Biography.guide
Home › People › Drummer › Carl E. Gardner
Portrait of Carl E. Gardner

Carl E. Gardner

1885 – 1963

American musician and music teacher

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Carl E. Gardner

Lived 1885 – 1963 (aged 77–78). Carl E. Gardner was an American drummer, music teacher and musician.

Carl E. Gardner was an American percussionist, drum maker, and method book author.

Career Carlton Edward Gardner was born in 1885 in Massachusetts. He published a book called Music Composition sometime before his book on music theory, Essentials of Music Theory, in 1912. Gardner was the timpanist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1915-1920. During this time he also published a rudimental drumming manual called The Military Drummer (1918), which was "indorsed [sic] by the U.S. Army and Navy authorities," Music Composition: A New Method of Harmony (1918), and The Gardner Modern Method for the Instruments of Percussion (1919). In 1919, Gardner partnered with BSO trombonist Fortunato Sordillo to form the Sordillo-Gardner Music Company, which manufactured Gardner-designed Free Tension Drums. In 1925, he contributed to Carl Fischer's Drum Fife and Bugle Corps Leaflets along with Francis Findlay and W.A. Maynard. 3 of the 8 lessons in the leaflets were on the snare drum and each leaflet cost 10 cents. Gardner wrote several volumes of Progressive Studies for the Snare Drum, the first of which was published in 1928. Gardner was the program director for the Music Supervisor's National Band Conference Band Festival on Boston Common at least 4 times, the 4th being in 1928. 1930s and 1940s, where he taught :de:Joe Cocuzzo. Gardner published a timpani method in 1944, a percussion method in 1945 called Drums, Cymbals, Accessories, and a book called Reading Lessons for the First Year Drummer in 1950. His book Modern Method for Bells, Xylophone, Marimba, and Chimes is a recommended volume for teachers of percussion.

Publications All of Gardner's publications were released with Carl Fischer Music Music Composition Essentials of Music Theory The Military Drummer Music Composition: A New Method of Harmony The Gardner Modern Method for the Instruments of Percussion Carl Fischer's Drum Fife and Bugle Corps Leaflets Progressive Studies for the Snare Drum Book 1 - Elementary Progressive Studies for the Snare Drum Book 2 - Intermediate Progressive Studies for the Snare Drum Book III - Advanced Progressive Studies for the Snare Drum Book IV - Post-Graduate The Gardner Method for the Timpani Drums, Cymbals, Accessories Reading Lessons for the First Year Drummer Modern Method for Bells, Xylophone, Marimba, and Chimes

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Died
1963
Also known as
Carlton Edward Gardner, Carl Edward Gardner

People in Carl E. Gardner's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Carl E. Gardner's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Carl E. Gardner?

American musician and music teacher

When was Carl E. Gardner born?

Carl E. Gardner was born on 13 April 1885 in East Bridgewater.

When did Carl E. Gardner die?

Carl E. Gardner died in 1963.

What was Carl E. Gardner's occupation?

Carl E. Gardner was a drummer, music teacher and musician.

What nationality was Carl E. Gardner?

Carl E. Gardner was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Carl E. Gardner

· Wikidata: Q69997206

· DBpedia: Carl E. Gardner

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Carl E. Gardner. https://biography.guide/carl-e-gardner/

MLA: "Carl E. Gardner." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/carl-e-gardner/.

Chicago: "Carl E. Gardner." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/carl-e-gardner/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:00 UTC