHEET + DJEMBE series of videos on the Microcosm to demonstrate how it transforms
synth sounds. I also have many more effects pedals to explore in
future articles. If you have any questions, please visit me, and send
comments/feedback via my website, www.tonyverderosa.com or
TUNNEL EFFECTS PRESET follow me on social media. For more information on the Microcosm
Microcosm Tunnel effects provides cyclical micro-loops that FX Pedal, please visit the Hologram Electronics website. https://
generate hypnotic drones with unique modifiers. Adjusting the www.hologramelectronics.com/about
ACTIVITY KNOB determines the depth of each modifier.
Check out Tony’s Modern Drummer
profile page at moderndrummer.com

August 2022 Modern Drummer 89

 JAZZ DRUMMER’S WORKSHOP

Joe Morello: Master Studies

G eorge Lawrence Stone was a legendary drum teacher and musician, one of his prize pupils was Joe Morello. Joe
carried on Stone’s valuable teachings and added his valuable insights in his books Master Studies and Master Studies
II. This month, Modern Drummer will start offering some of Joe Morello’s most valuable teaching concepts and wisdom
from those books, beginning with an outstanding endurance exercise called The Stone “Killer” from Master Studies.
Today, the legendary Joe Morello also has many prize pupils involved in drumming. Many of them are carrying the
drumming torch of George Lawrence Stone and Joe Morello in their own teachings. Some of them are even adding
to the tradition of Stone and Morello with their own concepts and interpretations. Modern Drummer encourages you
to seek out one of Joe’s gifted students who is teaching today, when you are working on Joe’s drumming and musical
concepts and exercises.

The Stone “Killer”

George Lawrence Stone wrote this out for me one day and jokingly said, “This is a killer.” I found it to be tremendous for
endurance. Originally, he only wrote out the first four lines of this. I then expanded on it by adding accents and apply-
ing the same idea to triplets and duples. The idea, as Stone explained it, was to work each hand individually before you
put them together. (Billy Gladstone used this same concept of developing each hand individually.)
These exercises are not meant to be practiced all at once. They are grouped into sections. First, start with the eighth
note section: the 4s, 8s, 12s, and 16s. Play the 4s fifty times each (counting the right hand.) Then do the 8s fifty times,
the 12s fifty times, and the 16s fifty times. The first time you try this, you may not be able to do that many repetitions.
If necessary, start by doing each line only 10 times. Gradually work your way up to where you can do fifty repetitions.
It may take several weeks; that’s OK. Work at your own pace, depending on your stage of development. But remember:
Stay relaxed throughout the entire exercise. The key to speed and endurance is relaxation. Do not allow yourself
to tense up in an attempt to play faster or longer. As soon as you become tense, you are defeating the purpose of the
exercise.
After you have reached a certain proficiency with the first section, go to the section with the accents on the first note
of each group. Practice this the same way as the first section- gradually working your way up to more repetitions. At this
point, it would be good to continue practicing the first section in addition to the second section.
After reaching a proficiency with the second section, move to the third section- accents on the last note of each
group. At this point, you might stop working on the first section and concentrate only on the two sections with accents.
Once you have worked your way through all six sections of part one that we are including this month, you can move
on to the triplet exercises, and then the duple exercises. We will cover them in coming months. Have fun and remember 55
to stay relaxed.
Stone “killer” : part one
The Stone “Killer” Part One

Section 1 ? 44 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ..
R R R R L L L L

? 44 œœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœ ..
R R R R R R R R L L L L L L L L

? 64 œœœœœœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœœœœœ ..
R R R R R R R R R R R R L L L L L L L L L L L L

? 44 œœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœ ..

