— Yamaha Drum Artists Appear at Prestigious Event —

PURCHASE, N.Y. — Ndugu Chancler and Dafnis Prieto joined a distinguished lineup of top drumming talent at the Modern Drummer Festival 2008, produced by Modern Drummer magazine.

Chancler, the beat behind Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean," has also played with Santana, Herbie Hancock and Miles Davis. He performed a melodic solo on his new PHX kit, which arrived at the show directly from the factory, and addressed the audience to offer advice without missing a beat.

The trail-blazing Prieto appeared with his sextet and gave a tour de force performance on his Maple Custom kit. Born in Cuba, Prieto moved to New York and began playing with jazz artists Eddie Palmieri, Henry Threadgill and Michel Camilo.

Produced since 1987 and held for the first time at the Purchase College Performing Arts Center in Purchase, N.Y., the two-day festival presented a roster of today's top drumming talents, representing a variety of popular musical styles.

Ndugu Chancler appearing at Yamaha's Groove All Stars 2008 concert.

Some offered solo "clinic" performances; others appeared "in concert" with additional musicians. All shared their talents in an educational and entertaining format that has made the festival a must-see event for drummers around the world.

For more information, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Pro Audio & Combo Division, Drum Products, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622; telephone (714) 522-9011; e-mail infostation@yamaha.com; or visit www.yamahadrums.com.

— Yamaha Drums and Artists Contribute to Historic Event —

BUENA PARK, Calif. — Yamaha Drums supplied three Absolute Maple drum sets for the 30th anniversary of the Playboy Jazz Festival, held at the historic Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. The drums meshed seamlessly with the diverse range of acts that took the stage, including Yamaha Artists Dr. John and Jeff Lorber (who appeared with Guitars & Saxes). Yamaha drum artists appearing on the bill included Ndugu Chancler, David Garibaldi, Sherrie Maricle, Ben Riley and Martin Valihora.

Hiromi's Sonicbloom performs at the Playboy Jazz Festival.

Begun in 1959 as a one-time landmark event in Chicago to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Playboy Magazine, the Playboy Jazz Festival was revived in 1979 and remains one of the most unique festivals with its forward thinking and creative programming.

"The Playboy Jazz Festival, an institution in the Los Angeles music world, is one of the best-run festivals anywhere," said Dave Jewell, marketing manager, Yamaha Drums. "If they put it on for the next 30 years, we're ready to be there with them."

Other performers rounding out the array of genres presented included Al Jarreau, Herbie Hancock, Hiromi's Sonicbloom, Keb' Mo' and the Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band.

Yamaha is also the official drum company for other top festivals, including the Monterey Jazz Festival and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

For more information, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Pro Audio & Combo Division, Drum Products, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622; telephone (714) 522-9011; or e-mail infostation@yamaha.com.

— Large and Small Size Configurations Introduced —

BUENA PARK, Calif. — Yamaha Drums, which earlier this year resurrected the venerable Rogers Drums brand name, is adding new size configurations and finishes to the Trailblazer (RD2007) and Prospector (RD507) drum kits. Both sets come with heavier duty hardware and competitive specifications at their respective price points.

RD518 Prospector in Denim Blue

The first new Trailblazer Drum Set will be available with a 20-in. bass drum, 10-in. and 12-in. toms, a 14-in. floor tom and a matching 14-in. wood snare drum. The second Trailblazer set will come with a 24-in. bass drum, a 12-in tom, a 16-in. floor tom and a 14-in. x 6.5-in. 10-lug steel snare drum. The new Prospector configuration includes an 18-in. bass drum, 12-in tom, 14-in floor tom and a 14-in. matching wood snare drum.

Along with these new sizes, Rogers will offer three new eye-catching finishes: Brushed Copper will be added to the Trailblazer Series, Denim Blue and Brushed Silver to the Prospector.

Trailblazer BCP in Brushed Copper

"The new finishes and drum sizes give customers more options in the ever-growing Rogers lineup," said David Jewell, marketing manager, Rogers Drums. "The 18-inch bass drum is perfect for younger, smaller players and will also suit jazz drummers looking for an affordable second kit, while the Trailblazer kit with the 24-inch bass drum will appeal to young rock drummers looking for something durable, yet affordable. It's also perfect for gigging drummers who like the extra bottom end of a 24-inch kick."

