This is an internet guide to playing the drums. Fills: ranging from beginner through to intermediate. Information about this specimen: Written by Joe Orton. Please feel free to use reference to this aid, but don’t go shouting to everyone that you did it when you didn’t, this is my work don’t take credit for it. Contact information: drjoeorton@hotmail.com. Any queries? Deal with them.
Part 1) Fills, what they are
Part 2) Rolls
Part 3) Fills in use
Part 4) Just some fills
Part 5) Different Fills Pt 1
Part 6) Different Fills Pt 2
Part 7) Variant Fills
Part 1
Fills, they are a nice way to make songs sound good and they
wonderfully link parts of a song. (e.g. verse->chorus) Fills can come in
all sorts of types, from simple flams or rolls around on the toms.
Firstly there are a lot of different ways of playing the drums in fills; here is a list of some of them.
High hat : “x” play closed
“X” play loosely/washy (slightly open)
“O” play open, fully open.
Snare : “o” normal hit
“0” accent, hit the snare harder
“g” ghost stroke, hit the snare softly
“f” flam, bring both sticks down together
“d” a double hit, hit the snare twice, very quickly (32 notes)
“r” buzz roll, press the stick down on the snare so it bounces
or “buzz’s” on the snare, creating a sort of “drrrr” effect
“(“ rim click, hit the side of the snare with the side of the
stick
Crash “x” normal hit
“#” choke, hit the cymbal the grab it with so it stops the sound.
Ride “x” normal hit
“b” bell of the ride, the part in the centre which rises up,
usually played with the side of the stick.
High tom : same as snare except rim click
Floor tom: same as snare except rim click
Right now get used to playing these as are often used in fills.
Part 2
Drum rolls, I think I knew what these were from the age of three, but I could never play them, I knew how though, anyway enough about my life. Here is a drum roll:
RLRLRLRLRLRLRLRL LRLRLRLRLRLRLRLR
SN :oooooooooooooooo: or :oooooooooooooooo:
Depending on what hand you are depends on which roll you do, they are
both the same except if you are left-handed you start with your left hand, obviously. Anyway practice getting your hands in time with each other; otherwise your rolls will sound roobits.
Now add a nice accent on your rolls:
SN :0ooo0ooo0ooo0ooo:
Try that, (I take it you don’t need the hand guidance above it? Good)
Anyway with the accent also play a bass
SN :0ooo0ooo0ooo0ooo:
BS :o---o---o---o---:
See how it works? It adds a nice umph to your rolls.
Ok onto buzz rolls. To perform a buzz stroke, press your stick onto the snare sort of lightly, you stick should bounce on the snare a few times. Practice this so you it sounds really quick and you can play it with both hands, then try doing a roll with. You can also play accents with these
SN :rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr:
Ok onto double strokes. This are basically rolls but really fast ones.
SN :dddddddddddddddd:
If you were to put them all on their own they would look like this:
SN :oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo:
See how much of an inconvenience this is? It takes up too much space, so each “oo” of that above is written as “d”
Ok now you have practiced these (hopefully) here is a nice long roll to practice (honest it isn’t that long but it changes a bit)
SN :0ooo0ooo0ooo0ooo:0ooooooo0ooooooo:0ooooo0ooooo0ooo:0ooo0ooo0ooo0ooo:
SN :0ooooo0ooooo0ooo:0ooo0ooo0ooo0ooo:0ooo0ooorrrrrrrr:rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr:
SN :0ooo0ooo0ooodddd:0ooo0ooo0ooodddd:0ooo0ooodddddddd:dddddddddddddddd:
SN :RrrrRrrrRrrr0---:RrrrRrrrRrrr0---:Rrrr0---Rrrr0---:RrrrRrrrRrrr0---:
Part 3
Right now where do fills come in, if you have ever got a tab off the internet then you will have noticed that there are 4 bars per line, (a line is called a measure, well that’s what I call it so get used to it)
If you don’t know what I’m on aboot then take a gander below…
CR :X---------------:----------------:X---------------:----------------:
HH :----x---x---x---:x---x---x---x---:----x---x---x---:x---x---x---x---:
SN :----o-------o---:----o-------o---:----o-------o---:----o-------o---:
BS :o-o-----o-o-----:o-o-----o-o-----:o-o-----o-o-----:o-o-----o-o-----:
You see? Fours bars, ummmmm, nice. A very simple beat with a crash fill on the 2nd bar, see it? Good. Now adding a crash is a very easiest fill and spices up your drumming. Ok I’m going to put on a very easy fill on the end of a measure. (Fills almost usually come at the end a bar or at the end of the 2nd bar in a verse or chorus)
CR :X---------------:----------------:----------------:----------------:
HH :----x---x---x---:x---x---x---x---:x---x---x---x---:----------------:
SN :----o-------o---:----o-------o---:----o-------o---:oooooooooooooooo:
BS :o-o-----o-o-----:o-o-----o-o-----:o-o-----o-o-----:----------------:
Woo! Nice eh? Repeat playing this because it sounds good and it is good practice.