R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L

90 Modern Drummer September 2022

 > >
Section 2 ? 44 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ..
R R R R L L L L

> > > >

? 44 œœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœ ..
56 R R R R R R R R L L L L L L L L

> > > > > >

? 64 œœœœœœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœœœœœ ..
> >
4 œ œ œ œ >œ œ .. >
>? 4 > œ
R R R R R R R R R R R R L L L L L L L L L L L L

56 Section 3
> > > >œ
? 44 œœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœ
R R R R L L L L
..
> > > >
? 44 œ œ4 œ œ œ œ œ œ> œœœ> œ œ œ œ œ ..
R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L

Section 3 ?4 œ œ œ œ
R R R R R R R R œ œ œ œ ..
L L L L L L L L

> > > R R R R L L

> L
> L
>
6
? 4 œ œ œ4œ œ œ œ >œ œ œ œ >œ œ œ œ >œ œ œ œ >œ œ œ œ œ ..
?4 œœœœœœœœ
R R R R R R R R R R R R œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ..
L L L L L L L L L L L L

>
> >
R R R R R R R R
> > >
L L L L L L L L
> >
4
? 4 œ œ 6œ 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 ..
?4 œ œ œ œ œ œR œR œR Rœ Rœ RœR œR
R R R R R R R R œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ..
L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L
R R R R R R R R R R R R L L L L L L L L L L L L

> > > > > > > >

? 44 œœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœ ..
R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L

Section 4 ? 44 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ..
R L R L R L R L R L R L R L

? 44 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 ..
Section 4 ? 44 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ..
RLRLRLRLRLRLRLR LRLRLRLRLRLRLRL

R L R L R L R L R L R L R L

? 64 œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ ..
? 44 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 ..
RLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLR LRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRL

RLRLRLRLRLRLRLR LRLRLRLRLRLRLRL

? 44 œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ ..

? 64 œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ ..
RLRLRLRLRLRLRLRL RL RLRL RLR LRLR L R LRLRLRLRLRLRLRL R LR LRL RLR LRL RL R L
September 2022 Modern Drummer 91
RLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLR LRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRL
 57

> >
Section 5 ? 44 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ..
R L R L R L R L R L R L R L

> > > >

? 44 œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ..
RLRLRLRLRLRLRLR LRLRLRLRLRLRLRL

> > > > > >

? 64 œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ ..
RLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLR LRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRL

> > > > > > > >

? 44 œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ ..
RLRLRLRLRLRLRLRL R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R LRLRLRLR LRLRLRLR L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L

> >
Section 6 ? 44 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ..
R L R L R L R L R L R L R L

> > > >

? 44 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 ..
RLRLRLRLRLRLRLR LRLRLRLRLRLRLRL

> > > > > >

? 64 œœœœ œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ ..
RLRL RLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLR LRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRL

> > > > > > > >

? 44 œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ ..
RLRLRLRLRLRLRLRL RL RLRL RLR LRLR L R LRLRLRLRLRLRLRL R LR LRL RLR LRL RL R L

Check out Joe’s Modern Drummer profile page

and get your copy of Master Studies at moderndrummer.com

92 Modern Drummer September 2022

Since 1977, Modern Drummer has been the
world’s foremost community builder and a
cutting-edge influence on all things related
to drums & drumming. A place where young
drummers find and follow their drum
heroes, gear manufacturers, educators &
retailers while actively participating in the
drumming community to share their
knowledge.

To grace the pages of Modern Drummer

Magazine is a coveted achievement that
even the most iconic musicians hold in
highest regard. Modern Drummer is the
heartbeat and center of the drumming
community.

Now Modern Drummer is expanding our

community for drummers, fans, beat-
makers, music creators, NFT collectors, and
yes, even gamers!

It's called the Modern Drummer Club and be privy to the latest Modern
(MDC) and begins with our Discord at Drummer NFT drops, contests, games,
https://discord.gg/drums. The MDC meet & greets, and rare live drum
Discord channel is a place to talk drums, experiences.
learn & collaborate with others, share
ideas, and provide musical feedback. To learn more and join the conversation,
join the Discord and follow us on Twitter
The club represents Modern Drummer's at https://twitter.com/drumsnft
foray into Web3 with a membership token
that enables members to participate

September 2022 Modern Drummer 93

 ROCK AND JAZZ CLINIC
Double Bass Drumming
by Joe Franco

T his month we will continue with a section from Joe Franco’s groundbreaking book, Double Bass Drumming. This
month Modern Drummer are including Joe’s explanation of double bass fills using his Single Stroke System, and
include several of Joe’s fantastic sounding double bass fills from the book.

