TRIVIUM · DRUM FILLS

The drum fills in Struck Dead

34 fills to learn, played 73 times across 224 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
153 BPM
TIME
4/4
BARS
224
LENGTH
5:51
DIFFICULTY
75/100

Bar 1, and 1 more time

LOOP · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 1-2 · LANDS ON BAR 3

On crash, 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 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 13, and 5 more times

LOOP · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 13-18 · LANDS ON BAR 19

On crash, ride, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 61 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 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 24

LOOP · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 24 · LANDS ON BAR 25

On hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor 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 25. 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 · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 28 · LANDS ON BAR 29

On snare, high tom, 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 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 32

LOOP · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 32 · LANDS ON BAR 33

On crash, snare, mid tom, floor 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 33. 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 1 more time

LOOP · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 38 AND 207 · LANDS ON BAR 39

On crash, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 26 out of 100 -- a fair first song -- and what decides that is how fine the subdivision is. In the song it lands on bar 39. 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 45, and 6 more times

LOOP · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 45-51 · LANDS ON BAR 52

On crash, 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 52. 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 53, and 1 more time

LOOP · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 53-54 · LANDS ON BAR 55

On crash, ride, snare, high tom, 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 55. 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 · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 56 · LANDS ON BAR 57

On crash, snare, 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 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 · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 64 · LANDS ON BAR 65

On crash, snare, mid 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 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 68

LOOP · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 68 · LANDS ON BAR 69

On crash, snare, mid tom and kick. 72 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 69. 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 74

LOOP · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 74 · LANDS ON BAR 75

On crash, ride, 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 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 76

LOOP · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 76 · LANDS ON BAR 77

On crash, ride, snare, mid tom and kick. 60 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 77. 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

LOOP · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 80 · LANDS ON BAR 81

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 81. 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 84, and 4 more times

LOOP · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 84-88 · LANDS ON BAR 89

On crash, ride, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom, kick and hi-hat foot. 70 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is the independence between the hands and the feet. In the song it lands on bar 89. 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 90, and 1 more time

LOOP · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 90 AND 98 · LANDS ON BAR 91

On crash, snare, mid tom 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 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 113, and 1 more time

LOOP · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 113-114 · LANDS ON BAR 115

On high tom, mid tom, floor tom, kick and hi-hat foot. 38 out of 100 -- a fair first song -- and what decides that is how fine the subdivision is. 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 130

LOOP · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 130 · LANDS ON BAR 131

On crash, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 49 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 131. 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 132, and 3 more times

LOOP · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 132-135 · LANDS ON BAR 136

On hi-hat, snare, high tom, 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 136. 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 · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 137 · LANDS ON BAR 138

On snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 56 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 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 145, and 1 more time

LOOP · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 145-146 · LANDS ON BAR 147

On hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 59 out of 100 -- a step up -- and what decides that is how fine the subdivision is. 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 153

LOOP · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 153 · LANDS ON BAR 154

On snare, high tom, mid tom and floor tom. 42 out of 100 -- a fair first song -- and what decides that is how much of it falls off the beat. In the song it lands on bar 154. 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 155

LOOP · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 155 · LANDS ON BAR 156

On mid tom, floor tom 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 156. 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 157, and 2 more times

LOOP · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 157-159 · LANDS ON BAR 160

On crash, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 49 out of 100 -- a step up -- and what decides that is how fine the subdivision is. 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 162, and 2 more times

LOOP · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 162-164 · LANDS ON BAR 165

On crash, 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 165. 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 171

LOOP · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 171 · LANDS ON BAR 172

On snare, high tom, mid tom and floor tom. 20 out of 100 -- straightforward -- and what decides that is how fine the subdivision is. In the song it lands on bar 172. 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

LOOP · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 173 · LANDS ON BAR 174

On snare, high tom and floor tom. 24 out of 100 -- straightforward -- and what decides that is how fine the subdivision is. 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 · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 177 · LANDS ON BAR 178

On snare, floor tom and kick. 54 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 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 186, and 2 more times

LOOP · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 186-188 · LANDS ON BAR 189

On snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 73 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 189. 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 201, and 2 more times

LOOP · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 201-203 · LANDS ON BAR 204

On crash, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 65 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. 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 205

LOOP · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 205 · LANDS ON BAR 206

On crash, snare, high tom, 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 206. 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 212

LOOP · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 212 · LANDS ON BAR 213

On crash, snare, mid 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 213. 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 214, and 2 more times

LOOP · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 214-216 · LANDS ON BAR 217

On crash, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 62 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 217. 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 218, and 5 more times

LOOP · 153 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 218-223 · LANDS ON BAR 224

On crash, ride, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor 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 224. 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 Struck Dead?

34 distinct fills, played 73 times: bars 1-2, 13-18, 24, 28, 32 and 38, and 30 more places.

What is the hardest fill in Struck Dead?

The one at bar 186, at 73 out of 100. 224 bars of 4/4 at 153 BPM, about 5:51 of playing, on crash, ride, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom, kick and hi-hat foot.

READ OFF THE SCORE ITSELF · 224 BARS ANALYSED