I’ve spent years chasing that elusive neo-soul pocket: a warm, behind-the-beat feel laced with whispery ghost notes that sit perfectly under the singer or keys. This week-long plan is what I use with students and in my own practice to lock that groove fast. It’s focused, practical and...
Read more...
Technique
I want to show you a fast, practical way to get a 1970s "roomy" drum sound from...
Technique
I get asked a lot how I dial in a Ludwig Black Beauty for modern pop. It’s...
Technique
I love using my Roland SPD-SX on stage — it’s fast, reliable, and lets me...
Recording
I often get asked how to capture brushed jazz on a small, budget kit without...
I love using my Roland SPD-SX on stage — it’s fast, reliable, and lets me add sampled sounds that glue with my acoustic kit. Yet I’ve repeatedly seen the same frustration: samples that feel “late,” disconnected from the pocket, or that...
I often get asked how to capture brushed jazz on a small, budget kit without fancy microphones or dozens of channels. I’ll be honest: a good performance and a sensible room matter more than expensive gear. That said, with a matched pair of Rode...
I want to show you how to take paradiddle variations and turn them into four playable neo-soul pocket grooves you can call on in sessions. Paradiddles are a goldmine for phrasing, ghost-note placement and hand/foot independence — all the...
When I mix electronic tracks, one of my favourite little rituals is making the kick drum punch through a dense arrangement without sacrificing low-end power or the breath of the synths. The quickest, most musical way I’ve found to do this...
I get a lot of messages from drummers who use the Roland SPD‑SX live and complain that their samples feel “flammy” or that hits double up when they play fast. I’ve experienced the same thing myself on stage: you think you’ve hit a clean...
I never expected footwear to become a topic I’d write about for a drumming and gear site, but the moment I tried a pair of Italian-made height-increasing shoes I understood why so many conversations around confidence, posture and presentation land...
I love playing hybrid kits live — the punch and dynamics of a real snare with the flexibility of samples can turn a song from good to unforgettable. Getting a Roland SPD-SX to feel *natural* under your acoustic snare is one of those things that...
I keep coming back to one simple idea when I want a fat, modern kick from an old Ludwig kit: blend sources, fix phase, and treat each mic with a purpose. Vintage drums have beautiful character, but to translate that into a modern record you need...
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...