Now we can advance onto making this fill a bit better, first by adding an accent.
CR :X---------------:----------------:----------------:----------------:
HH :----x---x---x---:x---x---x---x---:x---x---x---x---:----------------:
SN :----o-------o---:----o-------o---:----o-------o---:0ooo0ooo0ooo0ooo:
BS :o-o-----o-o-----:o-o-----o-o-----:o-o-----o-o-----:----------------:
You like it don’t you? Now trying adding a bass to the fill.
CR :X---------------:----------------:----------------:----------------:
HH :----x---x---x---:x---x---x---x---:x---x---x---x---:----------------:
SN :----o-------o---:----o-------o---:----o-------o---:0ooo0ooo0ooo0ooo:
BS :o-o-----o-o-----:o-o-----o-o-----:o-o-----o-o-----:o---o---o---o---:
Sound good? Now you have got the basic fill, it is time to practice doing fills around the tom. Like so below.
CR :X---------------:----------------:----------------:----------------:
HH :----x---x---x---:x---x---x---x---:x---x---x---x---:----------------:
SN :----o-------o---:----o-------o---:----o-------o---:oooooooo--------:
HT :----------------:----------------:----------------:--------oooo----:
FT :----------------:----------------:----------------:------------oooo:
BS :o-o-----o-o-----:o-o-----o-o-----:o-o-----o-o-----:o---o---o---o---:
If you have three toms then it’ll look like this.
CR :X---------------:----------------:----------------:----------------:
HH :----x---x---x---:x---x---x---x---:x---x---x---x---:----------------:
SN :----o-------o---:----o-------o---:----o-------o---:oooo------------:
HT :----------------:----------------:----------------:----oooo--------:
LT :----------------:----------------:----------------:--------oooo----:
FT :----------------:----------------:----------------:------------oooo:
BS :o-o-----o-o-----:o-o-----o-o-----:o-o-----o-o-----:o---o---o---o---:
See? Now practice doing them and then we can move on.
Part 4
Right, now I’m going to put down some simple fills (based on the drum roll idea).
