Ludwig Legacy cL assic
sabian Xs20s
dw Jazz series
roL and V-drums Lite
JOHN BONHAM
The World’s #1 Drum Magazine
moderndrummer.com
ALEX VAN HALEN
BUZZ PRODUCTS
™
His tHundering
rHy tHms remain FresH
Keeping eddie, woLF, and
diamond daVe up aLL nigHt
™
FEATURES
EQUIPMENT
ALEX VAN HALEN
Van Halen will never forget how to rock as long as
Alex Van Halen is behind the drums.
NEIL PEART
Still a master innovator of rock drumming.
NICKO MCBRAIN
Outside the box of metal drumming.
JOHN BONHAM >>
Nearly 30 years later, John Bonham’s crushing sound
is as fresh as ever.60
84
100
110
32Product close-uP
Ludwig Legacy Classic Kit
George Way 5x14 Studio Snare
Sabian “New Look” Xs20 Cymbals
Beato Pro 1 Hardware Bags
DW Jazz Series Kit
44electronic review
Roland HD-1 V-Drums Lite
50new and notable
WIN!PAGE 82
Prize Package Worth
$11,000
EDUCATION
80Off the RecORd
A
lex Van Halen: The Early Years by Ed Breckenfeld
126Jazz dRummeRs’ WORkshOp
Jazz 101: Swing Feel and Triplet Independence, Part I
b
y Dr. Sherrie Maricle
130stRictly technique
I
nvert Your Rudiments: Power of the Paradiddle
b
y Jim Riley
132latin sympOsium
R
elayed Time Shifting: Understanding African Feels
b
y Phil Maturano
134the funky Beat
S
tretch That Groove! Part II: Odd-Meter Permutations
b
y David Garibaldi
136dRum sOlOist
R
emembering Carlos Vega: On James Taylor’s Live Album
b
y Eric Novod
138cOncepts
T
he Master Musician: Loving Notes and Bearing Witness
b
y Billy Ward
140the JOBBing dRummeR
K
eeping the Skies Friendly: Drummer’s Guide to Air Travel
b
y Paul Wells
150taking caRe Of Business
B
ottom Line: Getting Your Worth as a Working Drummer
b
y Jeremy Hummel
152teacheRs’ fORum
B
uilding a Successful Teaching Practice Part III
b
y Robert P. Smith
DEPARTMENTS
10an editOR’s OveRvieW
N
ot Old...Just Older by Billy Amendola
12ReadeRs’ platfORm
16ask a pRO
S
teve Smith on Don’t Stop Believin’ - What’s On James Gadson’s
F
loor Tom? - Quick Beats: Porcupine Tree’s Gavin Harrison
28it’s questiOnaBle
M
ystery Shaker/ Mallets - O
verhead Mic Placement - Cymbal Repair
174cRitique
178shOWcase
184dRum maRket
In
cluding Vintage Corner
186BackBeats
W
oodstick 2007, Carlos “Patato” Valdez in Memoriam
C
ascio Drumfest 2007, and more
192kit Of the mOnth
178
32174
the WORld’s #1 dRum magazine
6 Modern Drummer • April 2008
™
FEATURES
EQUIPMENT
ALEX VAN HALEN
Van Halen will never forget how to rock as long as
Alex Van Halen is behind the drums.
NEIL PEART
Still a master innovator of rock drumming.
NICKO MCBRAIN
Outside the box of metal drumming.
