TomS

Member
Hello,

when I am practicing drum fills I cant insert them in my playing. I think it can be just the tempo but here is the thing

I have my usual pattern: R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L CRASH
I have my usual accents: > > > > > > KICK

I am playing this pattern all over my kit but accents for most of the time Left is most of time on snare but Im trying to play it on another drum or hihat

And I know that this is basic signle stroke and its easy But you know I feel like I have it engraved in brain If you know what I mean Its like part of DNA already.

So when Im playing groove with or without song and then I want to play 16th note fill I use to like run to this pattern because its like safe space to me. When I play 8th note fills or less I dont care I play doubles sometimes, or with kick etc.

I want to have this fill in my library and I dont want to replace it But I want to add another patern. I cant remember how I was practicing this one because it was literally years ago when I have learned it
I was learning few new fills but I dont know how to make them feel like this one I want more patterns that will be my safe space so I can change between them

So my question is Is it only in tempo? I have to slow down and play it like thousand times or something else? Please give me advice because Im feeling stuck and I want to grow, be better and more creative

If you can recommend me some video it can help me a lot
 
Please give me advice because Im feeling stuck and I want to grow, be better and more creative
The reason why most drummers are stuck is 99% of the time because they don´t know enough music theory and reading to start, otherwise you can create INFINITE fills and variations with this knowledge, all the other subjects are secondary to this comparatively.

Advice: Study with a teacher that is a great drummer! (and teacher)
 
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Learn the many interpretations of Syncopation. You can read the lines in 8th notes, 16ths, triplets, etc. as well as adding your feet. I would think that alone would eventually give you enough facility to play pretty much any melody on the kit.

There is a ton of material here:

 
Can't agree more with what Alex and Brady said. Reading, a teacher, and understanding subdivision and syncopation are key in making fills work. What I would add is that a real understanding of the conventions of music and musical styles will help immeasurably. In most musical styles, you need to know where the beat is, where the one is, and how the vocabulary of the music sounds and flows around that beat.

In one style of music triplet sixteenths might be more common than straight sixteenths, for example. Other styles might have a fill finish different places than the one - maybe on the four, the two, or even a sixteenth or two before the one!

I just recommend listening to a lot of different music and working to understand what's physically going on in the drum part that you hear. If you can get the sheet music to the drum part (and, as Alex suggested, you can read) it can be really easy, and fun, to figure out.

Then it's just practice and muscle memory. Even after thirty-five years of playing, my hands get the dumb and I have to slow down and drill on a sticking before it gets back to second nature. Good luck!
 
I hate to disagree with some of the others because their advice is tried and true but as a untrained drummer of 50+ years you do not necessarily need instructions in reading, theory etc. They are many many drummers who can play a massive amount of fills who have never had any training. Whenever I learn a new song all of the fills are added to what I already know. Also you can go to youtube if it's a famous song and usually find a drummer demonstrating the exact fill or beat you are looking for. When sit down on your kit, just start playing and use your imagination and just play whatever comes out. When you stumble on to something cool keep playing it over and over. I just can't imagine why someone would get stuck. I have my favorites that I like to play often but I can't see getting stuck. Let it flow, let it flow. Music is inside of you Daniel Son, you have to LET IT OUT!!!!
 
Well I’d listen to all these fellas. But I read this and it struck a note with me “ So my question is Is it only in tempo? I have to slow down and play it like thousand times or something else? Please give me advice because Im feeling stuck and I want to grow, be better and more creative”. You want to know how to play more tastefully and creatively which is a question I have posed many times. Listening to music has been a great suggestion-and I mean really listen intently dissecting songs consciously ,but your brain absorbs a lot on it’s on as well. Start limiting what you play a fill on -like just snare,cymbals, kick and maybe one tom is what I did. You don’t need a tool box of go to fills -though there are songs it’s heresy if you don’t try snd emulate them. A fill doesn’t have to have toms or crashes or be complicated it’s a transition/introduction to “what’s next” so you can do that simple with hats, snare, and kick just fine- it will often sound better and in groove than rushing some fill you’ve memorized that doesn’t fit. Now it is worthwhile developing a toolbox of elements you can build more creative fills that you learn with teachers/books/practicing rudiments.
 
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remember that most musical phrases travel in cycles.

There are usually 4 or 8 measure cycles. The fill happens in the last measure of the cycles -> measure 4 or measure 8.

So, in a typical 4 measure cycle, you will have 3 measures of the groove, and one measure of fill.

If you are in 4/4 time, the fill has to fit into those 4 pulses in that 4th measure of the cycle. It sounds like you might be adding or subtracting one of the pulses, or losing sense of the pulse in general to execute the fill. The best way to figure if you are doing either of these is to simplify your fill to basic quarter notes (on the pulse).

