To be able to make drum set stick recommendations, I tried 20+ different pairs of sticks from Promark, Vic Firth/Zildjian and Vater. I was looking for the perfect drum sticks to use on drum set. Well actually, I anticipated selecting 3 pair of sticks. A small lightweight combo stick, a medium general stick, and a large ensemble stick. I wanted them all to be from the same manufacturer. But first… What About the Stick Numbers?  What struck me on my search of drum stick manufacturer’s websites, was the wide variation in stick diameter for exactly the same “standard” stick size numbers. For ..read more

I frequently talk about Latin styles and specific drum set beats you should use. 1. Cha Cha 2. Bossa Nova 3. Mambo 4. Salsa Cascara 5. Salsa Campana 6. Samba 7. Songo 8. Bembe 9. Conga and Mozambique 10. Beguine, Bomba, Bolero, Guaguanco, Merengue and Rumba 11. Calypso, Soca, Reggae and Ska But for the drummer new to playing Latin style music or you have no idea what type of song it is, there is one pattern you can play with your hands ALONG with 3 possible patterns you can play with your feet. I believe these Three Basic Latin Beats to Cover Your Ass can get you through almost any Latin tune ..read more

There is one musician that every drummer should respect and get along with to be successful. That is the bass player. There needs a strong drums and bass relationship. A good bass player can make a drummer’s life so much easier – while a bad bass player can make for a long and painful gig. And my advice to bass players is that the one musician they should respect and get along with is the drummer. It is a Symbiotic Relationship like no other in music. Establish a Relationship I have had the pleasure of working with some very good bass players over the years. And one of the things that made it ..read more

I often recommend Jim Riley’s “Survival Guide for the Modern Drummer”  – A Crash Course in All Musical Styles for Drumset. Especially to beginning adults and students who want to learn how to play drum set quickly. They want to start playing with a group or other musicians ASAP. And also, to experienced drummers who want to get more gigs by being able to play in any style and expand their musical opportunities. I have previously posted Drum Set Method Books Recommendations. These are all great texts. If you diligently practice with these method books, you will develop into a technically a ..read more

Cha Cha Drum Style is the first in the series: Essential Latin Drum Set Beats. The challenge is to try and duplicate the patterns traditionally played by 3 drummers (bateristas): Timbales (timbalero), Congas (conguero) and Bongos (bongocero). Over the years, I collected a bunch of books that talked about playing various Latin styles on drum set. I would go from book to book searching for answers and ideas. Here are simple, stylistically accurate and essential Latin rhythms and patterns to play Cha Cha on drum set. Cha_Cha_Essentials Download The Cha Cha has a characteristic repetitive quarter ..read more

Understanding the Afro Cuban Clave Afro Cuban Clave Essentials and any discussion of Afro Cuban Musical Style (Salsa) always centers around the “Clave”. With distinctions being made between Son Clave and Rumba Clave patterns. Initially, I thought they were talking about a pair of hardwood sticks used to make a hollow sound when struck together. And even though actual “Claves” will play the “Clave” – There is much more to understanding the term and how it is applied to developing simple, stylistically accurate and essential Latin rhythms and patterns to play on drum set. Clave is a Spanish word ..read more

I want a lightweight, quick and easy drum setup. So in that spirit, I have always gone with minimal and lightweight hardware and add drum stand memory locks, Tama QC8 Quick-Set Cymbal Mates, a Gon Bops Percussion Tray etc. I currently use two Gibraltar 5709 boom cymbal stands. I went double braced because I attach a Tama MC62 multi-clamp with a Gibraltar SC-BALRM to mount an 8×12 rack tom on one of the boom stands. Also, I attach 2 Gibraltar SC-CLBAC cymbal boom attachment clamps for a 20″- 22″ ride and 22″ China cymbal on the other boom stand. So I have the “lightweight” part of my setup cove ..read more

Developing a closed buzz roll on snare drum is essential. Not only for a concert percussionist, but also for a drum set player. The primary reason to “roll” on a snare drum is to sustain sound. Stringed instruments can continually draw a bow across a string to sustain a note. Wind instruments can continually blow air through the horn to sustain a note. But drums have a very quick decay time. Especially the snare drum. Once you strike the drum, the sound almost immediately decays to silence. So to give the “impression” that the drum is sustaining a note, we strike the drum head as often as we c ..read more

For pop music, I frequently use a Yamaha DTXM12 drum module as a complete electronic drum set. Electronic drum kits are an excellent choice for portability and when there is limited space. If the drum set is mixed in the mains or monitors, the high-quality sounds of electronic drums make it easy to get the right mix. And if the playlist calls for different drum setups and a variety of world percussion instruments; electronic drums are a good way to go. Previously, I posted an initial review of the DTX-MULTI 12 Digital Percussion Pad. I purchased one to add digital percussion sounds to my acou ..read more

Bossa Nova Drum Style is the second in the series: Essential Latin Drum Set Beats. Over the years, I collected a bunch of books that talked about playing various Latin styles on drum set. I kept going from one book to another searching for answers and ideas. There was some agreement. But mostly disagreement about what is authentic and correct for each Latin style. Here are simple, stylistically accurate and essential Latin rhythms and patterns to play Bossa Nova drum beats on drum set. Bossa_Nova_Essentials Download The Bossa Nova bass line retains the characteristic Samba drum beat pattern ..read more