Listen to almost any song and you’ll hear it: the drummer does something quick and fancy right before the chorus kicks in. That’s a drum fill.
A fill is a short rhythmic variation from the regular drum beat or groove. Most of the time, it’s played on the snare drum and toms, though the bass drum and cymbals can be used too.
Drum fills connect one part of a song to the next and stop the rhythm from sounding the same. Learning to play them in time is an important step for any beginner drummer.
In this article, I’ll walk you through when drummers play fills, then give you two simple examples to practice.
When Do Drummers Play Fills?
Usually near the end of a musical phrase, or just before something changes. Think of the moment a song moves from the verse into the chorus. The short burst of drumming just before the chorus begins is a drum fill.
You’ll also hear them around instrumental sections, like before or after a guitar solo, and at the very start or end of a song.
Fills can last a single beat or stretch across two beats or longer. It depends on the music and the feeling the drummer wants to create.
You’ll often notice fills landing every four or eight bars, but it’s not a rule. What matters is that the fill suits the music, stays in time and fits the song’s time signature.
Example 1: A Simple One-Beat Fill
The first drum fill I teach my students is very simple. You can see the drum score and listen to the audio example below.
We’ll use a basic rock beat in 4/4 time at 85 beats per minute (BPM) to practice this. Here’s the beat:
- Hi-hat: eight evenly spaced notes per bar
- Bass drum: beats 1 and 3
- Snare drum: beats 2 and 4
In the drum score, bars 2 and 3 use a repeat sign instead of showing all the notes again. This symbol looks a bit like a percentage sign (%) and tells you to play the previous bar again, exactly as written.
Play that beat for the first three bars.
In the fourth bar, keep playing as before through beats 1, 2 and 3. Then, on beat 4, instead of your usual single snare hit, play four quick, even notes on the snare. The hi-hat and bass drum stop while you play these four notes.
Count it like this:
4-e-and-a
Those four notes are called semiquavers, and they fit inside one beat. Count them as “4-e-and-a”, with each syllable matching one snare hit. Try saying the count out loud a few times before you play it on the drums.
Before you start, listen to the audio all the way through. You’ll hear four beats of hi-hat counting you in, followed by the four-bar drum pattern played twice. Listen for the fill at the end of each four-bar pattern.
Then try playing along. Keep the four semiquavers of the fill even, and make sure you return to the basic beat right at the start of the next bar.
The fill doesn’t change the timing of the bar. You’re fitting four notes into the same beat that would normally contain one snare hit, so the next bar starts right on time.
Example 2: A Two-Beat Snare and Hi-Tom Fill
Once you’re comfortable with the one-beat fill, try the second example below.
I introduce this fill to my students soon after they’ve learned the first example. It uses the same rock beat in 4/4 at 85 BPM, but this time the fill lasts two beats and moves from the snare to the hi-tom.
Play the basic beat for the first three bars again.
In the fourth bar, play the beat as before on beats 1 and 2. The fill kicks in on beat 3:
- Beat 3: Four even semiquavers on the snare drum, with the bass drum playing on the first note.
- Beat 4: Four even semiquavers on the hi-tom.
The bass drum plays on beats 1 and 3, including alongside the first snare note of the fill. The hi-hat plays normally on beats 1 and 2, then stops while you play the fill.
Here’s how to count it:
Beat 3: 3-e-and-a (snare)
Beat 4: 4-e-and-a (hi-tom)
Each syllable lines up with one note. You play four snare notes during beat 3, followed by four hi-tom notes during beat 4. Together, they fill exactly two beats.
Listen to the audio before playing along. After the four-beat hi-hat count-in, you’ll hear the regular rock beat for three bars. In the fourth bar, the beat continues for the first two beats before the fill begins on beat 3 with four quick snare hits. The bass drum plays with the first snare hit, followed by four hi-tom hits on beat 4. The hi-hat stops during the two-beat fill, and the regular rock beat returns at the start of the next bar.
When you listen, pay attention to the move from snare to hi-tom. All eight notes should be evenly spaced. Make sure you return to the basic beat in time, right at the very start of the next bar.
Here’s a tip: practice the snare part and the hi-tom part separately first, before putting them together. Once it feels comfortable, play along with the audio track.
Tips for Playing Drum Fills in Time
The main thing to remember is that a fill might have lots of fast notes, but they all still have to fit in time with the count. The count remains the same, even when your hands are busy.
Here’s what helps.
1. Start simple. Begin with a short fill, like four notes on the snare. Get those four notes sounding even before you try anything longer.
2. Count out loud. Counting shows you exactly where the fill starts and finishes. In Example 1, for instance, the fill is four semiquavers on beat 4. In Example 2, the eight semiquavers occupy beats 3 and 4. Keep counting the beats so you know where the next bar begins.
3. Use a metronome. I always recommend that my students practice with one to make sure they stay in time. Start at a speed where you can play the fill accurately, then bring it up bit by bit. For these examples, work towards 85 BPM, but there’s no need to rush. Playing evenly and staying in time matter more than speed.
4. Listen to the music. A good fill needs to fit the groove of the song. It shouldn’t interrupt the flow of the music. Listen to how it leads back into the regular beat naturally.
5. Come back to the groove. The fill is only one part of the phrase. Practice moving smoothly from the basic beat into the fill, and then back into the beat at the start of the next bar.
Common Beginner Mistakes
When you’re learning drum fills, there are a few common mistakes to watch for.
Rushing the fill: When there are lots of quick notes, it’s very easy to speed up without noticing. Slow it down and make sure each note is evenly spaced.
Losing the beat: Some drummers get so wrapped up in the fill that they forget where the next bar begins. Counting all the way through helps you keep in time.
Playing too many notes: A fill doesn’t have to be complicated or use lots of notes to work. Even four notes on the snare can lift a song.
Struggling to move between drums: If your fill includes the snare and the toms, practice each part on its own before you join them up.
Keep practicing and you’ll find your control and confidence will grow.
Learn Drums at Do Re Mi Studios
Learning fills is a big step towards becoming a confident drummer. If you’d like to start drums or sharpen up your playing, get in touch with Do Re Mi Studios to ask about drum lessons.