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Achieving success in any endeavor requires focus and learning the drums is no different. Focusing on the right things–especially at the beginning–is truly important. Focus is something that I’ve read about and written about frequently because I sometimes struggle with it myself. There are many drumming ideas, techniques, and skills that excite me. And therein […]

This is a great lick that Vinnie plays on “Dong Work for Yuda” from the Frank Zappa album, “Joe’s Garage.” I immediately loved it because it sounded a lot like a famous Gadd lick I love. The Gadd lick is a well known pattern, very similar to this one. (See example #2 from “Seven Gadd […]

If you need to play Afro-Cuban in 6/8, this one never fails. I love it. It’s a little tricky in the independence department, but once you work through the pattern and get it locked in your muscle memory, you’ll have it forever. I know that the notation I’ve written on the PDF is in 4/4, […]

This is a great lick that looks pretty simple on paper, but it sounds amazing when blazed! I stumbled upon it on YouTube, where master drummer and teacher, John Riley, was demonstrating it at a clinic. Have a look at the video: John plays the lick very slowly in the video; slow enough that you […]

Just Updated with New Video! Experienced drummers are always saying that the groove is the main thing. That’s true. Having a great feel when you play beats is non-negotiable, but you still have to be able to play some cool fills when the time is right. One of the most common questions I get from […]

NOTE: There is another sticking that I recently discovered for Nasty Lick #109. Both this original and the new one work well, but I like the new one better. You can see the post and the link to the PDF with the revised sticking here: Philly Joe Jones Nasty Drum Lick #109 w Revised Sticking […]

Here I present to you an idea that combines some stuff I’ve heard Vinnie play with my own stuff. It’s simply a six-stroke roll with a little hand/foot combo thrown in. The way I like to use it has a “three-beat” kind of feel, which makes it sound cool and flowing. I’m offering you both […]

Hi Everyone! Today we’re going to work on hi-hat technique. It’s not something I see the drum teaching community writing about or teaching much, but it is a very important skill for beginners that should not be overlooked. In this lesson, I want to give you the tools to work on getting the hi-hat’s open […]

Hello Everyone! This time we’re going to look at another great Steve Gadd idea. It’s one of his staples; you’ll hear it frequently in his solos. This online drum lesson will include video and a PDF with the lick written out note-for-note. One thing that I talk about in the video is the idea of […]

Today, I’m offering a beginner’s online drum lesson. The topic? Disco! Hey, wait! Where are you going? The Disco Groove is actually a pretty cool beat. It doesn’t get as much love as it used to, but in the 70’s, you could hear this beat everywhere. It’s a little tricky to play. In fact, it’s […]

In this video drum lesson, we’re going to take a look at an interesting way to play a common hand/foot idea. The idea is just “Right Left Foot,” one that many of you already know.  If you’re a beginner drummer, welcome to one of the building blocks of hand/foot vocabulary. The natural first thought many […]

Hey Everyone! This post is for beginners or any drummer who has no idea how to read music and wants to learn. One way that works for me to teach this is to show new students how to play simple eighth note beats using only physical movements and then to show them and explain how […]

Recently I had a lesson with John Riley where we discussed soloing. The creation of vocabulary was a big part of the talk. There was a notion of efficiency in how one works on stuff–which I realized is extremely important, but I want to save that for later because it deserves its own entire post. […]

Hey There! Welcome to the second installment of 5 Killer Gadd licks. In this online video drum lesson, we’re going to show you how to play one of Steve’s signature licks. The first time I heard Gadd play this was in the groove on Tom Scott’s song “Dirty Old Man.” It knocked me out. When […]

One of the magical things about playing a musical instrument is that the possibilities are endless. That certainly seems to be true when it comes to drumming. Developing independence against a cymbal pattern that goes over the barline is just one idea that I’ve been working on that makes me feel that drumming and music […]

This marks the debut of a new video series: 5 Killer Gadd Licks. The first of the five is something I call “The Three Beat Triplet Flow.” It comes from an Elvin-ish jazz phrase that I’ve heard Gadd play. He applies the idea to funk in his playing and that is the focus of this […]

Welcome to a new series on making drum charts. Most gigging professional drummers have their own system. Mine is still developing, but I’ve got enough of a handle on it that I want to start sharing some ideas with you. The plan is to show you examples of drum chart/cheat sheets that I use in […]

Over many years of teaching, I’ve noticed a few things that come up again and again when I’m working with beginners. In this edition of “The Thinking Drummer,” we’ll look at the top 5 mistakes I see. If you’re just starting to play drums for the first time ever or even if you’re just fairly […]

First, the VIDEO! If you’re an avid reader of this blog, you’ll know that I love slick little licks that I can throw into a groove. I’ve written about these kinds of ideas before. For example: Nasty Lick 44: Yuda Variation Nasty Lick 43: Vinnie on Joe’s Garage 5 Killin 32nd Note Drum Groove Soloing […]

Improvisation has always been a mysterious topic for me. The information available on it, at least in the drumming education world, seems far from definitive. The video at the bottom of this post will hopefully help a bit with some of that understanding, at least as it relates to drumming improvisation. If you went to […]

Welcome to Nasty Drum Lick #137, an idea based on a five note phrase. I’ve been using this idea for a while; it’s simple, just RLRLF. That’s four notes with your hands followed by one with your bass drum. Putting your foot before the hands is fine too; it’s really the same lick either way. […]

Introduction | How The Hell Do I Learn To Play Drum Solos? For a long time, learning how to play drum solos always seemed elusive to me. How does one learn to do this? How do you get all these cool drumming ideas to come out of your body and flow? And how do you […]

Introduction/Overview Over the past year or so, I’ve been spending some significant time working on making my drumming videos better. I was doing OK (not great) with what I was doing originally, but the quality needed an upgrade. As soon as one of my drummer friends said, “your content is good, but the audio quality […]

One of the questions I often hear from beginners is about independence. In the very beginning of your drumming journey, the required separation between your hands and feet is pretty straight forward. I’m referring to your very first eighth note rock beats where your hi-hat pattern always lines up with the bass drum. To progress, […]

In this series, I’m going to offer some ideas on how you can strengthen your time feel. We all know as drummers that groove is king. It’s why you get hired. Or as Steve Gadd once said, “Fills bring the thrills, but the groove pays the bills.” At least I think he said that (It’s […]

I really like the sound of drums going low to high. The lick I’m offering to you today is an example of that. It’s a new one and I’m pretty certain it’s going into my current notebook of “permanent” vocabulary (yes, I have a notebook like that…You can read more about that here: Your Notebook […]

Here’s an idea I got from Glen Sobel. It’s a sixteenth note linear pattern that sounds much more complicated than it is. Below, you can watch a video of me playing the idea and improvising with it. But first, here’s the pattern. If you break it down, you’ll see it’s actually pretty simple. You play […]

