OVERKILL · DRUM FILLS

The drum fills in Mean Green Killing Machine

29 fills to learn, played 82 times across 276 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
198 BPM
TIME
4/4
BARS
276
LENGTH
5:50
DIFFICULTY
65/100

Bar 16, and 2 more times

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 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 33

LOOP · 198 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 33 · LANDS ON BAR 34

On snare and kick. 24 out of 100 -- straightforward -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. 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 38, and 3 more times

LOOP · 198 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 38-41 · LANDS ON BAR 42

On crash, snare, floor 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 42. 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 57

LOOP · 198 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 57 · LANDS ON BAR 58

On crash, hi-hat, snare 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 58. 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 59, and 4 more times

LOOP · 198 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 59, 79, 87, 127 AND 135 · LANDS ON BAR 60

On crash, snare, floor tom and kick. 18 out of 100 -- straightforward -- and what decides that is the independence between the hands and the feet. In the song it lands on bar 60. 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 66, and 5 more times

LOOP · 198 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 66-67, 74-75 AND 114-115 · LANDS ON BAR 68

On crash, snare and kick. 42 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 68. 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 · 198 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 83 AND 131 · LANDS ON BAR 84

On hi-hat, snare and kick. 42 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 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 92, and 11 more times

LOOP · 198 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 92-97 AND 140-145 · LANDS ON BAR 98

On crash, snare, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 45 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 98. 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 2 more times

LOOP · 198 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 99, 147 AND 171 · LANDS ON BAR 100

On crash, snare and kick. 13 out of 100 -- straightforward -- and what decides that is how many limbs land on the same note. In the song it lands on bar 100. 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, and 1 more time

On crash, snare, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 51 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 108. 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, and 1 more time

On hi-hat, snare, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 57 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 124. 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

LOOP · 198 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 137 · LANDS ON BAR 138

On hi-hat, snare, mid tom and kick. 40 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 138. 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 · 198 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 163 · LANDS ON BAR 164

On ride, snare, mid tom and kick. 30 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 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 173, and 1 more time

LOOP · 198 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 173 AND 175 · LANDS ON BAR 174

On crash, snare and kick. 18 out of 100 -- straightforward -- and what decides that is the independence between the hands and the feet. In the song it lands on bar 174. 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 177

LOOP · 198 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 177 · LANDS ON BAR 178

On snare, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 39 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 178. 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 · 198 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 179 · LANDS ON BAR 180

On crash. 34 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 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 185

LOOP · 198 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 185 · LANDS ON BAR 186

On crash, snare and kick. 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 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 191, and 1 more time

LOOP · 198 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 191-192 · LANDS ON BAR 193

On crash, snare and kick. 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 193. 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 197

LOOP · 198 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 197 · LANDS ON BAR 198

On crash, snare 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 198. 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 · 198 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 199 · LANDS ON BAR 200

On crash, snare and kick. 61 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 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 211

LOOP · 198 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 211 · LANDS ON BAR 212

On snare and kick. 44 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 212. 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 · 198 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 215 · LANDS ON BAR 216

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 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.

Bar 219, and 16 more times

On crash, hi-hat, snare, mid tom, floor tom 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 236. 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 237, and 2 more times

LOOP · 198 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 237-239 · LANDS ON BAR 240

On crash, hi-hat, 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 240. 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 242

LOOP · 198 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 242 · LANDS ON BAR 243

On crash, snare and kick. 71 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 243. 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 244, and 3 more times

LOOP · 198 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 244-247 · LANDS ON BAR 248

On crash, hi-hat, snare and kick. 91 out of 100 -- hard -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 248. 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 253

LOOP · 198 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 253 · LANDS ON BAR 254

On crash, snare and kick. 36 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 254. 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 257

LOOP · 198 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 257 · LANDS ON BAR 258

On hi-hat, snare and kick. 87 out of 100 -- hard -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 258. 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 261

LOOP · 198 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 261 · LANDS ON BAR 262

On hi-hat, snare, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 83 out of 100 -- hard -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 262. 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 Mean Green Killing Machine?

29 distinct fills, played 82 times: bars 16-18, 33, 38-41, 57, 59 and 66-67, and 34 more places.

What is the hardest fill in Mean Green Killing Machine?

The one at bar 244, at 91 out of 100. 276 bars at 198 BPM -- fast, and 5:50 of it without a break -- on crash, ride, hi-hat, snare, mid tom, floor tom and kick.

READ OFF THE SCORE ITSELF · 276 BARS ANALYSED