JOHN PETRUCCI · DRUM FILLS

The drum fills in Happy Song

26 fills to learn, played 41 times across 222 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
155 BPM
TIME
4/4
BARS
222
LENGTH
5:41
DIFFICULTY
68/100

Bar 7, and 1 more time

LOOP · 155 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 7-8 · LANDS ON BAR 9

On crash, snare, floor tom and kick. 48 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 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 18

LOOP · 155 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 18 · LANDS ON BAR 19

On crash, snare, mid tom and kick. 51 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 19. 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, and 2 more times

LOOP · 155 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 26, 86 AND 198 · LANDS ON BAR 27

On crash, hi-hat, snare and kick. 48 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 61, and 1 more time

LOOP · 155 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 61-62 · LANDS ON BAR 63

On crash, snare 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 63. 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

LOOP · 155 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 70 · LANDS ON BAR 71

On crash, snare and kick. 48 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 71. 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 78

LOOP · 155 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 78 · LANDS ON BAR 79

On snare, high tom, mid tom and kick. 63 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 79. 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 80, and 3 more times

LOOP · 155 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 80-83 · LANDS ON BAR 84

On crash, hi-hat, snare, high tom and kick. 68 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is the independence between the hands and the feet. In the song it lands on bar 84. 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 89, and 1 more time

LOOP · 155 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 89-90 · LANDS ON BAR 91

On crash, snare, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 77 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is the independence between the hands and the feet. In the song it lands on bar 91. 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 92

LOOP · 155 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 92 · LANDS ON BAR 93

On ride, snare, mid tom and kick. 61 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 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 98

LOOP · 155 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 98 · LANDS ON BAR 99

On crash, snare and kick. 55 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 99. 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 106

LOOP · 155 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 106 · LANDS ON BAR 107

On ride, snare and kick. 55 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 107. 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 113, and 1 more time

LOOP · 155 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 113-114 · LANDS ON BAR 115

On crash, snare, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 52 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 115. 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 122

LOOP · 155 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 122 · LANDS ON BAR 123

On crash, snare and kick. 61 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 123. 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 137, and 1 more time

LOOP · 155 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 137-138 · LANDS ON BAR 139

On crash, snare, high tom, mid tom and kick. 53 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 139. 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 1 more time

LOOP · 155 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 140 AND 144 · LANDS ON BAR 141

On crash, snare, mid 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 141. 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 142

LOOP · 155 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 142 · LANDS ON BAR 143

On crash, snare and kick. 47 out of 100 -- a step up -- and what decides that is how fine the subdivision is. 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 146

LOOP · 155 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 146 · LANDS ON BAR 147

On crash, high tom, mid tom and kick. 48 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 147. 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 154

LOOP · 155 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 154 · LANDS ON BAR 155

On crash, snare, mid tom and kick. 59 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 155. 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 161, and 1 more time

LOOP · 155 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 161-162 · LANDS ON BAR 163

On crash, snare and kick. 66 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is how much of it falls off the beat. In the song it lands on bar 163. 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 164, and 2 more times

LOOP · 155 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 164-166 · LANDS ON BAR 167

On crash, snare and kick. 53 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 167. 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 169, and 1 more time

LOOP · 155 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 169-170 · LANDS ON BAR 171

On crash, snare, mid tom and kick. 63 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 171. 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 174

LOOP · 155 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 174 · LANDS ON BAR 175

On crash, snare, high tom, mid tom and kick. 53 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 175. 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 186

LOOP · 155 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 186 · LANDS ON BAR 187

On crash, snare, mid tom and kick. 66 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 187. 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 190

LOOP · 155 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 190 · LANDS ON BAR 191

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 191. 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 194

LOOP · 155 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 194 · LANDS ON BAR 195

On crash, snare and kick. 74 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is how much of it falls off the beat. In the song it lands on bar 195. 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 202

LOOP · 155 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 202 · LANDS ON BAR 203

On crash, snare and kick. 54 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 203. 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 Happy Song?

26 distinct fills, played 41 times: bars 7-8, 18, 26, 61-62, 70 and 78, and 23 more places.

What is the hardest fill in Happy Song?

The one at bar 89, at 77 out of 100. 222 bars at 155 BPM -- fast, and 5:41 of it without a break -- on crash, ride, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick.

READ OFF THE SCORE ITSELF · 222 BARS ANALYSED