FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE · DRUM FILLS

The drum fills in The Betrayal

20 fills to learn, played 90 times across 344 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
210 BPM
TIME
4/4
BARS
344
LENGTH
6:19
DIFFICULTY
80/100

Bar 11, and 5 more times

LOOP · 210 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 11-12, 307-308 AND 331-332 · LANDS ON BAR 13

On crash, ride, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor 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 13. 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 23, and 5 more times

LOOP · 210 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 23-24, 319-320 AND 343-344 · LANDS ON BAR 25

On crash, ride, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor 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 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 32, and 2 more times

LOOP · 210 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 32, 272 AND 288 · LANDS ON BAR 33

On hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom 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 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 40, and 2 more times

LOOP · 210 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 40, 280 AND 296 · LANDS ON BAR 41

On crash, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom 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 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 47, and 7 more times

LOOP · 210 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 47-48, 92-93, 194-195 AND 239-240 · LANDS ON BAR 49

On crash, ride, hi-hat, snare, mid tom, floor 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 49. 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 7 more times

LOOP · 210 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 53-56 AND 200-203 · LANDS ON BAR 57

On crash, ride, hi-hat, snare, mid tom, floor 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 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 63, and 3 more times

LOOP · 210 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 63-64 AND 210-211 · LANDS ON BAR 65

On crash, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, 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 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 69, and 3 more times

LOOP · 210 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 69-70 AND 216-217 · LANDS ON BAR 71

On crash, ride, hi-hat, snare, 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 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 75, and 7 more times

LOOP · 210 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 75-78 AND 222-225 · LANDS ON BAR 79

On crash, ride, hi-hat, snare, high tom and kick. 74 out of 100 -- demanding -- 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 83, and 5 more times

LOOP · 210 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 83-85 AND 230-232 · LANDS ON BAR 86

On crash, ride, hi-hat, 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 86. 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 11 more times

LOOP · 210 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 99-101, 115-117, 246-248 AND 262-264 · LANDS ON BAR 102

On crash, ride, hi-hat, 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 102. 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 108, and 3 more times

LOOP · 210 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 108-109 AND 255-256 · LANDS ON BAR 110

On crash, ride, snare, mid tom 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 110. 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, and 1 more time

LOOP · 210 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 130-131 · LANDS ON BAR 132

On crash, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, 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 132. 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 135, and 1 more time

LOOP · 210 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 135 AND 170 · LANDS ON BAR 136

On ride, hi-hat, snare, mid tom, floor tom 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 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 138, and 2 more times

LOOP · 210 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 138, 152 AND 180 · LANDS ON BAR 139

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 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 142, and 3 more times

LOOP · 210 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 142, 156, 166 AND 184 · LANDS ON BAR 143

On crash, hi-hat, snare, high tom and kick. 70 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. 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 145

LOOP · 210 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 145 · LANDS ON BAR 146

On crash, ride, hi-hat, snare and kick. 41 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 146. 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 149, and 1 more time

LOOP · 210 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 149 AND 177 · LANDS ON BAR 150

On crash, ride, 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 150. 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 159, and 1 more time

LOOP · 210 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 159 AND 187 · LANDS ON BAR 160

On ride, snare, high tom, floor tom 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 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 163, and 1 more time

LOOP · 210 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 163 AND 173 · LANDS ON BAR 164

On crash, hi-hat, 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 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.

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 The Betrayal?

20 distinct fills, played 90 times: bars 11-12, 23-24, 32, 40, 47-48 and 53-56, and 43 more places.

What is the hardest fill in The Betrayal?

The one at bar 75, at 82 out of 100. 344 bars at 210 BPM -- fast, and 6:19 of it without a break -- on crash, ride, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick.

READ OFF THE SCORE ITSELF · 344 BARS ANALYSED