Advanced Modern Drumming

Advanced Modern Drumming is an immersive course for drummers who want to expand stylistic versatility and technical control across today’s most in-demand genres. You will work through rock, funk, Afro Cuban, Brazilian, reggae, jazz, and New Orleans approaches with clear demonstrations and musical examples you can apply in rehearsals and on stage.

Across step-by-step lessons, you will learn how to choose setups, shape feel, and internalize time so grooves speak with pocket and personality. Each style block breaks down core patterns, common variations, and the coordination moves that make them sit right in the mix. By the end, you will have a practical playbook you can adapt to any gig or session.

You will dive into rock foundations including standard and half-time feels plus shuffles, then level up funk with ghost notes, displacement, and linear ideas. Afro Cuban concepts span mambo bell applications, songo, and 6-8 bembé. Brazilian lessons introduce baião, while the reggae section covers one-drop, steppers, ska, and rocksteady. Jazz modules strengthen 8th-note and triplet independence and chart interpretation, and the New Orleans chapter focuses on second line vocabulary. A dedicated soloing segment helps you trade, develop motifs, and build longer statements that tell a story.

What You’ll Learn

• Rock and funk grooves that sit in the pocket, including shuffle and ghost-note applications
• Afro Cuban, Brazilian, and Caribbean patterns such as songo, bembé, and baião
• Reggae fundamentals including one-drop and steppers, plus ska and rocksteady feels
• Jazz independence with 8th-note and triplet grids, plus reading and chart interpretation
• New Orleans second line phrasing that blends march roots with modern phrasing
• Soloing strategies for trading, motif development, and extended forms that connect musically

Meet Your Instructor

Jason Gianni is a drummer, educator, and author whose credits span Broadway productions, touring ensembles, studio recording, and international clinics. He co-authored The Drummer’s Bible, recorded the theme for SpongeBob SquarePants, and has performed with productions including Rock of Ages and Kinky Boots. Jason holds advanced degrees in percussion, studied with masters such as Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, and has served on faculty at The Collective, The New School, and other institutions. He brings a deep mix of technique, groove, and professional insight to every lesson.

Is This Course for You?

This course is ideal for intermediate to advanced drummers who want real-world versatility for cover gigs, original projects, and session work. If you can play basic grooves and fills, keep steady time to a click, and read simple charts, you are ready. You will benefit most if you enjoy breaking down coordination challenges methodically, practicing with intention, and applying ideas across multiple styles.

What’s Included

• Genre-based lessons for rock, funk, Afro Cuban, Brazilian, reggae, jazz, and New Orleans jazz
• Guided practice frameworks for independence, coordination, and feel
• Breakdown of bell patterns, clave awareness, and style-specific ride and hi-hat approaches
• Soloing guidance with trading formats, motif building, and phrasing ideas
• Suggested listening and practice strategies to reinforce each style block

Ready to expand your voice behind the kit with a modern, working-drummer toolkit? Start learning today and turn these grooves into confident, musical performances.