Yamato Drummers of Japan performing taiko drumming Some of the most exciting drumming you’ll ever see comes from the traditional Japanese style of taiko. In Japanese, “taiko” refers to any kind of drum, but outside of Japan, it is used to refer to any of the various Japanese drums called “wadaiko” and to the form of ensemble drumming more specifically called “kumi-daiko.” According to the definition: “Taiko has a mythological origin in Japanese folklore, but historical records suggest that taiko was introduced to Japan through Korean and Chinese cultural influence as early as the 6th century.” The style of “kumaoji-daiko” is named after its creator Okuyama Kumaoji, a central performer of the discipline. The process for playing this style begins with two players on a single drum, one of whom is called the “shita-byōshi” (lower beat). Shita-byōshi drummers provide the underlying beat. The other player, called the “uwa-byōshi” (upper beat), builds on this rhythmical foundation with unique patterns. While there are specific types of underlying rhythms, the accompanying player is free to improvise. The contemporary style of hachijo-daiko is called “shin-daiko” (new taiko) which differs from hachijo-daiko.
Read the rest of the interview with Jojo in the January 2008 issue of Modern Drummer. Posted in Drummers, Feature Stories Tagged A Guide To Hand Technique, DJ-ing, drumming, DVD, January 2008 issue, Jojo Mayer, Secret Weapons For The Modern Drummer. Apr 1, 2013 - Hand technique concepts - Jojo Mayer vs. Bill Bachman? Drum Technique. Hand technique as he explains in 'Secret Weapons For The Modern Drummer' and Bill. There are several great exercises in that DVD material (57 page pdf). Hey guys, thanks a lot for the kind words (for the most part:) ).
While the lead and accompanying roles are still present, shin-daiko performances use larger drums that are mounted on stands. Shin-daiko emphasizes a more powerful sound necessitating larger drums. Kumaoji-daiko drummers also wear looser clothing to adopt more open stances and larger movements with the legs and arms. This creates a dance style that incorporates tribal-like drumming with exaggerated movements. Below: Four examples of a set of named patterns for the taiko stick drum, used only in dance sections. Placement of the dots shows right- and left-hand strokes; black dots indicate the softer—and light dots the louder—strokes.
The patterns (tetsuke) shown here are from a set of 59 found in a taiko instruction book. The patterns are organized into families (tegumi; in the example, the kizami family in lines A and B and the uchi dashi group in lines C and D). Steve Smith has been killing it on tour with JOURNEY. It seems like every week a new and distinctive drum solo is being posted online.
Not only is Steve picking up right where he left off, he’s playing with a renewed vigor. In an interview published prior to the tour he stated: “My hope is that JOURNEY fans will appreciate a new lineup similar to the ‘Escape’ and ‘Frontiers’ era — and will want to revisit this timeless music with me. By bringing my musical experience to the table along with the years that the members of JOURNEY have spent touring, I’m sure this new incarnation of JOURNEY will develop its own special magic. It’s going to be amazing. I look forward to seeing all the fans on the road!” If you’re familiar with Steve’s you may remember that his approach featured a beginning, middle and end. Usually he would start off simple before breaking free to show off chops that did not lend themselves to the standard JOURNEY song.
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His pay homage to those days but are a blend of familiar and fresh material. Steve has also created a hybrid kit that is a cross between the setup he used for JOURNEY and the one he uses for Vital Information. Perhaps my biggest thrill as a writer took place when I interviewed Steve via Skype for Drumhead magazine. It was surreal to converse with someone you idolize from the comfort of their couch.
His praise for the finished article (“This is fantastic! Thanks for a great job.”) is something I still cherish. If you’re on Facebook you can access Steve’s on his Facebook page. You can also find up-to-date touring and clinic information at.
Rudiments are how we speak the language of drums. As budding drummers many, if not most of us, started out by learning how to play rudiments.
Once our muscle memory became comfortable we were able to transform them into tools for the drum set. I remember spending hours upon hours working on executing paradiddles and double-stroke rolls. I’m still not nearly as fast as I’d like to be. The foundation of rudiments can be traced back centuries ago to the Swiss mercenaries who were at their peak during the Renaissance period. As fierce fighters Swiss mercenaries’ battlefield prowess made them highly sought-after troops.
Their use of pole-arms (also known as “pikes”) in close formation required cohesive movement while marching. A tabor (hand-played snare drum), was used for marching cadences and to communicate commands in the field. The word “tabor” is an English variant of a Latin-derived word meaning “drum.” These patterns and phrases became the basis for rudimental drumming.
