lessons

Practice Pad \ Concept \

Billy Martin: Soloing On “Max Moon”

Billy Martin shows us how to keep sections conversational and contrasting when improvising a solo.

Independence \

Brooks Wackerman’s Warm-Up Tips

Brooks Wackerman demonstrates his pre-show warm-up routine an hour before he and the other members of Bad Religion took the stage at Bottle Rock.

Practice Pad \ Funk \

Stanton Moore: Between Swing & Straight

Stanton Moore shows us how to play "Go-Go" from Galactic's record, Coolin' Off, and suggests playing it with your own variations.

Technique \

Thomas Lang Says: Get A Grip!

There's more than one way to grip a stick, and the great drum educator and master technician Thomas Lang walks demonstrates them all in this workshop.

Practice Pad \ Rock \

Matt Byrne: Odd-Time Boogaloo Beats

We learn some 1960s boogaloo-style beats in odd time, fusing soul and R&B with Latin rhythm.

Practice Pad \

Rich Redmond: Two Are Better Than One

Rich Redmond teaches drummers that are new to double-bass how to incorporate quick, two-beat bursts into their fills and achieve some awesome moments.

Practice Pad \ Jazz \

Peter Erskine: Polyrhythm Practice

Here are some exercises that introduce the uninitiated to the world of polyrhythms by examining two-against-three and three-against-four rhythms.

Practice Pad \ Rock \

John Stanier: When In Doubt, Flam!

Flams are the spice in our percussive stew. A flam here, a flam there, will liven up even the dumbest of dumb, hard-rock, heavy-metal fills.

Drum Parts \

Matt Cameron: King Animal Grooves

We break down Matt Cameron's drum parts on Soundgarden's latest album, which are nothing short of Rubik's cubes for drummers.

Practice Pad \ Jazz \

Danny Gottlieb: Jazz Figure Reading

Practice reading jazz figures, and learn how to find that swing by singing the figures like a horn player or scat vocalist would.