What is a fill?

Drum fills are short passages used to “fill” the transition between parts of a song, e.g. verse to chorus. They help band

members to anticipate the next section of a song, and introduce something new to the listener. Fills can very 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 a musical decision!

Practice these examples on their own until you are really confident. and then you could try fitting them in to pieces that

you already know.

Creating 1 bar

Drum Fills

Here is your rhythm bank for this exercise - a selection of patterns you may like to use in your fills!

Things to think about:

Check the note position on the stave - are you playing the correct drums?

Use your drum notation key if you need some help

Are you playing the correct rhythm?

Use the rhythm bank at the top and say the words while you’re playing to make sure

Are you keeping a steady pulse?

You could use a metronome to make sure you’re not speeding up or slowing down

Check your sticking pattern - are you moving around the drums easily?

Creating 1 bar

Drum Fills

Here is your rhythm bank for this exercise - a selection of patterns you may like to use in your fills!

Step 1: Check the time signature - how many beats are in each bar?

Step 2: Choose a selection of rhythms from the bank - you could experiment with repetition and rests

Step 4: Add rests to the next two fills

Step 3: Create your own orchestration - which drums are you going to use go each rhythm?