Vocabulary

Music, just like any other language, is words (beats, licks & fills) combined to create sentences (phrases) that put together give you the context (solo)

Beat: A beat is rhythmic pattern that establishes the groove of the song when played repetitively.

Lick: A lick is a melodic pattern which is a result of a particular sticking pattern between different drum heads.

Fill: A fill or a break is what you generally use to transition from one section to the next section of the song. Most times it either fills up or breaks down the normal beat to create the line between two sections.

Phrase: Grouping of licks and fills in between your beats creates a phrase. Phrases are arranged in the form of the song, for example in AABA pattern.

Chops: If a drummer has an interesting combination of licks and fills, he is said to have good chops.

One of the best ways to pick up music vocabulary is to transcribe — listen and write down your beats down to perfect notation.

Exercise 2: take any beat and play it at same tempo in 8th notes, triplets, 16th notes, quintuplets, sextuplets and so on.

Notes on exercise: Based on how complex a beat you take, you could end up on any hand or leg. It develops your agility as a drummer. In most cases perfecting above exercise with just single(RLRL), double(RRLL) and paradiddle(RLRR) sticking patterns can open a world full of possible licks and fills!

Exercise 3: add two bass kicks in a group of 8 beats, say a single paradiddle (RLRRLRLL), to make a group of 10.

Exercise 3.a: Play it in a tempo as quintuplets.

Notes on exercise: This develops your 5/4 time signature. Similarly, you can make various combinations to get comfortable with various time signatures.

Exercise 3.b: Play the beat as 16th notes.

Notes on exercise: You’ll finish up your bar before the pattern is complete which forces you to end up at different places of the pattern at the end of every bar. This helps you develop the sense of knowing where you’re in your particular fill.

The above exercises gives you vocabulary to choose from in creating your chops on the fly. You might’ve most amazing chops but still might not be aware of the musical situation. The flow might be missing.