BLACKBRAID · DRUM FILLS

The drum fills in moss covered bones on the altar of the moon

31 fills to learn, played 76 times across 618 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
168 BPM
TIME
3/4
BARS
618
LENGTH
12:12
DIFFICULTY
58/100

Bar 40, and 10 more times

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 40, 42, 52, 60 AND 68, AND 6 MORE PLACES · LANDS ON BAR 41

On snare, floor tom and kick. 14 out of 100 -- straightforward -- 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 44

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 44 · LANDS ON BAR 45

On snare. 0 out of 100 -- straightforward -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 45. 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 2 more times

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 92, 156 AND 220 · LANDS ON BAR 93

On crash, snare, mid tom 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 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 100, and 3 more times

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 100, 164, 228 AND 260 · LANDS ON BAR 101

On crash, snare, 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 101. 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

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 140 · LANDS ON BAR 141

On crash, snare, mid tom and floor tom. 16 out of 100 -- straightforward -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. 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 236

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 236 · LANDS ON BAR 237

On crash, snare, high tom and mid tom. 26 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 237. 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 252

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 252 · LANDS ON BAR 253

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 253. 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 274, and 1 more time

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 274-275 · LANDS ON BAR 276

On crash, snare, mid tom 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 276. 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 278, and 1 more time

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 278-279 · LANDS ON BAR 280

On crash, snare, mid tom and kick. 35 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 280. 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 283, and 6 more times

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 283, 291, 319, 349 AND 363, AND 2 MORE PLACES · LANDS ON BAR 284

On crash, hi-hat, snare 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 284. 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 287, and 2 more times

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 287, 295 AND 367 · LANDS ON BAR 288

On crash, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 14 out of 100 -- straightforward -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 288. 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 299, and 3 more times

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 299, 307, 379 AND 387 · LANDS ON BAR 300

On crash, snare and kick. 30 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 300. 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 311

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 311 · LANDS ON BAR 312

On crash, snare, mid 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 312. 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 327

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 327 · LANDS ON BAR 328

On crash, snare, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 46 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 328. 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 335, and 1 more time

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 335 AND 399 · LANDS ON BAR 336

On crash, mid tom and kick. 35 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 336. 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 343, and 1 more time

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 343 AND 407 · LANDS ON BAR 344

On crash, snare, mid tom and kick. 12 out of 100 -- straightforward -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 344. 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 351, and 1 more time

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 351 AND 415 · LANDS ON BAR 352

On crash, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 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 352. 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 359

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 359 · LANDS ON BAR 360

On crash, snare, mid 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 360. 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 375

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 375 · LANDS ON BAR 376

On crash, snare, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 25 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 376. 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 391

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 391 · LANDS ON BAR 392

On crash, snare and kick. 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 392. 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 423

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 423 · LANDS ON BAR 424

On crash, snare, mid tom and kick. 39 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 424. 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 439

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 439 · LANDS ON BAR 440

On crash, hi-hat, snare, mid tom and kick. 67 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 440. 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 455

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 455 · LANDS ON BAR 456

On crash, hi-hat, snare, mid tom and kick. 57 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 456. 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 459, and 1 more time

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 459 AND 467 · LANDS ON BAR 460

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 460. 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 471, and 1 more time

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 471-472 · LANDS ON BAR 473

On hi-hat, snare, mid tom and kick. 57 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 473. 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 488, and 2 more times

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 488, 504 AND 520 · LANDS ON BAR 489

On crash, snare, mid 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 489. 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 536, and 1 more time

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 536-537 · LANDS ON BAR 538

On crash, snare, mid 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 538. 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 544, and 1 more time

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 544-545 · LANDS ON BAR 546

On crash, snare, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 29 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 546. 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 552, and 1 more time

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 552-553 · LANDS ON BAR 554

On crash, snare, mid tom and kick. 19 out of 100 -- straightforward -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 554. 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 557, and 4 more times

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 557, 565, 573, 581 AND 589 · LANDS ON BAR 558

On hi-hat, snare and kick. 24 out of 100 -- straightforward -- and what decides that is the independence between the hands and the feet. In the song it lands on bar 558. 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 593, and 3 more times

LOOP · 168 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 593, 601, 609 AND 617 · LANDS ON BAR 594

On crash, snare and kick. 24 out of 100 -- straightforward -- and what decides that is the independence between the hands and the feet. In the song it lands on bar 594. 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 moss covered bones on the altar of the moon?

31 distinct fills, played 76 times: bars 40, 42, 44, 52, 60 and 68, and 64 more places.

What is the hardest fill in moss covered bones on the altar of the moon?

The one at bar 459, at 69 out of 100. 618 bars of 3/4 -- not four -- at 168 BPM, 12:12 of playing on crash, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick.

READ OFF THE SCORE ITSELF · 618 BARS ANALYSED