Part 7 · Fills · Chapter 91

Fills with Space

A fill doesn’t need a note on every sixteenth. Leaving space, or putting the bass drum into the fill, often sounds more musical than a wall of notes.

EXAMPLE 91.1Hands and feet
TEMPO

Snare, rack tom, then bass drum, repeated.

EXAMPLE 91.2Space fill
TEMPO

A few well-placed notes instead of many.

Less can be moreTIP

The best drummers often play the simplest fills. Ask yourself what the song needs, not what your hands can do.

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