Being a good drummer means many things, and one of these is definitely knowing rhythms in all main subdivisions and styles. That’s why I decided to put together a collection of a bunch of great modern grooves, organized by type and subdivision.

We all love Vinnie, and there are no words to describe what he has done for drumming in the last four decades. I picked one of his most recognizable licks, and we are going to use it to explore 30 different ways to study his style.

Ask any musician what's the number one thing they look for in a drummer. The answer is invariably groove and feel. So why do most of us (me included) spend more time working on the quadruple paradiddle? 🙂

To permutate simply means shifting a phrase and assigning to it a new downbeat, starting in different spots every time, in given increments that are related to the subdivision used. This is an exceptionally useful tool for us drummers, if we want to fully comprehend what we are practicing.

Just in the same way that perfectly learning a language, its words and its grammar, doesn’t automatically make us poets, the same goes for music. That’s where active listening comes into play.

Would you like to do a quick reality check? Then this is for you. The idea is really simple: record yourself playing 100 bars of the most basic drum beat. In less than 5 minutes you are going to find out exactly what you need to work on.