If that works, then do another cycle where the fill is basic 8th notes (the pulse beat with an evenly placed beat in between the pulse).
If that works, then try another cycle with 16th notes( the pulse beat with 4 notes on each pulse) -->I think this is the one you are referring to in your post. If this works, then you are understanding how the pulse regulates the fill

as many have mentioned, this is easier to understand if you can read rhythms and understand how pulse determines the subdivisions that fills are usually
 
...I have my usual pattern: R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L CRASH
_I have my usual accents: > > > > > > KICK

I am playing this pattern all over my kit but accents for most of the time Left is most of time on snare but Im trying to play it on another drum or hihat

And I know that this is basic signle stroke and its easy But you know I feel like I have it engraved in brain If you know what I mean Its like part of DNA already.

So when Im playing groove with or without song and then I want to play 16th note fill I use to like run to this pattern because its like safe space to me. When I play 8th note fills or less I dont care I play doubles sometimes, or with kick etc.

I want to have this fill in my library and I dont want to replace it But I want to add another patern. I cant remember how I was practicing this one because it was literally years ago when I have learned it
I was learning few new fills but I dont know how to make them feel like this one I want more patterns that will be my safe space so I can change between them

So my question is Is it only in tempo? I have to slow down and play it like thousand times or something else? Please give me advice because Im feeling stuck and I want to grow, be better and more creative

If you can recommend me some video it can help me a lot

You mentioned that you don't know how to make new fills feel like the one you play now. Well, some won't feel similar, especially if they have different rhythmic components. One way to come up with fills that have a similar flavor is to take your current fill and rearrange it.

Rhythms can be thought of in a number of ways. One way is to think about the note groupings. Your accents outline three-note groupings (you are accenting the first of every three sixteenth notes). You then accent two-note groupings for the last 4 sixteenth notes. So, you chose to fill up a measure (16 sixteenth notes) by using this phrase: 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 2 + 2 = 16 sixteenth notes.

Now, try rearranging those groupings, maybe this: 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3.

I do something very similar in my upcoming book, Note Groupings and Combinations for Drumset. While my book deals with other groupings as well (5- and 7-note groupings), I attached a section that deals with three- and four-note groupings. I use a different sticking (which you should experiment with), but you may also use your single-stroke sticking.

Sample - Note Groupings - Jeff W. Johnson (1) (2).jpgSample - Note Groupings - Jeff W. Johnson (2).jpg

Hope this helps,

Jeff
 
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And OP is obviously not one of them, hence his question.

It's never a good idea to discourage education.
I'm not discouraging it as I said it's tried and true I'm only saying it's not the only way. I wish I had received instructions growing up I play totally by ear and that's not good in all situations. Every now and then I end up in a situation way over my head and I don't even know what the director is talking about. Most of the time I do ok though.
 
Can't agree more with what Alex and Brady said. Reading, a teacher, and understanding subdivision and syncopation are key in making fills work. What I would add is that a real understanding of the conventions of music and musical styles will help immeasurably. In most musical styles, you need to know where the beat is, where the one is, and how the vocabulary of the music sounds and flows around that beat.

In one style of music triplet sixteenths might be more common than straight sixteenths, for example. Other styles might have a fill finish different places than the one - maybe on the four, the two, or even a sixteenth or two before the one!

I just recommend listening to a lot of different music and working to understand what's physically going on in the drum part that you hear. If you can get the sheet music to the drum part (and, as Alex suggested, you can read) it can be really easy, and fun, to figure out.

Then it's just practice and muscle memory. Even after thirty-five years of playing, my hands get the dumb and I have to slow down and drill on a sticking before it gets back to second nature. Good luck!
I am listening a lot of different styles and I play Rock, Jazz, Swing most of the time and sometimes Im trying reggae. Im trying to be creative and most of the time Im improving my drum beat. Adding some ghost notes on hihat or on snare But when it comes to 16th fill I cant play anything new.
I was learning some coordination and syncopation beats and I can feel little changes but I think I need to spend more time with it. Now Im trying to better myself in Timing
Thanks a lot
 
Learn the many interpretations of Syncopation. You can read the lines in 8th notes, 16ths, triplets, etc. as well as adding your feet. I would think that alone would eventually give you enough facility to play pretty much any melody on the kit.

There is a ton of material here:

Thanks a lot for the website I will study this
If someone reading have materias, vieos or websites like this Can you recommend?
 