For more information, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Yamaha Drums, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622; telephone (714) 522-9011; e-mail infostation@yamaha.com; or visit www.RogersDrumsUSA.com.

PHX Kit Unleashes a New Era for Yamaha Drums

— New Ultra High-End Drum Set Pushes Musical Boundaries —

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Not resting after celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Yamaha Drums will begin its push to further drumming innovation over the next 40 years when it introduces its ultra high-end PHX Drum Set at Winter NAMM 2008.

In Yamaha's quest to continually expand the boundaries of musicality for drummers, the company used newfound Asian woods to create the PHX kit.

"These particular woods, jatoba and kapur, have never before been used to make drums, and when you put them together in a specific combination, they produce an amazing musical tone," says Dave Jewell, marketing manager, Yamaha Drums, Pro Audio & Combo Division. "We've discovered one of nature's secrets."

In addition to sounding great, the 11-ply shells are a sight to behold. The center ply, jatoba, is an extremely hard wood that provides the drum's core note. On either side are four plies of kapur, which is a softer wood than jatoba. The inner and outer plies of the shell are customized, using maple or a combination of a burled ash outer ply and a maple inner ply.

The concept behind the PHX shell construction is to use the hardest wood in the middle surrounded by softer plies of wood; this produces a sonic "ripple effect" similar to the sound a pebble creates with waves when dropped in water.

"The trend today is thin shells, but frankly, these drums—made with this specific wood combination — do not sound 'thick,'" said Jim Haler, product manager, Yamaha Drums. "They go against every sonic standard of a thick shell."

Joe Testa, Yamaha Drums international artist relations manager, added that "We brought these drums into the studio with some of our top artists, and the difference is astounding. I describe it this way: when most drums are struck, the sound comes from them and hits you. With this kit's sound, it hugs you. Imagine your current Yamaha sound with a natural preamp on it. Generally, a kit's sound improves with age. On the PHX, the aging process seems to be accelerated. Within just a week of playing it, the sound matured immensely. It really is beautiful."

Not only is the shell construction a new venture for Yamaha, the kit's new and improved mounting system is, too. Developed to make the fundamental tone of each drum clearer and better defined, the wooden tom mount, combined with shock-mountable rubber contact points, provides ultimate resonance. As with all Yamaha drums, the mounting points are positioned at the nodal points of the shell.

The newly designed detachable lugs are mounted where the overtones are the highest. The balance of the nodal point mount and the overtone point of the lugs help mute unwanted overtones, making the fundamental tone come alive with much more clarity.

"The PHX was not made to replace our current high end drums, but rather to supply drummers with another musical voice in their arsenal," said Jewell. "Yamaha Drums will continue to create instruments that further a musician's capability to create better music. We pride ourselves in being the choice for those serious about their music."

Available with chrome or gold hardware and in nine impressive finishes (four maple, five in burled ash), the PHX drumset is expected to ship in March 2008.

For more information, visit Yamaha at Winter NAMM 2008 in Booth 4578, Hall C in the Anaheim Convention Center; write Yamaha Corporation of America, Pro Audio & Combo Division, Drum Products, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622; telephone (714) 522-9011; e-mail infostation@yamaha.com; visit www.yamahadrums.com.

— Sets Up A Modified Stage Custom Kit, Then Knocks Out Monster Beats —

In a newly-filmed segment on The Hub, Yamaha Drum Artist Teddy Campbell lets loose on a Stage Custom drum kit, though he generally plays an Absolute Birch Nouveau. After discussing Yamaha's ease of set up and great tone, he knocks out a monster groove. Campbell, the house drummer for American Idol, has also worked with Queen Latifah, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock.

In the photo, Campbell performs at Yamaha's Groove All Stars 2008 concert in Cerritos, Calif., held in conjunction with the Winter NAMM trade show.

Paul Wertico's clinic event at Chicago Drumworks was a resounding success.

There were scores of student and professional musicians in attendance to learn from one of the great drummers of our time. As usual, Paul delivered with a rich mixture of musical performance and insightful dispersal of information useful to drummers of all styles and backgrounds.

