Using kick drums in fills
As well as its core role in defining the groove of a track, the kick drum also plays a part in the fills that punctuate it.
When working with an acoustic drum ROMpler to create realistic ‘live’ drum tracks, the kick drum can be used to keep the low-end energy up during runs around the toms, occupy the spaces in between big flams on the snare, produce constant runs of notes around the kit by being played in linear fashion along with the toms and snare, and countless other ways. Whole drumming tuition books have been written on the many and varied techniques involved in playing fills, and there’s plenty of advice to be had online, so fire up that browser and find out more.
The classic kick drum fill in 4/4 dance music is the immediately familiar doubling-up singlestroke roll during the build-up before a drop – it’s always a crowd-pleaser. Looking beyond that particular staple, though, how readily the kick can be incorporated into your fills depends on the genre and the sonic qualities of the kick itself. In house, for example, that four-tothe-floor foundation is everything, so shifting the kick away from it to help out with a fill may not be appropriate – either work the fill around it or drop the kick out until it’s done. In UK garage, on the other hand, where the drums are more fluid and loose, the kick can move freely within a fill, just as it would if played by a live drummer.