MASTODON · DRUM FILLS

The drum fills in Tread Lightly

28 fills to learn, played 61 times across 168 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
134 BPM
TIME
4/4
BARS
168
LENGTH
5:01
DIFFICULTY
84/100

Bar 17

LOOP · 134 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 17 · LANDS ON BAR 18

On crash, snare 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 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 19, and 1 more time

LOOP · 134 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 19 AND 58 · LANDS ON BAR 20

On crash, snare 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 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 24, and 3 more times

LOOP · 134 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 24-25 AND 71-72 · LANDS ON BAR 26

On crash, snare, mid tom, floor 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 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 32, and 3 more times

LOOP · 134 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 32-33 AND 63-64 · LANDS ON BAR 34

On crash, snare, 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 34. 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 37

LOOP · 134 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 37 · LANDS ON BAR 38

On crash, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 86 out of 100 -- hard -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 38. 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 41, and 1 more time

LOOP · 134 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 41-42 · LANDS ON BAR 43

On crash, hi-hat, snare, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 86 out of 100 -- hard -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. 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 45

LOOP · 134 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 45 · LANDS ON BAR 46

On crash, hi-hat, snare and kick. 88 out of 100 -- hard -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 46. 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 2 more times

LOOP · 134 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 47-49 · LANDS ON BAR 50

On crash, hi-hat, snare 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 50. 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 52, and 1 more time

LOOP · 134 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 52-53 · LANDS ON BAR 54

On crash, snare and kick. 93 out of 100 -- hard -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 54. 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 · 134 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 56 · LANDS ON BAR 57

On crash, snare 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 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 76, and 1 more time

LOOP · 134 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 76-77 · LANDS ON BAR 78

On crash, hi-hat, snare, mid tom and kick. 94 out of 100 -- hard -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 78. 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 79, and 2 more times

LOOP · 134 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 79-81 · LANDS ON BAR 82

On crash, hi-hat, snare and kick. 89 out of 100 -- hard -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 82. 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 5 more times

LOOP · 134 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 84-89 · LANDS ON BAR 90

On crash, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom and kick. 95 out of 100 -- hard -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 90. 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 91, and 4 more times

LOOP · 134 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 91-95 · LANDS ON BAR 96

On crash, snare and kick. 93 out of 100 -- hard -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. 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 103

LOOP · 134 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 103 · LANDS ON BAR 104

On crash, snare, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 87 out of 100 -- hard -- and what decides that is the independence between the hands and the feet. In the song it lands on bar 104. 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 107

LOOP · 134 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 107 · LANDS ON BAR 108

On crash, snare 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 108. 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 109, and 1 more time

LOOP · 134 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 109 AND 145 · LANDS ON BAR 110

On crash, snare and kick. 55 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 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 111

LOOP · 134 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 111 · LANDS ON BAR 112

On crash, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 57 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 112. 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 2 more times

LOOP · 134 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 113-115 · LANDS ON BAR 116

On hi-hat, snare, mid tom and floor tom. 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 116. 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 118, and 1 more time

LOOP · 134 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 118-119 · LANDS ON BAR 120

On hi-hat, snare and high tom. 60 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 120. 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 127

LOOP · 134 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 127 · LANDS ON BAR 128

On hi-hat, snare 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 128. 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 129, and 6 more times

LOOP · 134 BPM
PLAYED AT BARS 129-135 · LANDS ON BAR 136

On crash, hi-hat, snare, 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 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 139

LOOP · 134 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 139 · LANDS ON BAR 140

On crash, snare, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 71 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is how many notes a second it asks for. In the song it lands on bar 140. 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

LOOP · 134 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 143 · LANDS ON BAR 144

On crash, snare 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 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 151

LOOP · 134 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 151 · LANDS ON BAR 152

On crash, snare and kick. 55 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 152. 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

LOOP · 134 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 159 · LANDS ON BAR 160

On crash, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 55 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 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 · 134 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 163 · LANDS ON BAR 164

On crash, snare and kick. 85 out of 100 -- hard -- 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.

Bar 167

LOOP · 134 BPM
PLAYED AT BAR 167 · LANDS ON BAR 168

On crash, snare, mid tom, floor tom and kick. 79 out of 100 -- demanding -- and what decides that is the independence between the hands and the feet. In the song it lands on bar 168. 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 Tread Lightly?

28 distinct fills, played 61 times: bars 17, 19, 24-25, 32-33, 37 and 41-42, and 26 more places.

What is the hardest fill in Tread Lightly?

The one at bar 84, at 95 out of 100. 168 bars of 4/4 at 134 BPM, about 5:01 of playing, on crash, hi-hat, snare, high tom, mid tom, floor tom and kick.

READ OFF THE SCORE ITSELF · 168 BARS ANALYSED