Chords for When to Use Fills as a Drummer | Bass and Drums Workshop
Tempo:
78.05 bpm
Chords used:
C
G
F
Gb
A
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
Do you have a rule of thumb for how many fills you use in a song?
I mean, I'm sure like any player you can think of a fill
Every two bars or every four bars.
That's right.
There's something you could do, but
Is there like you know, you divide by half and use half the ideas?
Yeah, I mean the less fills you use the more impact they have when you do them
So and obviously there's different styles of music different genres call for different amounts of playing or kind of
overplaying but
Yeah, you you you want to
Kind of lean towards the under playing that I mean worship leaders band leaders songwriters tend to favor
Drummers who kind of maybe underplay a little bit your Jeff Piccaro
Type of guys who are just great.
They just lay down the pocket and they only fill when it's necessary
But a great exercise to try would be sit at your [A] drums
Play for five minutes play for ten minutes with no fills
Just a groove over and over and it might drive you crazy the first time you try it
But it's a great exercise and it develops that
[Ab] That sense of okay, this is my job as a drummer is to play grooves and play appropriately for a song
So that's a great.
I like what he said there.
He talked about
[Eb] If you if you only use a fill every once in a while
Then it's gonna stand out it's gonna become a significant moment, but if you're feeling every two bars
It's like people say.
All right there the guy is just a busy player.
Yeah
Tim is not I've played with a lot of drummers.
Tim is not a flashy drummer
but in terms of his is his groove
It's just it's just always right there and I think in my preference would be just give me a drummer with a with a great groove
and
What about the we talked about fills earlier
We and we were talking about the song
You will be my song that's right
Talk about that feel let's just roll through that once cuz that's just real disciplined in time.
You want to play it first?
Okay
Maybe halfway through a verse or something like
[Am] [C] even
[Bm] When a melody [C] won't come
Even [G] when my words are not [C] enough you will be [G] my song
[C] You will be
[Em] When I'm lost for [C] words you say
Yeah, yeah the fill that I did going into the chorus
You know, I was listening to your vocal on your you will be you know
So I listened to the rhythm of what you [F] were singing and just being aware that you know
A lot of drummers think okay.
It's going into the chorus.
Here's a chance to just throw this fill
I learned in as opposed to well what works for the song.
Does it go with what the vocals are doing?
Does it kind of fight the vocal?
That's good.
So these are these are questions you [C] might want to ask yourself
So even [A] when a melody won't [C] come
[D] [Am] Even when [Bm] my words are [C] not enough
You will [G] be my song
You know and it doesn't have to match the rhythm exactly every time it depends on the song in the situation
But it should complement it should complement the song the vocals all that stuff just and that's a pretty hard fill to play
Right in the pocket coming because it's a lot of space
Between those notes and if Tim was rushing that fill
It would totally mess me up because I'm singing you will be my [Gb] song
If the beat is is ahead of me Wow, it'll really thrill me but that fill particularly
You know you think just imagine look at all the space between that every hit.
Yeah, that's like a long way
So it's important right?
Yeah accuracy [F] is key to a great groove
So again the metronome and and it and again with the metronome
Slow practice.
I really emphasize working on stuff slowly because you know
All the up-tempo stuff with tons of technical fills.
It's really it's impressive, but it's you know
There's not as much room for error.
You know the slow songs man
That's the stuff that takes try that but just do that a group [Gb] that fill a couple times with the metronomes for the for the oh
Sure, just [C] okay.
So I'll do a couple [Bb] bars of verse and then
[N] [Ab]
Even with my words
[C] [Gb] Yeah
Yeah, there's a lot of space between those yeah, [G] yeah the more space the more room for error
So it's it it pays to work with the metronome and to work on accuracy and precision
Obviously playing with feeling and energy all that stuff adds up to you can't [D] just be precision without the right energy, but
[F] [C] [Dm]
I mean, I'm sure like any player you can think of a fill
Every two bars or every four bars.
That's right.
There's something you could do, but
Is there like you know, you divide by half and use half the ideas?
Yeah, I mean the less fills you use the more impact they have when you do them
So and obviously there's different styles of music different genres call for different amounts of playing or kind of
overplaying but
Yeah, you you you want to
Kind of lean towards the under playing that I mean worship leaders band leaders songwriters tend to favor
Drummers who kind of maybe underplay a little bit your Jeff Piccaro
Type of guys who are just great.
They just lay down the pocket and they only fill when it's necessary
But a great exercise to try would be sit at your [A] drums
Play for five minutes play for ten minutes with no fills
Just a groove over and over and it might drive you crazy the first time you try it
But it's a great exercise and it develops that
[Ab] That sense of okay, this is my job as a drummer is to play grooves and play appropriately for a song
So that's a great.
I like what he said there.
He talked about
[Eb] If you if you only use a fill every once in a while
Then it's gonna stand out it's gonna become a significant moment, but if you're feeling every two bars
It's like people say.
All right there the guy is just a busy player.
Yeah
Tim is not I've played with a lot of drummers.
