A very popular piece of musical advice often given to drummers is LESS IS MORE.  After all my years of playing I still contemplate how to apply this advice. Many criticize Joey Jordison's over-the-top style with the nu metal band Slipknot. Others criticize Charlie Watts for his simple backbeats with the classic rockers The Rolling Stones. Does playing many notes make ...

An oldie, but a goodie, this quick little tip can come in handy.

Often I get the music for a gig or rehearsal with only a day or two away so many songs need to be learned within a short period of time. Instead of writing them out in a traditional musical chart or playing the songs over and over until memorized,  I've found it easier to use a ...

Part 6 in my series which applies traditional snare drum rudiments to the drum set. Here I demonstrate the basic Single, Double, and Triple Ratamacues and how to create variations for the drum set. I show different orchestrations, rhythmic variations, and double bass drum applications. Whether you're into Bonham, Gadd, or Tre Cool, you will ...

One of the best pieces of advice I could give any young drummer is to know your history. Regardless of the style of music you're into, if you study the sources of inspiration from which your heros have drawn, you can begin to see how the pieces of the music puzzle fit together. This will ...

Some of my worst gigging experiences were the result of me not bringing a rug to place under my drums. Sometimes I forgot to bring it, but sometimes I was told that either the stage was carpeted or there was already was a drum rug I could use. Drum kits that are not secured to the ...

Next in my drum video tutorial series which apply snare drum rudiments to the kit, Part 5 explores the possibilities of the Single Drag Tap. Drawing inspiration from Steve Gadd's interpretation of the Ratamacue in his video Up Close, I developed my own triplet, 16th note, and double bass drum applications of the Single Drag ...

Below is my email response to a bandmate when we were discussing whether or not to use songwriting forms (or formulas). He was advocating a more abstract approach and the email was my response. I think the most important aspect of drumming is understanding song forms. Song forms are the foundation on which most popular (regardless ...