CATTLE DECAPITATION · DRUM FILLS

The drum fills in Death Atlas

27 fills to learn, played 64 times across 271 bars. Two fills that share a rhythm and differ only in how they are spread round the toms are one fill here, learned once and orchestrated twice.

TEMPO
120 BPM
TIME
4/4
BARS
271
LENGTH
9:03
DIFFICULTY
85/100

Bar 2, and 8 more times

LOOP · 120 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 2-4, 58-60 AND 128-130 · LANDS ON BAR 5

On crash, ride, snare and kick. 86 out of 100 -- hard -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 5. The exercise loops the figure on its own first, and the one after it puts it back: one bar of rest to count yourself in, the figure, then the landing with the time still running. Getting out of a fill is the half most people never practise.

Bar 6

LOOP · 120 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 6 · LANDS ON BAR 7

On crash, ride, hi-hat, snare and kick. 100 out of 100 -- hard -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 7. The exercise loops the figure on its own first, and the one after it puts it back: one bar of rest to count yourself in, the figure, then the landing with the time still running. Getting out of a fill is the half most people never practise.

Bar 8

LOOP · 120 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 8 · LANDS ON BAR 9

On crash, snare, high tom, mid tom and kick. 78 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 9. The exercise loops the figure on its own first, and the one after it puts it back: one bar of rest to count yourself in, the figure, then the landing with the time still running. Getting out of a fill is the half most people never practise.

Bar 10, and 4 more times

LOOP · 120 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 10, 62, 66, 132 AND 136 · LANDS ON BAR 11

On crash, ride, snare and kick. 97 out of 100 -- hard -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 11. The exercise loops the figure on its own first, and the one after it puts it back: one bar of rest to count yourself in, the figure, then the landing with the time still running. Getting out of a fill is the half most people never practise.

Bar 12, and 2 more times

LOOP · 120 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 12, 68 AND 138 · LANDS ON BAR 13

On crash, snare and kick. 76 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 13. The exercise loops the figure on its own first, and the one after it puts it back: one bar of rest to count yourself in, the figure, then the landing with the time still running. Getting out of a fill is the half most people never practise.

Bar 14, and 2 more times

LOOP · 120 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 14-16 · LANDS ON BAR 17

On crash, ride, snare and kick. 93 out of 100 -- hard -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 17. The exercise loops the figure on its own first, and the one after it puts it back: one bar of rest to count yourself in, the figure, then the landing with the time still running. Getting out of a fill is the half most people never practise.

Bar 20, and 3 more times

LOOP · 120 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 20, 24, 106 AND 110 · LANDS ON BAR 21

On crash, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 52 out of 100 -- a step up -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 21. The exercise loops the figure on its own first, and the one after it puts it back: one bar of rest to count yourself in, the figure, then the landing with the time still running. Getting out of a fill is the half most people never practise.

Bar 26

LOOP · 120 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 26 · LANDS ON BAR 27

On crash, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 58 out of 100 -- a step up -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 27. The exercise loops the figure on its own first, and the one after it puts it back: one bar of rest to count yourself in, the figure, then the landing with the time still running. Getting out of a fill is the half most people never practise.

Bar 28

LOOP · 120 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 28 · LANDS ON BAR 29

On crash, snare and kick. 67 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is how much of it falls off the beat. In the song it lands on bar 29. The exercise loops the figure on its own first, and the one after it puts it back: one bar of rest to count yourself in, the figure, then the landing with the time still running. Getting out of a fill is the half most people never practise.

Bar 30

LOOP · 120 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 30 · LANDS ON BAR 31

On crash, snare, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 64 out of 100 -- a step up -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 31. The exercise loops the figure on its own first, and the one after it puts it back: one bar of rest to count yourself in, the figure, then the landing with the time still running. Getting out of a fill is the half most people never practise.

Bar 32, and 5 more times

LOOP · 120 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 32-37 · LANDS ON BAR 38

On crash, ride, snare, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 99 out of 100 -- hard -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 38. The exercise loops the figure on its own first, and the one after it puts it back: one bar of rest to count yourself in, the figure, then the landing with the time still running. Getting out of a fill is the half most people never practise.

Bar 48, and 1 more time

LOOP · 120 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 48 AND 52 · LANDS ON BAR 49

On crash, hi-hat, snare, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 43 out of 100 -- a fair first song -- and what decides that is how fine the subdivision is. In the song it lands on bar 49. The exercise loops the figure on its own first, and the one after it puts it back: one bar of rest to count yourself in, the figure, then the landing with the time still running. Getting out of a fill is the half most people never practise.

Bar 56

LOOP · 120 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 56 · LANDS ON BAR 57

On crash, ride, snare, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 60 out of 100 -- a step up -- and what decides that is how much of it falls off the beat. In the song it lands on bar 57. The exercise loops the figure on its own first, and the one after it puts it back: one bar of rest to count yourself in, the figure, then the landing with the time still running. Getting out of a fill is the half most people never practise.

Bar 64

LOOP · 120 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 64 · LANDS ON BAR 65

On crash, snare, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 69 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 65. The exercise loops the figure on its own first, and the one after it puts it back: one bar of rest to count yourself in, the figure, then the landing with the time still running. Getting out of a fill is the half most people never practise.

Bar 70, and 2 more times

LOOP · 120 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 70-72 · LANDS ON BAR 73

On crash, ride, hi-hat, snare, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 95 out of 100 -- hard -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 73. The exercise loops the figure on its own first, and the one after it puts it back: one bar of rest to count yourself in, the figure, then the landing with the time still running. Getting out of a fill is the half most people never practise.