Double Bass Fills

Double Bass Fills patterns are broken up systematically between both hands and both feet. These patterns can be used
as one bar fills. They can also be repeated or combined with each other to form extended fills and solos. This section of
the book deals with sixteenth notes, later we will deal with eighth note triplets. The top line of each pattern will be labeled
HANDS and can be played on different drums. For example, in the following pattern the HANDS are played on the SNARE.

The HANDS can also be broken up between the SNARE and TOM. For example, the same pattern can be played as:

or on two TOMS as:

Try playing these patterns in other ways depending on the different drums in your kit. Every fill pattern is paired with its
mirror image in which the feet play the part of the hands and vice versa. For example, the above pattern will be paired as
follows.

Practice playing these fills together with a beat similar to those suggested in each section. For example, play phrases such
as:
Three bars of a beat, and a one bar of a fill.
One bar of a beat, and one bar of a fill.
Two bars of a beat, two bars of a fill.
Or…
Play a one bar fill two times, or combine two different one bar fills. Once you are familiar with these patterns, try
combining them as extended fills or solos of 4, 8, 16 or more measures.

Sixteenth Note Fills

In this section, fills are formed by breaking up continuous sixteenth notes between both hands and both feet. When playing these
fills, use the Single Stroke System for both your hands and feet. That is, start with your lead hand or foot and then alternate strokes.
In the following illustration, HAND 1 refers to the lead hand, and HAND 2 to the other. Here is the key to playing these fills:

94 Modern Drummer September 2022

By using this system your lead hand and foot will fall on the 1 of the measure following the fill. For example, for a right-
handed player:

In both cases the quarter note (beat 1) will be on the right hand and foot after the fill.
Although every fill in the following exercises is one bar long and starts on the downbeat of 1, this system can be used
regardless of the length of a fill or where it starts. The following examples illustrate fills that start in different places of the
measure:

Practice playing these fills with a beat similar to this:

September 2022 Modern Drummer 95

 Check out Joe’s Modern Drummer profile page and get your copy of
Double Bass Drumming at moderndrummer.com
96 Modern Drummer September 2022
Meet Alex Gonzalez
and Maná at the L.A. Forum
courtesy of Modern Drummer!
Ready to get the rock
star treatment for a
day? Here’s your chance
to hang out with Alex
Gonzalez at sound-check*
and meet Maná before
they play their show at the
Forum in Los Angeles on
October 22, 2022.

See Maná in concert, go

backstage, get a photo
with Alex Gonzalez and
the band, play Alex’s kit,
and take home some
incredible autographed
gear!

This Modern Drummer About the Contest

sponsored prize package Modern Drummer and Alex Gonzalez are teaming up to
also includes a LP Alex give one current MD subscriber and guest admission to
Gonzalez Maná Cowbell, the venue and backstage VIP access to Maná’s October
some Vic Firth drumsticks, 22 show at the Forum in Los Angeles, California. Contest
and a Remo drumhead. entry dates September 1- October 5, 2022
For more about Maná, visit www.mana.com.mx

To enter the contest, visit

www.moderndrummer.com/VIP September 2022 Modern Drummer 97
*As long as the band has a soundcheck that day, you’ll attend and have the chance to play his kit.
 ROCK PERSPECTIVES