CR :X---------------:----------------:----------------:----------------:
HH :----x---x---x---:x---x---x---x---:x---x---x---x---:----------------:
SN :----o-------o---:----o-------o---:----o-------o---:oo----oo----oo--:
HT :----------------:----------------:----------------:--oooo----------:
LT :----------------:----------------:----------------:--------oooo----:
FT :----------------:----------------:----------------:--------------oo:
BS :o-o-----o-o-----:o-o-----o-o-----:o-o-----o-o-----:----------------:
CR :X---------------:----------------:----------------:----------------:
HH :----x---x---x---:x---x---x---x---:x---x---x---x---:----------------:
SN :----o-------o---:----o-------o---:----o-------o---:oooooo--oo--oo--:
HT :----------------:----------------:----------------:------oo--------:
LT :----------------:----------------:----------------:----------oo----:
FT :----------------:----------------:----------------:--------------oo:
BS :o-o-----o-o-----:o-o-----o-o-----:o-o-----o-o-----:----------------:
CR :X---------------:----------------:----------------:----------------:
HH :----x---x---x---:x---x---x---x---:x---x---x---x---:----------------:
SN :----o-------o---:----o-------o---:----o-------o---:oo--oo--oo------:
HT :----------------:----------------:----------------:--oo------oo----:
LT :----------------:----------------:----------------:------oo----oo--:
FT :----------------:----------------:----------------:--------------oo:
BS :o-o-----o-o-----:o-o-----o-o-----:o-o-----o-o-----:----------------:
CR :X---------------:----------------:----------------:----------------:
HH :----x---x---x---:x---x---x---x---:x---x---x---x---:----------------:
SN :----o-------o---:----o-------o---:----o-------o---:oooooooo--------:
HT :----------------:----------------:----------------:--------oooooooo:
FT :----------------:----------------:----------------:----------------:
BS :o-o-----o-o-----:o-o-----o-o-----:o-o-----o-o-----:----------------:
CR :X---------------:----------------:----------------:----------------:
HH :----x---x---x---:x---x---x---x---:x---x---x---x---:----------------:
SN :----o-------o---:----o-------o---:----o-------o---:oooooo----------:
HT :----------------:----------------:----------------:------oooooo----:
FT :----------------:----------------:----------------:------------oooo:
BS :o-o-----o-o-----:o-o-----o-o-----:o-o-----o-o-----:----------------:
I’m going to put some blanks on so you can make your own fills. (If need be, add an extra tom)
CR :X---------------:----------------:----------------:----------------:
HH :----x---x---x---:x---x---x---x---:x---x---x---x---:----------------:
SN :----o-------o---:----o-------o---:----o-------o---:----------------:
HT :----------------:----------------:----------------:----------------:
FT :----------------:----------------:----------------:----------------:
BS :o-o-----o-o-----:o-o-----o-o-----:o-o-----o-o-----:----------------:
CR :X---------------:----------------:----------------:----------------:
HH :----x---x---x---:x---x---x---x---:x---x---x---x---:----------------:
SN :----o-------o---:----o-------o---:----o-------o---:----------------:
HT :----------------:----------------:----------------:----------------:
FT :----------------:----------------:----------------:----------------:
BS :o-o-----o-o-----:o-o-----o-o-----:o-o-----o-o-----:----------------:
CR :X---------------:----------------:----------------:----------------:
HH :----x---x---x---:x---x---x---x---:x---x---x---x---:----------------:
SN :----o-------o---:----o-------o---:----o-------o---:----------------:
HT :----------------:----------------:----------------:----------------:
FT :----------------:----------------:----------------:----------------:
BS :o-o-----o-o-----:o-o-----o-o-----:o-o-----o-o-----:----------------:
N.B. You don’t have to play that beat there, you can change it if you want to.
Part 5
Not all fills will be simple rolls around the snare toms etc. Some of the fills may have pauses in them, or won’t complete a bar. Here are some easy examples.
RLRLR L RLRLR L LRLRL R LRLRL R
SN:oooo--o-oooo--o-: or SN:oooo--o-oooo--o-:
HT:----o-------o---: HT:----o-------o---:
R RLRLRLRLRLRLRL L LRLRLRLRLRLRLR
CR:X---------------: CR:X---------------:
HH:----------------: HH:----------------:
SN:--oo------------: or SN:--oo------------:
HT:----oooo--------: HT:----oooo--------:
LT:--------oooo----: LT:--------oooo----:
FT:------------oooo: FT:------------oooo:
BS:o---------------: BS:o---------------:
Here is a fill with a lot of bass in it.
SN:0ooo0ooo0ooo0ooo:
BS:o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-:
Here is a fill with an odd roll I call a “half roll”
R L R L R L R L L R L R L R L R
SN:o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-: or SN:o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-:
BS:o---o---o---o---: BS:o---o---o---o---:
Here is a fill with a variation to the “half roll” idea. Which ever handed you are, try and end on your other hand. E.G if you are right handed, always try and end rolls on your LEFT hand.
L RLR L R L R L R LRL R L R L R
SN:o-ooo-o-o-o-o-o-: or SN:o-ooo-o-o-o-o-o-:
Here is another variation on the one above.