Don't forget to set aside time for a visit to Andy's Music when in Chicagoland. In addition to Andy's "Chicago Drumworks", you'll encounter an unbelievable selection of exotic percussion instruments from around the world. Andy's Music also maintains the world's most complete selection of Paiste Gongs. The expertise embodied in Andy's dedicated staff is a bonus, and is nothing short of remarkable.

Visit Andy’s Music

Henrique De Almeida releases new instructional DVD

Seasoned drumming expert and director of the Percussion Institute of Colorado, Henrique De Almeida has created a DVD that provides an in-depth exploration of the Moeller technique for drumming. Named for drummer Sanford A. Moeller, this method has been popularized by Moeller student Jim Chapin since the 1930s.

Drawn from Civil War-era drumming, the Moeller method combines a variety of techniques with the goal of improving hand speed, power, and control while offering the flexibility to add accented notes at will. Almeida explores the various uses of the Moeller technique in a wide range of drumming styles, providing demonstrations and detailed explanations.

More information on Henrique’s new DVD

View Henrique’s set up

Donny Gruendler releases new instructional DVD

World-class clinician and educator Donny Gruendler (PIT/Musicians Institute) walks you through the entire process of track programming, equipment wiring and performance to prepare you for any commercial gig. Through clear, step-by-step explanations (including performance lessons, demo software and companion session files), Donny presents the viewer with 4 songs -- each of which features a different programming method, equipment setup, and performance strategy. Therefore, creating (and performing to) drum loops, click tracks, predetermined backing tracks, multi-channel backing tracks, manually triggering loops and acoustic drum triggering is discussed presented in great detail. Gruendler also demonstrates how to put your skills to work during exciting live performance footage, featuring songs from Rhett Frazier Inc. 150 minutes.

Ableton Live and BFD2 demo software included This presentation also includes many recording sessions (on the DVD-ROM portion of the disc). These lessons correspond (and can be manipulated) with demo versions of both Ableton Live and BFD2 (Included for Mac and PC). This DVD is truly an interactive drum education product.

More information on Donny’s new DVD

Dean Butterworth and Good Charlotte “Greatest Re-mixes” is soon to be released.

Good Charlotte has a Greatest Remix Record coming out world wide November, 25th. This record includes the bands greatest hits remixed by other artists. Remixes by: Fall out Boy, Teddy Riley, The Game, Bubba Sparxx, Kill Hannah, White Tie Affair, The Academy Is and many more...

Dean has also been busy with other projects between his active touring and recording schedule with Good Charlotte. Dean played drums on the band Escape The Fate’s "This War is Ours” record which just released last week on Epithaph Records.

Dean’s also been working on 3 TV shows, working with composer Dan Panella.

1) "Rita Rocks" is an ABC Family sitcom
2) "Roommates" is an ABC Family sitcom
3) "Beatkins" Is a new Nickalodeon kids show

View Dean’s Set up

View Good Charlotte’s website

Phil Rudd of AC/DC

For over three decades Phil Rudd has been the driving force behind AC/DC, the mega popular Rock'n'Roll band that owns the bragging rights to having the highest selling discography in music history. After an eight year break from the studio, the high-voltage group released their latest album "Black Ice" on October 20th which instantly shot to #1 on the charts.



Phil Rudd, as a drummer that hardly needs any explanation, is the driving force behind this unique band that never really seemed to care about any trends. Maybe they did, but just in their very own way and thus creating a huge world-wide following of fans, enthusiasts and tribute bands of endless variations and almost unimaginable names.

Phil's trademark style of playing such as "The Jack" and "Ride On", or deep-pocket shuffles like "There's Gonna Be Some Rockin’" and the never forgettable pounding anthems like "Back In Black" or "Highway To Hell" set the benchmark for so many years. Phil continues to lay it down with new songs, like the single "Rock 'n Roll Train”. You get what you pay for..., that was always the doctrine of the mighty AC/DC. And they would never let us down! They didn’t in 1974 and thirty-four years later they still haven’t. Thanks Phil, thanks AC/DC!!!