The first instance of a written rudiment goes back to the year 1612 in Basel Switzerland. Rudimental drumming was also extensively used by the French honor guards during the 17 th and 18 th centuries. The playing of rudiments was perfected during the reign of Napoleon I and became the basis for what is considered the era of modern rudimental drumming. For many years there have been attempts to create a formalized standard listing of rudiments.
According to their encyclopedia entry “The National Association of Rudimental Drummers, an organization established to promote rudimental drumming, put forward a list of 13 essential rudiments, and later a second set of 13 to form the original 26. In 1984, the Percussive Arts Society reorganized the first 26 and added another 14 to form the current 40 International Drum Rudiments. Currently, the International Association of Traditional Drummers is working to once again promote the original 26 rudiments.” The most popular rudiments are the single-stroke roll, double-stroke roll, diddles, paradiddle, drag and flam. Each pattern utilizes a different procedure for control. The most prevalent use of rudiments is found in drum corp. Today there are four main Rudimental Drumming cultures: Swiss Basler Trommeln, Scottish Pipe Drumming, American Ancient Drumming, and American Modern Drumming.
I have been asked on occasion what led me to become a drummer. I assume that my story is pretty common. My first formal introduction to the drums came in the 7th grade when I began taking lessons at a nearby drum shop. My initial interest in the instrument was inspired by MTV and the growing genre of hard rock. Watching drummers like Frankie Banali (Quiet Riot), Alex Van Halen (Van Halen) and Stewart Copeland (The Police) made me want to follow in their footsteps. I started out air drumming to cassette tapes (yes I said cassettes) and later, I beat on Tupperware with my first pair of drumsticks.
Like many young drummers I constructed a make-shift drum set out of plastic and pillows. Soon after, my parents got me a drum pad to see if I was serious about learning the instrument. I also got an electronic Synsonics drum console for Christmas. Proving my desire to play I begged my parents for a real drum set. A year or so later I got my first kit, a beautiful white Pearl Export which I miss to this day (pictured above, how about that gap between the toms!).
This led to some opportunities such as accompanying our middle school choir and forming my first garage band. There was something about playing with other budding musicians that resonated with me. I quickly became known throughout the school as the drummer boy. Once I got to high school I joined the symphonic band, marching band, stage band and percussion ensemble. During that time I participated in marching band competitions as well as countless halftime shows, national band festivals and school concerts. My senior year I became co-captain of the drum line and was selected to participate in Pitt University’s Senior Day and the Mellon Jazz Festival.
I also played in a basement band and continued to take lessons on and off until I graduated. During this time I became enamored with players such as Jon Farriss (INXS), Steven Adler (GnR) and Steven Perkins (Jane’s Addiction), three players that I remain infatuated with to this day. When I went to art school I fell out of drumming for what ended up being 17 years.
At the time I turned my priorities away from music and focused on establishing a career. I never lost my interest in rhythm though and often tapped along to the radio. An impromptu New Year’s Eve jam session with my old band mates rejuvenated my passion for the drums and I haven’t looked back. Since then I published a successful drum book and have written for two of the major drum magazines. I have also fostered relationships with many of the drummers that influenced me growing up. If you had told that 13 year-old kid that someday he would see his name in Modern Drummer and be friends with the guys he emulated he would have laughed out loud. Today I can say that I am truly blessed to be able to play the instrument I love and share that passion with others.
What’s your story? Share in the Comments below. Lately I’ve been on a Jojo Mayer kick. A friend of mine casually commented that I had exhibited a smidge of his flavor after watching a video of me playing some unorthodox bass and snare combinations.
I believe his exact words were “That sounds like something Jojo Mayer would play.” I assume the motivation behind his comment was simply due to the fact that the odd-time sequences I came up with were meant to coincide with a DJ. As much as I appreciated that complement I know that I am light-years away from being anywhere near Jojo Mayer in any sense of the word. I would even venture to use the term “infinite” to describe the vast difference between myself and the master. That said I was motivated to take a closer look at this amazing player whom I had shamelessly neglected up until now. First I viewed some of his videos on YouTube.
This included both. I was immediately blown away. Not only is Jojo Mayer a great performer he is also a veritable encyclopedia of drum history. One trip to his website reveals a bio that describes his band’s contributions and diversity: Within that format, NERVE his band assimilated a wide spectrum of electronic styles from old school Jungle, Dub Step and Glitch beats to Minimal and Tech House and anything that could escape the confines of genre.
