A drum fill, also known as the drum break, is a drummer’s chance to add their own flair to the piece of music being played. When a drummer learns how to play drum fills they can be used as a transitional music in between verses and chorus, or between prechorus and chorus. It can be the intro to the song or the conclusion (outro). A drum fill may be viewed as a solo for the drummer but the drummer must consider the music being played when selecting the fill. There are several things to consider when selecting the drum fill for your performance. http://www.howtoplaydrums.com/drum-fills/

Are you playing the intro to the song? If so, your selected drum fill should be something which matches the genre of music being played and leads up to the song without overtaking it. The intro drum fill may be a simple beat setting the pace for the song to come or in the case of a heavy song may start the song off with a fast, dynamic pace. For a drum fill between the prechorus and chorus or between the verse and chorus should blend into the rhythm of the music being transitioned. If the music is stepping up in pace, the drum fill may provide that transition.

Drum fills do not have to be crashing symbol and loud bass sounds. While this may be an acceptable fill for punk, rock, or metal it won’t work with jazz, Latin, or classical. Consider the drum set parts you have available and choose a beat which matches the music you are filling. You may use a simple note roll, a single hit, or a combination of a drum and cymbal. You may choose one which rises in volume or one which decreases to transition. http://www.rockdrummingsystem.com/underground/drum-lessons/drum-fills.php

As a beginner, your ability to do a drum fill may be limited to a few simple fills you use in multiple songs. As you learn more about your drums and begin to play more detailed music, you will improve your fills and develop them to be your own style. You may do this by listening to the drum fills of other drummers or by choosing drum solos and using a portion of them for your fills.

Check out the how tos below to learn how to play other songs on drums:

1. How to Play 16th Notes on Drums
2. How to Hold Drumsticks
3. What are Drum Set Parts
4. How to Play a Basic Rock Beat on Drums
5. How to Play a Snare Drum
6. How to Play Eighth Notes on Drums
7. How to Play Drum Fills
8. How to Play Quarter Notes on Drums
9. How to Set up a Snare Drum
10. How to Use a Drum Pedal
11. How to Tune A Snare Drum