I have been using Inverted Paradiddles in my playing for a long time. I’m pretty sure that I first became aware of them in the late ’80s when I was studying with Rick Considine at Drummer’s Collective in NYC. When Rick showed me how to use inverted paradiddles, the ease with which I could play […]

I’ve been making my own clave exercises for years because I couldn’t find a lot of existing material that would help me. The one book that I did find helpful was Ignacio Berroa’s Groovin’ in Clave. Yes, I did borrow his title for the name of this post. Since I’ve finally come to a point […]

This latest lick is one I’ve been messing around with for a while. It was inspired by Steve Gadd’s famed “ratamacue lick.” It’s got a similar vibe, but I find it much easier to play. The notation on PDF is here for you to download: Nasty Drum Lick #135 And here’s a video of me […]

I love these types of time-playing ideas. The first time I heard this kind of playing was when I was introduced to the drumming of Steve Gadd. His famous hi-hat/snare/bass drum ideas were always exciting and propelled the music forward. There are other posts with these types of licks offered elsewhere in the blog. You […]

Buddy was a master technician.  But he was also extremely musical. I had an argument/debate the other day with someone about technique.  The person I was debating was arguing that focusing on technique could rob one of creativity and musicality.  I strongly disagree with that sentiment.  Technique is a means to an end.  How one […]

Regular readers of this blog know that I’ve been writing exercises for developing independence with clave as a cymbal pattern for years now. Why is that? Playing clave as a cymbal pattern and playing against it freely is extremely difficult at first. In fact, it seemed almost unattainable to me. Similarly, when Jim Chapin’s classic […]

I’ve been stuck without my drum set again for a couple of months because of this COVID situation. The silver lining in no drum set is that I’m getting obsessive about my hands. Pad work every day. I’ve been looking into rudimental exercises and checking out other people’s warm-ups and practice routines. I wanted to […]

The last time I wrote about trying to get the most mileage from your drumming ideas (a notion that I think is very important to one’s drumming), I shared a PDF with one specific lick. Then, we “milked” it by changing the underlying rhythm from 16ths to triplets and beyond. No doubt, that works. Here’s […]

In this installment of The Thinking Drummer, I take a little look at Push/Pull aka Open/Close hand technique. It’s something that I’ve been working on seriously for several months now. Let’s talk about what it is, what the possibilities are, and how you can learn it. First of all, I’ve been interested in this technique […]

The other day I saw a crazy video on Benny Greb’s Instagram page. He was playing Son Clave by making clicking noises with his mouth. And then he used his voice, while maintaining those clave clicks, to play rhythms based on 3, 5 and 7. All of those rhythms go over the barline. And if […]

I’ve been enjoying the fertile drumming ground of Instagram.  There are lots of great drummers to discover there and one of my favorites is Justin Scott. He is a chops-heavy player; much of his content is him soloing or playing densely complex grooves. I’ve transcribed one of his videos–watch it below. And check out the […]

If you want to improve your single stroke roll, this system, if practiced consistently, should help you immensely. A lot of what I share here on the blog is a result of my own practicing, gigging, and recording experience and this practice system is no exception. In addition to explaining the exercise, I’m offering you […]

Have you ever felt that certain hand techniques might be unobtainable? I remember watching Jojo Mayer’s first DVD and thinking some of the super-advanced techniques he demonstrated might take so much practice to master that it might not be worth the work. The one exception was the push-pull technique. I thought that it would be […]

Many drummers love drum solos. Do you? We often revere those who play them well. Yes, any drummer who understands their role in music will believe in the power of groove, but many (dare I say most?) also covet the ability to solo. There are many steps a drummer must take in order to develop […]

There was a good year or so that I was obsessed with Keith Carlock’s drumming. And who could blame me? Keith has got it all: a killer pocket, chops for days, and a truly unique sound. There is a particular lick that Keith plays a lot, and I’ve written about that before. You can find […]

How would you like to check out some new, talented drummers? I’m going to introduce you to 3 impressive female drummers I’ve stumbled upon on Instagram. These aren’t the most famous female drummers. But that’s the point. Discovering new drummers is always exciting for me and I’m guessing you might feel the same. I’ve deliberately […]

If you’re serious about drumming–really serious–you’ll be driven to figure out how play drumming that excites you. Transcribing is the usual way to do this. And transcribing is easier than ever because current technology allows you to quickly slow down recordings and videos. Your ultimate goal, however, should be to sound unique. That’s the “holy […]

A few weeks ago I posted a clip that showed how to learn to play 3 vs 2. You can check that out here: How to Play 3 Against 2 After I published it, a lot of people asked me “what can you even use that for?” Good question. This is actually the reason that […]

The other day I posted a little video on my social channels and there was one idea a few people asked me about. In this post, I’ll explain it, show it to you in a video, and give you the notation on PDF. First, a little about the lick. I’ve always loved Steve Gadd’s 32nd […]

The video embedded in this article is about 4 minutes long and will show you my method for learning polyrhythms. It focuses on 3 against 2, but the method will work for any two rhythms that you would like to work on being able to play simultaneously. Here’s the video: Try this out and see […]

Here is a great sounding lick that has many possibilities for you to create new ideas. I’ve already been messing with it starting from the PDF I’m offering to you; check it out here: Nasty Drum Lick #131 I’m definitely NOT giving you my new variations, but ONLY because I want you to make up […]

I’ve been experimenting with some new drum vocabulary lately. As usual, I like to share the good stuff with you. This time, I’m sharing an idea that I’ve used a lot; a group of five phrased within 16th note triplets. The pattern I used to always play is RLRLF. In this iteration of the lick, […]

So, as I write this, I’m still in “lockdown.” My wife and I fled NYC when the numbers started to get really scary and now I’m holed-up in a house on Cape Cod with no drums. But, I DO have a pad and I’ve been using it. One of the things I decided to do […]

The only reason I ask is that the video for this lesson is only 30 seconds long. And if you watch just that video, you’ll get everything you need to know in order to learn this lick. Really. And it’s a great one. In fact, it was inspired by something I heard Vinnie Colaiuta play […]

Welcome to “Stick Logic #3,” where we’ll work on a little piece that includes both the four-stroke ruff and the single drag. It’s a fun piece to play. I am certain that this came to me like this as a direct result of my working on Philly Joe Jones solos a ways back. I don’t […]

Here’s the 2nd installment of the new hand technique & drum rudiment series called “Stick Logic.” In this series, I’m going to get through all the rudiments, but do so by giving you études/musical pieces to work on. I always found it more interesting to work on pieces rather than just patterns. For example, the […]

Swing, Wisdom, and Perseverance from the seminal jazz and funk pioneer. Mike Clark gained fame throughout the drumming community during his tenure with Herbie Hancock in the early 1970s, most notably because of his tight, syncopated, and innovative grooves on the album Thrust. But that hardly scratches the surface of his extensive output throughout the […]

Here’s the first in a new series–“Stick Logic”–that focuses on hand technique and rudiments. This first installment features a little exercise I’ve been doing called “Twenty-Three.” It’s a double stroke roll exercise that includes both 5-stroke and 13-stroke rolls and reverses the hands with each measure (in other words, in the first measure, you’ll lead […]