Realistic 9/8 Time

DIGIT
DOW
NLOA AL
D
INSID CODE
E

C ontinuing Modern Drummer’s celebration of the 50th anniversary

of Carmine Appice’s Ultimate Realistic Rock book, this month we
present one of the bonus sections that was included in Ultimate Re-
Once again, keep counting out loud so that
the time becomes automatic and you can feel
each downbeat naturally! Count this over and
alistic Rock, and not included in the original text of Realistic Rock. Last over... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, sev (7,) 8, 9, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, sev (7,) 8, 9, etc.
month Carmine walked us through how to play in 7/8 and presented With each count, remember to play your bass drum on the count
us with a bunch of rockin’ 7/8 grooves. This month he’ll do the same of one (downbeat) in order to feel comfortable with 9/8, just like the
in 9/8. Carmine makes playing in odd times as easy as playing in 4/4. way we practiced in the 7/8 section.
With his help, odd time signatures are no longer a challenge. Once again, the eighth note gets a full beat and the sixteenth
note gets half a beat. You should have the idea by now. If not, go
Realistic Rock 9/8 Timing back to last month’s 7/8 text and review.
Last month we talked about playing in 7/8, now that you have Another way to think is that 9/8 is the same as playing one bar of
finished the 7/8 exercises, it is time to add the two eighth notes we 4/4, except now you add one more eighth note and count 1 &, 2 &,
talked about and have some fun with 9/8. In 9/8, just like 7/8, the 3 &, 4 &, 5. The count stops on the 5th83 beat... There is no & of 5! The
eighth notes are counted as one beat. There are nine eighth notes to count starts over again after 5 and then goes immediately back to 1.
a bar. The count is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, sev (7,) 8, 9. Remember saying SEV
instead of seven makes it easier to count so that all the counts are Go for it... Good luck!
one syllable. Realistic 9/8 Time—Eighth Notes

1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
z z z z z z z z z
9 . ..
8 .Œ Œ Œ Œ ‰
HH/Cym

‘ ‘ ‘
Œ Œ ‰
SD

BD œ e
optional

2.
z z z z z z z z z
9 . 5j ..
Œ Œ
HH

8 . 5 5 ‘ ‘ ‘
Œ Œ ‰
SD

BD œ œ

3.
z z z z z z z z z
9 . j ..
Œ Œ
HH

8 . 5 5 5 ‘ ‘ ‘
œ œ Œ œ œ Œ ‰
SD

BD

4.
z z z z z z z z z
9 . 5j ..
Œ Œ
HH

8 . 5 5 ‘ ‘ ‘
œ œ Œ œ œ œ Œ œ ‰
SD

BD

5.
z z z z z z z z z
9
98 Modern
HHDrummer September 2022
 8 . ‘ ‘ ‘ .
œ œ Œ œ œ œ Œ œ ‰
SD

BD

5.
z z z z z z z z z
9 . ..
8 .Œ
Œ ‰
HH
5 5 ‘ ‘ ‘
œ œ œ Œ
SD
œ œ œ
BD
J

6.
z z z z z z z z z
9 . ..
8 .Œ 5 5 Œ 5 5 ‰
HH

‘ ‘ ‘
œ œ Œ œ œ Œ
SD

Jœ
84
BD

7.
z z z z z z z z z
HH
9 . j ..
8 . Œ 5 Œ 5 5 ‘ ‘ ‘
œ ‰ Jœ ‰ œJ ‰
SD

BD œ œ

8.
z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z
9 . j
‰ ..
HH

8 . Π5 Π5 5 Π5 Π5
œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ ‰ œJ ‰ œJ ‰
SD

BD œ

CD 2

Eight-Bar Exercise
Track 10
z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z
HH
9 . 5j 5j
8 .Œ
5 Π5 Π5 Π5
Œ Œ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰
SD
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œJ
BD
Jœ

z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z
j
Œ 5 Œ 5 5 Œ 5 Œ 5 ‰ Œ 5 Œ 5 ‰
œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ Œ œ Œ œJ œ Œ œ Œ œJ

September 2022 Modern Drummer 99

 z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z
Œ 5 Œ 5 ‰ Œ 5 Œ 5 ‰ Œ 5 Œ 5 5j ..
œ œ œ ‰ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ ‰ œ œ ‰
J J J J
Note: Bars seven and eight imply a 4/4 time signature in the bass
drum while playing in 9/8. 85

