Drum Lessons: Billy Ashbaugh - Flam Fill #1

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Time MM:SS	Chapter Name
47	Example #1 - Flam Left Right
1:02	Example #2 - Flam Right Left
1:53	Example #3 - With the "a" on the kick
2:20	Example #4 - Wtih 32nd note single kick
2:37	Example #5 - With 32nd note double kick

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Billy Ashbaugh - Flam Fill #1

by billy ashbaugh on Fri, 02/13/2009 - 18:30

Viewed 16,488 Times

Hello Billy Ashbaugh here with DrummerConnection.com and today I'm going to share a fill with you. This is a fill that I've showed a lot of students over the years and a lot of them really seem to gravitate toward it and like it a lot, so I'm going to break it down and show you what it is.

Basically, it starts with a flam one beat one with the right hand on the floor tom and the left hand on the snare. Now this fill is phrased in 16th notes, so the flam is the downbeat and you're going to play the “1 e &” figure, meaning the first three 16th notes. Now here again I want you to experiment with the sticking, it's up to you. You can either go Flam Left Right. Or you can go Flam Right Left.

OK, I'm gonna let you here this thing in a fill setting.

OK, here's another version for you. Keep the hands just like you have them. Remember we played the first three 16th notes, the “1 e &”. We left the “a” silent. A version you could come up with would be to put the kick drum where the “a” is to fill up that space....and it sounds like this.

OK, I have one more final version to throw at you guys to try. Let's try dropping 2 kick drum notes phrased as 32nd notes right before the down beat. We can do this with one bass drum, it would sound like this.

Or, you can use 2 bass drums to get a little heavier sound and it would sound like this.

OK, Flam Fill #1. Now remember this is open for a lot of interpretation. I tend to just accent the down beat and move it around and the sticking....whatever comes out comes out. Remember guys you can mess around with accents. You can mess around with where you play this on the kit and get lots of milage from this, so have fun and check back. We're going to have more coming your way.

Drummer Comments (1)

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drumfreak Says Flams

Submitted On: Friday, Feb 13, 2009 - 5:57 PM

This gives me yet even more respect for the almighty Flams. Nice groove and great lesson! We gotta gate that floor tom :)

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