(Slight Return)

The beat is back - but only for a while.

Part five funks you up

Another selection of excellent drum patterns appear in this month's edition of the definitive beatbox programming series. Nigel Lord hands put a good beating.

The secret of good comedy is timing... right? Nigel Lord reckons it's also the secret of some fascinating rhythms - and this month's beatbox programming column.

"Build a better mousetrap", they said, "and the world will beat a path to your door". Nobody warned Nigel Lord that writing a drum programming column for MT has the same effect.

Nigel 'Sticks' Lord's drum programming series goes offbeat

Further explorations into the elusive feel of jazz are the subject of this month's drum programming column. Nigel Lord dons his bebop beret and gets hep with technology.

After some 30 months, Nigel Lord's seminal On The Beat series draws to a close. Over the months, it has covered programming skills and a wide range of drumming and percussion styles, and proved popular with amateurs and pros alike - it will be copied but never bettered.

The beat goes on: this month Nigel Lord's essential drum programming series takes him into the deep south of the African continent, and into deep rhythm.

Leaving convenient music labels behind, Nigel Lord approaches his beatbox in a fresh way in this month's drum programming column. Off the Beaten track?

Building on the patterns explored earlier in this series, adding expression is the theme of this month's drum programming column. Nigel "Reet" Lord changes his accent.

More experiments with accents form the basis of this episode of Ml's rhythmic soap opera. Nigel Lord beats a path for your drum machine.

MT's beatbox programming series survives the acid test of the recording studio. Nigel Lord renews his efforts in bringing the rhythm divine to your drum machine.

Returning to the subject of classifying rhythms sooner than expected, Nigel Lord investigates the relationship between the beats and the notes.

Nigel Lord applies the principles of drum programming to other sounds

If a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing again - so says Nigel Lord as he devotes this month's rhythm programming feature to double bass and snare drums.

In the early '70s reggae was the star of the pop charts; these days its profile is lower but its influence almost inescapable, Nigel Lord looks at programming Ja rhythm.

This new series on drum machine programming is intended to provide an understanding of the drum patterns which form a wide range of music. Nigel Lord starts close to home with basic pop and rock patterns.

the next generation

Programming drums

The second part in this series on drum machine programming concentrates on the use of the hi-hat. Nigel Lord looks at its role in humanising your drum patterns.

Imagine buying a drum machine full of good factory preset rhythm programs - instead of the usual collection of cliches. Nigel Lord offers a solution to pre-programmed predictability.