Bar 83, and 1 more time

LOOP · 120 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 83-84 · LANDS ON BAR 85

On crash, snare, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 40 out of 100 -- a fair first song -- and what decides that is how fine the subdivision is. In the song it lands on bar 85. The exercise loops the figure on its own first, and the one after it puts it back: one bar of rest to count yourself in, the figure, then the landing with the time still running. Getting out of a fill is the half most people never practise.

Bar 91, and 1 more time

LOOP · 120 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 91-92 · LANDS ON BAR 93

On crash, ride, snare, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 46 out of 100 -- a step up -- and what decides that is how fine the subdivision is. In the song it lands on bar 93. The exercise loops the figure on its own first, and the one after it puts it back: one bar of rest to count yourself in, the figure, then the landing with the time still running. Getting out of a fill is the half most people never practise.

Bar 99, and 3 more times

LOOP · 120 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 99-102 · LANDS ON BAR 103

On crash, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 62 out of 100 -- a step up -- and what decides that is how much of it falls off the beat. In the song it lands on bar 103. The exercise loops the figure on its own first, and the one after it puts it back: one bar of rest to count yourself in, the figure, then the landing with the time still running. Getting out of a fill is the half most people never practise.

Bar 118

LOOP · 120 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 118 · LANDS ON BAR 119

On crash, snare and kick. 49 out of 100 -- a step up -- and what decides that is the independence between the hands and the feet. In the song it lands on bar 119. The exercise loops the figure on its own first, and the one after it puts it back: one bar of rest to count yourself in, the figure, then the landing with the time still running. Getting out of a fill is the half most people never practise.

Bar 126

LOOP · 120 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 126 · LANDS ON BAR 127

On crash, snare and kick. 48 out of 100 -- a step up -- and what decides that is how fine the subdivision is. In the song it lands on bar 127. The exercise loops the figure on its own first, and the one after it puts it back: one bar of rest to count yourself in, the figure, then the landing with the time still running. Getting out of a fill is the half most people never practise.

Bar 134

LOOP · 120 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 134 · LANDS ON BAR 135

On crash, snare, mid tom and kick. 68 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 135. The exercise loops the figure on its own first, and the one after it puts it back: one bar of rest to count yourself in, the figure, then the landing with the time still running. Getting out of a fill is the half most people never practise.

Bar 140, and 2 more times

LOOP · 120 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 140-142 · LANDS ON BAR 143

On crash, ride, hi-hat, snare and kick. 94 out of 100 -- hard -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 143. The exercise loops the figure on its own first, and the one after it puts it back: one bar of rest to count yourself in, the figure, then the landing with the time still running. Getting out of a fill is the half most people never practise.

Bar 158, and 1 more time

LOOP · 120 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 158-159 · LANDS ON BAR 160

On mid tom, floor tom and kick. 42 out of 100 -- a fair first song -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 160. The exercise loops the figure on its own first, and the one after it puts it back: one bar of rest to count yourself in, the figure, then the landing with the time still running. Getting out of a fill is the half most people never practise.

Bar 183, and 1 more time

LOOP · 120 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 183 AND 191 · LANDS ON BAR 184

On crash, snare, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 37 out of 100 -- a fair first song -- and what decides that is the independence between the hands and the feet. In the song it lands on bar 184. The exercise loops the figure on its own first, and the one after it puts it back: one bar of rest to count yourself in, the figure, then the landing with the time still running. Getting out of a fill is the half most people never practise.

Bar 199

LOOP · 120 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 199 · LANDS ON BAR 200

On snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 38 out of 100 -- a fair first song -- and what decides that is the independence between the hands and the feet. In the song it lands on bar 200. The exercise loops the figure on its own first, and the one after it puts it back: one bar of rest to count yourself in, the figure, then the landing with the time still running. Getting out of a fill is the half most people never practise.

Bar 206, and 1 more time

LOOP · 120 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 206-207 · LANDS ON BAR 208

On crash, snare, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 43 out of 100 -- a fair first song -- and what decides that is the independence between the hands and the feet. In the song it lands on bar 208. The exercise loops the figure on its own first, and the one after it puts it back: one bar of rest to count yourself in, the figure, then the landing with the time still running. Getting out of a fill is the half most people never practise.

Bar 215

LOOP · 120 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 215 · LANDS ON BAR 216

On crash, snare, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 44 out of 100 -- a fair first song -- and what decides that is the independence between the hands and the feet. In the song it lands on bar 216. The exercise loops the figure on its own first, and the one after it puts it back: one bar of rest to count yourself in, the figure, then the landing with the time still running. Getting out of a fill is the half most people never practise.

How a fill is practised

A fill is rhythm before it is orchestration. The room plays the whole figure on the snare first, puts the feet under it second, and moves it round the toms last -- looped on its own, round and round, until the hands know it. Then it puts the fill back where it lives: a bar of rest to count in, the figure, and the downbeat it lands on, because landing square is the other half of the job.

PRACTISE THESE FILLS →

Questions

How many drum fills are in Death Atlas?

27 distinct fills, played 64 times: bars 2-4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14-16, and 34 more places.

What is the hardest fill in Death Atlas?

The one at bar 6, at 100 out of 100. 271 bars of 4/4 at 120 BPM, about 9:03 of playing, on crash, ride, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick.

READ OFF THE SCORE ITSELF · 271 BARS ANALYSED