Phil currently plays a setup of the everclassic Paiste 2002 cymbals. A series that emerged around the birth-time of Hard Rock and new Rock'n'Roll back in the early and mid 70's, with bands like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and shortly thereafter, AC/DC. The sheer raw power that came from crunchy guitar amps, sharp vocals and pounding kick and snare, was just perfect partners with the 2002 cymbals. A sonically perfect and powerful match!

Phil's 2008 "Black Ice" Tour Setup:

- 2002 14" Medium Hi-Hat
- 2002 20" Crash
- 2002 19" Crash
- 2002 20" Crash
- 2002 20" Crash
- 2002 19" Crash
- 2002 19" Crash

Charlie Waymire releases IGroove play-along and groove studies

November 12, 2008: Hollywood, CA: Musicians Institute Instructor and Session Drummer Charlie “The Basher” Waymire has released two new series of groove studies; iGroove101 and iGroove Series Music Minus Drums and Groove Studies.

The iGroove Play-Along and Groove Studies go far beyond traditional play-along books by providing the student with 5 tempos of each chart including version with and without the click track to give you maximum groove practice. Each section of each song is dissected giving you a “Section Loop” to practice each of the grooves at all 5 tempos. Together, all of this will help to expand your comfort zone so you’ll be comfortable playing these grooves no matter what the tempo.

Each lesson includes an in-depth groove study featuring the basic grooves for each section of the chart as well as many variations for each groove. This will not only help to grow your groove vocabulary, but it will also help you to become a more musical drummer. With the help of the iGroove series you’ll be able to find the perfect groove no matter what situation your in.

Included with each lesson:

• 25 Music Minus Drums Play-Along Tracks
• Chart for Song (PDF)
• In-Depth Groove Lesson (PDF)
• Chart Reading Lesson to teach you how to read charts (PDF)
• Digital Download - No Shipping, No Waiting
• Each Lesson is only $4.95!

The iGroove101 and iGroove Series are more than just a play-along, it's a Private Lesson! Plus, there is an extensive resource on BasherTV featuring reading tutorial videos and breakdowns of each of the iGroove101 grooves with scrolling video notation. You won’t find a more complete play-along series!



Available at www.TheBasher.com
Contact: Charlie Waymire
www.thebasher.com
drums@thebasher.com

Charlie Waymire is a faculty member at the Percussion Institute of Technology at Musicians Institute in Hollywood. He is endorsed by Pearl Drums, Paiste Cymbals, Trueline Drumsticks, MXL Microphones and Factory Metal Percussion. Charlie has toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe, performing a variety of musical styles such as funk, fusion, pop and rock. Charlie owns and operates his own studio and records and composes music for commercials, television productions and has performed on the CBS late night program Jimmy Kimmel Live and the Fox television series Malcolm in the Middle.

linear drumming basics

A good place to start when beginning the Linear Drumming concept would be to first work with beats you already know (and can play). Beginning at this point will definitely help with gaining a deeper understanding of the style/technique and future progress. Take a simple groove that only involves hi-hat, snare and kick drum, like this "traditional" slow funk beat. (see Fig. 1)

One hand (ie. Right) on the hihat, the other (ie. Left) on the snare drum.



The original funk groove in Fig.1 is horizontal in nature because there are two surfaces, the hihat and snare drum, which sound at the same time. This unison stroke is often referred to as a "double stop" or "flat flam". NOTE: Be sure you can play Fig.1 before moving on. Play Fig.1 again ... MINUS the hihat part. Once you can do this, fill in the gaps that you hear between the snare and kick drum by using the hihat. The idea being that only one instrument plays at a time; you never strike two surfaces at once. By definition, linear means "to draw a line" or "move across", so if done correctly it would look like Fig. 2.


One hand (ie. Right) on the hihat, the other (ie. Left) on the snare drum

Now this is just a basic way to begin learning how to apply Linear Drumming to your playing. If you can take all the beats you already know, apply the linear concept to them, you'd be surprised just how many cool grooves you have at your disposal.

The concept behind Linear Drumming is nothing new really. Twentieth century composers in the 1950's used a technique called "serialism" which gave rise to "pointillism" (or linear). Points of sound where displaced throughout the orchestra creating a linear motion. Think of taking the tune "Mary Had A Little Lamb", assigning a different note of the melody to a different instrument in the orchestra. When performed, the melody line would be bouncing all over the place, from instrument to instrument ... moving across the orchestra ... linear.

