Category Archives: Drums & Percussion

iDrum Issue Four Featuring Carmine Appice, Chester Thompson and Thomas Pridgen

iDrum, is back with a packed fourth issue full of exciting video interviews, plus a host of product reviews and of course tuition to inspire every drummer, beginner or advanced.

Carmine Appice – the legendary drummer renowned for his showmanship talks to Stuart Bull about his work with Vanilla Fudge, Rod Stewart, Beck and Ozzy Osborne amongst many. Carmine recalls recording sessions and the evolution of his drum kit in this exclusive interview.

In April 2011 Las Vegas saw a stellar line up of drummers get together for the first annual John Wackerman Drum Festival. Exhibiting their skills were, Chester Thompson, Thomas Pridgen, Kit Chatham, Chad Wackerman and John Wackerman.

Other featured interviews include Bonobo’s Jack Baker, the evergreen Brian Tichy who is currently touring with Whitesnake and the legendary Roy Burns, drummer, educator, historian, innovator and industry figure following his involvement with Aquarian Drumhead Company.

There are over thirty pages of product reviews where you can not only read what the reviewer thought of the product, but also watch videos of the products being put through their paces and hear what they sound like. Products covered in this issue include, Korg Wavedrum, Natal Ash Kit, Sonor Select Force Drums and Gavin Harrison Special Edition snare, Traps E500 e-kit, Meinl Classic Custom Cymbals, Sabian Omni Cymbals, Zildjian Chinas, Remo Powerstroke Pro Heads and Rhythm Tech Hat Trick G2 tambourines.

There is a whole host of CD and DVD reviews covering all musical tastes complete with links so you can easily find out more. Then there is the Tech Sessions – full of inspirational drumming tuition to test and improve your skills, broaden your palette, and develop your style. The Jungle Drummer looks at left arm workouts with Double Snare Drum ideas, Jamie Borden takes 3-Note Groupings to another level, Pete Lockett explores Grooves From Odd Units and Pat Garvey takes a closer look at Double Kick Based Groove Construction. Plus Ed Williams get funky with various hi-hat accents, Tom Chapman continues his introduction to the Cajon and special guest Peter Retzlaff talks about developing speed and swing with a tech session from Hudson Music’s Baby Steps to Giant steps.

iDrum brings you the complete experience, interviews, features, reviews and tuition, all of which is totally interactive and FREE!

Subscribe now at www.idrummag.com/issue4.

Rockschool’s Hot Rock Drum Series Hits The Road With Craig Blundell Drum Clinics

Rockschool, in association with Music Sales and Roland UK, is pleased to announce a three date UK tour of Craig Blundell Drum Clinics. During the workshops Craig will be demonstrating the music available to learn in the Hot Rock Drums Grades 4 & 5 using the Roland TD-4 and TD-9 electric kits as well as the HD1 kit, Octapad and Handsonic.

Rockschool is Europe’s No.1 rock music exam board with qualifications covering the principals of rock music and much more. Music Sales is an international family of wholly owned companies with interests in the five main areas of music including music retail (Musicroom). Roland is a world leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of musical instruments including electronic percussion kits. Craig Blundell with over thirty years playing the drums is currently considered one of the best drumming clinicians and educators around. His stylish performances and own brand of entertainment have won him rave reviews across the world.

The demonstrations are based around the groundbreaking Hot Rock series – this incredibly popular series for Drums covers a wide range of artists. During the sessions Craig will be demonstrating tracks featured in  Grades 4 and 5 Hot Rock books including songs from Metallica / Lars Ulrich (Master of Puppets / Fuel), Foo Fighters / Taylor Hawkins ( All My Life), AC DC / Phil Rudd (Whole Lotta Rosie), Kings of Leon / Nathan Followill (Sex On Fire) and many more.

Simon Pitt, CEO of Rockschool says: ‘Hot Rock is a great way of playing hit tunes in our exams and this series for Drums and Guitar has been going great guns since 2009.  We are delighted to be teaming up with Roland and Music Sales for these clinics.  Craig is a great drummer and we expect these events to be well attended’.

