I love the sound of vintage toms: warm, round fundamental, a quick attack that still sings, and that woody decay that sits beautifully in a mix. But what if your kit has thin-shelled toms—cheap ply or modern poplar—where the attack is brittle and the sustain is thin? Over the years I’ve...
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Lessons
I’ve spent countless gigs and sessions refining pad setups so I can move...
Lessons
I used to get frustrated when my ride-hand phrasing felt like it belonged to...
Lessons
I often get asked how I make a hybrid kick — a sampled or synthesized low-end...
Grooves
I practice groove every day, and over the years I’ve built a compact routine...
I built this nine-step metronome routine after years of teaching students who could click with a metronome in isolation but then fall apart the moment a bass player or guitarist entered the room. The goal here is simple: develop a metronome practice...
I’ve always loved the way neo-soul tracks feel like a conversation—intimate, warm and slightly behind the beat. One of the biggest keys to that vibe is the ghost-note pattern on the snare and rim: it sits under the vocals, fills the spaces, and...
I hate it when a kick that felt massive in the tracking room turns into a polite tap once it hits the mix. Over the years I’ve developed a compact, repeatable chain that gets the kick to cut through without sounding over-processed or fake. Below...
I love restoring and adapting vintage drums — there’s something magical about the tone of an old Gretsch snare that a modern kit sometimes can’t match. But when you bring one of those woody, open snares into a contemporary pop session, it...
I’ve spent a lot of late nights trying to get a “roomy jazz kit” from less-than-ideal spaces — bedroom studios, rehearsal rooms with thin walls, or tiny live rooms in a rented house. Over the years I’ve landed on a few practical mic-pair...
I want to talk about the pocket — that sweet place where time feels effortless, the band breathes together and your groove becomes undeniable. Over the years I’ve found that a focused, short routine using paradiddles can sharpen both timing and...
Vintage Ludwig snares have a warmth, character and snap that modern snares sometimes lack — but when you drop one into a contemporary pop mix it can either sit beautifully or become lost or, worse, sound harsh when pushed. Over the years in the...
I often find myself trying to get the best of both worlds: the natural thump and resonance of an acoustic kick, plus the consistent attack, texture or punch of a sampled sound I’ve crafted on the Roland SP-404. Over the years I’ve developed a...
I want to talk about the small hi-hat choices I reach for in sessions when the goal is to add groove and color without crowding the mix. Those tiny articulations — a slightly tipped tip, a half-open “sizzle,” a controlled foot chick, or a...
Getting a roomy, 1970s-style drum sound from a small home studio is entirely possible — it just takes deliberate mic choices, placement, and a little imagination. I’ve spent years chasing that warm, natural, slightly distant drum vibe you hear...