How does one compose fills and solos for the drumkit?

Question

I keep hearing that rudiments are the building blocks of drumming. How do you create drum fills and solos out of rudiments? They say that solos and fills are made from rudiments. Are they ALL made from nothing but rudiments? Are rudiments the only way to compose them? How do you know what drums to play the rudiments on and in which order? Is it really just random? It can't be. There has to be some music theory or compositional rules that dictate what can or can't be done and how but I can't find them anywhere.

Answer 1

Additionally, a concept involving rudiments that might help is embellishment. For instance, a single note on the snare drum can be "embellished" by a flam or a roll. Same goes for a figure with two notes, three and so on. A lot of the time, the rolls & inner notes happen on the snare drum, with accents moving up and down the kit. Just a small example. As goes with anything, there are a multitude of ways to approach this beyond rudiments. When you transcribe other drummers, try to notice the way each individual "shapes" a solo differently. Do they start quietly or do they explode out the gates? How do they go from one idea to the next? What's the musical context of the solo? Does the band do a call and respond with the drummer? Is the drummer on their own or accompanied by another musician? These are some things that I have considered while thinking on this topic. Hope it's helpful!

Answer 2

Rudiments are the building blocks of drumming and experience (as with anything) dictates how you use those rudiments in musically creative ways. Most fills and solos are made with rudiments in them, but they are certainly not the only way to compose them. The best way to learn how to do fills is to be with a band. Get a song going. Make sure you are solid with keeping time. The fill sets up the rest of the band and is not to spotlight the set player. Keep it simple starting out and stay in that little pocket between when the band kicks on the beat before your entrance and when they come back in. A good exercise would be to transcribe fills from other great drummers that set up the band well and are accessible (listen to Art Blakey, LCJO, Snarky Puppy, Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and Gordon Goodwin's recordings). Transcribe, sing, play on ONLY the snare, then graduate to the rest of the set.

Think of it like a wave crashing - you're on a cliff, listening to the waves, getting in the groove, then a big wave comes in and crashes on the rocks and grips your attention.

Hope this helped a little!