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Drums

Buying Your First Drum Set

Here’s what you need to know before you start shopping.

Teaching Mallet Percussion with the YX-1030PR Tabletop Xylophone

Creating a useful tool for the beginning percussion student.

What is Winter Guard International?

WGI allows indoor marching ensembles to shine every winter.

Yamaha Finger Drums 101

Easy to pick up, impossible to put down.

The Life of a Drum Tech

Def Leppard’s drum tech on what the gig entails.

Pulse Percussion and WGI Behind the Scenes

Pushing the envelope of achievement.

Setting the Foundation

A conversation with Sonny Emory and Nathan East.

Percussive Storytelling: Making Music Accessible to Kids Everywhere

Yamaha Artist Cory Hills on unexpectedly finding your purpose.

How to Care for Your Drums

Follow these guidelines to keep your drum kit looking good and sounding great.

Discover the Sonic Possibilities of Your Drums, Part 2

Get the most from your drums.

Discover the Sonic Possibilities of Your Drums, Part 1

Get the most out of your drums.

The Highs and Lows of Life On Tour

What to expect and how to prepare.

How to Become a Great Session Drummer

Tips for being successful in the studio, both on and off the kit.

The Singing Drummer

Yamaha Artist Jimmy Keegan on how to vocalize while keeping the beat.

It’s All About the Intention

A conversation with drummer Nikki Glaspie.

How Do Electronic Drums Work?

There’s a piece of the Earth in every pad.

The Five Different Kinds of Snare Drums Explained

The most common types of snares and how they’re used.

Spotlight On Yamaha PHX Series Acoustic Drums

Creating the ultimate high-end drum kit.

NAMM 2022 Preview: Drums, Percussion and Marching Instruments

Learn about all the products that will be on display this year.

The History of Marching Drums at Mardi Gras

Distinctive New Orleans rhythms reflect the city’s diverse musical heritage.

A Brief Guide to Drum Tonewoods

A look at the various woods used to manufacture drum shells.

Spotlight on the DTX8/DTX10

Yamaha raises the bar with these electronic drum kits.

Rec’n’Share in Five Easy Steps

How to get up and running quickly with this innovative app.

Live Drumming Is Back: Tips for Gigging with Electronic and Hybrid Drum Kits

Here’s what you need to know about using a Yamaha DTX6 or EAD10 onstage.

School’s Out: Ten Tips for Keeping Your Drumming Skills Sharp

A summer guide for drum students.

DTX6 Deep Dive, Part 5: A New Level of Playability

Expressiveness beyond traditional electronic drums.

Timpani Bowl Construction

A level of detail that leads to greater tuning accuracy and more consistent quality of sound.

Top 10 Drum Practice Tips

These are some of the most effective ways to learn to play drums.

Acoustalon™ Marimba and Xylophone Tone Bars

This synthetic material provides an excellent alternative to wood.

DTX6 Deep Dive, Part 4: Customizing, Importing and Layering Sounds

Unlock your creativity.

DTX6 Deep Dive, Part 3: Training Tools

Features that can help you become a better drummer.

Reimagining the Vibraphone

A level of detail that leads to better playability and a more consistent sound quality.

DTX6 Deep Dive, Part 2: Recording Options

Different ways you can record using the DTX6.

DTX6 Deep Dive, Part 1: The Kit Modifier

A fast and easy way for drummers to find their own voice.

Reimagining Chimes

A refined design leads to improved sound, playability and handling.

There’s a New Kit in Town

Introducing DTX6 Series electronic drums.

History of the Five-Octave Marimba

A unique partnership between Yamaha and Keiko Abe redefined the concert marimba.

Five Questions to Ask When Choosing Drum Hardware

These are the factors that go into making the right selection.

The Signature Sound

Yamaha Artist Steve Gadd on the development of his Signature Snare Drum.

Larry Mullen Jr. Reflects on the Beginnings of U2

It was a casual remark from father to son that launched this legendary band.

Here’s What You Need to Know About Celestes

Inform your purchasing decision when buying a celeste for your school or church.

Seven Things About Chimes You May Not Know

There’s a lot to this unique instrument.

Compact Drums: Big Sounds in Small Footprints

Find the drum set that matches your lifestyle.

Tips for Sharing Your Drum Performances Online

Virtual collaboration made easy.

How to Practice Drums Without Disturbing the Neighbors

How to rig for silent running.

The Modern Drum Set, Part 5: Cymbals and Hardware

They provide the sizzle and support for your drum set.

The Modern Drum Set, Part 4: Foot Pedals

Giving the feet equal time.