Last week I posted a video of my playing along with Gary Husband’s song, “Groove Grease.” There’s an eight bar solo in the song and I’ve been getting asked about one of the ideas I played in that solo. Hence, Nasty Drum Lick #128 was born! The idea is a sixteenth note triplet phrase that […]

In the past few weeks, I’ve been learning a lot of songs–both for gigs and auditions. As I went through the process of learning the material, I realized a few things: 1) Over many years of playing and learning songs, I’ve developed a methodology that works for me. 2) There are several “levels” of learning […]

In this edition of “The Thinking Drummer” we’re going to take a different view of the levels of mastery as explained by Neil Peart. I recently posted a clip of a Neil Peart interview on social media. In it, Neil discusses why the Rush song “Tom Sawyer” is so difficult to play. That, on its […]

Welcome to the first edition of our Social Media Scorecard series. The first installment looks at the social media power of the various brands of cymbals in the world of music merchandise. Why? First of all, aren’t you curious? I know I was. But secondly, there is a much more selfish reason. If and when […]

I’ve been getting into Chris Coleman lately. While watching one of his solos, I noticed him playing something familiar but with a really cool twist. I had never thought of doing what he did, and so I figured I would share it with you. Check out the video. At 3:23, Chris blazes paradiddles phrased as […]

Yes, I’m still obsessed with clave, among other things. In this post, I’m continuing the work with clave in the cymbal hand and the baiao pattern with the bass drum. The goal is independence; I’d like to be able to play anything I want with my left hand. By the way, there is much more […]

I’ve been working on clave independence (with my cymbal hand, not my left foot) for a long time now. When I first starting thinking about working on it, I thought it might be close to impossible to get real freedom with it. I see a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel […]

Anyone who has really studied John Bonham knows how he played his famous hand/foot triplets. Originally I thought the pattern was Right, Left, Foot, but that’s incorrect. The way that Bonham played them is: Left, Right, Foot. And man, when you get that lick fast and clean it sounds amazing. Once I started working on […]

How many of you get nervous before a show or audition? I’ll bet many of you are saying, “yes, I do.” Guess what? You’re not alone. I get nervous too. I’d like to offer you some strategies for overcoming this anxiety. Below are some things to tell yourself, actions to take or things to consider […]

For any of us who have dreamed big about their art–and making a living from it–this post is for you. I should start out by saying that as I write this, I do make a living from drumming, but not all of it is from playing. Most of it currently comes from my teaching business. […]

Welcome to the latest edition of “Pattern Control,” a way to gain control over complex vocabulary. Using this method can help you understand complex phrases and how they work in different rhythmic metrics. I’ve written several articles about this idea and you can read more by having a look at the links at the bottom […]

It was only a few weeks ago that I was lamenting the demise of Guitar Center’s annual drum solo competition, the “Drum Off.” They’re in the midst of a turnaround as I write this and I hope that they are successful. In the meantime, it was with great excitement that I discovered that the Percussive […]

Pattern Control is a concept/method I use often to understand drumming ideas I come up with (or steal). I’ve found it very useful, so I want to share the latest drumming pattern I’ve examined using the method. Pattern Control allows you to examine how a sticking or hand/foot idea plays out in a particular subdivision […]

In the two pages of 24 exercises offered here, I seek to give you an introduction to some simple linear fills. These ideas are based on three simple building blocks: 1) two notes with the hands and two with the feet (four-note grouping) 2) four notes with the hands and two with the feet (six-note […]

Deep advice from one of New York’s busiest and most diverse sticksmen. Kenny Grohowski’s somewhat eclectic resume could feel virtually endless. A brief survey of the Brooklyn-based drummer’s current active output includes touring and recording projects with Felix Pastorious’ Hipster Assassins; the costume-clad black death-metal band Imperial Triumphant; the prolific avant-garde composer John Zorn; the […]

The warm, sensitive, accommodating jazz mainstay offers a sincere glimpse into his world and his music. Adam Nussbaum’s credits abound. The seasoned jazz stickman’s output includes records with the late jazz-fusion guitar master John Abercrombie, the late saxophonist and composer Michael Brecker, jazz-rock guitar monster John Scofield, and the late jazz piano legend and composer […]

One of my favorite drum videos is Dave Weckl’s “The Next Step.” For my money, the most useful part of the video is the section on soloing. In it, Weckl explains the basis of much of his triplet vocabulary, which I offer to you here as a PDF. The vocabulary is simply combinations of different […]

I recently saw Dennis Chambers play with Oz Noy and Wayne Krantz. During one of Dennis’ drum solos, he started playing grooves that seemed to be in a completely different tempo than what Oz and the rest of the band were vamping on. You’ve probably heard this kind of drumming before. The idea has many […]

Glen Sobel is a beast of a drummer. Based in L.A., Glen is best known as the drummer for Alice Cooper and The Hollywood Vampires. He also won the Guitar Center Drum-Off early in the contest’s history. Anyone who knows me and my drumming preferences knows that I am a big fan. Why? He’s got […]

Lately, I’ve been on an Eric Moore binge. He’s got a great groove and a lot of chops. If you don’t know him check him out. He really makes good use of the hi-hat. That’s what I want to focus on in this post. There are a couple of little ideas I picked up on […]

I’ve been working out of Dave DiCenso’s great book, “Rhythm and Drumming Demystified” (aka RADD). One of the sections of the book I’ve been delving into is “Lesson 19,” which features a great pattern: FRLF RLRL (easily also played as RLRL FRLF). There are a lot of things I like about the book. One is […]

The other day I was listening to Clem Burke, the drummer from Blondie. He’s one of my favorite rock drummers. The song was “One Way or Another” from the album “Parallel Lines.” Clem goes to town on this song–big 16th note drum fills, a really interesting and muscular drum break–it’s a great drumming song. Then […]

Referring to the grid of 16th note possibilities has become a frequent–almost daily–occurrence for me. Recently, that’s because I’ve been working on a lot of independence ideas. The grid is a handy reference for my OCD completist mind during that kind of practice. But there are other possible reasons to want this on one page […]

During my practice to develop independence with this cymbal pattern I’ve been calling the “1e-ah-2-and-a” ostinato, I’m continuously stumbling upon new ideas. I’ve been fascinated by this independence because the phrasing of the cymbal pattern, when played in 4/4, goes over the barline. That is not something you hear very often. It’s kind of weird […]

Here is the follow-up to last week’s introduction to independence against the “e-and-a” cymbal ostinato. These 16 exercises offer every 16th note bass drum possibility before two and four on the snare drum. The “e-and-a” cymbal pattern is laid on top of these grooves so you can work on the mechanics of developing this independence. […]

I’ve been writing a lot about independence lately. That’s because I’ve been thinking about groove and pocket and how to make stuff feel really good. I’ve also been thinking, as I often do, about how to sound different from other drummers. To combine these two thoughts, working on independence with unusual cymbal patterns began to […]

