Drum History

Drum History

A podcast all about the rich history of the drums - and how they became what they are today! Join Bart van der Zee as he speaks with experts about the curious journey of the ever-evolving drum set.

Episodes

Your Mind’s Ear: Dave Elitch on Sound, Gear, and Playing Without Pain

August 12, 2025 • 48 mins
Drummer and educator Dave Elitch (The Mars Volta, Weezer, Miley Cyrus) joins me to break down why so many drummers hit a ceiling—and how to fix it with better mechanics, smarter practice, and choices that actually translate to the kit. We dig into eliminating hidden tension, building sustainable speed and feel, practical tuning and muffling, and Dave’s new course Your Mind’s Ear on dialing in sound and gear (launching September 8, ...
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How To Pronounce the Tough Drum Brand Names with Eric Leiderman

February 4, 2025 • 64 mins
Ever wondered if you’ve been saying Tama, Paiste, or Sonor correctly? You’re not alone! In this episode, Late Night with Seth Meyers producer and friend to all drummer's, Eric Leiderman joins the show to settle the debate on how to pronounce some of the most commonly mispronounced drum brands. We break down the correct pronunciations of brands like Ludwig, Zildjian, Meinl, Sabian, Canopus, Trixon, Gretsch, and more, with recordings...
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Drumming Insights: A look at "Drummers on Drumming" with Ben Hilzinger

January 21, 2025 • 63 mins
We are joined by Ben Hilzinger, professional drummer and author of Drummers on Drumming, to explore the stories behind the records that shaped the legends of the drumming world. Ben shares his experiences performing with bands like Cannons and Eve 6, hosting his acclaimed podcast, and diving into the journeys of iconic and up-and-coming drummers through his book. Discover the challenges, inspirations, and unique philosophies that d...
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The History of How We Buy Drums with Gerry Porter

December 24, 2024 • 72 mins
In this episode, we dive into the fascinating history and evolution of buying and selling drums with special guest Gerry Porter of Hazelshould.com. From the dapper beginnings of mom-and-pop drum shops in bustling cities to the rise of mail-order catalogs that revolutionized access to musical instruments, we trace the industry's transformation. We'll explore how massive retailers like Guitar Center and Sam Ash brought drums to the m...
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Finding a New Rhythm: Ryan Dusick on Life After Maroon 5

December 10, 2024 • 47 mins
In this episode, we dive deep into the extraordinary journey of Ryan Dusick, the original drummer for Maroon 5. Ryan shares his experiences of rising to fame with one of the world’s most popular bands, the mental health and substance struggles that forced him to step away, and his remarkable path to recovery. We discuss how he rebuilt his life, found a new purpose as a therapist, and authored his powerful memoir Harder to Breathe. ...
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A Deep Dive into Shakers with William Johnson

November 26, 2024 • 52 mins
Join us as we explore the fascinating world of shakers, one of the most versatile and underrated percussive instruments! In this episode, we dive into the origins of shakers, their unique classifications, and a variety of playing techniques. Whether you’re a percussion enthusiast or a curious music lover, you’ll gain insights into how these simple instruments add rhythm and texture to music around the globe. Our special guest, Will...
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How to Ergonomically Set Up Your Drum Set with Brandon Green

November 12, 2024 • 62 mins
Brandon Green from drummechanics.com joins us on the show to give us a 101 course on all things drum ergonomics and how to play the drums without any pain! We go every piece of the drum set and discuss how to set them up individually for the best results in both comfort and ease for your body, and also to get the best and most efficient performance. Brandon is an expert on ergonomics on the drum set, and also in his daily business ...
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The History of Baldman Percussion with Mike Mckee and Danny Young

October 29, 2024 • 59 mins
Baldman Percussion hit the drum scene in 2018 and took the industry by storm with the Junk Hat! In 6 short years, they have become 2x NAMM best in show winners, created products that are beloved by drummers such as Travis Barker, Matt Chamberlain and Thomas Pridgen, and had a great time doing it. Mike Mckee and Danny Young are professional drummers who have a perfect balance of business skills to make this brand work. Mike has the...
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Cheers to 6 Years of Drum History Podcast!

October 15, 2024 • 6 mins
Thanks to everyone for listening, watching, and supporting the show over the years! Drum History has been an absolute pleasure every step of the way and I am excited to keep learning about the history of the drums! **JOIN PATREON** https://www.patreon.com/drumhistorypodcast **DRUM HISTORY MERCH** https://www.teepublic.com/stores/drum-history-podcast?ref_id=26024 ** CHECK OUT MY GEAR ON SWEETWATER ** https://imp.i114863.net/yRYRGN...
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The Gear of Nicko McBrain (Part 2) with Shane Kinney

October 1, 2024 • 105 mins
Nicko McBrain is the power behind Iron Maiden and one of the most iconic drummers of all time. Shane Kinney joins me back on the show to share his immense knowledge of Nicko's drums, cymbals, hardware, heads, and accessories. In part 2, we cover his switch to from Sonor to Premier drums, Vic Firth, DW Pedals, and so much more. Nicko had a brief and wonderful return to Sonor drums in the 2010's, but it was not meant to be - he was d...
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The Gear of Nicko McBrain (Part 1) with Shane Kinney

