Drum Fills

Drum fills are short passages used to "fill" the transition between parts of a song. I like to use drum fills to indicate to the band and to the listener that there is a change coming in the song. It makes the playing experience more enjoyable to the other members of your band and it helps the listener anticipate the next section of the tune.

Drum fills can vary in length and sound depending on the drummer's preference. There is no set way to play a fill; it's totally up to you to make up a drum break that sounds good. Fills are typically played while other members of the band continue to play but they can also be played when the band stops playing, like a short, mini-drum solo.

I'd suggest doing the following to be successful at playing each fill:

1. Watch and Listen - this will give you both a visual idea plus a rhythmic idea of what is being played.
2. Break down the Drum Notation of the Fill - pause the YouTube clip and have a good look at the drum notation. First say through the rhythms using our vocables e.g. Pear, apply, rock melon etc. Next identify what drums are being played e.g. high tom, floor tom, high hat etc. 
3. Attempt it slowly - we walk before we can run. This usually applies to practicing a new piece of music.
4. Play after a 3 bar groove - once you think you've mastered the fill, try playing a 3 bar groove of your choice before it. For example, 3 bars of a double kick rock beat followed by the 1 bar fill you've learned. Obviously if your fill you've learnt goes for more than 1 bar you'll need to shorten the amount of bars you play your groove for so that it equals 4 bars total (Let's keep it nice and even shall we!).

Check out below for some video tutorials on some awesome fills you can learn and use in your songs: