World drum beats have played a huge part on rhythmic drumming in all sorts of music styles. Afro-Cuban percussion is one such example of world drumming and typically involves all sorts of percussion instruments including congas, timbales, cowbell, woodblock, and claves. The Songo drum beat is a mixture of all these percussion instruments and parts […]…
Unfortunately, we recently lost a musician that had a very positive impact on popular music over the last few decades. Drummer and singer, Levon Helm, was one of the original members of The Band, a successful group of musicians that had a major impact on the roots rock music world. Helm was loved by fans […]…
Ginger Baker is looked upon as one of the most unique drummers in rock music history. Baker has been a part of several successful bands including the famous rock super trio, Cream, with bassist Jack Bruce and guitarist Eric Clapton, and the group Blind Faith, with Clapton and Steve Winwood. What makes Baker so influential […]…
Playing an effective reggae drum beat on the drums takes coordination and a whole lot of feel. Most traditional reggae drum beats contradict the straight ahead rock beats that most of you are probably used to playing by now. I found a video that offers a great explanation of one of the most popular reggae […]…
The Rolling Stones drummer, Charlie Watts, has had a successful career as a drummer for over fifty years. In the rock music world, Watts has mastered the Money Beat to lay the foundation under so many hit songs from the Rolling Stones. What most people don’t realize though, is Watts spends most of his free […]…
Every once in a while I reminisce about my days in drum line. I used to compete on marching drums when I was younger for solo competitions and group competitions with my school. I have a lot of great memories from drum line, but I also have a lot of rudiment chops from drum line. […]…
Hi hat tricks offer some of the coolest grooves on the kit. There are many different directions you can go with hi hat cymbals, from simple beats to very complex tricks. Most drummers aren’t fully aware of all the different things you can pull off with hi hat cymbals. Even just learning how to open […]…
Dave Weckl has received fame for his precise and technical drumming. Weckl has performed and recorded with many of the best jazz and fusion players in the music industry, released a series of drum instructional videos, and written a few drumming books. Weckl has inspired countless drummers around the world including myself when I was […]…
Learning to lay down the groove, without a lot of fills, is a lesson that few drummers learn. The most successful drummers in the music industry accept their roles as the foundation of the song. I’m not saying they never get the chance to let loose and shine, but being the foundation a song is […]…
One great session drummer, composer and educator that has been very active in the jazz and rock worlds for many years is Peter Erskine. Erskine has played and toured with many successful acts throughout his career including the Stan Kenton Orchestra, Maynard Ferguson, Steely Dan and Weather Report, among many others. Erskine has a musical […]…