Last week I saw a Drumeo video where Gavin Harrison described and demonstrated “The Paradiddle Challenge.” I love drumming puzzles and I really liked the idea. In the video, Gavin mentioned that he had actually gotten the idea from reading an interview with Gary Husband, who described it in print. Inverted paradiddles have always excited […]

Much has been said about the flexibility and usefulness of the classic drum book, “Syncopation.” There are many applications for the 9 pages of syncopation exercises that begin on page 37, and certainly, new possibilities will continue to be thought of by industrious and creative drummers. Recently, I discovered a great new way of using […]

This 10 measure exercise is wall-to-wall sixteenth note triplets–with accents–and it should help you build fluidity with paradiddles, paradiddle-diddles, six-stroke rolls, double paradiddles and some interesting variations on them. It will test your ability to lead with either your right or left hand, but just for fun, the exercise begins with left-hand lead. Below is […]

Today we get to Part 3 of our journey into independence with what I’ve been calling the “1E-A2-AND-A” cymbal ostinato. Look at the notation below; that’s what the pattern looks like on paper. I really like this cymbal rhythm. It’s very different from what most of us are used to playing on the hi-hat or […]

Welcome to “Nasty Drum Licks” #124 and #125. The six-stroll roll in this lesson refers to the left-handed version (LRRLLR) and the linear idea is something I’ve been playing for a while now (FLRLFR). I came up with the linear thing as a way to play something kind of slick-sounding while grooving on the hi-hat, […]

Gary Chaffee is one of the world’s most influential drum educators. His students include a dazzling array of well-knowns, including Vinnie Colaiuta, Jonathan Mover, JR Robinson, Joey Kramer, Todd Sucherman, Steve Smith and many others. His 4 book “Patterns” series is probably the work he is best known for. I have worked out of many […]

I know that “The Ultimate Monster Drum Lick” is a pretty provocative title. And I’m actually not particularly prone to hyperbole. But this idea, even at the stage I am at with it–which is admittedly early on my journey to master it–has so much power and holds so much promise for incredible speed and power, […]

Recently, it’s come to my attention that there is a shortage of materials for drummers to work on playing in 6/8. It’s come up for me when working on things for myself as well as with students. I wanted to introduce a student to playing in 6/8 and I really couldn’t find anything in-depth on […]

As drummers, our primary job when playing with other people is to provide the groove. That’s the foundation of the music and the bottom line reason for our presence within a group of musicians. If we do a good job, the music just feels good. If we can do that, we’re successful. There are several […]

I think I’m solidly back in double bass drum land. Those of you who’ve been reading this blog for a while may have seen me see-saw a bit on this topic. One week I’m swearing off double bass (I did that for a few years when I was obsessed with Keith Carlock) and the next […]

Success. What does it mean? I’ve become fascinated with how drummers define it and how they pursue it. There are so many versions of success. So, let’s look at some of the ways that drummers visualize and measure it. Is it About Money? The most common way to look at success, of course, is money. […]

Newly Revised and Updated! I know this title is a mouthful. But it says what this post is all about. I’ve been working on some ideas for a solo section in a song where the band plays a vamp in 6/8 and I get to solo over it. The tempo is about 160 bpm. And […]

NEW VIDEO ADDED! Welcome back to the wonderful world of Nasty Drum Licks. Today we’re going to check out a really cool sounding idea that is based on 32nd notes. It combines double strokes or paradiddle-diddles with a hand foot pattern: FRLRLF. This hand/foot pattern is something I’ve heard Dave Dicenso play, and it’s something […]

Drummers (and other musicians), actors, artists, writers and creative people of all types have probably all thought about the idea of the “back-up plan” at one point or another. It is difficult to make money making art of any kind. It’s a winding path with no map and it can be overwhelming. Often, these creatives […]

Hey Everyone! This past week I was still obsessing about 32nd note drum lick ideas and one of them really stood out. I tested it out on a gig last week and I loved it, so today I present it to you. It’s #121 and it combines a left-handed paradiddle with the pattern Foot-Right-Left. The […]

As usual, my practice sessions give me ideas for these “Nasty Drum Lick” posts. For a while now, I’ve been messing with lots of 32nd note ideas. I’ve really been trying to expand my command of playing fast 32nd note ideas that incorporate the snare and hand/foot combos. I also lean heavily towards ideas that […]

Recently I bought a Kindle. I avoided doing so for a while. But just as I had resisted moving from my massive CD collection to streaming at first, I eventually relented. I can’t remember the last time I picked up a CD or played one. I have a lot of books and I started to […]

UPDATE: Video Added! I’ve been messing with clave independence for a while now. If you’re interested in getting into this, be forewarned–it’s going to take a lot of time to get this independence to a point where it will be useful. It’s pretty difficult. But, as with all drumming stuff, time will yield rewards. Nothing’s […]

This Nasty lick goes around the drums counter-clockwise as 16th note triplets. It takes advantage of a great three note grouping as single strokes that allows you to move back and forth on the toms. Combined with a paradiddle-diddle, the lick becomes one that you can blaze around the drums continuously. The lick is written […]

The other night I played a gig and there was one groove I played that felt really good to me. I noticed that the people I was playing with were really digging it too. It was an Elton John tribute show and the tune was “Tiny Dancer.” The groove I played was definitely more Keith […]

As a drummer who plays professionally and dreams of ever bigger gigs, I am an avid reader and seeker of any information that will help me in my quest. So, I read and I talk to people. And then I make adjustments to what I’m doing. I’m not where I want to be yet. I […]

I frequently have students ask me about sixteenth notes. How do they work? How do I count them? What do they look like? And more. In this post, I’ve uploaded a beginner’s guide to sixteenth note figures that I often use with students. It explains, in a very simple and graphic way, how sixteenth note […]

This post gives you a set of 9 exercises that you can use to practice working on two notes in a row with your single bass drum pedal. I’ve written about bass drum double strokes before. For reference, here are two articles, each with additional exercises: “9 Exercises to Build Bass Drum Double Strokes” “9 […]

This one is a killer. Sometimes you find an idea that you think is great and you work on it for a while but it is difficult to get it to the point where you can really use it. It just doesn’t feel natural and you don’t feel totally comfortable with it. Other times, you […]

Here’s Nasty Lick 116, an offshoot of a classic that many of you probably already know: RLRLFF. I don’t know why I never thought of putting two bass drum notes before RLRLFF before now, but I wish I had, because it’s a pretty cool sounding lick. As usual, I’ve given you a bunch of ideas […]

Drummers sometimes ask, “how do I play a drum solo?” The honest answer is that you get better at playing drum solos by actually playing them. Now, before you get pissed off at my seemingly obvious answer, here is how you can do that. You need some source material to begin. That’s what I”m providing […]

