🥁 Drum Spotlight
some punch on this brunomars classic 🪄
JJ Wallace brings serious pocket and punch to Bruno Mars' "24K Magic," locking into that funk-forward groove with the kind of feel that makes the track hit harder than the original. It's a short clip, but Wallace's dynamic control and crisp ghost notes make it well worth the 30-second investment.
From Maceo Parker's classic "Life on Planet Groove" - a must funk album for drummers
Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, and Pee Wee Ellis — three architects of the James Brown horn section — reunite here for a loose, joyful romp through "Shake Everything You've Got" that's as much a masterclass in pocket and feel as it is a flat-out good time. Watch how the rhythm section locks in beneath the horns, turning every exchange into a conversation worth studying.
📰 Drum News
“We hate AI slop. We don't want the fun to be taken out of music making": We tried to vibe code a custom looper pedal with Polyend Endless – here's what happened
Polyend's Endless pedal lets drummers build custom looper and effects patches using a built-in text-to-code assistant called Playground — no programming experience required. MusicRadar put it to the test, and founder Piotr Raczyński's candid take on keeping AI a creative tool rather than a shortcut makes this worth reading before you dismiss "vibe coding" as a gimmick.
“That thing’s got great breaks”: Watch Anderson .Paak riding through the suburbs of LA… playing a drum kit on wheels
Anderson .Paak took his drumming literally on the road, playing a full kit mounted on wheels while cruising through LA's suburbs for a Visa commercial. It's a brief but delightful reminder that Paak remains one of the few artists who insists on keeping live drums front and center, even in ad work.
🎓 Practice & Skills
Why Drummers PLATEAU 😩 And How To Push Through It!
Rob Brown breaks down why drummers stall out after early progress and offers concrete strategies for pushing past those frustrating standstills. The video focuses on diagnosing the root cause of your plateau—whether it's repetitive practice habits, lack of intentional focus, or avoiding weak spots—before prescribing targeted fixes to get your playing moving forward again.
How to Use a Six Stroke Roll Drum Lesson 🥁 #drums
The six stroke roll is one of those rudiments that unlocks real fluidity between your hands, and Drumming Basics 101's latest tutorial breaks down exactly how to apply it in a musical context rather than just running it in isolation. If you've been sitting on this rudiment without knowing where to take it, this is a practical starting point.
Comment “Tuning” to get my FREE drum tuning cheat sheet with all my tunebot set...
Nashville session drummer Nate Mueller is giving away a free drum tuning cheat sheet packed with his personal Tunebot settings — comment "Tuning" on his Instagram reel to grab it. If dialing in consistent, repeatable head tension has felt like guesswork, a reference sheet built from real session experience is a practical place to start.
🛒 Gear Pick
"A machine worthy of building your whole workflow around": Akai MPC XL review
Akai's new flagship MPC XL earns a rare full endorsement from MusicRadar's Si Truss, who calls it a machine substantial enough to anchor an entire production workflow. With expanded controls, deep sampling capabilities, and standalone operation, it positions itself as a serious hub for drummers building beats without a DAW.
ProMark Forward Rebound 5A ActiveGrip Drumsticks, R5AAG, Tacky Active Grip Finish, Black Drum Sticks, Acorn Tip, Hickory Wood
ProMark's Forward Rebound 5A ActiveGrip sticks solve a sweaty-hands problem with a finish that gets tackier as your body temperature rises, rather than slipping like a conventional lacquer. Hickory construction and a widened acorn tip round out a well-spec'd stick, and they're currently 15% off on Amazon.
🌎 Drum Community
This jam was INSANE🌋 Everyone was ECSTATIC and full of energy during this perf...
A clip from Listening Room Toronto's March 22 session captures the ensemble mid-performance on "My Muse" during their Leon Thomas night, with two drummers, cuica, congas, horns, strings, and vocals all locked in together. The energy in the room is palpable even through a short reel, making it a worthwhile watch for anyone curious about how Toronto's collaborative jazz-funk scene operates.