In this quick lesson, I introduce a variation in 16th note triplets of the drum fill idea shared in my previous article A Fill for Every Season #2. Just changing the subdivision, keeping the same sticking, we open up the fill to new applications. Compared to the initial idea in 8th note triplets, we have:
- The variation is in 2/4 and can be easily repeated to form a 4/4. In this case, you can choose to play the first note on the floor tom for a smooth repetition;
- The fill is developed on two beats with six notes for every beat;
- With the initial idea, the snare “falls” on the third beat giving a half-time sensation, while in the variation the snare is on beat 2, creating a rock backbeat;
- Taking a reference tempo of 120 bpm, we can note the variation sounds twice fast as the initial idea.
In the video below, I show you an application of this idea: playing two bars of groove with the drum fill on the last two beats of the second bar. For a better understanding of how the different voices are arranged, I slowed down the recording at two different speeds. That’s a versatile drum fill inspired by Steve Gadd’s drumming, suitable for a great variety of styles.
By the way, I’m now on TikTok. That’s my personal profile where I’ll share short drum videos, my music, and other things beyond drums. All the best!
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