The drum clinics will be held from 3pm to 7pm in the following Musicroom stores: -

  • Bristol: Tuesday 8th November 2011 – Musicroom Bristol, 30 College Street, BS1 5TB
  • Lincoln: Wednesday 9th November 2011 – Musicroom Lincoln, 161-162 High Street, LN5 7AF
  • Edinburgh: Thursday 10th November 2011 – Rae Macintosh, 8 Queensferry Street, EH2 4PA

The HD1 Roland beginner drum kit is convenient, compact and stylish – perfect for home, school and studio use with most components mounted on one stand for easy setup and transportation.

There will be special offers on the Hot Rock series of books in the Musicroom stores on the day of the demonstrations plus an amazing competition to win a HD1 kit and a full set of Grade and Hot Rock books.

For further information visit www.rockschool.co.uk.

Drum Channel ‘Secrets From the Pros’ Drum Lessons

Drum Channel’s ‘Secrets from the Pros’ series features the best drummers and teachers in the world! This goldmine of drumming instruction sees these top pros share their playing secrets with you in an extensive and in-depth library of videos where you can learn to play drums when you want, at the speed you need, in the style of music you enjoy.

The series features over fifty lessons, with the unsurpassed Thomas Pridgen, legendary Jim Chapin, Chad Smith, Gregg Bissonette, Peter Erskine and many, many more. The drum lessons cover every aspect of playing the drums from the basics for beginners to the more complicated techniques and rudiments for the advanced players looking to refine their skills. The lessons get in close and show you how to set up your drums and tune them properly, explain the different ways you can hold the sticks, they demonstrate hand and feet approaches, give details on how to keep the beat / time, whilst also revealing the use of the valuable tips and hard won tricks. Different styles of music – jazz, rock, and funk – are used throughout the lessons to illustrate the techniques being discussed.

You can dip in and out of the lessons when you want and you can view them over and over again – until you get it nailed. Each teacher takes you through the lesson a step at a time, explaining clearly what they are doing as they go along. You can use these lessons to prepare you for private instruction or support your existing lessons or simply get you ready for more Drum Channel lessons.

The All Access Membership Pass Plan gives you the right of entry to this wealth of drumming lessons and countless other learning aids such as Master Classes with top professional drummers, videos of the greats playing, shows where the leading drummers of the day talk about what they love best – drumming! The All Access Membership Pass Plans are available in one of three ways – choose which arrangement suits you the most. There is a recurring monthly subscription of $4.99, a six month non-recurring subscription – and get a month free at $24.95, or a twelve month non-recurring subscription – and get two months free at $49.90. You can even try before you buy. There are lots 10 FREE lessons, some covering the basics, others describe more advanced techniques.

Remember the more you learn the more fun it will be, and on Drum Channel you can learn from the best drummers in the world.

Newsflash: Coming soon lessons with Neil Peart and Freddie Gruber.

Available exclusively through Drum Channel go to https://drumchannel.ssl.subhub.com/subscribe/signupform to find out more.

iDrum FREE digital magazine: Third Issue Features Dennis Chambers, Graham Broad and the exclusive £10,000 Neil Peart competition

iDrum, the free, interactive, digital magazine for drummers, has a packed third issue featuring in-depth video interviews with the unrivalled Dennis Chambers, Graham Broad fresh from The Wall Tour with Roger Waters, and Aaron Comess talking about the return of the Spin Doctors.

There is a special feature on the Musikmesse. This is when all the true advantages of a fully interactive magazine come to the fore – where you can not only see, but listen and hear to all the new products that were debuted there. There is a full A to Z guide from the iDrum team covering a full fifteen pages with video interviews and demonstrations.

iDrum brings you exclusive interviews in every issue, and this month includes features on top teacher Pat Petrillo. Editor Ian Croft also catches-up with Keith LeBlanc with live footage of his band Tack>>Head and you can see videos and a festival report from The UK Custom Drum festival. Another special feature is a behind the doors look at the Zildjian Artists Sessions in London where you can see and hear demonstrations of the new Gen16 Cymbals as well as get previews of what prototypes the research and development team are currently working on.

There are loads of product, DVD and CD reviews, again with video presentations and comment from experts you know and trust. Also included are over an hour and half of free drum and percussion lessons in the Tech Sessions covering all types of rhythm and genres with top teachers including Pete Lockett, Jungle Drummer and iDrum’s very own Jamie Borden.

