In this lesson you will be creating a fill based on a Single Stroke Seven that replaces the second note of the sextuplet with a kick. This simple variation in orchestration creates a more fast and complex sounding fill and creates space for the addition of Flams or other two handed ideas in the middle of the fill.
The kick drum will come in very quickly and requires a lot of control over the right foot. It will be well worth going back through our level 1 and 2 exercises on foot co ordination and independence to help build up the necessary skills for this fill. Working through our Adding A Kick Before The Quarter Note lesson will also be useful.
The fill is half a bar long so can be fit twice into a bar of 4/4. The basic un orchestrated pattern looks like this:
In terms of sticking, you will be replacing the first left hand note with a kick. This means the third sextuplet note will be played with a right hand. Spend some time working on this exercise and making sure that the bass drum falls exactly in the right spot. Once you can play the fill at a tempo of around 120bpm have a go at some of the orchestrations below.
Example 1
The kick on the second note means playing two toms together is possible at the start.
Example 2
Placing flams on the first and third note is also now possible.
Example 3
This is a more ochestrated version of the previous fill.
Example 4
Using the lower pitched toms.
Example 5
Using hi hats and splashes.
TASK
- Using the 2 minute rule, get the exercise up to a tempo of around 130bpm.
- Create your own fills using this idea.
- Apply all fills to a phrased example.
Below is a short piece that en corporates the fill idea from this lesson:
