Quintuplet Drum Fill

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Most drummers are familiar with quarter, eighth, sixteenth, and thirty-second notes (the note values), as well as our different subdivisions such as triplets and maybe even sextuplets… But what about playing groups of five? Today Stephen Taylor is going to show you how to play quintuplets and apply them in a musical setting.

If you’ve never played quintuplets, it’s gonna feel weird at first! It takes time to become familiar with the phrasing, so take it slow and really internalize the sound and feel.

To start simple, let’s just play on the snare drum. Turn on your metronome to a comfortable tempo and play five notes per quarter note.

Now that you have know how to space the notes evenly, let’s jump right into the fill. But wait! Before we orchestrate it around the kit, let’s keep it on the snare and kick drum for now so we can develop and get comfortable with the pattern first.

We’ll be playing the ghost notes with our left hand (the notes in brackets), and the regular snare hits with our right hand.

The next and final step is simply moving your right hand around on each hit. The first hit will be on the hi hat, the second on the snare drum, and the remaining three will land on your toms. We encourage you to experiment and get creative with where your orchestrate your right hand.

Other lessons from Stephen Taylor:
►10 Must-Know Drum Fills
►How To Get Paid As A Drummer
►How To End A Song On Drums

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Drumeo Team - We're professional, award-winning drummers and drum teachers, coaches, recording artists, and content specialists who are passionate about drums and helping drummers around the world. This post was written and/or edited by Sam Landa, Brandon Toews, Jared Falk, Dave Atkinson, or another pro on our team (which has a combined 1000+ years of drumming experience). Are you looking for inspiration, education, and support to take your playing to the next level? Join the Drumeo community today!