And don’t forget the competition – you still have the chance to win the drumming prize of a lifetime – a complete set of Neil Peart Evolutions Snare drums by DW, his Sabian Paragon Cymbals and a brick of his custom designed signature Promark Drum Sticks. Together this prize is worth in excess of £10,000 ($15,000 or €11,000).

More than a magazine, iDrum is ahead of its time, an extraordinary experience that allows you to interact directly with the content, whether it is the interviews, the lessons, or the reviews. This free third issue comes with over one hundred and forty pages packed with drumming excitement.

Come and listen to the talking drum magazine, you’re going to love it. Go to www.idrummag.com/issue3.

Three New Drum Channel DVDs Released – Buddy Rich, Gannin Arnold and Peter Erskine

Drum Channel has just released a Special Edition of the Award Winning Buddy Rich Up Close DVD now including a new CD of the show. They have also released two stunning new drumming DVDs, by the virtuoso guitarist Gannin Arnold with 5 world class drummers and the highly skilled, versatile drummer Peter Erskine. Each of the DVDs takes a completely different approach, giving you access to the widest possible methodologies for playing the drums.

The Special Edition of Buddy Rich Up Close ( RRP $24.95) brings with it a previously unreleased CD which includes the Band Mix and the Buddy Hot Mix of six fantastic songs: Love For Sale, Bugle Call Rag, West Side Story, Birdland, Greensleeves and Dancing Men. The DVD features footage from three of Buddy’s shows with shots from as many cameras as possible highlighting Buddy’s incredible drumming techniques. You can also listen to two different versions of the audio, plus a slow motion rendering to catch all the nuances of Buddy’s performances. Modern Drummer magazine who rated the DVD five stars commented, ‘Whether you’re a longtime Buddy fan or you’re just discovering his talents, this DVD, which features six songs performed by Buddy Rich and filmed in a club with Rich’s big band, is one to check out . . . fun and inspiring, with lots of wow.’

Next comes the Gannin Arnold Project: 5 World Class Drummers (RRP $24.95). Featuring Taylor Hawkins, Jimmy Chamberlain, Simon Phillips, Terry Bozzio and Gary Novak, this has to probably be one of the most exceptional, engaging and interesting performance and educational drumming DVD’s ever produced. Joining Gannin Arnold and this marvelous array of drummers are Billy Mohler on Guitar and Bass and Tim Landers on Bass. These top notch drummers each play the Gannin Arnold song ‘Not From Here’ showing you how differently they interpret it. During the DVD you will be able to see the drummers playing from overhead and watch what their feet are doing with the special close up edits that are included. On top of that the DVD also included interviews with each of the drummers, and 19 remarkable band performances.

The third in this trio is Peter Erskine: Everything I Know, A Work In Progress (RRP $24.95). Peter was once described by the great Neil Peart as ‘a master drummer and educator, an amiable guru of deep wisdom and infectious enthusiasm’. He is known for sophisticated rhythms, distinctive accompaniments and powerful, ripping solos. This double DVD set is a collection of drum lessons with the man himself accompanied by three of his favourite musicians. Produced by music industry legend Don Lombardi these two drum educational DVDs contain the equivalent of a years worth of private lessons.

Available exclusively through Drum Channel go to www.drumchannel.com to find out more.

See Taylor Hawkins, Chad Smith, Neil Peart and others with the new Drum Channel All Access Pass

Drum Channel, who provides over a hundred and fifty hours of on-line lessons and drum shows, has announced a fantastic new unlimited All Access Pass to their website via a new subscription of only $4.99 per month.

The All Access Pass is your unrestricted right of entry to the exciting Drum Channel world, where you can interact with the world’s best drummers and teachers. This is your way into over one hundred and fifty hours of drumming lessons, with world renowned drummers sharing the secrets of how they get their own distinctive sound, plus over one hundred hours of  the best drumming shows, with new shows and lessons being added weekly.

Drummers featured include Drum Channels very own Artist in Residence Terry Bozzio with a faculty that includes Gregg Bissonette, Stephen Perkins, Chad Smith, Peter Erskine, Neil Peart and Alex Acuna. Regular guests to the channel include Taylor Hawkins, Mike Portnoy, Chester Thompson, Billy Cobham, Luis Conte, Ray Luzier, JR Robinson, in fact a who’s who of the best drummers on the planet!

