DRUM FILLS

It is important for a drummer to stay focused on his or her role in a given musical situation. I would like to reiterate my earlier comment that the drummer’s role is to make the other musicians feel good and to work with the bass player to create a solid groove and foundation for the other musicians to build on.

Fills should be considered very carefully, and in some cases, I have found that “less is more”. A fill should mot be chosen for its complexity or its ability to impress, but rather for its ability to enhance and embellish the overall music.

It is essential that adding the fill does not disrupt the time. The most important beat of any fill is the last beat, i.e. beat 1 of the bar following the fill. If the drummer’s time fluctuates during the fill, his or her idea of beat 1 will differ from the rest of the band’s beat 1. This will disrupt the flow and will unsettle the band.

There is no notated chart for this module because its time for you to get creative.It is good to do some playing and creating that isn’t written down.All you need to know for this module is 3 numbers 2, 3 and 4.

Once you have understood and practiced playing each number round the kit then you can scramble the numbers.Note make sure to not speed up the 2’s after playing 4’s.Have fun and get creative.

Practice three bars of a groove then try coming up with a fill on the fly.This will give you a four bar musical phrase.Its import to start being aware of song structure and musical form so we as drummers can respond musically appropriately to any given situation.