CD 2 Realistic 9/8 Time—Sixteenth Notes

Track 11
1.
z z z z z z z z z
9 .
5. 5 Œ 5. 5 ‰ ..
HH

8 .Œ ‘ ‘ ‘
Œ œ œ Œ
SD

BD œ œJ

2.
z z z z z z z z z
9 .
5. 5 Œ 5. 5 ‰ ..
HH

8 .Œ ‘ ‘ ‘
œ œ Œ œ œ Œ
SD

BD œJ

3.
z z z z z z z z z
9 .
5. 5 Œ 5. 5 ‰ ..
HH

8 . Œ. ‘ ‘ ‘
œ œŒ œ. œ Œ
SD

BD
Jœ

4.
z z z z z z z z z
9 .
5. 5 5 5. 5 ‰ ..
HH

8 .Œ ‘ ‘ ‘
œ œ Œ œ œœŒ ‰
SD

BD

5.
z z z z z z z z z
9 .
5 5 5 5 5. 5 ‰ ..
HH

8 .Œ ‘ ‘ ‘
œ œ œ œ œœŒ ‰
SD

BD

6.
100 Modern Drummer September 2022
HH z z z z z z z z z
 BD œ œ œ œ œœŒ ‰

86
6.
z z z z z z z z z
HH
9 . 5 586. 5 5 5 . 5 ‰ ..
8 . ‘ ‘ ‘
zœ œ zœ Œ z zœ œz œ Œ z z‰ z z
SD 7.

9 .
5. 5 5 ..
BD
HH

8 . 5 5 5 5 ‰ ‘ ‘ ‘
œz œz œ Œz z œz œz œ z œ z œJz
SD
7.

9 .
5. 5 5 ..
BD
HH

8 . 5 5 5 5 ‰ ‘ ‘ ‘
zœ zœ œ zŒ z zœ zœ œ z œ z zJœ
SD
8.

9 .
5. 5 5 ..
BD
HH

8 . 5 5 5 5 ‰ ‘ ‘ ‘
zœ zœ œ zŒ z zœ zœ œ z œ z z≈ œR
SD
8.

9 .
5. 5 5 ..
BD
HH

8 . 5 5 5 5 ‰ ‘ ‘ ‘
œz zœ œ zŒ z œz œz œ z œ z z≈ œ
SD
9.

9 . R
..
BD
HH

8 . 5 5 5 5 5 5 ‰ ‘ ‘ ‘
œz z œ z œ z œz z œ z œ z ≈z œ
SD
9.

9 . R
..
BD
HH
5 5 ‰
8 . ‘ ‘ ‘
5 5 5 5
zœ z œ z œ z zœ z œ z œ z ≈z Rœ
SD
10.

9 . j
5. ..
BD
HH

8 . Œ 5 5 5 Œ 5 ‘ ‘ ‘
zœ œ z œ z z œ z œ z zœ . z œ z‰
SD
10.

9 .
5. 5j ..
BD
HH

8 . Œ 5 5 5 Œ ‘ ‘ ‘
œ. œ ‰
SD

BD œ œ œ œ œ
CD 2

Eight-Bar Exercise
CD 212
Track
z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z
9 .. Œ 5 . 5Eight-Bar 5 . Exercise 5. 5 5 5. 5 ‰
HH

Track 12 8
Œ 5 ‰ Œ
zœ z zŒ z zœ zœ Œz z œJz œz zœ zŒ z zœ zœ œ zŒ z zJœ
SD

9 .. Œ 5. 5 Œ 5. 5 ‰ Œ 5. 5 5 5. 5 ‰
BD
HH

8
zœ z z Œ z z zœ z œ z Œ z z z œJ z zœ z œz z Œ z z zœ z œz œz Œ z z z Jœ z
SD

BD z
5 5. 5 5 5. 5 ‰ Œ 5. Œ 5. ‰ Œ 5 5 5 Œ 5 5 5 ‰
zœ zœ œ zŒ z zœ zœ œ zŒ z z‰ œz . z œ z z œ zœ . z œ z z œ z‰ zœ zœ z œ z zœ zœ z œ z z‰
5 5. 5 5 5. 5 ‰ Œ 5. Œ 5. ‰ Œ 5 5 5 Œ 5 5 5 ‰
œz œz œ Œ z z œ z œ œz Œ z ‰ z œ z. œ z zœ œ .z œ z zœ ‰ z œ z œ z œ z œ œ œ ‰
5 5. 5 5 5 55‰ 5 5 5 5 5 5 ‰ ‘ ..
zœ zœ œ zŒ z zœ zœ œ z œ z z‰ zœ z œ z œ z zœ z œ z œ z z≈ œR
5 5. 5 5 5 55‰ 5 5 5 5 5 5 ‰ ‘ ..
œ Œ Modern
œ outœ Carmine’s œ œ profile‰ pageœ and his
œ œDrummer œ book
œ collection œ ≈œ
œ œat moderndrummer.com
R
Check