The $4.99 monthly subscription is the perfect way to guarantee you never miss a show, gives you the opportunity to participate with fellow drummers, professional and amateur and take advantage of any special offers and competitions that Drum Channel may offer. Once a member you can also benefit from a 20% discount on all Drum Channel DVDs in the store. You can even log on now and see lots of free lessons and shows as a taster to the amazing material available to subscribers.

More and more drummers are signing up and finding out the boundless advantages of the $4.99 monthly subscription, why don’t you take the plunge and join them watching and hearing your drumming heroes, learn how to improve your drumming or simply hang out.

To sign up for you monthly subscription go to Drum Channel All Access Pass.

Posted in Drums & Percussion

Blondie’s Clem Burke awarded Honorary Doctorate

Blondie Drummer Clem Burke is to be awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music by the University of Gloucestershire for his groundbreaking involvement in a project that bears his name.

The Clem Burke Drumming Project (CBDP) was launched in July 2008 in collaboration with Clem Burke, the University of Gloucestershire and the University of Chichester.  The seminal research revealed that professional drummers had a heart rate profile similar to professional footballers and expended a significant amount of energy per performance.

The award recognises not only his musical excellence, but also the pioneering work he has undertaken to explore the physical demands of drumming and the uses of drumming to promote physical and psychological wellbeing.

Subsequent work by the Project has included the positive effects of drumming amongst primary school children with a range of educational needs and drumming as an intervention to super-obese children. The Project is also about to publish data on 15 professional drummers that shows that the initial findings on Clem’s performance are typical.  Darrin Mooney, drummer for Primal Scream, Matt Tong from Bloc Party, Rob Rolfe of Enter Shikari, Kevin Figueiredo, drummer with Extreme and musician Jeremy Hickey, known as R.S.A.G. have been working with the research team in physiological testing that measures heart rate, oxygen uptake and blood lactate levels in rehearsal testing and during live shows.

Dr Steve Draper, Co-founder of the CBDP, University of Gloucestershire said:

“This is a proud moment for all involved with the Clem Burke Drumming Project and a fitting recognition of the achievements of its figurehead.   Clem is a respected, world renowned and Grammy Award winning artist who has enjoyed a long and varied career in music.  It has, and continues to be, a privilege to work with him.”

Co-founder, Dr Marcus Smith from the University of Chichester added:
“The award of an Honorary Doctorate of Music to Clem Burke recognises not only his longevity and excellence as a musician but also his willingness to engage with academics to investigate the science of drumming.

“Over the past 12 years our understanding of the physiological demands of playing the drums has become clear and the potential role drumming may have as an intervention to enhance health and wellbeing.”

Clem is delighted with the awards. He said:

“I would never have expected that my work with the Clem Burke Drumming Project would result in such an award. It is truly a great honour and I accept this award on behalf of my brother drummers everywhere in the world”

The honorary award will be conferred on July 30 at the Rhythmfest drumming summer school taking place at the University of Gloucestershire’s Park campus in Cheltenham.

More information about the CBDP can be found at www.clemburkedrummingproject.com.

Patchbanks & Sound Co. release Ultra Drums – Snares & Claps

For those in search of ultra-quality drum samples, search no further—as we present an impeccable collection of 101 selective snares/claps suited for house, trance and electronic club music. Perfecting your snares and claps can be tedious when your drum sample have been re-sampled, not recorded properly or rendered with distasteful compression/eq settings—which is why we’ve sourced only but the best analog and digital drum modules that were recorded, processed and mixed through high-end gear to offer the most raw and robust sound possible. Expect nothing but superb sound quality like you never heard before.

  • Quantity: 101 Drum Samples
  • File Type: Wav
  • Music Styles: House, Trance, Electro, Club
  • Price: $14.95

For demos and product info please visit www.patchbanks.com.

iDrum Magazine: Second Issue Free On-Line Now

iDrum issue two is here. Created by experts, designed to break new ground, packed full of exclusive interviews with talented artists, up to the minute news, reviews of cutting edge products – issue two is just the start of what is planned for the future. You can read it, watch it, hear it, touch it, share articles with friends and all for Free!

