A drum fill is a short solo that transitions between sections of a song — from verse to chorus, from bridge to final chorus. A great fill builds anticipation and sets up the next section perfectly.
Basic Fills
The simplest fill is a single stroke roll around the toms: snare → rack tom 1 → rack tom 2 → floor tom. Play sixteenth notes for one measure.
Try a paradiddle fill: R L R R on the snare, then L R L L on the rack tom, then R L R R on the floor tom.
The "straight eight" fill: play eighth notes on the snare for beats 1-2, then move to the toms for beats 3-4.
Advanced Fills
Use the whole kit: don't just play on the toms. Incorporate the bass drum, hi-hat, and cymbals.
Leave space: the best fills have moments of silence. Don't fill every sixteenth note — leave gaps for impact.
End on beat 1: a fill should always resolve to the downbeat of the next section. The last note of your fill should land on beat 1, with the bass drum and crash cymbal.
Practice Tips
- ●Practice fills with a metronome and a song structure
- ●Record yourself playing along to songs — focus on your fills
- ●Learn fills from your favorite drummers by ear
- ●Keep a "fill library" — write down fills you like for future use