Hey everyone! In our fifth of our “5 Killer Gadd Licks,” here is a very useful bit of drumming vocabulary for you. I’m confident that if you don’t know this one already, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much mileage you get out of it. It’s not a flashy idea, at least not how I […]

Hey Everyone! Today we’re going to do a quick lesson on linear drumming. When playing grooves in the linear drumming style, most of the time, you will play notes on three different surfaces without overlapping notes. Usually, you’ll be playing the hi-hat, snare drum and bass drum when playing these ideas, but there’s no rule […]

We’ve been working on learning to read music. If you’ve been following this series, you’ll have checked out the previous two posts, Your First Drum Lesson and How To Read Music For Drummers Part One. If you haven’t been following it, feel free to check out those links. The idea is this: first, learn a […]

Hey Everyone! This idea is something I got from one of my drumming heroes, Dave DiCenso. It’s a really cool hand/foot combo. When I heard Dave play it, he used a different rate (32nd notes) and his way of connecting it to other stuff he was playing was slightly different, but never-the-less, it sounded amazing. […]

Our fourth installment of “5 Killer Gadd Licks” is a rudimental pattern. I can’t remember what recording I first heard it on, but it was definitely Gadd. It might have been from one of his solos with Chick Corea (one transcription of a Gadd solo that includes the six stroke roll can be found HERE). […]

If you want to play drums and think you can’t or that it’s too hard or you’re scared…fear not! This beginner drum lesson is for YOU. In the video and PDF worksheet that are included in this lesson, I’m going to show you, in the simplest, easiest way possible, how to play three rock beats. […]

Here’s Nasty Drum Lick #114. It’s a five note grouping (RLRLF) applied to 16th note triplets. In this online drum lesson, we’ll look at a video of me playing the lick with my band, LEVEL5. There is also a complete note-for-note transcription of the lick so you can learn it. I recommend that you print […]

Drumming is a journey. That means things change. I am frequently finding new ways to do things that I already play. When it comes to my drumming, I’m always tweaking my technique, my vocabulary and my philosophy. This article is the result of that kind of flexibility. I recently re-discovered a sticking that works really […]

If you’re a Vinnie fan, you probably know this solo. It kills. Here’s a transcription for you to dig into. There are many great ideas here. Willie Rose used his considerable skills to transcribe it. Have at it! Here is the PDF: Heavy Resin Drum Solo Transcription PS – Imagine that you could regularly get […]

Sometimes you stumble upon an idea that feels so easy to play that you know it’s “right.” That’s what happened for me with this one. This is really just a combination of two ideas I’ve been using a lot, although I haven’t combined them until now. The two ideas I’m talking about are “RLRLF” and […]

I’ve been practicing a lot lately. Today, I sat down behind the kit after a day off. Sometimes you need a day off just to keep things fresh. I realized how well this works when I sat down today. I was so happy and excited to play after not having played for just one day. […]

Musicians sometimes see endorsements with musical instrument and gear companies as a badge of honor. The gear company is agreeing to have you represent them as an artist (remember that you endorse their products, they don’t endorse you). That is appealing; we musician and artist types want to be appreciated for our art. When a […]

If you have some experience playing double bass, then you’re probably familiar with this classic idea: Note that the sticking on the above is: right hand on the floor tom, right foot, left foot. It’s a solid piece of drumming vocabulary and one of my favorite double bass ideas, but I wanted to see if […]

A few weeks ago, I wrote about and posted a great Philly Joe Jones lick. The idea was a result of a lesson with one of my students who is working on her jazz soloing. I saw this same student again this week. You know where this is going? That’s right! I’ve got another great […]

Recently I was asked to play an AC/DC tribute show. In order to learn the songs quickly, I made drum charts on finale for all the tunes. I road tested the charts in rehearsals and on the gig, and they’re spot on with the original recordings. These are not note-for-note transcriptions, but they’re definitely more […]

No doubt you’ve read or heard about the many ways you can use the Exercises #1 through 9 in the “Syncopation” book. These are the page long exercises that appear on pages 37 through 45. Many consider Exercises 1 through 9 to be the “meat” of the book. Most of the uses that I see […]

The old wallet on the snare drum trick eventually gets old. It’s a quick fix, and yes, it does work. But my wallet is bouncing around with every stroke of my stick, and then it looks like it may bounce off the snare onto the floor. And I start paying attention to my bouncing wallet […]

“Pattern Control” is a concept that I’ve been into for a while. When I take an idea and write it out continuously until it resolves back to the beginning of the pattern, I learn a lot about how to best use it. Looking at drumming ideas in this way has become an important part of […]

Hey Everyone! This time out, I’ve got one that you can absolutely shred. It’s a five note idea played as 32nd notes. The PDF is included below for you to download. I’ve been back to using a double pedal lately and you’ll notice that this idea is notated using two bass drums/double pedal. This is […]

Have you ever found yourself sick of the same old drum fills you’ve been playing? Want to find something new? Try using this system. It’s a process that will yield interesting ideas that you would not have just made up on the spot. Some of these ideas will sound awesome. Some will not sound so […]

This week, I was messing around with my double stroke roll. I wanted to come up with a new way of breaking it up on the kit. Sometimes the simplest idea of this type is to substitute “something else” for one or more notes of an existing pattern. In this case, I wanted to maintain […]

Yesterday I was in the drum room for about five hours and I was working on and practicing several things. I’ve been working on Dave DiCenso’s material, which I think is transformative. I’ll write more about that later, but in the meantime, if you’re interested, you can read an earlier article I wrote about one […]

The invention of electronic drums is a very important event in drumming history. The age-old problem for us drummer types is being able to practice and play drums without causing trouble and disturbing people. The big attraction of electronic drums is the solution of this problem. It wasn’t possible for me to really practice on […]

Bass drum pedals can be an obsession. They have been for me. I’ve tried many. If you care to, you can read about some of my trials and tribulations with pedals here: Perfect Balance Pedal Revisted. But this time, I’m going to tell you about my current favorite. It’s Yamaha’s Direct Drive. I’ve been using […]

The latest Nasty Drum Lick combines a five note “four up & one down” lick with the “one up & one down” idea. As always, it’s tested in my studio, so you can know it will sound great when you get it together. Included are single and double bass drum versions. The double bass version […]

This time out we’re getting into a 16th note triplet idea that uses groups of four; three with the hands and one with the bass drum. It sounds great. The 4 fully transcribed examples presented on the PDF include several versions of the idea. The basic “germ” without any orchestration is also offered so you […]

In this edition of “The Thinking Drummer,” we’re going to talk about drum set-ups; specifically, the 4-piece drum kit. Drummers have all sorts of drum set-ups, and generally speaking, I believe that you should use what works best for you. If you like a particular set-up, you sound good on it, and it works for […]

This time, we’re going to another LEVEL5 show where we’ll dissect a fill that I really like. It’s a thirty-second note idea, played pretty fast and it involves a double stroke roll with some accents thrown in on the floor tom and bass drum. Let’s check it out by looking at the video below. The […]

