Fill Techniques from The Ballad of Mona Lisa
Description
Learn some great short fill and linear fill techniques like in the song The Ballad of Mona Lisa by Panic! at the Disco.
Bar 28 below is a well-placed example of a commonly used short fill in today’s popular music. A short fill is used to compliment small transitions in a song or simply to add interest to an otherwise repetitive drum beat.
In this case, the drum fill is used to add interest between the first 4 bars of the pre-chorus and the second 4 bars.
During bars 31-32, a combination of both a build-fill and a full-measure linear drum fill is used to build energy while transitioning into the chorus. When a two-measure drum fill is used in music, it’s often used to explode into a high-energy part of the song, such as a chorus.
However, sometimes they’re used as a tease. An audience expects something high-energy after a fill like this. Giving them something unexpected is often a “breath of fresh air.”
However you choose to use drum fills, be creative. Make sure they compliment the movement of the song and make the song a listening adventure for the audience.
Learn the drum fill techniques used in chart-topping songs from the 60s through today with Dawn Richardson’s drum fill method book.
There are over 300 drum fills designed to develop your drum fill coordination and knowledge.
This method book takes you from beginner to advanced skills with sequential, developmental lessons and exercises specifically designed to develop your fill coordination.
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.