September 17, 2024 • 94 mins
Nicko McBrain is the power behind Iron Maiden and one of the most iconic drummers of all time. Shane Kinney joins me on the show to share his immense knowledge of Nicko's drums, cymbals, hardware, heads, and accessories. We cover his first six Sonor drum sets all the way up to the messy end of the relationship, which left Nicko so angry that he immediately ended his decade-long partnership with Sonor! Part 2 will pick up with his s...
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Talking Drums, King Gizzard, and Inspiration with Michael "Cavs" Cavanagh

September 3, 2024 • 20 mins
Cav's and I chatted before the King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard concert on 08/25/24 in Newport Ky. We discuss his inspirations, his current set up (C&C and Dream Cymbals), King Gizzard, and his solo projects. Cav's is one of my favorite drummers so this was an absolute honor to speak with him and see the show up from the side of the stage. Here is a drum cam video I shot of King Gizz and Cav's performing "Motor Spirit": https://y...
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The Celebrity Drum Dealer with Donn Bennett

August 20, 2024 • 65 mins
Donn Bennett is one of the foremost dealers of rare and celebrity drum sets in the world! He shares with us how he got into this unique profession, some of his most biggest success stories, and many lessons that he has learned along the way over his 30+ year career. Donn has also built a reputation for himself as being the go-to dealer for the biggest bands in the world who want to liquidate warehouses full of collections. He shar...
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The Studio Drums of Lars Ulrich (Part 2) with Chris Russio

August 6, 2024 • 82 mins
The St. Anger Snare is finally figured out! Chris Russio joins me back on the podcast to do a super deep dive into all of the studio drum sets, cymbals, heads, sticks, accessories, percussion and everything else used by Lars Ulrich from 2001 to Today! We talk about all of the infamous St. Anger Snare drum and everything that went wrong with that album. Then we get into the recording of Death Magnetic, Hardwired to Self Destruct, an...
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1000 Year Old Robotic Drummers!? Al-Jazari's 12th Century Mechanical Marvels

July 23, 2024 • 9 mins
In this solo episode, I take a deep dive into the 1000 year old automaton drummers that were created by 12th century Islamic inventor, Al-Jazari. These VERY early robots are amazing marvels of engineering and predominantly feature drummers who play kettle drums and cymbals to alert people in Mesopotamia (now Turkey) of the time of day with extremely elaborate clocks. These drummers are direct predecessors to modern day cars and mac...
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The Studio Drums of Lars Ulrich (Part 1) with Chris Russio

July 9, 2024 • 83 mins
Chris Russio joins me back on the podcast to do a super deep dive into all of the studio drum sets, cymbals, heads, sticks, accessories, percussion and everything else used by Lars Ulrich from 1982 to 2001! We talk about all of the earliest known recordings of Metallica on his Camco drum set, through all the Tamas, the famous Sabian HiHats, and the iconic Black Album Gretsch drums, up to Load/Reload/Garage Inc. Part 2 will cover St...
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Why Do Drum Brands Sound Different? with Jeff Kirsch

June 25, 2024 • 92 mins
Jeff Kirsch teaches us the real reason why the biggest drum brands in the world sound different from each other, and in some cases, why they sound exactly the same. We discuss brands such as Ludwig, Gretsch, Leedy, Tama, Camco, DW, just to name a few. We talk about the different shell constructions, ply counts, use of re-rings, rise of Japanese builders and the fall and resurrection of the great American brands and a whole lot more...
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The Drum Gear of Primus with Tim "Herb" Alexander

June 11, 2024 • 51 mins
Tim "Herb" Alexander joins me on the show to discuss his iconic drum sets that were used in classic Primus music videos such as Jerry Was A Race Car Driver, My Name is Mud, John The Fisherman, Wynona Big Brown Beaver, DMV and much more! I am a longtime Primus fan and I learned a TON from this conversation. Tim is a 3x grammy nominee and multi-platinum recording artist who has not only helped shape the world of modern rock and roll ...
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The HUGE Alex Van Halen Auction with Kurt Ekstrom

May 28, 2024 • 73 mins
Alex Van Halen is auctioning off hundreds of unbelievable items that have never been seen by public eyes, plus some of his most iconic drum sets that he played with Van Halen! Kurt Ekstrom joins me back on the podcast to look through this incredible auction and dissect tons of these rare items. Kurt covered all of AVH's career on the podcast last year and this dovetails perfectly with that episode and answers many questions that Ku...
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A Look at the Gear of Danny Seraphine with Tate Berkey

May 14, 2024 • 152 mins
Danny Seraphine is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted, world-famous original drummer of Chicago. Tate Berkey has been researching Danny's gear for the last year and has compiled an exhaustive look at all things Danny Seraphine. We cover his earliest drum kits, his time with Slingerland drums, his Zildjian endorsements, and then his switch to Yamaha and DW. Danny is a consummate gearhead and loved to experiment with different s...
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