Triplet Fill

[YourAverageDrummer]

I go to this church event that has a really amazing band and, of course, a really good drummer. The drummer does this really amazing fill that sounds really neat, but I haven't completely figured it out. I was thinking maybe it was popular enough that if I gave a description of it, someone might know it.

It's a one measure fill that's like 3 triplets on the first 3 beats--each triplet is played on a different tom, if that makes sense. On the fourth beat is a solid snare hit, then a crash back in. It's mainly for faster tempo songs that are in 4/4. It sounds like it's just "right, left, right."

It's sounds pretty straightforward, but I think there might be more to it. Like maybe some bass drum or something. So if anyone here knows anything like that, I'd appreciate it if you'd fill me in. Thanks!

[DrewTheShoe]

Are you sure that the "-let" of each of the three wasn't a kick? If so, those would be some textbook Bonham triplets...

[bobdadruma]

I sat down and I played the Riff, I have played that Riff in the past many times without ever realizing that I was doing it. I didn't have to "learn it" It felt natural. I do like it. I play it one handed with my left hand, and the smash at the end is with my right hand now-a-days. I may have played it with both hands in the past.
I don't know if there is a name for it.
I think that I picked it up from watching a Jazz drummer a long time ago. I began to practice one handed triplets around the kit and that is what I came up with.

[dairyairman]

i'll bet money those are bonham triplets, like drewtheshoe said. those are played

RLK RLK RLK ....

if you were playing a whole measure of those, you could move your hands around different toms or even splash cymbals to make it sound more "linear". i use them a lot myself. they're not that hard to play and they can make for a very impressive sounding fill that no one can figure out (except other drummers maybe).

[sciomako]

bonham triplets: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-p1gHyqhnw

[YourAverageDrummer]

Hey, thanks for the replies! I guess I should've taken some time to actually figure it out on the kit before posting a question here. They are super easy!

[MadJazz]

You can also turn it around: KRL.
That way you can get back into the groove with a kick on the first hit.

Less mechanic but more tricky is to put the bass inbetween the hands: RKL.

Once you get that going, insert double bass: KKRL and RLKK
My favorite is RKKL.

Don't forget to tap the hi hat on every first hit.