No. 261, March 2018
On the Cover: Learn how to manipulate time from behind the drum set with the help of this 10-day lesson plan, written by Musicians Institute faculty members. Metric modulations are changes in tempo or meter that are derived from a note value and overall subdivision encountered previous to a modulation. Drummers use them to superimpose or imply a change in meter, feel, or tempo over an existing rhythmic template, or as a vehicle in which to literally change meter, feel, or tempo. Dive into nine lessons that provide the building blocks that culminate in a final challenge!
Features: We examine the evolution of drumming in country music in When Drums Went Country. Take better care of your snare by reading and heeding our advice about What Not To Do With Your Snare Drum. Discover a fun way to pursue your love of drumming by learning from expert teachers and well-known drum artists in a variety of settings and locales, which are described in Drum’s survey of Drumming Camps.
Lessons:
- Consider the possibilities of Grooving Without Cymbals
- Check out an open hi-hat technique that’s used within sixteenth-notes for building still more grooves and fills
- Solidify your foundation for reggae grooves with the nyabinghi variation
- Explore the brilliance of Roy Haynes’ work with composer and arranger Oliver Nelson
Plus: Find out what it’s like to play percussion in Elton John’s band from the singer-songwriter’s longtime bandmember John Mahon; see what Calexico drummer John Convertino had to say about his brushwork and textural approach to the band’s newest release, The Thread That Keeps Us; and read our reviews of handcrafted Craviotto snare drums and hand-hammered Bettis cymbals.