Part 7 · Fills · Chapter 92
Landing the Fill
The last note of a fill and the first note after it are what the band hears most. Make the landing strong and exactly on time.
- Crash cymbal and bass drum together on beat 1.
- Don’t leave a gap after the fill: the groove starts again right away.
- Some fills end on the & of 4 with the crash on 1; others end with a note on 1 itself.
EXAMPLE 92.1Ending on the a of 4
TEMPO
A sixteenth fill that runs right up to the crash.
EXAMPLE 92.2Leaving the & of 4 empty
TEMPO
The fill stops early, and the silence before the crash builds tension.
Practice the landingTIP
Practice just the last beat of the fill and the crash, over and over, until the landing is automatic.