Most drummers like to play drum fills. Some drummers really like to play these fills — sometimes to the point of being too much. My main piece of advice to my students is to learn to listen.
- Listen to the song and stay out of the way of the melody. Don’t cover up the vocal entrance with a drum fill. Support the music rather than just playing a bunch of cool drum licks.
- If you end up having to play a tune that’s new to you (perhaps at a jam session), learn the tune by listening the first time around — no drum fills would be better than stepping on the vocalist.
- Listen to the masters — really listen. What do these great players do between verses and before the chorus? Emulate these great players.
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