Here’s the NYC Live Music Drumming Calendar for November and December 2017. Note that below each show listed, on the second line of text, all the way to the right, there is a note on who the drummer is. I’ve been making this calendar for myself on my phone for years and I’m guessing I’m […]

Time spent, quality, feedback. Practice is a tricky endeavor. You need to work hard for a long period of time and you need a focused, goal-related, methodical practice regimen that is flexible. You need the help of an expert (or many experts) and you need the time to do it. And you’ll need the passion […]

In one of LEVEL5’s tunes, “Opus One,” there is a drum break section. You can check it out in the video below. Just in case you find any of the ideas I play in the video appealing, I’ve transcribed the drum breaks for you. First, here’s the video: Now here’s the PDF with the transcriptions: […]

If you are serious about your drumming–really serious–you need to check out this book. It may very well become a classic. It certainly deserves to become one. If you were to take some of the ideas of Gary Chester’s “New Breed” and expand them exponentially, you’d have some idea of what RADD is all about. […]

This drum soloing idea comes from “RLRLL,” a five note sticking to which I added some additional ideas using another sticking, “RLL.” That’s pretty much how it came about. But it sounds cool, so I started messing around with it until I could use it as 32nd notes. It’s an “all-hands” idea. Check it out […]

This quote by Wayne Gretzky is one of my favorite motivational ideas. When I feel a bit frustrated with my journey, I often think of these words, and they calm me. Why? Because I know I am taking my shots. I may not be successful, but I am trying. The path I am walking is […]

Digging Deeper into Rhythmic Notation Last time we discussed some of the overall concepts of reading music for drummers. We’re still going to be working on the basics here, but this time we’re going to dig a little deeper. We’ll learn about the system that reading music resides in (measures, time signatures) and how that […]

These little slick 32nd note groove ideas are always fun. This one is surprisingly simple, but it sounds great never-the-less. The secret to making these sound right is dynamics. The ghosted notes must be very quiet and the hi-hat notes should be significantly louder than the snare notes. The bass drum and accented snare notes […]

Learn to Play Drums with Work, Beyond Talent Over the years of teaching students how to learn to play drums, I’ve observed some students doing well and others not so much. The reasons are not always what you might think. So, I compiled this list of what it takes. But before we look at the […]

Since #100 is a bit of a landmark post, I thought I would celebrate by combining some things we’ve already worked on in various posts/articles. This combines inverted paradiddles, a three note hand/foot pattern and single strokes into one tasty, blazing 32nd note drum fill. If you want to have a look at some of […]

I love 7/8. I’m not sure I understand exactly why. Perhaps because of Rush? Maybe Rush’s “Tom Sawyer” is where I first heard it. It sounds so cool. There is not very much material to use when working on this time signature. I’ve pretty much had to just mess around with 7/8 on my own […]

I’ve been thinking about this lately. The goal of any musician seeking to be great is to sound unique. Think about the drummers you are drawn to. Don’t they all have their own easily recognizable voice? When you hear Dennis Chambers, Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, Dave Weckl, Philly Joe Jones, Keith Carlock, Steve Gadd or […]

Here is new idea that can be used as a drum fill, a way to spice up a groove, or as some soloing vocabulary. Do you remember Steve Gadd’s famous ratamacue fill? Well, if not, you can check it out on this worksheet I wrote about some of Gadd’s vocabulary called, “7 Gadd Licks.” You […]

Reading Music? Why? Beginning drummers often ask the question, “do drummers need to read music?” Or, “how is reading music for drummers different from reading music for other musicians?” Here, in Part 1 of this series on how to read drum music, we’ll talk about some of that, but our primary focus will be learning […]

As usual, I’ve been fooling around with lots of ideas. I’m always looking for something new, something different that will help me develop my own unique sound and style as a drummer. That’s the game. In my quest, I recently started working on playing grooves and incorporating 16th note triplets into my ideas while maintaining […]

I am a drum book freak. I love drum instruction books and I always have. From the moment I discovered the idea that learning to read music would open up a world of drumming information and learning, I was hooked. BANG! The Drum School has a huge library of drum instruction books. Below are some […]

That quirky rhythmic figure–the half note triplet–has confounded beginning drum students (and music students in general) for eons. In this post, we’ll dispel the mystery by explaining everything you need to know. Let’s dive right in. To understand how the half note triplet works, you need to use the eighth note triplet as your guide. […]

Welcome back to Vinnie land. In this lesson on how to play drums online, we’re going to look at and learn the fourth drum fill idea of this series of Vinnie Colaiuta drum licks. It sounds amazing and it’s based on a simple idea executed in a very interesting way. The lick is simply a […]

Lately, I’ve been experimenting with the following five note pattern: RLRLF. You may have read about it before here on “The Drumming Blog,” as I’ve posted about its use as 16th note triplets (more details on that later). To go deeper, let’s bust out the 32nd notes. The eight exercises on the PDF show you […]

In my playing with my band LEVEL5, I’ve been experimenting with ways to add tension and help build the drama or intensity of my other band members’ solos. One way I’ve found to do this is to play something that is rhythmically interesting and “in the pocket” but that is still “off kilter.” Superimposing 6/8 […]

What This is OK, I know the title of this article is a bit of a mouthful, but I think it explains what we’re doing here. These ten exercises combine single paradiddles, double paradiddles and paradiddle-diddles in different ways to make up full measures as 32nd notes. Every exercise starts with a right and ends […]

I’m trying to remember exactly where I first heard Vinnie play this lick. Honestly, I’m not 100% certain, but it may be from Karizma’s “Document.” This third of a series of five Vinnie drum fills is another classic Vinnie idea. As usual, it’s something that you might not have thought of yourself, and very interesting […]

As a drummer, more often than not, one of our responsibilities is to count-off the song. In some bands I’ve played in, someone else counts off the tune, but most of the time, it’s me or you (I’m assuming you’re a drummer; that’s generally who reads this blog). Counting off the tune is a significant […]

Here we go! This is a great Vinnie lick. I first heard it on the song “Get A Grip” from the Tom Scott album “Flashpoint,” and I’ve heard many pro drummers use it; no doubt they stole it, just like I did (and just like YOU are about to) off that record. Go to around […]

I’ve lamented this notion with some of my musician friends. It is the same for every instrument. There are lots of little details in the gear we use, and if you forget one key thing, you’re toast. Over the years, I’ve found out the hard way by screwing up. So, please allow me give you […]

We already know Nasty Lick #91, and if you don’t, feel free to have a look at the orignal post HERE. This new twist on the idea is simply a matter of math. Instead of sixteenth note triplets, as in the original, we use 32nd notes. It’s a handy notion that most of the great […]

I’m going to use the platform of “The Thinking Drummer” to write about music marketing, something I’ve stayed away from in the past. But the truth is, all of us drummers, and all of us musician types need to know about marketing (and that’s a BIG understatement). I get asked about it a lot, and […]

