fill

A fill is also a variation from the main rhythm played on the drums. For example, a drummer may play three bars of a standard pop/rock groove on the hi-hat, snare and bass, followed by a one-bar fill, which will take in a variety of tom-toms or other cymbals. This would look a little something like this:

             _________Groove________            Fill
             |          |          |              |
             V          V          V              V
Count  | 1+2+3+4+ | 1+2+3+4+ | 1+2+3+4+ | 1e+a2e+a3e+a4e+a |
Hi tom | -------- | -------- | -------- | ----oooo-------- |
Med tom| -------- | -------- | -------- | --------oooo---- |
Hi-hat | xxxxxxxx | xxxxxxxx | xxxxxxxx | ---------------- |
Snare  | --o---o- | --o---o- | --o---o- | oooo------------ |
Fl tom | -------- | -------- | -------- | ------------oooo |
Bass   | o---o--- | o---o--- | o---o--- | ---------------- |

Fills come in all shapes and sizes. Drummers will typically mix in quarter bar, half bar and whole bar fills over the course of a single song, but fills spanning multiple bars are not uncommon.

Fill (?), n. [See Thill.]

One of the thills or shafts of a carriage. Mortimer.

Fill horse, a thill horse. Shak.

© Webster 1913

Fill, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Filled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Filling.] [OE. fillen, fullen, AS. fyllan, fr. full full; akin to D. vullen, G. füllen, Icel. fylla, Sw. fylla, Dan. fylde, Goth. fulljan. See Full, a.]

1.

To make full; to supply with as much as can be held or contained; to put or pour into, till no more can be received; to occupy the whole capacity of.

The rain also filleth the pools.
Ps. lxxxiv. 6.

Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. Anf they filled them up to the brim.
John ii. 7.

2.

To furnish an abudant supply to; to furnish with as mush as is desired or desirable; to occupy the whole of; to swarm in or overrun.

And God blessed them, saying. Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas.
Gen. i. 22.

The Syrians filled the country.
1 Kings xx. 27.

3.

To fill or supply fully with food; to feed; to satisfy.

Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fillso great a multitude?
Matt. xv. 33.

Things that are sweet and fat are more filling.
Bacon.

4.

To possess and perform the duties of; to officiate in, as an incumbent; to occupy; to hold; as, a king fills a throne; the president fills the office of chief magistrate; the speaker of the House fills the chair.

5.

To supply with an incumbent; as, to fill an office or a vacancy. A. Hamilton.

6. (Naut.)

(a)

To press and dilate, as a sail; as, the wind filled the sails.

(b)

To trim (a yard) so that the wind shall blow on the after side of the sails.

7. (Civil Engineering)

To make an embankment in, or raise the level of (a low place), with earth or gravel.

To fill in, to insert; as, he filled in the figures. --
To fill out, to extend or enlarge to the desired limit; to make complete; as, to fill out a bill. --
To fill up, to make quite full; to fill to the brim or entirely; to occupy completely; to complete. "The bliss that fills up all the mind." Pope. "And fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ." Col. i. 24.

© Webster 1913

Fill (?), v. i.

1.

To become full; to have the whole capacity occupied; to have an abundant supply; to be satiated; as, corn fills well in a warm season; the sail fills with the wind.

2.

To fill a cup or glass for drinking.

Give me some wine; fill full.
Shak.

To back and fill. See under Back, v. i. --
To fill up, to grow or become quite full; as, the channel of the river fills up with sand.

© Webster 1913

Fill, n. [AS. fyllo. See Fill, v. t.]

A full supply, as much as supplies want; as much as gives complete satisfaction. "Ye shall eat your fill." Lev. xxv. 19.

I'll bear thee hence, where I may weep my fill.
Shak.

© Webster 1913

Fill, n.

That which fills; filling; specif., an embankment, as in railroad construction, to fill a hollow or ravine; also, the place which is to be filled.

© Webster 1913