Beginner Fills Every Drummer Should Learn

Learning fills is one of the most exciting parts of becoming a drummer, as they let you break away from standard grooves and show off your creativity. The good news is, you don’t need advanced chops to start playing interesting fills!

In this blog, we’re going to explore four beginner drum fills designed to help build your coordination and confidence around the kit.

These fills are all explored throughout the Rockschool curriculum and are taken from the Grade 3 Drum book, but are great ideas for any drummer looking to expand their toolkit.

Fill A: Combining Singles and Paradiddles

The first half of this fill begins with four 16th-note snare hits, before moving to the high tom for two 8th notes. The second half introduces a paradiddle sticking pattern, which is one of the most important rudiments every drummer should know. 

One important thing to watch here is your stick positioning. Your left stick will already be sitting in position for the cross-stick note before quickly returning to the snare for the four 16th notes, so preparation is key.

Try This: Practise the paradiddle slowly on a pad before playing it on the kit.

Fill B: Moving Around the Kit

This fill builds on a very common beginner concept: single-stroke 16th notes moving around the kit.

You’ll move from the snare to the high tom and then to the medium tom. The main challenge here is ensuring the fill flows naturally as you travel around the kit.

The big difference comes at the end with a floor tom flam. Flams are created by playing two notes almost simultaneously, with one stick landing slightly before the other. They instantly add impact to a fill and are used constantly in rock, pop and funk drumming.

Try This: Loop the fill repeatedly with a metronome and focus on making the transition between drums feel smooth and balanced.

Fill C: Introducing Triplets

This fill introduces 8th-note triplets, which instantly changes the feel of your playing.

Triplets divide the beat into three evenly spaced notes instead of two or four, creating a rolling feel.

One of the biggest challenges is switching cleanly between standard 8th notes and triplets, so the best way to practise this is slowly with a metronome.

Try This: Count out loud while practising:
“1 and 2 and” for standard 8ths, then
“1-trip-let-2-trip-let” for triplets.

Fill D: Combining Flams and Triplets

We’re still working with triplets in this last fill, but there is an extra challenge by changing the sticking pattern to prepare for the final snare flam. Like in Fill B, flams are created by playing two notes almost simultaneously, with one stick landing slightly before the other.

The flam is written left hand to right hand, but don’t be afraid to experiment with the sticking. Some drummers naturally feel more comfortable leading with the opposite hand, especially at faster tempos.

Combining triplets with flams is a great introduction to more expressive fills.

Try This: Practise the flam by itself first, making sure the grace note stays soft and close to the main note, rather than sounding like two separate hits.

Ready for more?

Or, if you’re ready to dive in as a student, you can find a Rockschool tutor near you or continue learning with RiFF: our brand-new interactive sheet music player featuring every Rockschool book ever released, all in one place!

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Photo Credit: Wayne Mahy Photography