Here is an excerpt from Mat’s new book. It looks simple at first glance, but it’s not. Several of the exercises tripped me up.
Read moreFreddie Choquette Jr. – Gone But Not Forgotten
The new set was a gift from my parents by way of Western, Mass. drummer Fernand Choquette Jr. who had been wheeling and dealing in drums and cymbals since high school. His reputation preceded him. If you wanted a square deal, Freddie was the man to see.
Read moreEdward Tucker’s “Catalog Corner” 1927 1st Edition Ludwig
It has some beautiful graphics inside, including color pictures of the Black Beauty “Ludwig Deluxe Model” and the “New Ludwigold Irridescent Display Finish”
Read moreChris Partridge; Stencil Drum Hero
Now what got me here was my habit of always being on the lookout for drums, especially the stencils, and there were several drum sets that were used on the show, each season this poor struggling family found a way to get a different drum kit.
Read more1960s Rogers Wine Red Ripple Swingtime Set
This Wine Red Ripple 1960s Rogers Swingtime set I am featuring came up for sale a while back and I quickly jumped on it. I was not going to let them get away from me.
Read moreDirty Little Cymbal Tricks
A highly rated technique is pickle juice. The process calls for covering the cymbal with the juice and a dash of salt. Then you just watch the magic happen -- seriously, this will turn your cymbal green pretty fast. Apparently pickled onion juice works best.
Read moreOn growing old as a drummer, and age-ism bias
I was hesitant to write this article for several years because I was still betwixt and between “growing older” and “old”. It is a subject that most drummers want to put off thinking about until later, and sometimes until it’s too late.
Read more1924-25 LUDWIG & LUDWIG 4x14 10 LUG/SCROLL DeLUXE
This one is a bit of a transitional oddity, nothing earthshaking but a little quirky.
Read moreThe Iconic Jack DeJohnette Has Died
Jack DeJohnette, one of jazz’s most inventive and wide-ranging drummers, whose supple, multidirectional rhythms helped redefine modern jazz for more than six decades, died Sunday in Kingston, N.Y. He was 83. The cause was congestive heart failure, according to his wife and manager, Lydia DeJohnette.
Read moreA Rare 1940s Ludwig & Ludwig World War II U.S. Navy Snare Drum
Only six tubular lugs were installed, probably to conserve metal because eight or ten lugs were typical for 15” snare drums before the war.
Read moreFor Sale - 1980s Tama Imperialstar 5" x 14" Powerline 8065 seamless shell snare
This drum is in excellent ++ working order. The seamless Powerline metal shell drums sound great and punchy whether tuned low and fat or tight and crisp
Read moreSOLD! For Sale - Ludwig 6.5" x 14" Millennium LM2000MX6 snare drum from 2000
This is from a Limited Edition, # 83 out of 100.
Read moreBest Practices (Please No Jokes About The Name)
We are all individuals, and what works best for one may not work for another. But in general, you can assume that the techniques you see the better players using are some of best practices available. You just need to find the ones that work best for you.
Read moreMy First True Love - A poem about a drum from Joel Rothman
“My first true love was a love at first sight.”
Read moreFrom Editor George Lawrence
My new book, The Missing Rudiments, is on sale as a printable pdf down load now in the NotSoModernDrummer Store. An excerpt from the book is in this month’s emailed issue.
Read moreThe difference between ruffs and drags - an excerpt from "The Missing Rudiments" book by George Lawrence
From my new book “The Missing Rudiments - ”The current modern majority opinion is that, since they can’t both be and are not the same thing, a drag has double stroke grace notes and most ruffs have single stroke grace notes. I agree with that majority in keeping it simple but with the caveat that there are other known stickings for ruffs by historically important authors, which are included in this book. So,“ruff is ruff, drag is drag, and never the twain shall meet.
Read moreDrummer Mike Clark Releases Two Amazing CDs
“Mike Clark has provided the pulse to innumerable influential rhythm sections over his long and varied career. The drummer’s association with Zilber has blossomed over the last decade, focusing mainly on their love for New York City’s hard swinging jazz tradition.”
Read more1928-32 LUDWIG 5 x 14 MOTTLED SEPIA STANDARD MODEL
We have to go to the Ludwig Drummer Magazines of that time or to dealer flyers to learn of the special “Hotsy-Totsy" and "Mottled Sepia" finishes offered in 1928.
Read moreDave Mattacks Drum Clinic At Wood & Weather
“Ringo Starr and Charlie Watts were drummers who played for the music, and supported the band. “Drummers like that will always work”
Read more1960s Rogers DynaSonic
The Bread-and-Butter lugs are all perfect and the blue glass glitter wrap is flawless. There is not an issue anywhere on the drum. It is in excellent condition. I consider it one of my favorite snares in my collection.
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