How to Practice Drum Fills: Examples & Exercises

Drum fills are your chance to get creative and add personality to your playing. Start with simple quarter-note fills around the kit, then progress to eighth note, sixteenth notes and even triplets or sixteenth note triplets. Practice fills slowly with a metronome, then gradually speed them up. Experiment with moving rudiments like paradiddles across toms and cymbals for new sounds. Over time, you’ll build a library of fills you can use in any musical situation.