Well I’d listen to all these fellas. But I read this and it struck a note with me “ So my question is Is it only in tempo? I have to slow down and play it like thousand times or something else? Please give me advice because Im feeling stuck and I want to grow, be better and more creative”. You want to know how to play more tastefully and creatively which is a question I have posed many times. Listening to music has been a great suggestion-and I mean really listen intently dissecting songs consciously ,but your brain absorbs a lot on it’s on as well. Start limiting what you play a fill on -like just snare,cymbals, kick and maybe one tom is what I did. You don’t need a tool box of go to fills -though there are songs it’s heresy if you don’t try snd emulate them. A fill doesn’t have to have toms or crashes or be complicated it’s a transition/introduction to “what’s next” so you can do that simple with hats, snare, and kick just fine- it will often sound better and in groove than rushing some fill you’ve memorized that doesn’t fit. Now it is worthwhile developing a toolbox of elements you can build more creative fills that you learn with teachers/books/practicing rudiments.
Im limiting myslelf sometimes and I play only snare, hihat and floor tom. But if I understand I have to practice rudiments on only 3 part of drums and then try to put it into song with good timing? Is this what you meant?
 
remember that most musical phrases travel in cycles.

There are usually 4 or 8 measure cycles. The fill happens in the last measure of the cycles -> measure 4 or measure 8.

So, in a typical 4 measure cycle, you will have 3 measures of the groove, and one measure of fill.

If you are in 4/4 time, the fill has to fit into those 4 pulses in that 4th measure of the cycle. It sounds like you might be adding or subtracting one of the pulses, or losing sense of the pulse in general to execute the fill. The best way to figure if you are doing either of these is to simplify your fill to basic quarter notes (on the pulse).

If that works, then do another cycle where the fill is basic 8th notes (the pulse beat with an evenly placed beat in between the pulse).
If that works, then try another cycle with 16th notes( the pulse beat with 4 notes on each pulse) -->I think this is the one you are referring to in your post. If this works, then you are understanding how the pulse regulates the fill

as many have mentioned, this is easier to understand if you can read rhythms and understand how pulse determines the subdivisions that fills are usually
I have some basic understanding of subdivisons but I need to work on it more. Im working maybe a few months on my timing also with metronome but I need to work more on theory. Thanks a lot
 
You mentioned that you don't know how to make new fills feel like the one you play now. Well, some won't feel similar, especially if they have different rhythmic components. One way to come up with fills that have a similar flavor is to take your current fill and rearrange it.

Rhythms can be thought of in a number of ways. One way is to think about the note groupings. Your accents outline three-note groupings (you are accenting the first of every three sixteenth notes). You then accent two-note groupings for the last 4 sixteenth notes. So, you chose to fill up a measure (16 sixteenth notes) by using this phrase: 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 2 + 2 = 16 sixteenth notes.

Now, try rearranging those groupings, maybe this: 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3.

I do something very similar in my upcoming book, Note Groupings and Combinations for Drumset. While my book deals with other groupings as well (5- and 7-note groupings), I attached a section that deals with three- and four-note groupings. I use a different sticking (which you should experiment with), but you may also use your single-stroke sticking.

View attachment 133723View attachment 133724

Hope this helps,

Jeff
This helped a lot

I want to pointed out this part and ask
Now, try rearranging those groupings, maybe this: 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3.

Is better for me just for the start When I leave accents on the first note of groupings? And when I get comfortable with this I should change the accents and play them maybe on end of three note grouping and accents of two note groupings leave on first note? What do you think about this approach?

Also thanks for the notation
 
Hello,

when I am practicing drum fills I cant insert them in my playing. I think it can be just the tempo but here is the thing

I have my usual pattern: R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L CRASH
I have my usual accents: > > > > > > KICK

I am playing this pattern all over my kit but accents for most of the time Left is most of time on snare but Im trying to play it on another drum or hihat

And I know that this is basic signle stroke and its easy But you know I feel like I have it engraved in brain If you know what I mean Its like part of DNA already.

So when Im playing groove with or without song and then I want to play 16th note fill I use to like run to this pattern because its like safe space to me. When I play 8th note fills or less I dont care I play doubles sometimes, or with kick etc.

I want to have this fill in my library and I dont want to replace it But I want to add another patern. I cant remember how I was practicing this one because it was literally years ago when I have learned it
I was learning few new fills but I dont know how to make them feel like this one I want more patterns that will be my safe space so I can change between them

So my question is Is it only in tempo? I have to slow down and play it like thousand times or something else? Please give me advice because Im feeling stuck and I want to grow, be better and more creative

If you can recommend me some video it can help me a lot
Learn to read rhythm and learn the rudiments and you will have an infinite source of fill and solo ideas. Practice your ideas with a metronome at different tempos so that you know what tempos you are able to play each idea you come up with. Hope that answers your question.
 
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