Welcome to Vinnie Colaiuta land! Here is the first of five killer Vinnie licks, also to be known as “Nasty Drum Licks 92 – 96.” There are two videos for this first of five licks as follows: “5 Killer Vinnie Colaiuta Licks Part One: Slow to Fast” — in this video, I break down just […]

This has been floating around the internet for years, but it’s good advice, and it comes from one of the best musicians on the planet–Chick Corea–and that means it’s well worth passing along to you. So, if you haven’t seen this yet, please read on. The original document in which these rules appeared (upper left) […]

Here’s an awesome sounding new drum lick that demonstrates a notion I write and talk about often: using “connectors” in your soloing and fills. Usually, a connector is a rudiment or is based on a rudiment, and it is used to attach ideas to each other. In this case, the idea we’re connecting is a […]

Nasty Drum Lick 90 is merely a simple variation on Nasty Lick 89. But, it sounds so good, I had to write it out and give it to all of you here in “The Drumming Blog.” For review, Nasty Lick 89 is a five note pattern: RLRLF, and it’s phrased as 16th note triplets. With […]

Attention newbie drummers! It’s time to learn some vocabulary. Here are ten drum fills that are very simple and sound great. They’re gig tested and fairly easy to play. You just have to sit behind the kit and dig in. Practice them and repeat that practice until you’ve got it. Remember studying a foreign language? […]

If you’re looking for something interesting and new to work on in the new year, you’ve come to the right place. Today we’re going to dig into a new independence idea that I’ve seen Dave DiCenso use in some of his solos. If you don’t know about him, you have to check him out. I’m […]

So, you’re posting your videos on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, drummerworld dot com, and you aren’t getting anywhere. Modern Drummer magazine isn’t asking to interview you. Those clinic appearances aren’t rolling in (in fact, you’ve never done a clinic in your life). Bands aren’t hiring you. The drum companies aren’t asking you to endorse their gear. […]

Today’s drum lick (#89) comes from an idea I’ve been experimenting with a lot lately. The germ of the idea is the following five note grouping: RLRLF. The orchestration that I prefer is: 1) Right Hand on Snare, 2) Left Hand on High Tom, 3) Right Hand on Floor Tom, 4) Left Hand on Floor […]

Nasty Licks #87 and #88 are variations on a theme: 32nd notes using the three note grouping, RLF. Have a look at the notation on the left. Do you see how this way of using the pattern, FRLFRLFRL, is kind of like a 9 stroke roll between your limbs? It’s a nine note grouping. The […]

This article is going to get me some backlash. And I need to preface this by making it clear that I am saddened, shocked, distraught, disoriented and angered by Trump’s election to the highest political office in our great country. I also have to warn you that I am going to curse in this article. […]

What is Linear Drumming? Today we’re going to explore a linear pattern on the drum set. For those of you not familiar with the term, linear drumming means that you distribute notes across a rhythm using your limbs such that no overlapping occurs–only one sound source is being played at a time. RLF RLF RLF […]

Let’s talk about hand technique. For the purposes of this discussion, I am going to assume that you know a few basics: good drum technique requires a loose grip and tension free body motions the “meat and potatoes” motions of American matched grip come from a wrist motion that is much like your movements when […]

Alright everyone. Here’s my top ten. I’m guessing this may spark some debate, and think that’s fine, so feel free to let me know your thoughts. Syncopation This book, written by Ted Reed, is very versatile. I use it with beginners to teach them to read rhythmic notation, but it has many other applications for […]

It was my first gig with this new band. The band’s material is somewhat complex, so I really wanted all the little things to line up so I could feel as comfortable as possible at the start of the performance. But guess what? Pretty much the opposite happened. All the little things got completely screwed! […]

I’ve been repeatedly asked to post videos of the “Nasty Licks” series that I’ve been giving to you. So far, the series has been strictly made up of PDF transcriptions. Let it be known: I’ve heard your requests! Here is first of many videos that I hope will be helpful to you. So, let’s get […]

Here in “Nasty Lick #86,” we’re messing around with an idea that is 14 notes long, and the metric we’re working with is 16th note triplets. The 14 note pattern (consisting of one paradiddle-diddle, two bass drum notes, and three notes each on the floor tom and hi tom) makes this idea sound pretty “out-there.” […]

For Nasty Lick #85, we delve into a sticking (RLRLL) and use it to create 32nd note ideas within grooves. The ideas are based around three voices: hi-hat, snare and bass drum (not surprising since we are going for groove based soloing ideas). For you certified drum nerds out there, if you know Steve Gadd’s […]

I’ve written about drumming shoes before (see the post, “Drumming Shoes”). The Puma H-street was my sneaker of choice for drumming for quite some time. But it’s almost impossible to find them now. I had to find a different shoe. The Serrano model of Onitsuka Tigers fit the bill perfectly. They’re light-weight with very thin […]

This one is a nine note idea: RLRF RLRFF, and we’re going to play it as 16th note triplets. The attached worksheet will spell it all out for you using three examples. In the first, we’ll just look at the pattern itself with no real orchestration–hands on the snare and foot on the bass drum. […]

In this edition of The Entrepreneurial Artist, I want to make a case for the importance of an MBA in addition to a music degree. The new economy has created a situation that makes it harder than ever before to make a living using the old/traditional model of the music business. Streaming is here to […]

Dave Tough, a drummer who was active from the 20’s through the 40’s, worked with a who’s who of swing bands including Artie Shaw and Woody Herman. Unlike his much more famous contemporaries (Krupa, Rich and Roach), Tough didn’t like to take drum solos, so it might seem surprising that this book is part of […]

Here’s a new-ish video of Zach playing on and talking about the 7-ply mahogany Gretsch Catalina Club drum kit. The video is notable for Zach’s great playing. If you don’t know his playing, you should explore it. But the video also surprised me because I’ve always thought of the Catalina Club series as a lower […]

The other day I was listening to some Virgil Donati. I have a Virgil playlist in iTunes and it was on “shuffle.” The rhythm of Nasty Lick #83 comes from one of Virgil’s fills. I can’t remember what track it was, but Virgil played two versions of that fill on it. If you recognize the […]

This one just happened yesterday in the practice room. I saw some random video on Instagram. I don’t remember the drummer’s name, but I loved the idea he was playing which was a groove with some tasty 16th note triplet ideas thrown in on the hi-hat. I’ll have to go back and find it again […]

For beginners, here is the first in a series of Cheat Sheets. This one covers what I consider to be the three most important paradiddle patterns for beginners to learn: The Single Paradiddle The Double Paradiddle The Paradiddle-Diddle (both left and right-handed versions) The first order of business is to learn these hand patterns cold. […]

Welcome to a new feature, “Ask The Drummer,” where I answer questions sent in by readers. If you have a question, use the contact form on this website, and put “Ask The Drummer” in your subject line. Hi Mark- I’ve been checking out BANG’s Nasty Drum licks and I started working on the lick in […]