Tim is not a flashy drummer
but in terms of his is his groove
It's just it's just always right there and I think in my preference would be just give me a drummer with a with a great groove
and
What about the we talked about fills earlier
We and we were talking about the song
You will be my song that's right
Talk about that feel let's just roll through that once cuz that's just real disciplined in time.
You want to play it first?
Okay
Maybe halfway through a verse or something like
[Am] [C] even
[Bm] When a melody [C] won't come
Even [G] when my words are not [C] enough you will be [G] my song
[C] You will be
[Em] When I'm lost for [C] words you say
Yeah, yeah the fill that I did going into the chorus
You know, I was listening to your vocal on your you will be you know
So I listened to the rhythm of what you [F] were singing and just being aware that you know
A lot of drummers think okay.
It's going into the chorus.
Here's a chance to just throw this fill
I learned in as opposed to well what works for the song.
Does it go with what the vocals are doing?
Does it kind of fight the vocal?
That's good.
So these are these are questions you [C] might want to ask yourself
So even [A] when a melody won't [C] come
[D] [Am] Even when [Bm] my words are [C] not enough
You will [G] be my song
You know and it doesn't have to match the rhythm exactly every time it depends on the song in the situation
But it should complement it should complement the song the vocals all that stuff just and that's a pretty hard fill to play
Right in the pocket coming because it's a lot of space
Between those notes and if Tim was rushing that fill
It would totally mess me up because I'm singing you will be my [Gb] song
If the beat is is ahead of me Wow, it'll really thrill me but that fill particularly
You know you think just imagine look at all the space between that every hit.
Yeah, that's like a long way
So it's important right?
Yeah accuracy [F] is key to a great groove
So again the metronome and and it and again with the metronome
Slow practice.
I really emphasize working on stuff slowly because you know
All the up-tempo stuff with tons of technical fills.
It's really it's impressive, but it's you know
There's not as much room for error.
You know the slow songs man
That's the stuff that takes try that but just do that a group [Gb] that fill a couple times with the metronomes for the for the oh
Sure, just [C] okay.
So I'll do a couple [Bb] bars of verse and then
[N] [Ab]
Even with my words
[C] [Gb] Yeah
Yeah, there's a lot of space between those yeah, [G] yeah the more space the more room for error
So it's it it pays to work with the metronome and to work on accuracy and precision
Obviously playing with feeling and energy all that stuff adds up to you can't [D] just be precision without the right energy, but
[F] [C] [Dm]
Key:
C
G
F
Gb
A
C
G
F
_ _ Do you have a rule of thumb for how many fills you use in a song?
I mean, I'm sure like any player you can think of a fill
Every two bars or every four bars.
That's right.
There's something you could do, but
Is there like you know, you divide by half and use half the ideas?
Yeah, I mean the less fills you use the more impact they have when you do them
So and obviously there's different styles of music different genres call for different amounts of playing or kind of
overplaying but
Yeah, you you you want to
Kind of lean towards the under playing that I mean worship leaders band leaders songwriters tend to favor
Drummers who kind of maybe underplay a little bit your Jeff Piccaro
Type of guys who are just great.
They just lay down the pocket and they only fill when it's necessary
But a great exercise to try would be sit at your [A] drums
Play for five minutes play for ten minutes with no fills
Just a groove over and over and it might drive you crazy the first time you try it
But it's a great exercise and it develops that
_ [Ab] That sense of okay, this is my job as a drummer is to play grooves and play appropriately for a song
So that's a great.
I like what he said there.
He talked about
[Eb] If you if you only use a fill every once in a while
Then it's gonna stand out it's gonna become a significant moment, but if you're feeling every two bars
It's like people say.
All right there the guy is just a busy player.
Yeah
Tim is not I've played with a lot of drummers.
Tim is not a flashy drummer
but in terms of his is his groove
It's just it's just always right there and I think in my preference would be just give me a drummer with a with a great groove
and
What about the we talked about fills earlier
We and we were talking about the song
You will be my song that's right
Talk about that feel let's just roll through that once cuz that's just real disciplined in time.
You want to play it first?
Okay
_ Maybe halfway through a verse or something like
[Am] _ _ [C] even _
[Bm] When a melody [C] won't come _ _ _
Even [G] when my words are not [C] enough you will be [G] my song
_ _ _ [C] _ You will be
[Em] _ When I'm lost for [C] words you say
Yeah, yeah the fill that I did going into the chorus
You know, I was listening to your vocal on your you will be you know
So I listened to the rhythm of what you [F] were singing and just being aware that you know
A lot of drummers think okay.
It's going into the chorus.
Here's a chance to just throw this fill
I learned in as opposed to well what works for the song.
Does it go with what the vocals are doing?
Does it kind of fight the vocal?
That's good.