Get More from Your EAD10 with v2.0 Firmware

New enhancements expand the capabilities and versatility of this revolutionary drum module.

Are You Ready to Make an Impact?

9000 Series Impact Drums can play a dual role in your school’s music program.

The Modern Drum Set, Part 3: Toms

From sound effect to drum set essential.

Marching through Time

A brief look at the history of marching bands.

The Modern Drum Set, Part 2: The Bass Drum

Adding some boom to the room.

Protected: Buying Your Child’s First Drum Set

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Practice Exercises for the Beginning Drummer

Eight drills for your daily workout.

The Modern Drum Set, Part 1: The Snare Drum

The backbeat of contemporary music.

How To Set Up a Student Percussion Kit

Get playing in just minutes!

Choosing the Right Brushes and Multi-Rod Drumsticks

Add a new dimension to your drumming.

Anatomy of Chimes

What are the components that go into a set of chimes?

Choosing the Right Drumsticks

They’re a crucial element in developing proper technique.

Anatomy of A Marching Snare Drum

What are the components that go into a marching snare drum?

Spotlight on Yamaha Live Custom Hybrid Oak Drums

Awesome sound … custom look.

How to Create a Signature Snare Drum Sound

The ultimate goal of every drummer.

Anatomy of a Marimba

What are the components that go into a marimba?

The Benefits of Recording Drum Practice and Performance

Recording yourself is a great way to improve your playing.

Anatomy of a Vibraphone

What are the components that go into vibes?

A Brief History of Yamaha Timpani

Celebrating over 30 years of timpani.

Anatomy of Timpani

These are the parts that make up timpani.

What’s the Difference Between Vibraphone, Glockenspiel and Chimes?

Metal mallet percussion instruments have musical personalities all their own.

What’s the Difference Between Marimba and Xylophone?

Learn to distinguish between the two wooden mallet percussion instruments.

Three Ways That Apps Can Help Your Electronic Drumming

Do less menu diving and more playing.

How to Eliminate Unwanted Overtones in Your Marching Bass Drum

Create true resonant tones with the use of this simple product.

Snare Drum Warm-Up Wrap-Up

Putting it all together to create a comprehensive routine.

How To Get the Most Out of Your E-Drum Metronome

There’s more to a metronome than just a click.

Nine Things to Know Before Buying a Drumline

Tips to ensure you make the right purchase.

Don’t Play With the Metronome

Count with it instead.

Timpani Maintenance

Solutions to common timpani problems.

Five Reasons Why You Should Practice On Electronic Drums

There are many benefits … and your neighbors will thank you too!

Snare Drum Warm-Up, Part 5

Move on to rolls.

Snare Drum Warm-Up, Part 4

Adding flams to the equation.

Snare Drum Warm-Up, Part 3

Accent patterns and wrist lifts.

Snare Drum Warm-Up, Part 2

Transitioning to the small muscles.

Snare Drum Warm-Up, Part 1

Start with the big muscles.

How Do You Roll?

Developing your snare drum roll technique.

Snare Drum Rudiments

Improve your technique by increasing your percussion “vocabulary.”

Tips for Purchasing a Concert Snare Drum

Metal or wood? Coiled snares or cabled? Here’s what to look for.

Electronic Drums 101

The components, hardware and features you need to know.

Anatomy of a Snare Drum

How well do you know the parts of a snare drum?

Making Magic Happen

Presenting the Disneyland Resort All-American College Band.

Vibraphone Lessons with Rusty Burge, Part 3: Basic Jazz Voicings

How to create underlying voicings when comping chords.

Tuning Tips for Marching Percussion

Find the right pitch for your marching drum and keep it there.

Vibraphone Lessons with Rusty Burge, Part 2: Using Patterns in Improvisation

How to develop a jazz vocabulary on the vibes.

Vibraphone Lessons with Rusty Burge, Part 1: Pedaling Technique and Grips

Learn how to use the sustain pedal and about 4-mallet grips.

Audition Advice

Here’s what you need to do to pass your next audition.

The Making of a Drum Sound

It’s all about good vibrations … and proper tuning.

Here’s What to Do When Your Marching Drums Get Wet

Avoiding disaster when the skies open up.

Yamaha Mallet Resource Guide

A mallet percussion guide for young musicians and educators.

Speeding Up by Slowing Down

The benefits of taking it slow.

The Evolution of the Drum Pedal

Spare bicycle parts find a new use.

So Your Child Wants to Learn to Play Drums, Part 3

Electronic drums for the beginner student.

So Your Child Wants to Learn to Play Drums, Part 2

Everything you need to know about acoustic drum sets.