Second Line drumming

Second Line drumming, also known as the Traditional New Orleans Funeral March is a New Orleans style of drumming with a long history. It's influences can be heard in Dixieland, Jazz, Funk, Rock and Pop styles.

A traditional New Orleans funeral ceremony involved a band comprised of brass instruments and drums. They would play somber dirges on the way to the cemetery with the mourners following just behind. The group of mourners became known as the "Second Line".
On the way back from the cemetery, the drums (snare & bass) would increase the tempo, playing an open, slightly syncopated march that was MUCH happier than the music heard on the way to the cemetery. (See Fig. 1)

The mourners or "Second Line" would dance in the streets behind the band to release/purge their sorrows. The rhythms played by the drums during this portion of the ceremony became known as "Second Line" rhythms or "street beats".

To fully understand these Second Line rhythms, one needs to spend a great deal of time listening. Every player has their own unique way of playing these grooves, not to mention the vast number of rhythms, use and application over the years. Explaining what Second Line sounds and feels like using only words and notation is a difficult task. I can tell you that they have a rounded or rolling quality to them not unlike contemporary Funk rhythms. Since there are two or more players involved with the snare and bass drum parts, there is a contrapuntal rhythmic approach resulting in patterns that are not symmetrical ... like traditional military marches.

Give The Editors And Drummers Some: DRUM! Magazine Publishes 150th Issue With

Give The Editors And Drummers Some: DRUM! Magazine Publishes 150th Issue With Percussion Mini-Magazine

Eighteen years ago, two drum/percussion magazine professionals, Andy Doershuk and Phil Hood, lost their jobs with a prominent publishing conglomerate. In an economy, that was certainly not thriving, the two men, along with Phil's wife Connie, made a commitment to establish their own drum/percussion magazine business. The result was Enter Music Publishing and over nearly two decades, the company has paradiddled, rolled, and buzzed (never a "rest," mind you) through every challenge: The result? Today, the company's drum and percussion magazines, DRUM!, Traps, and HOW TO PLAY DRUMS, are considered some of the best publications in this highly competitive music trade magazine niche. And Hood and Doerschuk have garnered a strong reputation throughout the drum industry.

That's how Enter Music Publishing, publishers of hip, drum/percussion magazines worldwide, has published the 150th Issue of DRUM! Magazine, it's flagship title. One of its biggest issues, DRUM!'s 150th features the top ten cover stories of the magazine's past fifteen years. Special coverage includes a diverse roster of drummers and percussionists, such as: Pete Escovedo and Sheila E; Chad Smith, Tre Cool, Carter Beauford, Travis Barker, Neil Peart, John Dolmayan, Tommy Lee, Joey Jordioson, Lars Ulrich and many others. The issue, quite possibly, is a great effort toward summarizing modern drum and percussion history in 140 pages.

"I've been reading DRUM! Magazine for several years now and it just keeps getting better and better," said Bart Elliott, founder of http://www.drummercafe.com/, a well-respected online drum community. "I'm especially enjoying the recent 150th Issue, Special Collector's Edition. They did a really good job in terms of selecting the Top 10 DRUM! cover stories for the issue."

"It's been quite a ride - (all puns intended) said Phil Hood, publisher of DRUM! Magazine. "But I don't think we would change anything that we have done in terms of the evolution of DRUM!, from its editorial to layout. We've always been open to changing the magazine's format and content, which has kept us on the cutting edge. I think this issue documents that fact and we're quite proud of our result."

A good example of the magazine's editorial strategy of innovative reporting is the recently added percussion mini-magazine. The Hand Drum section debuted in the middle of 2008 and has been well received by the hand drum community. In the 150th Issue, what could be better than taking a percussive stride with Santana's Percussion Team.

"Hand drumming is the root of all percussion" said. Andy Doerschuk, editor of DRUM! And, "we're looking for ways to integrate it along with all the styles of music we cover, the gear, lessons and other features of interest to drummers. No other drumming magazines are doing anything like that."Well, noted, indeed.

The 150th issue of DRUM! has hit music stores, newsstands and Barnes and Noble worldwide.