How to Play Drum Fills

Playing beginner fills allows the drummer to be creative and throw a little bit of herself into her music. Once you've got the basic drum patterns mastered, it's time to learn how to play the drums with the addition of beginner fills. The steps here focus on filling the basic rock patterns on the drums.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Drum kit
• Drum sticks

1. Begin by playing a basic rock beat. The drummer can play a typical 1-2-3-4 or 1-and-2-and-3-and-4-and pattern.

2. Keep the basic beat with the hi-hat, bass and snare as you play the drums.

3. Play the drums with a four bar phrase. The drummer will play the pattern like this: 1-2-3-4-2-2-3-4-3-2-3-4. The beginner fills will be played on the fourth bar of the fourth measure.

4. Add the beginner fills by hitting the snare, tom drums, cymbals--or even silence--to fill the bar. It's the drummer's time to go freestyle on the drums and show his creative side, but timing is critical. Do not cut the bar short or play too long.

5. Continue by starting over with the original beat and then add the beginner fills again at the end.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember that the drum fill is the drummer's own creation, but it should match the style of music being played. If you're playing a quick-paced rock beat, attack the toms with some quick-wristed fillers and then end the fill with a good slap on the crash cymbal.
• Practice. Learning to play beginner fills is elementary, but making it sound good takes coordination. That coordination comes from practice and remembering to continue with the fundamentals as well as progressing to fills and other more challenging areas of drumming.
• Listen to a variety of genres and pay close attention to how drummers differ their fills. Use their ideas to develop your own fills when you play the drums.