⚡ Quick Hits
🎤 Jake Rosen breaks down his Rihanna halftime show drum part
Drummer Jake Rosen is sharing footage from his run playing the Super Bowl LVII halftime show with Rihanna, and this clip spotlights a locked-in performance of "Umbrella" from one of the most-watched stages in the world. The pocket is tight throughout, and it's a rare behind-the-kit look at what it takes to hold down a production of that scale. Worth a watch if you've ever wondered what that gig actually feels like from the drum chair.
🥁 August Burns Red's Matt Greiner's first ABR rehearsal footage almost didn't happen
Matt Greiner kicked off August Burns Red tour rehearsals by propping his phone against a microphone on Joe's floor tom for an improvised riser-level view, and the clip captures the band locked in before the run begins Friday night. The makeshift camera rig toppled shortly after recording, making this brief, close-up footage a happy accident worth watching. If you are catching ABR on this tour, this is a solid preview of what the kit sounds like in the room.
🚴🎸Bike guitar 🤝 drum bike🥁🚴
Southern California five-piece Undecided Future has made a habit of turning bicycles into instruments, and this clip pairs their bike guitar with a drum kit mounted on a moving bike. The band writes, produces, and directs everything in-house, and their bike-instrument series has cleared 100 million views across platforms. If you haven't seen the drum bike in motion yet, this is a good place to start.
🌊 Deep Dives
🥁 Foo Fighters' new drummer on NIN, career moves, and real advice
Ilan Rubin has one of the more quietly remarkable careers in modern rock, spending years as a core member of Nine Inch Nails before stepping into the Foo Fighters drum chair. In this conversation with Elmo Lovano, Rubin traces that journey in detail, touching on how he approaches two very different musical worlds and what he's learned along the way. If you have an hour, this one rewards the full sit.
🎶 TJ Hartmann's "Streetlights" shows off a full Byzance Brilliant setup
TJ Hartmann runs through an original rock composition called "Streetlights" across a full Byzance Brilliant setup, giving you a real musical context for how that bright, cutting series behaves as a complete kit rather than isolated pieces. The nearly five minute performance covers everything from 10" splash to 20" China, with Hartmann on Hybrid 7A sticks throughout. If you've been curious how the Byzance Brilliant line sits in a driving rock groove, this is a more honest look than a straight product demo.
🧠 One drummer distilled 20 years of advice into 20 minutes
Two decades of hard-won drumming knowledge compressed into a single 20-minute sit is a format worth trusting. Better Drumming's Jayden Blockley distills the kind of perspective that usually takes years of lessons, mistakes, and mentors to accumulate. If you have been circling the same plateaus for a while, this is a good place to pause and take stock.
🎓 Practice & Skills
🥁 Nate Mueller's go-to chop are these simple double strokes
Nashville session drummer Nate Mueller breaks down a chop he calls a staple in his playing, with the key detail being a Thomas Lang style double stroke where the accent falls on the second hit rather than the first. It's a simple KLRRL pattern, but getting that accent placement clean is what separates the technique from sloppy doubles. If you want to add a polished, usable chop to your vocabulary, this short clip is worth a few slow repetitions.
🥁 Tony Royster Jr.'s go-to independence exercise to try today
Tony Royster Jr. posted a short clip breaking down what he calls "basic independent vibes," demonstrating how to get each limb comfortable doing its own thing simultaneously. It's a deceptively simple framing for one of drumming's most demanding skills, and watching Royster work through it makes the concept feel approachable rather than overwhelming. If independence is a weak spot in your practice routine, this is a worthwhile few minutes to study. Check out his practice pad setup here.
🛒 Gear Picks
🔔 Zildjian just compared 10 China cymbals side by side
Zildjian's long-awaited "Define The Line" episode on China FX cymbals is finally here, putting ten 18" and 19" models head to head in a single video. The lineup spans the full family tree, from the bright, cutting S Series to the darker, trashier textures of the K Custom Special Dry Trash Crash and K Custom Hybrid Trash Smash. If you've ever struggled to articulate why one China feels right over another, this is a useful reference for sorting out the differences by ear.
🔥 ProMark's heat-tempered 5B sticks that outlast regular hickory on sale!
ProMark's Rebound 5B FireGrain sticks are built around a patented heat-tempering process that hardens hickory without altering the original weight or balance, producing a stick that players report outlasting standard pairs by a significant margin. The rear-weighted Rebound design and enlarged acorn tip work together to improve responsiveness and cymbal articulation, making them a solid choice for drummers who want control alongside durability. This four-pair bundle brings the per-stick cost down and is currently discounted!
🌎 From The Community
🎟️ The Wooten Brothers are hitting the road this summer
The Wooten Brothers are hitting the road this summer for a Northeast run that spans Connecticut, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, and two nights in Montreal for the Festival International de Jazz. Victor, Regi, Roy, and Joseph together on one stage is a rare thing, and the Montreal stop includes a workshop for players who want more than just a concert. Tickets go on sale Friday. An absolute must for drummers if you can get there!
🎙️ Recording drums for your band without losing your mind (or budget)
A drummer in a DIY band is turning to r/drums for help navigating their first real recording setup, eyeing the Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 while admitting they have microphones and an EAD sitting unused because the learning curve never clicked. With a bassist who can mix and master already on board, the missing piece is a practical, no-fluff path from kit to interface. If you have been through this exact situation, the thread is worth a visit. The Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 and Behringer UMC1820 are top contenders!
🎙️ Yamaha EAD10 vs. 7-mic Behringer kit — which should you grab?
A lively debate is unfolding on r/drums as /u/Dry-Battle8030 weighs two very different recording setups: the Yamaha EAD10, with its single-module simplicity, against a seven-piece Behringer mic kit that opens the door to full multitrack recording. It's a classic tradeoff between convenience and control, and the thread is a useful gut-check for any drummer trying to figure out how to start capturing their kit without overcomplicating the process. These EAD10's are selling fast!
That's it for today! Thank you for carving out time to read! This community means a lot to me, and I'm grateful you're here. 🙏
If you have feedback, a story, or something you'd love to see in the newsletter, just reply to this email. I read every message and respond to each one.
Happy drumming,
Matteo