In the process, the group managed to acquaint a new audience with improvised music for the first time and ultimately bring the Jazz tradition of improvisation, innovation, driving rhythms and stylistic evolution to the digital age. It would seem that Jojo Mayer and his band NERVE are pioneers in bridging the gap between the nuances of traditional jazz and the heartbeat-driven pulse of club music. This is a highly original approach to either genre. In any (and every) video Jojo Mayer’s chops are immediately evident when watching him perform. Blazing precision and a brilliant sense of groove are clearly the fundamentals of his style.
He is also a fine teacher whose philosophy can be utilized by drummers at any level. His sound advice of “Practice what you can’t play. If you sound good while practicing you’re not getting any better” resonates. As an author Jojo Mayer has published a 2-disc set titled “Jojo Mayer: Secret Weapons for the Modern Drummer, Part I and II.” One DVD presents tips for hand techniques and the other focuses on the foot. Both are Amazon Best-Sellers.
Perhaps it was Modern Drummer who summed up the genius of Jojo Mayer when they wrote that he was quote “destined for ‘Drum God’ status.” Even if it’s totally off the mark it is a privilege to be mentioned in the same sentence as such a highly regarded drummer. Now I’m headed back to the practice room to earn a smidge of justifiable respect. Image taken from For more, see The Drummers Journal. I am privileged to have been accepted as an artist endorsee for several drum products. The first company to support me was the Bum Wrap Drum Company. They are an exceptional company run by exceptional people and make the best drum wraps on the market today.
In fact, my drum set’s before-and-after photos were featured in the NAMM issue of Drumhead magazine. Murray Gornall has created a first-rate design company that can create any custom finish that you can think of.
There are also dozens of pre-fab wraps that you can choose from. Players well beyond me in notoriety such as Chris Worley of Jackyl and Jimmy Chalfant of KIX swear by Bum Wraps and so can you. I was so impressed with their product and service I filmed a testimonial: Featured in Drumhead magazine’s Jan/Feb NAMM issue.
For those of you that are interested in my other efforts I have a two-part essay on Civil War-era baseball published over on the critically-acclaimed site Emerging Civil War. My study presents the origins of the game and its implementation during the War Between the States.
Periodically I enjoy taking off my drummer hat and putting on my Civil War historian hat. I have written multiple books on the subject. You may recall that my two-part article on Civil War Drummer Boys was published on ECW and received some excellent feedback. That led to a condensed version appearing in Modern Drummer. Here’s the links to both parts of my new piece: –. (I just submitted my third article for consideration that presents the disparity of restitution between Fredericksburg’s white and black churches who filed claims for damages after the war.
Stay tuned.) Now back to drums. Your host (right) judging at the Fredericksburg, VA Guitar Center This year my schedule wouldn’t permit me to participate as a judge for the 2016 Guitar Center Drum Off. It’s always nice to be asked but my kid’s after school activities take precedent. Last year I had a great time sitting in and evaluating all of the talented players that participated. It takes a lot of guts to get up in front of a room full of strangers, not to mention three judges, and show off your chops. There were some current themes that ran throughout all three of the rounds I judged.
Some were good and some were not-so-good. The vast majority of participants brought their own double bass pedals and tended to over use them. In their effort to play mind-numbingly fast they often lost the groove. It was refreshing to see players that stuck with a single pedal and went for a simpler and locked in approach. I often scored those players higher because they composed a solo that was structured with a beginning, middle and end. The other participants went blazing through their turn with no discernable arrangements.
I’m not rejecting double bass altogether but it should fit within the solo’s structure. My advice to those participating in future Drum Offs is this:. Be prepared. Improvisation often betrays you. Appear to be comfortable. Plan your adjustments to the kit in advance. You only get five minutes.
Try to incorporate a variety of groove, chops and showmanship. Do not be dependent on any single aspect of your solo. Find your pocket and groove.
Then incorporate the wild stuff. Be yourself. Originality is what makes the Drum Off special.
Use your feet sparingly. Let them complement the performance. Speed isn’t everything.
Feel free to blaze but do so appropriately. Ask the judges for feedback. They are happy to give advice. Be proud of yourself. Win or lose take pride in what you’ve done. NOW IN ITS FOURTH PRINTING!
“FUNdamentals of Drumming for Kids” uses a variety of fun, unique teaching techniques that mimic the curriculum used in the elementary school classroom. Each step in the program is designed to build upon itself to provide young children with practical and applicable skills for playing the drums. Published by Modern Drummer and distributed by Hal Leonard the book and DVD combo won ‘Best In Show’ at Summer NAMM 2014 and is an Amazon Best-Seller in four countries. It is available on Amazon.com, Modern Drummer.com and MusicDispatch.com.