So these are these are questions you [C] might want to ask yourself
So even [A] when a melody won't [C] come
_ _ [D] _ [Am] Even when [Bm] my words are [C] not enough
_ You will [G] be my song
_ _ You know and it doesn't have to match the rhythm exactly every time it depends on the song in the situation
But it should complement it should complement the song the vocals all that stuff just and that's a pretty hard fill to play
Right in the pocket coming because it's a lot of space
Between those notes and if Tim was rushing that fill
It would totally mess me up because I'm singing you will be my [Gb] song
If the beat is is ahead of me Wow, it'll really thrill me but that fill particularly
You know you think just imagine look at all the space between that every hit.
Yeah, that's like a long way
So it's important right?
Yeah accuracy [F] is key to a great groove
So again the metronome and and it and again with the metronome
Slow practice.
I really emphasize working on stuff slowly because you know
All the up-tempo stuff with tons of technical fills.
It's really it's impressive, but it's you know
There's not as much room for error.
You know the slow songs man
That's the stuff that takes try that but just do that a group [Gb] that fill a couple times with the metronomes for the for the oh
Sure, just [C] okay.
So I'll do a couple [Bb] bars of verse and then
[N] _ _ _ [Ab] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ Even with my words _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [C] _ [Gb] Yeah
Yeah, there's a lot of space between those yeah, [G] yeah the more space the more room for error
So it's it it pays to work with the metronome and to work on accuracy and precision
Obviously playing with feeling and energy all that stuff adds up to you can't [D] just be precision without the right energy, but
_ [F] _ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _ [Dm] _ _ _
I mean, I'm sure like any player you can think of a fill
Every two bars or every four bars.
That's right.
There's something you could do, but
Is there like you know, you divide by half and use half the ideas?
Yeah, I mean the less fills you use the more impact they have when you do them
So and obviously there's different styles of music different genres call for different amounts of playing or kind of
overplaying but
Yeah, you you you want to
Kind of lean towards the under playing that I mean worship leaders band leaders songwriters tend to favor
Drummers who kind of maybe underplay a little bit your Jeff Piccaro
Type of guys who are just great.
They just lay down the pocket and they only fill when it's necessary
But a great exercise to try would be sit at your [A] drums
Play for five minutes play for ten minutes with no fills
Just a groove over and over and it might drive you crazy the first time you try it
But it's a great exercise and it develops that
_ [Ab] That sense of okay, this is my job as a drummer is to play grooves and play appropriately for a song
So that's a great.
I like what he said there.
He talked about
[Eb] If you if you only use a fill every once in a while
Then it's gonna stand out it's gonna become a significant moment, but if you're feeling every two bars
It's like people say.
All right there the guy is just a busy player.
Yeah
Tim is not I've played with a lot of drummers.
Tim is not a flashy drummer
but in terms of his is his groove
It's just it's just always right there and I think in my preference would be just give me a drummer with a with a great groove
and
What about the we talked about fills earlier
We and we were talking about the song
You will be my song that's right
Talk about that feel let's just roll through that once cuz that's just real disciplined in time.
You want to play it first?
Okay
_ Maybe halfway through a verse or something like
[Am] _ _ [C] even _
[Bm] When a melody [C] won't come _ _ _
Even [G] when my words are not [C] enough you will be [G] my song
_ _ _ [C] _ You will be
[Em] _ When I'm lost for [C] words you say
Yeah, yeah the fill that I did going into the chorus
You know, I was listening to your vocal on your you will be you know
So I listened to the rhythm of what you [F] were singing and just being aware that you know
A lot of drummers think okay.
It's going into the chorus.
Here's a chance to just throw this fill
I learned in as opposed to well what works for the song.
Does it go with what the vocals are doing?
Does it kind of fight the vocal?
That's good.
So these are these are questions you [C] might want to ask yourself
So even [A] when a melody won't [C] come
_ _ [D] _ [Am] Even when [Bm] my words are [C] not enough
_ You will [G] be my song
_ _ You know and it doesn't have to match the rhythm exactly every time it depends on the song in the situation
But it should complement it should complement the song the vocals all that stuff just and that's a pretty hard fill to play
Right in the pocket coming because it's a lot of space
Between those notes and if Tim was rushing that fill
It would totally mess me up because I'm singing you will be my [Gb] song
If the beat is is ahead of me Wow, it'll really thrill me but that fill particularly
You know you think just imagine look at all the space between that every hit.
Yeah, that's like a long way
So it's important right?
Yeah accuracy [F] is key to a great groove
So again the metronome and and it and again with the metronome
Slow practice.
I really emphasize working on stuff slowly because you know
All the up-tempo stuff with tons of technical fills.
It's really it's impressive, but it's you know
There's not as much room for error.
You know the slow songs man
That's the stuff that takes try that but just do that a group [Gb] that fill a couple times with the metronomes for the for the oh
Sure, just [C] okay.
So I'll do a couple [Bb] bars of verse and then
[N] _ _ _ [Ab] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ Even with my words _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [C] _ [Gb] Yeah
Yeah, there's a lot of space between those yeah, [G] yeah the more space the more room for error
So it's it it pays to work with the metronome and to work on accuracy and precision
Obviously playing with feeling and energy all that stuff adds up to you can't [D] just be precision without the right energy, but
_ [F] _ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _ [Dm] _ _ _