R LRL R L RLR L L RLR L R LRL R
SN:o-ooo-o-o-ooo-o-: or SN:o-ooo-o-o-ooo-o-:
Here is a climax fill
SN:g-g-o-o-o-o-0-0-:
FT:g-g-o-o-o-o-0-0-:
Part 5
Ok if you had noticed the fills previously had taken up a whole bar, HOWEVER, not all fills take up a whole bar. This is what we are going to concentrate on now.
HH:x-x-x-x---------:
SN:----o---oooooooo:
BS:o-o-----o---o---:
See how it works? Very easy indeed, in fact, easier than the ones earlier. OK now I’m going to put up a whole load of fills (OK that’s a lie, there won’t be THAT many, fills are all different and are so much easier to make up than beats.)
HH:x-x-x-x---------:
SN:----o---oooo----:
HT:------------oooo:
BS:o-o-----o---o---:
HH:x-x-x-x---------:
SN:----o---oooo----:
HT:------------oo--:
FT:--------------oo:
BS:o-o-----o---o---:
(Right, I’m bored of rolls, yawn) Let me go!
CR:--------X---X---:
HH:x-x-x-x---------: (this sounds nice if you have 2 crash’s)
SN:----o-----------:
BS:o-o-----o---o---:
HH:x-x-x-x---------:
SN:----o---o-ooo-o-:
BS:o-o-------------:
Try making up your own fills, its much better than just copying someone else’s.
Part 6
Wow! Variant is a word! OK what I mean by variant is just different, but different is starting to not make much sense so I used a different word, AND, it extends my vocabulary. Right, here are some “different” fills. They come in all sizes and forms. Practice them, make your own etc etc.
R R R R R R R RL L L L L L L L LR
HH:x-x-x-x-x-x-x---: HH:x-x-x-x-x-x-x---:
SN:----o-------o-oo: or SN:----o-------o-oo:
BS:o-o-----o-o-----: BS:o-o-----o-o-----:
HH:x-x-x-----------:
SN:----o-oooo------: You can vary the roll sizes and where you hit them.
HT:----------oooooo:
BS:o-o---o-o-o-o-o-:
CR:X-------X-------: CR:X-------X-------:
SN:-ooooooo-ooooooo: SN:--oooooo--oooooo:
BS:o---o---o---o---: BS:o---o---o---o---:
SN:o-o-----o-o-----:
HT:----oooo--------:
FT:------------oooo:
SN:o-ooo-o-o-----o-:
HT:----------o-----:
FT:------------o---:
Incorporating double strokes.
HH:x-x-x-x-x-------:
SN:----o-----ddoooo:
BS:o-o-----o---o---:
SN:o-o-o-o-oooooodd:
BS:o---o---o---o---:
Like my first lesson “Drumming for dummies”, I shall end on a song for you to learn, this is going to have lots of fills in it.
