Drum Fill Theory/Design....???

C

Chew_Bear

New member
I have always 'heard' drum fills in the songs/genres I listen to...but never knew what they were till now.

Have never tried making drum fills and I am majorly confused...

1. Is the main purpose and/or job of a drum fill to 'break up' the monotony of a standard drum pattern (4 on the floor)...???

As in...a drum fill is just something you put at the end of a bar to give your song more 'human' variation/movement...correct...???

2. Is the purpose to make it so that the drum section feels a lot more like a 'real drummer' performing a little 'solo' instead of just a standard monotonous/robotic feel thru out the whole song/drum parts...???

3. Where are you supposed to incorporate a drum fill in your song...??? At the end of the 4th & 8th bars of a standard 8 bar Chorus/Drop...right...??? Just at the end of the 4...??? Maybe...at the end of the 8 only...???

A lot of the EDM/Dance music I listen to and am trying to produce...has the drum fill at either the 4th & 8th bar...OR...just at the 8th when ending a Chorus/Drop and transitioning to a breakdown, bridge or Verse.

Simply...Can I put the drum fill anywhere I want...say even 1, 2, 3 or 5, 6, 7 bar and just not only the 4th & 8th...???

Arrangement wise...Which parts (chorus, verse, bridge, drop) should have a drum fill...???

4. What kind of instruments am I supposed to have in a drum fill...??? Tom, snare, hi hat, percussion etc...???

As in...What kinds of combinations and/or how many instruments make up a standard drum fill...???

As far as I know/'hear'....Definitely "NO KICKS" in a drum fill right...???

5. Which genres/styles of music use drum fills more...??? I know for sure that Dubstep/Trap and some EDM genres use drum fills a lot. How about Hip Hop/Rap and Pop/R&B...???

But...on the other hand...I also know that there are some artists/songs that I know never use a drum fill at all. I.E. Deadmau5 and 4 on the floor Progressive House / Trance. I don't think or remember if I have never even heard a drum fill in a prog. house or trance track at all. If it was in there...Its so subtle...I never even noticed/ear never picked it up. (Maybe I should go back and listen more intently).

Help...?!?!?!
 
I always think of drum fills as something real life drummers do to make their parts less boring to play.

Musically, they often have the role of 'leading into' the next section, sort of letting you a know a change up is happening. They can also be used just for interest, I guess this is what they are most often used for.

1. Yes, but not just 4 to the floor- any looped drum part
2. No. The purpose is to make your track less loopy and repetetive.

You need to forget the idea of 'everything must sound like it's being played by a real human' it's only confusing you and distracting you from the real issues of composition.

3. Those are the most common places yes but that doesn't mean you can't put them elsewhere.
4. Anything. You don't even have to have 'drum' fills you could have bass fills or synth fills or whatever.
5. Who cares? No-one should make music to fill a particular genre, genres are for listeners, not producers.

You can put kicks in a fill if you like, go for it. It's not often done but I do see it sometimes.


Also, have you actually made any music yet? You've been on this forum for a little while now, just finish whatever you're working on and ask for feedback already... it's going to be way more helpful than these posts with lots of questions.
 
The answer is much simpler than you think when it comes to sound design and composing/arranging.
[Aka inputting midi data with a controller like drumpads/piano/ mouse/ xbox pad etc]

Preference over everything : P
 
I'm telling you man, and you are probably telling me to stfu by now...but you are really overthinking everything. But I understand because I do the same thing sometimes when approaching new ideas and concepts. Then one of my friends tell me to calm the f down and do what i think sounds/feels right and it always works. Simplify it.

Study some of the fills that you like in the music you listen to and pay attention to what they are doing. Intently listen to what's going on. The sounds, the rhythms, the instruments involved.

I'm not saying copy exactly what they are doing, but why try so hard to understand from ground zero when you can stand on the shoulders of giants?

It is really that simple.
Once you learn the basics, you can move on to get as crazy as you want.

You're asking good questions. Be confident about your direction.
 
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