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I agree that everyone should have the disco beat in their arsenal, but stomping quarters to create the "pea-soup" effect on the hats is pretty much an entry-level 4 way coordination skill (four on the floor with both feet, 8ths on the hats, and 2 and 4 on snare).

My 1987 Tama Superstar. Gigged it for 35 years, but now I use my Starclassic Maple live. My 13x6.5 Dunnett Ti is my go-to snare since around 2004. Even laymen (and a female singer!) have commented on how good it sounds.

The hi hat is the most expressive instrument on the drum set, with the most sound options, but for me, left the foot "chick" sound was not part of my thing until I started listening to fusion and jazz in my late teens. I always thought it was silly/redundant to play 8th notes with the left foot...

I've used Danmar, Hard Rock Bass Drum Pad (by Peterson Percussion), Remo Falam Slam, and plenty of DIY patches I cut out of an old head. I'm not looking for "click" as I used to in the 80's, I'm simply looking to protect the bass drum head, but I do like to hear the attack of the beater. I use...

20/10/12/15 is the config I play live these days, after playing 22/10/12/16 or just 22/12/16 for many years. As long as I'm mic'd up, I would choose a 20 over a 22 in almost any situation except maybe a loud hard rock gig.

Following up on my earlier thread, things are moving along in my studio upgrade project and I'm just about to install everything in the studio. Since 2011, my studio PC has been an Intel Core i7 2600/Windows 7 system w/16GB RAM, running Cubase on ancient dual 19" Dell flat panel monitors. My...

Vinnie was such a badass. His groove set him apart from just about any metal drummer. He had the chops and machine gun precision, but always with a healthy bit of stank on his groove.

Not me. I use new (and new to me) music as a way to inspire and influence my playing through osmosis. You are what you "eat", musically, so I seek out music and drumming that offers nutritional value.

My gear choices inform my playing plenty! Different gear inspires me to play differently, whether it's drums, guitar, bass, or keys. When I sit behind my bop kit with an unmuffled 18" bass drum and wafer thin cymbals, I play differently than how I play on my Superstars with low tuned power...

I most often employ a very loose grip and the "free stroke" technique, especially on the ride, so if my sticks don't bounce true, I can immediately feel it. Not a compromise I'm willing to make.

In my gig stick bag, I don't keep matched pairs separate, but I hate when I have two sticks in my hands and I want to switch them. When they're not nearly identical in weight, I generally prefer the slightly heavier stick in my right hand because of how it feels on the ride cymbal. Either way...

I'm out on the road and stopped by the local Guitar Center to grab a few pairs of sticks. After taking a leap of faith and ordering online during the shutdown, it has become clear that I'm too particular about my sticks to buy online. I need to roll for straightness, and hit a pad or the floor a...

Confess your drumming sins here. No judgement! I'll go first. I (almost) never play right hand flams. I'm right handed, but nearly (if not) 100% of the time when I play a "standalone" flam on the kit, it's a left hand flam (r L). Of course, when I play phrases, combinations, or rudiments that...

For sure! Hope you're well, Mike!

Thank you. It was surreal. Not something you think you'll ever experience.

Yes, we last played two sold out shows at the Savannah Center on the Monday following the Super Bowl in 2019. That summer, our former bandleader, bassist and lead vocalist tragically passed away on stage in Long Island. As you can imagine, it was tough to get back on our feet, and by the time we...

Thanks very much, it really was a great experience. It was a year in the making, and when it finally came time, the band really rose to the occasion. The conductor was great and the orchestra really knocked it out of the park. Thanks so much for the kind words about the band. We're all over the...

Yes. It went great, thanks for asking!

It really was, thanks! Yeah, Dan is awesome. He came down to my house from MA and we drove to and from JFK together. He just left amidst some light snow. Thanks again!

So, of course, the orchestra did follow the conductor. The conductor's name is Dean Anderson and he did a great job. A really cool, easy going guy (younger than I expected) who had clearly done his homework and was familiar with the music. He and I were back to back with a plexi shield (at my...