September 2022 Modern Drummer 101

 COLLECTOR’S CORNER

1928 Ludwig Black Beauty Moose Drum Trap Set

By Tim Northup

L et’s take a trip back in time to the year 1928, the early jazz age.
Drummer Jack “Peacock” Kelly, of Chicago’s Mark Fisher Orchestra,
is one of the world’s highest paid drummers. Jack is featured on
Soloblox (Ludwig’s very rare version of temple blocks,) two Chinese
toms and a 15” Chinese gong. The “tree” of cymbals includes a
sizzle cymbal, a Chinese cymbal, and a Zildjian splash. The cymbals
the cover of the 1928 Ludwig Catalog playing a trap kit with an are completed with bock-a-da-bock hand cymbals and a Ludwig
oil painted Moose bass drum head similar to this month’s set. This “Charleston” snowshoe pedal. The traps include a fan of tuned
happens to be my favorite factory painted head in the collection cowbells, a ratchet, wood blocks, several sound effects, a train
here at the Northup Drums Museum. This trap set features many whistle, cyclone whistle, and a cuckoo whistle.
of the very rare items that are all shown on Jack’s set in the 1928 This would have been an above standard professional drum kit
catalog. Let’s take a closer look at what we see on this set. for a working drummer that was playing in orchestras, vaudeville,
The Bass drum is 14x28 Black Lacquer with De Luxe gold and theaters for silent films in the 1920-30s. If you would like to
hardware. The snare drum is a Ludwig 5x14 engraved Black Beauty experience this set in person, and even play it! Visit the Northup
with De Luxe gold hardware. The (very rare) Ludwig Console Trap Drums Museum. We are open by appointment 607-434-4769.
Table holds a variety of instruments. We see a set of 3 Ludwig www.northupdrums.com

102 Modern Drummer September 2022

September 2022 Modern Drummer 103
 EYE CANDY

Ginger Baker’s Drum Workshop Collector’s Series

2015 Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp Kit

In 2015 Ginger Baker took part in that year’s edition of the Rock and
Roll Fantasy Camp, where campers are mentored by legendary rock
musicians- with whom they get to perform at the end of the camp.
Citing the pain of arthritis at his then age of 76, Ginger stated that it
would be his last performance on a drum kit.
The kit shown here is the one that Ginger played at the Rock and
Roll Fantasy Camp. It’s a Drum Workshop Collector’s Series kit with
an Ivory/Ebony exotic wood finish. It includes 8x10 and 10x14 rack
toms; 11x14 and 13x16 suspended floor toms; 14x20 and 14x22
bass drums; and a 6 ½x14 Edge snare drum combining wood and
metal shell sections.
The custom kit made for Ginger to play at the Rock and Roll
Fantasy Camp is as unique as Ginger was himself. Shallow bass
drums in two different sizes, extremely flat positioned rack toms,
and a one-of-a-kind Ivory/Ebony exotic wood finish. In
another unusual move, both rack toms are above the
right bass drum, rather than centered between the bass
drums.

This kit is featured in the book Crash: The World’s

Greatest Drum Kits, available at moderndrummer.com

104 Modern Drummer September 2022

october 24-29, 2022 | los angeles to cabo san lucas & ensenada, mexico

enter for your chance to win

A free cabin
and to be a
professional drum tech for a day with
KISS drummer Eric Singer
enter today at:
moderndrummer.com/roadie
CONTEST WINNERS MUST BE 21 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER. OPEN ENTRIES AUGUST 1 TO SEPTEMBER 15, 2022.
WINNER TO BE CONTACTED SEPTEMBER 25, 2022. FULL LINE UP AND CRUISE DETAILS AT THEKISSKRUISE.COM
 jazz
Congratulations
Danny Carey
Winner, Progressive Rock