Drum Fill #9 – The Herta
Moving the herta around the kit makes a great sounding drum fill. Because it’s based in triplets, it produces an odd, unique feel — especially when it’s split between two drums. So, use it wisely.
Herta
This is the herta hybrid rudiment in its original snare drum form.
Some people think of the herta as 8th note triplets with a diddle on the first stroke, except the diddle is played with alternating sticking instead of single-sticked.
Orchestration #1
One way to move the herta around the kit is to play the first stroke of each herta on the high tom. The tom stroke will fall on beats 1, 2, 3, 4.
Orchestration #2
To create a more syncopated, odd feel keep the right stick on the high tom throughout the whole fill. Doing this removes the quarter-note pulse that the tom produced in orchestration #1.
Orchestration #3
For an even more syncopated, odd feel use two highly contrasting surfaces such as the snare drum and the hi-hat. The snare strokes will really stand out while the hi-hat subtly fills in. Be careful though. This one could throw the band off … which might be fun to try during a practice session. Just be sure to only play it when you feel the song calls for it.
Author
Publisher of OnlineDrummer.com, Alfred Publishing author, Ddrum artist, and veteran Drum! Magazine contributor, Nate is a graduate of John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio and holds a Master of Arts in Education from the University of Findlay.