SN:0ooo0ooo0ooo0ooo:0ooo0ooo0ooo0ooo:0ooo0ooo0ooo0ooo:oo----oo----0---:
HT:----------------:----------------:----------------:--oooo----------:
FT:----------------:----------------:----------------:--------oooo----:
BS:o---o---o---o---:o---o---o---o---:o---o---o---o---:o---o---o---o---:
CR:X---------------:----------------:X---------------:----------------:
HH:----O---O---O---:O---O---O---O---:----O---O---O---:O---O---O-------:
SN:----o-------o---:----o-------o-oo:----o-------o---:----o------oo-o-:
BS:o---------o---o-:--o-------o-----:o---------o---o-:--o-----o-------:
CR:X---------------:----------------:X---------------:----------------:
HH:----O---O---O---:O---O---O-------:----O---O---O---:----------------:
SN:----o-------o---:----o-------oooo:----o-------o---:ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo-:
BS:o---------o---o-:--o-------o-----:o---------o---o-:o---o---o---o---:
CR:X---------------:----------------:X---X-----------:X---------------:
RD:--x-x-x-x-x-x-x-:x-x-x-x-x-x-----:------x-x-x-x-x-:----------------:
SN:----o--o-o--o--o:----o--o----f-f-:----o-------o---:--oooooooooooooo:
BS:o-o-----o-o---o-:o-o-----o-o-----:o-----o-o-o-----:o---o---o---o---:
CR:X---------------:----------------:X-------X-------:----------------:
RD:--x-x-x-x-x-x-x-:x-x-x-x-x-x-----:----------------:----------------:
SN:----o--o-o--o--o:----o--o----f---:--oooooo--oooooo:oooooooooooooooo:
BS:o-o-----o-o---o-:o-o-----o-o-----:o-------o-------:o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-:
CR:X---------------:----------------:X---------------:----------------:
HH:----O---O---O---:O---O---O---O---:----O---O---O---:O---O---O-------:
SN:----o-------o---:----o-------o-oo:----o-------o---:----o------oo-o-:
BS:o---------o---o-:--o-------o-----:o---------o---o-:--o-----o-------:
CR:X---------------:----------------:X---------------:----------------:
HH:----O---O---O---:O---O---O-------:----O---O---O---:----------------:
SN:----o-------o---:----o-------oooo:----o-------o---:ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo-:
BS:o---------o---o-:--o-------o-----:o---------o---o-:o---o---o---o---:
CR:X---------------:----------------:X---X-----------:X---------------:
RD:--x-x-x-x-x-x-x-:x-x-x-x-x-x-----:------x-x-x-x-x-:----------------:
SN:----o--o-o--o--o:----o--o----f-f-:----o-------o---:--oooooooooooooo:
BS:o-o-----o-o---o-:o-o-----o-o-----:o-----o-o-o-----:o---o---o---o---:
CR:X---------------:----------------:----------------:----------------:
RD:--x-x-x-x-x-x-x-:x-x-x-x-x-x-----:----------------:----------------:
SN:----o--o-o--o--o:----o--o----f---:o-oooooooooooooo:----------------:
HT:----------------:----------------:----------------:oooooooo--------:
FT:----------------:----------------:----------------:--------oooooooo:
BS:o-o-----o-o---o-:o-o-----o-o-----:o---o---o---o---:o---o---o---o---:
CR:X-------X-X-----:X-------X-X-----:X-------X-X-----:X-------X-X-----:
SN:----f-------f---:----f-------f---:----f-------f---:----f-------f---:
BS:o-------o-o-----:o-------o-o-----:o-------o-o-----:o-------o-o-----:
HH:O---------------:----------------:----------------:----------------:
SN:o---------------:--oooooo--oooooo:oooooooo--------:ooooddoo--------:
HT:--o-o-o-o-o-o-o-:o---------------:--------oooo----:--------ddoo----:
FT:--o-o-o-o-o-o-o-:--------o-------:------------oooo:------------ddoo:
BS:----------------:o---o---o---o---:o---o---o---o---:o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-:
CR:X---------------:----------------:X---X-----------:X---------------:
RD:--x-x-x-x-x-x-x-:x-x-x-x-x-x-----:------x-x-x-x-x-:----------------:
SN:----o--o-o--o--o:----o--o----f-f-:----o-------o---:--oooooooooooooo:
BS:o-o-----o-o---o-:o-o-----o-o-----:o-----o-o-o-----:o---o---o---o---:
CR:X---------------:----------------:----------------:----------------:
RD:--x-x-x-x-x-x-x-:x-x-x-x-x-x-----:----------------:----------------:
SN:----o--o-o--o--o:----o--o----f---:o-oooooooooooooo:----------------:
HT:----------------:----------------:----------------:oooooooo--------:
FT:----------------:----------------:----------------:--------oooooooo:
BS:o-o-----o-o---o-:o-o-----o-o-----:o---o---o---o---:o---o---o---o---:
CR:X-X-------------:
BS:o-o-------------:
That’s it, for now anyway. I have no ideas for my next project, I need some influence! If you would like someone specific doing, then please email me and when I say “Yeah I’ll do soon” keep emailing me until I do do it, otherwise I’ll forget it. Ciao!
