OPETH · DRUM FILLS

The drum fills in Harlequin Forest

26 fills to learn, played 48 times across 238 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
100 BPM
TIME
4/4
BARS
238
LENGTH
9:30
DIFFICULTY
85/100

Bar 1, and 1 more time

LOOP · 100 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 1-2 · LANDS ON BAR 3

On hi-hat, snare, mid tom, floor tom, kick and hi-hat foot. 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 3. 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 4, and 9 more times

LOOP · 100 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 4, 6, 14, 22 AND 30, AND 5 MORE PLACES · LANDS ON BAR 5

On hi-hat, snare and kick. 66 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is the independence between the hands and the feet. 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 8, and 3 more times

LOOP · 100 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 8, 16, 24 AND 48 · LANDS ON BAR 9

On crash, hi-hat, snare, kick and hi-hat foot. 63 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 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 20, and 2 more times

LOOP · 100 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 20, 28 AND 46 · LANDS ON BAR 21

On hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid 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 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 32, and 3 more times

LOOP · 100 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 32-33 AND 56-57 · LANDS ON BAR 34

On crash, ride, hi-hat, snare, floor tom, kick and hi-hat foot. 67 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is the independence between the hands and the feet. In the song it lands on bar 34. 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 40

LOOP · 100 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 40 · LANDS ON BAR 41

On crash, snare and kick. 64 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 41. 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 60

LOOP · 100 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 60 · LANDS ON BAR 61

On crash, ride, snare, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 63 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 61. 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 · 100 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 64 · LANDS ON BAR 65

On crash, snare and kick. 63 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 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 73, and 1 more time

LOOP · 100 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 73-74 · LANDS ON BAR 75

On crash, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 45 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 75. 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 87

LOOP · 100 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 87 · LANDS ON BAR 88

On crash, snare, high tom and kick. 41 out of 100 -- a fair first song -- and what decides that is how fine the subdivision is. In the song it lands on bar 88. 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 95, and 1 more time

LOOP · 100 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 95 AND 99 · LANDS ON BAR 96

On crash and hi-hat. 51 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 96. 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 139

LOOP · 100 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 139 · LANDS ON BAR 140

On hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 80 out of 100 -- hard -- and what decides that is how much of it falls off the beat. In the song it lands on bar 140. 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 147, and 1 more time

LOOP · 100 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 147 AND 155 · LANDS ON BAR 148

On ride, snare, high tom, mid tom and kick. 57 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 148. 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 163

LOOP · 100 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 163 · LANDS ON BAR 164

On crash, snare, mid tom, floor tom 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 164. 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 179

LOOP · 100 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 179 · LANDS ON BAR 180

On crash, hi-hat, snare, mid tom and kick. 65 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is the independence between the hands and the feet. In the song it lands on bar 180. 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 181

LOOP · 100 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 181 · LANDS ON BAR 182

On crash, ride, snare, floor tom and kick. 76 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is how much of it falls off the beat. In the song it lands on bar 182. 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

LOOP · 100 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 183 · LANDS ON BAR 184

On crash, ride, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 63 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 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 185

LOOP · 100 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 185 · LANDS ON BAR 186

On ride, snare, high tom, mid tom and kick. 68 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is how much of it falls off the beat. In the song it lands on bar 186. 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 187

LOOP · 100 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 187 · LANDS ON BAR 188

On ride, hi-hat, snare, mid tom, kick and hi-hat foot. 89 out of 100 -- hard -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 188. 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 189

LOOP · 100 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 189 · LANDS ON BAR 190

On crash, ride, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom, kick and hi-hat foot. 86 out of 100 -- hard -- and what decides that is how much of it falls off the beat. In the song it lands on bar 190. 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 191

LOOP · 100 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 191 · LANDS ON BAR 192

On crash, ride, snare, high tom, mid tom and kick. 65 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is how much of it falls off the beat. In the song it lands on bar 192. 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 193

LOOP · 100 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 193 · LANDS ON BAR 194

On crash, ride, snare, mid tom and kick. 65 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is how much of it falls off the beat. In the song it lands on bar 194. 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 195

LOOP · 100 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 195 · LANDS ON BAR 196

On crash, ride, hi-hat, snare, mid tom and kick. 71 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is how much of it falls off the beat. In the song it lands on bar 196. 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 198, and 1 more time

LOOP · 100 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 198-199 · LANDS ON BAR 200

On crash, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 82 out of 100 -- hard -- and what decides that is how much of it falls off the beat. 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 203

LOOP · 100 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 203 · LANDS ON BAR 204

On crash, snare, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 45 out of 100 -- a step up -- and what decides that is how fine the subdivision is. In the song it lands on bar 204. 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 238

LOOP · 100 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 238

On hi-hat, snare, kick and hi-hat foot. 74 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is the independence between the hands and the feet.

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 Harlequin Forest?

26 distinct fills, played 48 times: bars 1-2, 4, 6, 8, 14 and 16, and 37 more places.

What is the hardest fill in Harlequin Forest?

The one at bar 187, at 89 out of 100. 238 bars of 4/4 at a walking 100 BPM, 9:30 of playing, on crash, ride, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom, kick and hi-hat foot.

READ OFF THE SCORE ITSELF · 238 BARS ANALYSED