This blog and free drum lesson shows you a way to spice up your fills by applying the augmentation concept.

I’m sure you’ve heard it before, you know, the whole thing about getting more out of stuff you already know? Well, it’s true! There’s so much juice you can squeeze out of things you already have in your toolbox (yes, I’ve just mixed metaphors).

If you’re not convinced by this idea, think of the licks that you already know, and how long it’s taken you to make them truly yours. They’ve been filtered through your “style filter” and personality, having practiced and played them countless times. Now think how easy it would be to change one aspect of this stuff and make it totally fresh; sounds great, right? The best part is that it will still sound like you, as you’re not reinventing the wheel.

The concept we’re going to apply here is augmentation; it’s easy to understand and apply. As the name suggests, it refers to adding something extra in order to, in this context, beef it up. So, we’re going to take a couple of linear ideas that I like, and augment them by doubling up a bass drum note. This will make them sound more “impressive”, but more importantly to help expand our phrasing.

Note that the examples in this article are a couple of phrases in my toolbox. Incorporate this idea into your own phrases, that’s the whole point here. That said, do feel free to learn the examples in the PDF, of course!

Now, allow me to be old and boring for a second here but, remember, never play something just for the sake of it. Be purposeful and make wise choices; both audiences and band mates will thank you for it.

So! Go ahead, use this free drum lesson and spice up your fills applying the augmentation concept. Download the PDF below.

If you liked this article, my new book, Concepts: A Guide to Essential Processes for the Modern Drummer is all about this. If you’re interested, please check it out and get yourself a copy HERE!

Thank you,

Nick x

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