Elvin Jones on Haskell Harr and learning the rudiments: “I did go through [Harr’s snare drum book] as a matter of fact. I went to public school in Pontiac, Michigan, so I didn’t do anything extra. […] I didn’t have […]
Author: Todd Bishop
Survival chops: triplets and 16th notes, accented
Here’s a page of stuff that should be handy, with some accented 8th note triplets and 16th notes in 3/4 time. Playing 16th notes at the end of a run of triplets is something I […]
Erskine on Whiplash!
If you don’t know your subject well enoughto convey the real emotion of it, there’s always this. This is fun— they’ve interviewed Peter Erskine in re: the new smash sensation amazingly great jazz drumming education […]
DBMITW: Portland song
New video by my partner Casey Scott!
Philly Joe plays an entrance: Oleo
Lots of action here this week, but here’s a little something for you… the new Book of Intros is still on its way… finishing is always the hard part, and there’s always more to do […]
Things I learned at a Billy Mintz concert and clinic, and hanging at Revival Drums
Get it here. I already knew this, but I was reminded of how great is the distance between things we can talk about and write about with drumming, and the actual music itself. The actual […]
Daily best music in the world: earlyish Steve Gadd
Here’s some really great funk drumming by Steve Gadd, from 1975, on a fairly obscure album: Mobius, by Cedar Walton. Gadd invented or perfected much of the drumming language that is now usually just called […]
Billy Mintz clinic and concert in Portland TOMORROW
I don’t know how many local readers I have, but if you’re in Portland, you should go see Billy Mintz give a drum clinic, followed by a concert with his quartet tomorrow evening— follow the links […]
Dahlgren & Fine workout in 3/4
Here’s a triplet workout in 3/4, using 4-Way Coordination by Marvin Dahlgren and Elliot Fine. The idea is fairly obvious, and has certainly occurred to a lot of people, but it might help for me […]
NAKED CLICKBAIT: ten pieces of drumming equipment you should throw away TODAY!
I don’t know, I just felt like writing an inane Buzzfeed-style listicle a few weeks ago, and I’m tired of looking at this in my drafts folder. Please don’t be offended if one of your […]