DISSECTION · DRUM FILLS

The drum fills in Thorns Of Crimson Death

24 fills to learn, played 67 times across 166 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
110 BPM
TIME
6/4
BARS
166
LENGTH
7:04
DIFFICULTY
87/100

Bar 5, and 3 more times

LOOP · 110 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 5-8 · LANDS ON BAR 9

On crash, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 54 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 9. 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 12, and 1 more time

LOOP · 110 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 12-13 · LANDS ON BAR 14

On crash, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 76 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is how much of it falls off the beat. In the song it lands on bar 14. 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 15, and 2 more times

LOOP · 110 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 15-17 · LANDS ON BAR 18

On crash, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 74 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is how much of it falls off the beat. In the song it lands on bar 18. 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 20

LOOP · 110 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 20 · LANDS ON BAR 21

On crash, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 69 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is how much of it falls off the beat. In the song it lands on bar 21. 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 22, and 4 more times

LOOP · 110 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 22-26 · LANDS ON BAR 27

On crash, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, kick and hi-hat foot. 72 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is how much of it falls off the beat. In the song it lands on bar 27. 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 30

LOOP · 110 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 30 · LANDS ON BAR 31

On crash, hi-hat, snare, high tom and kick. 64 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 31. 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 · 110 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 32-34 · LANDS ON BAR 35

On crash, hi-hat, snare, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 72 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is how much of it falls off the beat. In the song it lands on bar 35. 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 · 110 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 38 AND 41 · LANDS ON BAR 39

On crash, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 47 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 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 44, and 4 more times

LOOP · 110 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 44-48 · LANDS ON BAR 49

On crash, ride, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom, kick and hi-hat foot. 77 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is how much of it falls off the beat. 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 50, and 2 more times

LOOP · 110 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 50-52 · LANDS ON BAR 53

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 much of it falls off the beat. In the song it lands on bar 53. 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 58

LOOP · 110 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 58 · LANDS ON BAR 59

On crash, ride, snare and kick. 100 out of 100 -- hard -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 59. 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 60

LOOP · 110 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 60 · LANDS ON BAR 61

On crash, ride, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 100 out of 100 -- hard -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 61. 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, and 2 more times

On crash, ride, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 80 out of 100 -- hard -- and what decides that is how much of it falls off the beat. In the song it lands on bar 83. 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 · 110 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 84 · LANDS ON BAR 85

On crash, ride, hi-hat, snare, high tom and kick. 65 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is how much of it falls off the beat. 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 88

LOOP · 110 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 88 · LANDS ON BAR 89

On ride, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 67 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is how much of it falls off the beat. 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 92

LOOP · 110 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 92 · LANDS ON BAR 93

On crash, ride, snare and kick. 100 out of 100 -- hard -- 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 104

LOOP · 110 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 104 · LANDS ON BAR 105

On hi-hat, snare, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 69 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is the independence between the hands and the feet. In the song it lands on bar 105. 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

LOOP · 110 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 106 · LANDS ON BAR 107

On crash, hi-hat, snare, floor tom and kick. 57 out of 100 -- a step up -- and what decides that is how fine the subdivision is. In the song it lands on bar 107. 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 2 more times

LOOP · 110 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 108-110 · LANDS ON BAR 111

On crash, 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 111. 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

LOOP · 110 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 113 · LANDS ON BAR 114

On crash, hi-hat, snare and kick. 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 114. 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 115, and 5 more times

LOOP · 110 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 115-120 · LANDS ON BAR 121

On crash, ride, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom 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 121. 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 124, and 2 more times

LOOP · 110 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 124-126 · LANDS ON BAR 127

On crash, ride, snare, high 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 127. 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 128, and 7 more times

LOOP · 110 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 128-135 · LANDS ON BAR 136

On crash, ride, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 72 out of 100 -- demanding -- 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, and 6 more times

On crash, ride, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 59 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 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.

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 Thorns Of Crimson Death?

24 distinct fills, played 67 times: bars 5-8, 12-13, 15-17, 20, 22-26 and 30, and 19 more places.

What is the hardest fill in Thorns Of Crimson Death?

The one at bar 58, at 100 out of 100. 166 bars of 6/4 -- not four -- at 110 BPM, 7:04 of playing on crash, ride, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom, kick and hi-hat foot.

READ OFF THE SCORE ITSELF · 166 BARS ANALYSED