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Drummers Guide to Fills

By Pete Sweeney

A student of Dave Calarco and the master Joe Morello as well as attending the Drummers Collective in NYC, Pete Sweeney has been a professional musician for close to thirty years. When it comes to experience Sweeney has plenty playing with the likes of legendary guitarist Larry Coryell as well as famed Police veteran, Andy Summers.

Few instructional books are dedicated to the notion of the drum fill, however in his book, “Drummer’s Guide to Fills”, Pete Sweeney takes the time to examine and differentiate how and in what context the drum fill is to be applied. The first few chapters’ focus and notation terminology; and hand/foot coordination studies. I would suggest that is where the reader’s initial focus should be; otherwise you’ll struggle with dynamics and keeping the count later on.

Subsequent chapters focus on Groove fills, Accents, Sixteenth note fills, three beat Triplet fills, Jazz fills, and advanced fills that include four stroke ruffs, six stroke rolls, common rudiments used around the set, and odd groupings.

All the while Pete Sweeney provides the exercises and ideas aimed at improving vocabulary and dexterities that are the building blocks to drum fill development. “Drummer’s Guide to Fills” also is accompanied by a CD that solidly demonstrates the musical examples.

“Drummers Guide to Fills” will get you on the proper track as to how you think about fills, and Sweeney does a very good job of eliminating much of the confusion that commonly surrounds this issue.

I would also recommend the predecessor to “Drummers Guide to Fills”, which is Pete Sweeney’s book entitled “The Versatile Drummer”, which focuses on various styles of drumming that the serious drummer is expected to know. Remember, your chops won’t mean a thing without the ability groove in various styles, and keep the time in check.

Tags: Alfred Publications, Creative Drum Fills, Drummers Guide to Fills, great drum fill book, John Coia, odd time drumming fills, Pete Sweeney