Features include the second part of Jamie Borden’s Neil Peart interview continuing with Neil discussing how his mind works, how he keeps in shape – physically and mentally and how the Time Machine Kit came about. In the exclusive Mike Portnoy interview, find out why he left Dream Theatre after nearly 25yrs, what it’s like playing with Avenged Sevenfold and what the future holds.  Then get together with Mr. Nice Guy himself – Jason Bittner of Shadows Fall – and find out why he thinks sharing is important. Other articles include Michito Sanchez – percussionist extraordinaire, John Tempesta – talking about his UK clinic tour, Jon Hiseman – discussing his new book and Brendan Buckley – Shakira’s go to guy.

In the Tech Sessions The Jungle Drummer continues the ‘blaggers guide’ to Drum ’n’ Bass and Pete Lockett gives an off beat displacement lesson looking at paradiddles and Tihai’s around the kit. In other lessons you can look at polyrhythmic patterns with Jamie Borden, the technicalities and rhythms of Pandeiro with Adriano Santos, groove enhancement with Pat Garvey, and dissect The Songo Groove with Richard Patterson. Not forgetting the first in a series of R & B groove lessons from Ed Williams.

The Review section is jam packed with all the latest gear and drumming must have gadgets. This part of the magazine looks at drum kits from the DW Performance series, and Tiki Vintage Maple Series, cymbals from Dream, UFIP and Meinl, as well as Mapex pedals, Natal cajons, Audix Mics, Mad hatters Hi Hat Jingle and of course the BC2 from Porter and Davies. This is followed by a generous chapter looking at all the latest CDs and DVDs where you can listen and watch excerpts as well as read what the reviewer thought.

iDrum brings you the amazing drumming prize of a lifetime, worth over £10,000 ($15,000 or €11,000)! In this free to enter competition, iDrum subscribers can win a piece of drumming history. Up for grabs are a complete set of Neil Peart Evolutions Snares by DW, his Sabian Paragon Cymbals, and a brick of his custom designed signature Promark Drum Sticks.

With over 180 pages this second issue is bursting at its virtual seams. You, the reader, can engage directly with the content and you can share it through your website, your blog, Facebook or Twitter – there is more than enough to go around. Get the iDrum habit, sign up for a free subscription and take the waiting out of wanting.

It’s free, it’s easy to use, it’s fun, its packed full of interesting things, it keeps going and going, you canread it anywhere, whenever you like, it can be shared, so go to http://magazine2.idrummag.com/issue2/page/1/ and try it – the ultimate drumming magazine.

Drum Channel: Cobus Potgieter, who has 80 million views on YouTube, gets internship at DC

Drum Channel is excited to announce that internet based, self taught drummer, Cobus Potgieter is joining them as an intern where fellow drummers can watch him learn and follow his progress picking up tips as they follow him along the way. During his internship he will have a regular show, and he will be studying with some of the best drummers and teachers in the world, many of whom are his drumming heroes.

Internationally recognized by playing drums on cover songs, Cobus, hails from South Africa, and started playing the drums nine years ago. He is an aspiring professional drummer, with 80 million views of his drumming on YouTube, where amazingly he is the 80th most subscribed (All Time) musician, globally. Even though he has had no formal lessons, his passion for playing led him to teach himself to play by ear. If you don’t know who he is, check him out  in Drum Channel Show, where he talks to Terry Bozzio and meets his favorite drummer Tony Royster Jr. Both of whom have very positive comments about Cobus’s playing. Also, you can check him out on his You Tube channel, http://youtube.com/deedlebag.

Follow Cobus on his internship as he meets top drummers like Chad Smith, Stephen Perkins and many more and takes lessons with some of the greatest teachers ever. He will take part in live shows and be there to ask all those questions you have wanted to, because quite simply, as he says he is a drummer from a small town South Africa and until recently THIS OPPORTUNITY WAS JUST A DRUMMERS DREAM.

Cobus’s Live Shows will be free. Check on DrumChannel.com’s schedule to find out more. If you want to join the many followers and learn with Cobus over the next months you can sign up for the Drum Channel All Access Pass which is currently on offer at $4.99 a month subscription. This monthly subscription gives you access to everything: 175 lessons, Master classes, and more than one hundred hours of shows. There are also LOADS OF FREE LESSONS AND SHOWS available, as well as tons of new content added every month.

To see and hear your heroes, talk and play, to learn how they do things or simply hang out with other drummers, professional and amateur  and or course follow Cobus on his next big adventure go to DrumChannel.com.