Reid and Grant Maxwell on ‘Taking No Shortcuts’ – Part 1

One of the greatest pipe band drummers of all time, Reid Maxwell’s recently released 118-page Taking No Shortcuts collection of 900 carefully honed exercises is already in its second printing.

Designed for any level of drummer, the book collects the exercises that Maxwell created, revised and continually tweaked over more than 40 years. They are the techniques taught to Maxwell’s hundreds of students, including the drum sections of his Grade 1 Simon Fraser University, winners of the last two World Pipe Band Drumming titles.

Maxwell’s son, Grant, himself one of the world’s best snare drummers, has played a significant role in pulling together and publishing the book. After all, Grant Maxwell was guided by his father with the techniques in Taking No Shortcuts since he was a toddler.

Reid Maxwell’s fame as a drummer comes with his leading Grade 1 drum corps to no fewer than six World titles, and he remains the only leading-drummer in history to win the World Pipe Band Drumming award with two bands, having achieved it in 1987 with the 78th Fraser Highlanders.

The collection’s orange cover reflects the older Maxwell’s trademark orange baseball cap that has become part of his personal brand.

Exclusively for pipes|drums readers and viewers, we caught up with Reid and Grant Maxwell for a brief two-part conversation about Taking No Shortcuts.

Stay tuned to pipes|drums for the second part of our conversation with Reid and Grant Maxwell.