How to play more impressive fills on the drums

[@enfieldthump5915]

Hi Stephen, I've been subscribed about a year and felt compelled to comment after this excellent lesson. Really appreciate your approach to teaching - fun, inclusive, relevant, well demonstrated and explained. Love the way singles can be used with creative dynamics and accenting to make interesting fills. I'm personally growing weary of lightening-fast, super-busy 'chops' that look impressive but often seem to lack musicality. Great video as always, many thanks from across the pond.

[@ElDarren]

Your lessons are always really easy to understand! I love how you say "bridging the gap." Understanding where the beats are is the key to playing fills consistently, especially when you take out the extra notes. It's important to practice on the snare drum first before moving on to other things. Great video as always, Stephen!

[@gcorriveau6864]

"Less is more," "Make it interesting," - I really enjoy your philosophy of drumming. Also your goal: "Be a drummer other musicians WANT in their band." Thanks for sharing all this.

[@301pp3]

that's just cope

[@ryanbachmeier6979]

This video really is climatic with ideas at the end, simple concept but Huge impact. The combinations & possibilities at the end are crazy affective & simple. Basic aF but Bomb!💣🤘 🥁🎶💯 Great Lesson.

[@papachangogr]

Nice idea my friend im definitely gonnna try it

[@michaeltaylor8937]

Me too!

[@beadymeady7398]

The moccasin slippers powering that bass drum sold it

[@ilyasavadov371]

years of watching this guy and he gets just more an more skinnier

[@richarddriscoll666]

Very we done sir thank you greatly This is exactly what I need May you always be even in the odds

[@michaeltaylor8937]

Such a cool way to create fills!

[@slawaschwed]

It's actually a very good instruction. Thanks

[@SalvadoriPapadillo]

This is a great lesson! Commenting for the support, will subscribe!

[@allanjavery6969]

Thank you good lesson and have a great holiday

[@DP-wi6hm]

Great lesson sir !

[@tonysmeltzer3982]

Absolutely for me

[@christopherandrochellchann3581]

Great job Steve keep rocking greeting from yellow ocean band

[@ToOldToTurnProcycling]

I tend to use the 4 e+a with a crash at the end or tikki boom or a tikki tkki boom boom, and all of them can be moved around the kit. I have just started learning what you have put in your video.👍

[@Brantsworth]

Is sitting through this 19 minute video worth it KZbin comments?

[@mattimkwii]

Not really. Just play single strokes with accents on e's and A's. Then move it around the kit and get faster and faster.

[@KrwiomoczBogurodzicy]

Drumeo has an excellent course on fills (and rudiments) by Lionel Duperron.

[@pa8251]

Depends on if you really care about improving as a percussionist. If the answer is yes, then it would be worth your time; but if you are a hobby drummer or just "play around" - you'd probably be too busy for this. His videos are always useful and helpful for those trying to improve their playing

[@sbradyork]

If you are going to criticize someone who takes time to help people, then don't comment and find an advanced site because obviously you are a Dave Grohl or a Jeff Porcaro and you are wasting your time...

[@michaeltaylor8937]

Of course!

[@LordBaktor]

I was really frustrated after banging my head against the intro to a Helloween song called Sole Survivor where there's a bunch of these types of fills. I decided to take the long approach and distilled what I wasn't able to do into an exercise that is basically the one you taught in this very video so I could teach myself how to do those types of fills instead of just learning the specific ones for the song and nothing else. Level 1 is the ghosted 16ths with accents, level 2 is orchestrating the accents around the kit, level 3 would be incorporating doubles, and so on. It is my belief that you can slowly build up your proficiency by adding one new element at a time all the while "just having fun and seeing what happens". I've only been doing this for like a month but it already is making my brain work overtime with the posibilities.

[@rjinnella]

great lesson

[@thunder_drummer]

🎉 keep rocking

[@troygroff4512]

Great video! What IEMs do you use? Thanks.

[@stevehannon9979]

This is a great idea because you are playing sub devisions first love it Dale Watson Texes Boogie There is a full just before the lead that sets it up perfectly but I need to really break it down Seems like I never have the time to fit the fill in You mentioned something about flow could you do a lesson just on flow?

[@businessconsultant7917]

Very nice lesson Stephen. I have myself just discovered a version of this. Many times when i would play a full measure of 16th note triplet fills at even medium fast tempos i would struggle to land perfectly on the 1, marked with a crash. Instead of the hi hats i will mark the four quarter notes with my bass drum but lightly. End of problem. I landed on the 1 every time. However i read years ago not to place bass drum notes under a fill, even light bass drum notes. What do you think about this Stephen? Thanks very much. Bill.

[@ramilopez6921]

Are the beads on your snare plastic? I really like to try using that on my snare instead of moon gels to see what sound I can get. Great lesson on today’s video by the way. I will include in my practice. Thank you

[@aa222aaa]

They are most definitely not plastic

[@christinefilas9392]

Your tom toms sound awesome!

[@mrsteve3232]

It looks good what your doing but I’m back on bass now but my brother is struggling on the drums it’s very basic what he’s doing but he’s only learning see anyway a good video 🇬🇧

[@douglasdavidmisascamacho6459]

It doesn't feel like xheating but rather . Disruptiva. Thanks a bunch.

[@luigisavoia2401]

"Vital transformation" Billy Cobham. Mahavishnu orchestra. I get lost on fast 9/8 fills sometimes.

[@johnnybregar]

Huh - I just tried to download the free practice lesson you mentioned and after entering my email address I’m stuck on a very slick marketing page that says I have to pay a subscription. Feels a little slimy.

[@ARealHumanGuy]

It emails you the lesson. I thought the same thing at first

[@jacksonmiller3016]

15:50 sauce

[@Yaddayadda1234]

Fill Collins

[@vincentmontagna1711]

Misty Mountain Hop Led Zeppelin 2nd fill I believe

[@Hazeblade-pp9lz]

Watch those splinters. Ouch

[@drummy59]

Must be the mocasion slippers

[@tonyp9179]

Fill Margera

[@forksterr]

this video is freakin sick but why does his pfp look like a mugshot

[@papachangogr]

Third to comment!!!!!!!

[@KingmasterMax1]

i swear to god shut your eyes and he sounds like seth rogen

[@meliciasharp5054]

Great lesson....I was going to forward this to some of my band students. However, I am frustrated that I followed the link to get the "free download" and it takes you to an advertisement to buy something and never gives you the download. Won't recommend this because of that. I know you are trying to make money. But I don't have a ton of respect for those who are deceptive and misleading.

[@stevehannon9979]

I had no problem accessing the 14 page document I was able to print it out and start working on it The link to access is actually in your email after you confirm so technically the second email you receive is the one If it didn’t work for you I would try again The email link has play along audios that work it’s very cool

[@isaacbarkersadu-mensah3865]

First to comment 😂😅