What is your favorite fill based on a rudiment?

AZslim

Senior Member
All,

Like everybody else, I'm looking to expand fill/solo vocabulary, I'm also interested in rudiments.

So, what are your favs/go to fills based on rudiments?
 
On the most basic end of things, flams down a set of concert toms is always classic! But I guess singles are my most-used, and sometimes a nice crescendo roll on the snare is the right thing. Anything more "rudiment" based doesn't really work for anything I do.

Bermuda
 
Check out Joe Morello's book, Rudimental Jazz. Tons of rudimental application.

http://www.steveweissmusic.com/product/1129783/drum-set-methods-cd

Joe Porcaro's Drumset Method has a lot of rudimetal applications too, in more context than just jazz. There are some pretty cool rock, funk, latin etc. fills in his book.

http://www.steveweissmusic.com/product/joe-porcaros-drumset-method-porcaro/drum-set-methods-cd

It's hard to pick a favorite. But I would have to say I like the fills that don't sound rudimentary but actually sort of are. For example, one of the first ones I learned a long time ago was a flamacue...applied to the kit. It is counted like this: a flam (1) followed by by a kick (e), right (and), left (ah), and then snare/cymbal/kick (2).

Just check out the books and see if you can pick out a rudiment you know really well, like say a paradiddle. Check out the chapter (or chapters) on the numerous applications of that one sticking. You can play it in eighths, sixteenths, triplets, etc.

Good luck and have fun.
 
I think that, when it comes right down to it, all fills are based on rudiments. Just as a sax solo is based on scales, and words are based on letters.

Can you be a bit more specific about what you’re looking for?
 
Probably sextuplet things based on a paradiddle-diddle (RLRRLL). I just discovered offsetting the sticking to RLLRRL which helps put the accents in the right place and swing it.
 
The only one I use that shouts rudiment is a double stroke figure between bass drum, hats/ride, & snare as straight 16ths 4/4 - starting on the 1 - BD-BD-H-H-SN-SN-H-H-& back out on three, or startng on the 3 & out on the 1, or double up over 1 bar changing from hats to ride. It has a nice flow in a simple groove.
 
Flamacue with accent on a choked 16" or 18" crash cymbal followed by two eighth notes on BD.
 
I think that, when it comes right down to it, all fills are based on rudiments. Just as a sax solo is based on scales, and words are based on letters.

Can you be a bit more specific about what you’re looking for?

Yeah, I was thinking about that. As an example. I was cruising youtube for drum stuff and I came across a guy showing a few fills using 5 stroke rolls. They sounded pretty cool and they weren't that hard to play, yet plenty challenging to be good for my chops. I thought I could ask you guys about your favorites. There is so much experience here, I figured I would get a lot of good, proven fills. That way I would have a nice starting point to just fool around with rudiments, build my chops, have fun, and hopefully have something cool that will come out in my playing.
 
Probably sextuplet things based on a paradiddle-diddle (RLRRLL). I just discovered offsetting the sticking to RLLRRL which helps put the accents in the right place and swing it.

LOVE this one. Once you start "displacing" it- the possibilities are pretty endless. This actually opened a whole new world of incorporating doubles on the kit for me. I like doing the singles on toms or cymbals and the doubles on the snare.

I also like the five-stroke: RRLLR LLRRL
 
Probably sextuplet things based on a paradiddle-diddle (RLRRLL). I just discovered offsetting the sticking to RLLRRL which helps put the accents in the right place and swing it.

I think that last would a six stroke roll?
 
six stroke rolls ...in many subdivisions....flow out of me most naturally

so much that I have recently been making a conscious effort to not play as many

but they just flow so well in be bop
 
Probably Gadd's ratamacue fill. I could usually figure out the sticking for patterns but that one just escaped me. When I got the Up Close video on VHS, it was like a revelation when I finally saw Gadd break it down slowly.
 
I don't like this particular song but Gavin Harrison plays a fill at the end of "gravity eyelids"...6:17 mark.

It's a 6 Stroke roll, Snare accent followed by 2 ghost notes and then a double paradiddle and it was one of those fills that I had to imitate, and that's where I first played a 6 stroke roll. He used it on the nil recurring album somewhere too.

I love Gavin's fills.
 
I think that last would a six stroke roll?

Well, all variations of that are a six stroke. Meaning it fits nice in the bar and the triplet feel is easy to keep track of if you move it around.

Still working on it, but this inversion or displacement of a regular paradiddle. RLLRLRRL. Flows over bop or latin similarly to the 6 stroke. Same leadoff.
 
I play this fill to the point of overuse (at the very start of the clip so you only need listen for 1 second http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2YfdbaL_oA

Basically, I'm using ruffs to play a faux 5-stroke roll on the snare, followed by the mounted tom hit. It's a standard soul music fill as far as I can tell. Otherwise, as Jon said, flams and singles. Accented singles can take you just about anywhere.
 
I love the Tony Williams flam drag lick. It's almost passe' nowadays but it's so hip you just can't help but sometimes throw it in.
 
I play this fill to the point of overuse (at the very start of the clip so you only need listen for 1 second http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2YfdbaL_oA

Basically, I'm using ruffs to play a faux 5-stroke roll on the snare, followed by the mounted tom hit. It's a standard soul music fill as far as I can tell. Otherwise, as Jon said, flams and singles. Accented singles can take you just about anywhere.

That's a cool one. The Funk Brothers drummer like that one.

BTW, nice job on that tune.
 
My favorite fills I like to play are based on:

1. six stroke roll

2. paradiddles (mainly single, but I've gravitating towards triples for some reason)

3. SWISS ARMY TRIPLET.
 
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