JOHN BONHAM >>
Nearly 30 years later, John Bonham’s crushing sound
is as fresh as ever.60
84
100
110
32Product close-uP
Ludwig Legacy Classic Kit
George Way 5x14 Studio Snare
Sabian “New Look” Xs20 Cymbals
Beato Pro 1 Hardware Bags
DW Jazz Series Kit
44electronic review
Roland HD-1 V-Drums Lite
50new and notable
WIN!PAGE 82
Prize Package Worth
$11,000
EDUCATION
80Off the RecORd
A
lex Van Halen: The Early Years by Ed Breckenfeld
126Jazz dRummeRs’ WORkshOp
Jazz 101: Swing Feel and Triplet Independence, Part I
b
y Dr. Sherrie Maricle
130stRictly technique
I
nvert Your Rudiments: Power of the Paradiddle
b
y Jim Riley
132latin sympOsium
R
elayed Time Shifting: Understanding African Feels
b
y Phil Maturano
134the funky Beat
S
tretch That Groove! Part II: Odd-Meter Permutations
b
y David Garibaldi
136dRum sOlOist
R
emembering Carlos Vega: On James Taylor’s Live Album
b
y Eric Novod
138cOncepts
T
he Master Musician: Loving Notes and Bearing Witness
b
y Billy Ward
140the JOBBing dRummeR
K
eeping the Skies Friendly: Drummer’s Guide to Air Travel
b
y Paul Wells
150taking caRe Of Business
B
ottom Line: Getting Your Worth as a Working Drummer
b
y Jeremy Hummel
152teacheRs’ fORum
B
uilding a Successful Teaching Practice Part III
b
y Robert P. Smith
DEPARTMENTS
10an editOR’s OveRvieW
N
ot Old...Just Older by Billy Amendola
12ReadeRs’ platfORm
16ask a pRO
S
teve Smith on Don’t Stop Believin’ - What’s On James Gadson’s
F
loor Tom? - Quick Beats: Porcupine Tree’s Gavin Harrison
28it’s questiOnaBle
M
ystery Shaker/ Mallets - O
verhead Mic Placement - Cymbal Repair
174cRitique
178shOWcase
184dRum maRket
In
cluding Vintage Corner
186BackBeats
W
oodstick 2007, Carlos “Patato” Valdez in Memoriam
C
ascio Drumfest 2007, and more
192kit Of the mOnth
178
32174
the WORld’s #1 dRum magazine
6 Modern Drummer • April 2008
Bringing the Thunder
JOhnBonham
Describing the style of the late John Bonham’s
drumming instantly conjurs up visions of the thunderous power he created. His contributions to rock music were revolutionary, and his talent unmatched and irreplaceable. You can only imagine Jimmy Page’s reaction to first seeing him in 1968, ending his search for a new drummer to form a new band, the New Yardbirds (later renamed Led Zeppelin.)
A childhood friend of Robert Plant, they played together in the ‘Band of Joy’, resulting in local gigs and a few studio demos. At first, Bonham was reluctant to join the well-known guitarist because of a steady gig with Tim Rose. But... the rest of history...
As John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant have all stated many times, Led Zeppelin wouldn’t have been half as good without him. Along with JPJ, they provided the solid foundation and backbone of the band, which made it all possible. Live performances truly
showcased his abilities during the numerous improvised jams throughout every concert and of course his famous “Moby Dick” drum solo; reaching a half-hour in length at times!
Immitators are usually left frustrated, since Bonham made it look so easy - not only in his playing but also in the incredible drum sound he acheived. His legendary right foot (on his bass pedal) and lightning-fast triplets were his instant trademark. He later refined his style from the hard skin-bashing approach to a more delicate wrist controlled one - which produced an even more powerful & louder sound with less effort.
His tragic passing on September 25th, 1980 immortalized his legacy forever. His only son, Jason proudly continues the tradition. Daughter Zoe also has a strong interest in music and is experimenting with her own original material. John’s sister Deborah is a highly acclaimed & talented singer.
Modern Drummer • April 2008 60
Bringing the Thunder
JOhnBonham
Describing the style of the late John Bonham’s
drumming instantly conjurs up visions of the thunderous power he created. His contributions to rock music were revolutionary, and his talent unmatched and irreplaceable. You can only imagine Jimmy Page’s reaction to first seeing him in 1968, ending his search for a new drummer to form a new band, the New Yardbirds (later renamed Led Zeppelin.)
A childhood friend of Robert Plant, they played together in the ‘Band of Joy’, resulting in local gigs and a few studio demos. At first, Bonham was reluctant to join the well-known guitarist because of a steady gig with Tim Rose. But... the rest of history...
