How to Make Drum Fills - Music Theory Hacks for Programming MIDI Drums

Drum fills create vital rhythmic variation and excitement, which kicks up the energy of your music like nothing else! But even more important than that, drum fills build anticipation for what’s coming up next.

Hello, we are Kate Harmony & Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony), and welcome to the Hack Music Theory show, where you are empowered with notation-free theory for making great music in DAWs. So, in this music theory lesson, you’ll learn how to spice up your songs’ transitions by using tasty drum fills. But first... Tea!

1:13 - HACK 1 - The End
2:46 - HACK 2 - The Beginning

Almost as important as where your drum fill ends, is where it begins! If you start your fill too early, it will run out of steam and lose the hype. And if you start your fill too late, it won’t have enough time to build enough anticipation.

EXAMPLE
The example in this video is the pre-chorus section from of our upcoming single “Down with the Drama”, which features the amazing Sarah Serene on vocals. Watch all our "Down with the Drama" music theory lessons (YouTube playlist).

Lastly, do you struggle to finish your music? If you do, then check out our online apprenticeship course, where you’ll learn how to effortlessly write new sections for existing sections, how to transition between them, and most importantly, how to finish your songs! For more info, just head on over to our Apprenticeship Course. Alright, enjoy the video/podcast.

Kate & Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony)
Music Teachers & Producers in Vancouver BC, Canada

LEARN
1: Read our free book (below) & watch our YouTube videos
2: Read our "Part 1" book & "Songwriting & Producing" PDF
3: Learn how to become a song-whisperer, and effortlessly finish music!

ABOUT
Hack Music Theory is the pioneering notation-free method for making great music. Taught by award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony, and his protégé (and wife) Kate Harmony, from their studio in Vancouver BC, Canada. Ray is the author of critically-acclaimed book series "Hack Music Theory", and has made music with Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and many more. Kate has the highest grade distinction in Popular Music Theory from the London College of Music, and is the only person on the planet who's been trained by Ray to teach his Hack Music Theory method! While these Hack Music Theory YouTube lessons teach music theory for producers and DAW users, they are designed to accommodate all music makers (songwriters, guitarists, etc.) and all genres, from Electronic Music to R&B, Pop to Hip-Hop, Reggae to Rock, EDM/Dance to Metal (and yes, we djefinitely Djent!).