I’ve been working on some ideas for some solos in my new band, LEVEL5, and that’s led to combining some ideas you’ve seen here recently on the blog. In Nasty Lick #81, we combine groups of five and groups of 3 between the hands and feet. –The five grouping is: RLRLF –The three grouping is: […]

Vinnie Colaiuta has returned to Gretsch Drums. An announcement was posted on Facebook and on Gretsch’s blog on June 6th, 2016: We are proud to announce that legendary drummer Vinnie Colaiuta has come home to Gretsch Drums. Without question, Vinnie is one of the world’s most respected and admired drummers. Throughout his prolific, 4-decade career, […]

After some experimenting with Nasty Lick #80, I came up with some variations I really liked. They are all included here, on the attached PDF. You’ll find three examples on the worksheet, as described below. The first example is simply taking the core of #80 and repeating it for one full measure. Second is a […]

In this edition of “The Thinking Drummer,” we’re going to discuss a method of evaluating bands you might be considering playing with. The method is also useful for evaluating your own playing. If you are serious about your drumming or about your career as a musician (regardless of your instrument), you might consider taking the […]

This little sextuplet combo sounds fabulous and is easy to work up to gloriously blazing speed.  It’s based on a common move around the drums that many of you are already familiar with, but it adds one bass drum note in an interesting place.  The PDF has five examples: the first two are slightly different […]

I hesitated to write this because it seems like something that every drummer knows. In fact, every drummer I know who has “been around the block” does know this trick. But then I remembered that when you’re just starting to play drums, there is a world of information that is new. So in that spirit, […]

In this edition of “The Thinking Drummer,” I offer ten tips for aspiring/beginner drummers. They are not in order of importance. Be Patient Realize that skill takes a long time to build. Becoming a great musician can take years. Be patient, do the work and you’ll become good. Focused practice under good guidance will take […]

Have you wanted to play drums for a while, but you weren’t sure how to get started? Let me guide you to playing your first drum beat. It’s OK if you’ve never played before and it doesn’t matter if you can’t read music. This is a pretty-much full proof way to get started. So, here […]

Way back in the beginning of “The Drumming Blog,” I wrote a piece about getting the most out of your ideas. The article is called “Milking Your Licks Dry,” and it explores the notion of taking ideas you already know and figuring out new ways to use them. With Nasty Lick 79, I took a […]

In this post, you’ll find a PDF to help you work on a really cool and useful ostinato that you can use in your drum solos. I call it “The Left Hand E-And” because the left hand plays the middle two 16th note figures on the hi-hat, while the left foot plays quarter notes by […]

I’ve been digging deeper into inverted paradiddles and the deeper I go, the cooler it gets and the more ideas I come up with. That’s what “deep practice” is all about. Immerse yourself deeply in a particular aspect of your playing or in a concept you’re working on and you’ll see the power of it. […]

Hey everyone! So for Nasty Lick #78, I return to a concept I’ve written about before–the backwards six stroke roll. I really like this reverse sticking (L R R L L R) because: 1) It’s different! I rarely have heard anyone play the six stroke roll this way. And that’s a good reason to try […]

Lately, I’ve been messing around with triplet ideas using just the bass drum, snare drum and ride cymbal. The original inspiration for this type of playing came from some of Steve Gadd’s work with Chick Corea. Check out “Humpty Dumpty,” from the album “The Mad Hatter.” If you cue up that track and start listening […]

There are certain drummers who we believe have magical abilities. They are legendary for their groove, technique, solos and sometimes, their behavior. Their playing just seems impossible and unapproachable. When drummers talk about these other-worldly drum stars, the stories that are told are the stuff of mythology. These players are looked to as gods. You […]

This inversion of the ever-useful paradiddle is sometimes referred to as the “paradiddle with the diddle in the middle.” It’s one of my favorite stickings because it is very easy to put accents on either the quarter note or the “a.” And that allows for some cool sounding phrases to be created. The first step, […]

Hey everyone! This time out, I’m honestly not sure where this lick came from. It just kind of came out during practice one day. But when I find a good one (and I only post good ones here) then I share it with you. It requires technique to pull off, but that shouldn’t stop you. […]

But Mom, I Want to be an Artist! When I was around 12, I was faced with the decision about which high school I should attend. One of the great things about growing up in NYC is the wealth of educational choices. I had applied and was accepted to several high quality schools. The High […]

A few days ago, I received an email via Modern Drummer’s email list about a new educational release from the great Steve Smith called “Pathways of Motion.” After reading the email, I immediately clicked the link to Amazon and bought my very own copy. Want to know why? Read on, my dear obsessed drummers, read […]

Last time we focused on eighth notes. This time we add sixteenths. Some of these exercises will sound cool and some won’t, but the idea is to give you the freedom to play what you want while maintaining the inverted paradiddle groove pattern. Next time, in part 3, we’ll focus on grooves that we test […]

The paradiddle inversion with the “diddle in the middle” (RLLR LRRL) is my favorite of the single paradiddle inversions. Why? It sounds cool. Why else? The inverted paradiddle can be used musically in beats, fills AND soloing. A true triple-threat. Recently, I realized that my ability to use this pattern in grooves was limited. The […]

When working on playing authentically in any musical style, one fail-safe approach is to begin by absorbing the playing of your favorite drummers. Transcribe what you like, practice it, absorb it and then use it freely. Once you can do that, alter the ideas to make them your own. When it comes to uptempo jazz, […]

Vinnie Ruggiero is a cult figure in the drumming community. His playing was muscular and aggressive and grooved like crazy. Let’s not mince words–Vinnie Ruggiero was a motherfucker. I was introduced to his playing and teaching by one of my drum teachers, Rick Considine, who hails from Rochester, which is also where Ruggiero eventually settled. […]

What Are Ghost Notes and Why Should You Care? Ghost notes are simply snare drum strokes/notes that are much lower in volume than your “backbeat” (“2” & “4”) drum stroke. These quieter notes are always tricky to learn, but once you get the different stroke heights into your muscle memory, things will get easier. Ghost […]

New ideas frequently come from very simple ideas that you already know. The guts of Nasty Lick #75, presented here, came from a very simple 16th note lick I’ve been playing for a very long time (the sticking is “RLRL”), shown below: The new version came from simply adding bass drum notes before and after […]

When practicing with the aim of better soloing, one of the most important concepts is figuring out how to connect your ideas. I’ve come to realize, after a lot of trial and error, that the best thing to do is to focus on things that are comfortable for you to play and then figure out […]

The Pearl free floating snare drum has been my “go-to” for the last ten years or so. There are many options available in shell choice and dimensions (depths), but my favorite so far has been the brass shell with a depth of 6.5 inches (pictured at left is the brass snare with a depth of […]

Prediction: Luis Burgos Jr will win this year’s Guitar Center Drum Off competition. I saw Luis twice during this year’s contest, which concludes with the Grand Finals on January 16th, 2016, in Los Angeles. FYI, Luis competed via the North East region. I was at the Quarter Final round at NYC’s Union Square store on […]