Modern Drummer Transcribes Chad Sexton’s Laid-Back Groove on 311’s Amber

Modern Drummer published a detailed transcription by Marc Atkinson of Chad Sexton’s drum part for 311’s song “Amber” from the recording From Chaos, running it in the magazine’s March 2026 issue and dated March 1, 2026. The piece is positioned alongside the issue’s cover feature interview with Chad Sexton, and the magazine’s promo calls attention to the groove itself with the line, “This month’s transcription takes a dive into this month’s cover feature interview Chad Sexton’s laid-back groove on the 311 song ‘Amber.’”

The transcription frames Sexton’s part in precise musical terms, repeatedly labeling it a “laid‑back groove” and describing it as “a deceptively simple and deeply felt part that is built entirely on restraint, groove, and phrasing.” Modern Drummer’s presentation highlights how Sexton “settles into a relaxed, …” — a truncated phrase in the source material that points to the feature’s focus on subtle timing and pocket rather than flashy fills. Those attributes sit against Sexton’s long career: in 35 years as the drummer for 311, Chad Sexton and 311 have recorded 14 studio records, two live records, four EP’s, and four DVD’s, with several recordings reaching platinum and gold and producing numerous hit tunes.

The transcription credit is explicit: “Transcription by Marc Atkinson.” Modern Drummer tied the transcription to wider coverage in the March 2026 issue, promoting the package on social media with the fragment, “March 2026 features the Legendary Chad Sexton of @311 , + @jordiiisoo , @luigi. ... laid-back groove. Discover the subtle art of playing behind” — a truncated Instagram copy that echoes the magazine’s pedagogical angle on playing behind the beat. The same issue includes profiles that broaden the technical and generational context: “Luigi Paraventi: Precision, Patience, and the Next Generation” profiles a São Paulo born drummer who is “At just 20 years old” and “has already stepped into professional situations that demand authority, precision, and trust,” and “Jordi Radnoti: The Pressure of Being Prepared” contends that “Jordi Radnoti’s drumming is rooted in preparation and trust.”

Ancillary items in the March 2026 issue round out the drumroom conversation, including a short piece titled “Silent Drum Practice” that catalogues materials used for drums with the line, “In the beginning there was wood. And then clay, metal, plastic, fiberglass, acrylic and even glass to name a few! Seems like folks have been making drums out of almost anything they can stretch a membrane on and create a…” Modern Drummer, self-described in the issue as the world’s most widely read drum magazine dedicated entirely to the art of drumming, presented this transcription and feature bundle as a focused study in restraint, groove, and phrasing that players and teachers can parse directly from Marc Atkinson’s notation and the cover interview with Chad Sexton.