GAZA · DRUM FILLS

The drum fills in This We Celebrate

24 fills to learn, played 47 times across 177 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
174 BPM
TIME
3/4
BARS
177
LENGTH
3:18
DIFFICULTY
72/100

Bar 6

LOOP · 174 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 6 · LANDS ON BAR 7

On crash, ride, snare, high tom, 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 7. 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 17, and 2 more times

On crash, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom 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 20. 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 21

LOOP · 174 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 21 · LANDS ON BAR 22

On crash, 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 22. 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 2 more times

On crash, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, kick and hi-hat foot. 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 26. 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, and 3 more times

LOOP · 174 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 28-29 AND 44-45 · LANDS ON BAR 30

On crash, snare, high tom, 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 30. 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 · 174 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 32 · LANDS ON BAR 33

On crash, snare, high tom, mid tom and hi-hat foot. 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 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 36

LOOP · 174 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 36 · LANDS ON BAR 37

On crash, snare and kick. 31 out of 100 -- a fair first song -- and what decides that is how fine the subdivision is. In the song it lands on bar 37. 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 39, and 1 more time

LOOP · 174 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 39-40 · LANDS ON BAR 41

On crash, snare, high tom, mid 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 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 42

LOOP · 174 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 42 · LANDS ON BAR 43

On hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom and kick. 58 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 43. 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 48

LOOP · 174 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 48 · LANDS ON BAR 49

On snare, high tom, 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 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 51, and 2 more times

LOOP · 174 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 51, 97 AND 101 · LANDS ON BAR 52

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 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 56

LOOP · 174 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 56 · LANDS ON BAR 57

On crash, hi-hat, snare, high tom, 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 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, and 1 more time

LOOP · 174 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 64 AND 109 · LANDS ON BAR 65

On crash, 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 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, and 2 more times

LOOP · 174 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 68, 113 AND 127 · LANDS ON BAR 69

On hi-hat, snare, mid tom and kick. 49 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 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 72, and 2 more times

LOOP · 174 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 72, 99 AND 103 · LANDS ON BAR 73

On hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom and kick. 46 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 73. 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 · 174 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 80 · LANDS ON BAR 81

On snare, high tom, mid tom and hi-hat foot. 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 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

LOOP · 174 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 84 · LANDS ON BAR 85

On ride, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom and kick. 90 out of 100 -- hard -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 85. 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 89, and 3 more times

LOOP · 174 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 89-92 · LANDS ON BAR 93

On crash, snare, high tom, mid tom and kick. 76 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is the independence between the hands and the feet. 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 95

LOOP · 174 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 95 · LANDS ON BAR 96

On ride, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom and kick. 56 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 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 123, and 2 more times

LOOP · 174 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 123-125 · LANDS ON BAR 126

On crash, snare, high tom, mid tom 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 126. 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 131

LOOP · 174 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 131 · LANDS ON BAR 132

On crash, snare and kick. 35 out of 100 -- a fair first song -- and what decides that is how fine the subdivision is. 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 143, and 2 more times

LOOP · 174 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 143, 151 AND 167 · LANDS ON BAR 144

On crash, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom and kick. 56 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 144. 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 · 174 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 159 AND 175 · LANDS ON BAR 160

On crash, snare, kick and hi-hat foot. 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 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

LOOP · 174 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 163 · LANDS ON BAR 164

On ride, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom 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 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 This We Celebrate?

24 distinct fills, played 47 times: bars 6, 17-19, 21, 23-25, 28-29 and 32, and 29 more places.

What is the hardest fill in This We Celebrate?

The one at bar 84, at 90 out of 100. 177 bars of 3/4 -- not four -- at 174 BPM, 3:18 of playing on crash, ride, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, kick and hi-hat foot.

READ OFF THE SCORE ITSELF · 177 BARS ANALYSED