How to Play a Half-Measure Drum Fill With Fast Snare and Toms

Musicians use drum fills to transition from one part of the song to another or to fill a break in the song. A half-measure drum fill lasts half a measure. Most songs are written in 4/4 time. This means there are 4 beats per measure. In this case, a half-measure drum fill lasts 2 beats.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Read the music and locate the time to determine how long the drum fill lasts. This determines how many beats you have to work with. For this article, we explain drum fills in 4/4 time.

2. Play 4 16th notes or 16th note triplets on the snare drum. Four 16th notes is equal to 1 quarter note or 2 8th notes.

3. Transition to the middle-pitched tom drum. Play 2 16th notes.

4. Move to the low-pitched tom drum. Play 2 more 16th notes.

5. Double your speed for faster songs. Change the 16th notes to 32nd notes. Eight 32nd notes are equal to 4 16th notes.

6. Play 64th notes for a more complex snare or tom drum fill. The 64th notes are half the length of 32nd notes. They are more complex and harder to play but fill in the space nicely.

Tips & Warnings

• Substitute the last note on the tom drum with a crash cymbal to end the drum fill with a bang.