As John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant have all stated many times, Led Zeppelin wouldn’t have been half as good without him. Along with JPJ, they provided the solid foundation and backbone of the band, which made it all possible. Live performances truly
showcased his abilities during the numerous improvised jams throughout every concert and of course his famous “Moby Dick” drum solo; reaching a half-hour in length at times!
Immitators are usually left frustrated, since Bonham made it look so easy - not only in his playing but also in the incredible drum sound he acheived. His legendary right foot (on his bass pedal) and lightning-fast triplets were his instant trademark. He later refined his style from the hard skin-bashing approach to a more delicate wrist controlled one - which produced an even more powerful & louder sound with less effort.
His tragic passing on September 25th, 1980 immortalized his legacy forever. His only son, Jason proudly continues the tradition. Daughter Zoe also has a strong interest in music and is experimenting with her own original material. John’s sister Deborah is a highly acclaimed & talented singer.
Modern Drummer • April 2008 60
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Drumming in the Here and Now
Modern Drummer • April 2008 84
It’s been four years since the last Van Halen tour, but in their time the band has traveled a million miles. Van Halen has always been more of a pure rock ‘n’ roll act than anything else. Mega-hits like “Jump”, “Dance the NIght Away”, “Panama”, “Runnin’ with the Devil”, “Pretty Woman”, and “Hot for Teacher” are hardcore party anthems for a generation that ignored disco and punk. For those loyal fans, Van Halen constituted a rite of passage, a fun-loving band that partied as hard as they rocked-and their ability to rock was never in question.
As Eddie Van Halen strangled his guitar through all manner of hammering, slashing, and maniacal speedball eruptions, brother Alex laid down a bombastic groove of titanic proportions, typically on a colossal drumset fortified by double bass drums, Octobans, and percussion. And while he often cited Ginger Baker and Buddy Rich as seminal influences, Alex’s drumming was always larger than life, thrusting through Van Halen’s music with the energy of an angry tank, matching Eddie’s blitzkrieg style with equally assaultive note choices.
Practically joined at the hip to his brother Eddie, nephew Wolfgang, and David Lee Roth, Alex Van Halen has finally returned to the road with the band that bears his name.
ALEX VAN HALEN
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Drumming in the Here and Now
Modern Drummer • April 2008 84
It’s been four years since the last Van Halen tour, but in their time the band has traveled a million miles. Van Halen has always been more of a pure rock ‘n’ roll act than anything else. Mega-hits like “Jump”, “Dance the NIght Away”, “Panama”, “Runnin’ with the Devil”, “Pretty Woman”, and “Hot for Teacher” are hardcore party anthems for a generation that ignored disco and punk. For those loyal fans, Van Halen constituted a rite of passage, a fun-loving band that partied as hard as they rocked-and their ability to rock was never in question.
As Eddie Van Halen strangled his guitar through all manner of hammering, slashing, and maniacal speedball eruptions, brother Alex laid down a bombastic groove of titanic proportions, typically on a colossal drumset fortified by double bass drums, Octobans, and percussion. And while he often cited Ginger Baker and Buddy Rich as seminal influences, Alex’s drumming was always larger than life, thrusting through Van Halen’s music with the energy of an angry tank, matching Eddie’s blitzkrieg style with equally assaultive note choices.
Practically joined at the hip to his brother Eddie, nephew Wolfgang, and David Lee Roth, Alex Van Halen has finally returned to the road with the band that bears his name.
ALEX VAN HALEN
It starts with a relentless search to find the most
elegant finishes ever to grace a set of drums,
traveling the globe to uncover the most exqui-
site exotic woods we can find. Our passion is
combining the legendary Collector’s Series®
sound with nature’s paint job. Exotic veneer is
adhered to the full surface of the all-maple or
birch shell using the same heat-pressure
methods used on all Collector’s Series® shells.
�e shell will then be sanded smooth, lacquered
and buffed to a flawless, elegant finish.
Collector’s Series® Birch drums with Natural Lacquer over Twisted Walnut Exotic.
Collector’s Series®