Don't Be Afraid. They're Only Skeleton Fills.
A skeleton setup is a drum kit with only a bass drum, snare drum and cymbals — no toms. The term comes from the idea that the bass, snare and cymbals are the "bones" of the drum kit (i.e. the most important foundational pieces).
Skeleton fills (as the name implies) are drum fills that are played on only the bass, snare and cymbals. Enjoy some example skeleton fills below:
Skeleton fills sound great and bring a different "touch," but they're also a great exercise to encourage creativity. By limiting yourself to only the "bones," you're forced to come up with creative ideas to express yourself. You might find yourself becoming more dynamic, exploratory and aware of the intricacies of the kit. You can later translate that to the full drum set.
