Intermediate Linear Fills
You've got the foundation. You can play a basic linear fill, and you understand how the kick drum works inside a linear pattern. This page is what comes next.
Intermediate linear fills introduce two new challenges that beginner patterns deliberately avoid: doubles going into the kick, and double kick patterns. Where beginner fills kept things symmetrical and predictable, these patterns create tension and release — a hand doubles up before the bass drum arrives, or the bass drum itself doubles up after a single hand stroke.
These are the patterns that start to sound genuinely musical at full tempo. The combination of hand doubles and bass drum doubles creates a rolling, forward-moving quality that's distinctive of professional linear drumming in funk and R&B.
What Makes These Intermediate?
The jump from beginner to intermediate linear fills isn't about tempo — it's about coordination complexity. Two things change.
First, the doubles. In RLLK, you play right, then two lefts in a row, then kick. The double left has to be even and controlled before the bass drum lands — any tension or rushing in the double left will cause it to stack with the kick, turning a linear fill into a messy standard one.
Second, the double kick. In RLKK and LRKK, the hands set up the pattern and the foot has to fire twice in a row to close it. For most drummers, the second kick in a double is the weak one — it arrives late, quiet, or both. These patterns train that weakness directly. In RKK and LKK, the double kick lands inside a triplet context, which adds rhythmic complexity on top of the coordination challenge.
Work through these in order. The first four patterns build hand-double control; the last four build triplet double-kick independence. Both are needed before moving to advanced linear fills.
Before You Start
These exercises assume you:
- Can play the beginner linear fills and beginner linear fills with bass drum cleanly at 70bpm
- Have solid basic double stroke control in both hands
- Can play at least one bass drum note per bar reliably in a groove context
If your double strokes feel uneven or your bass drum foot is unreliable at slow tempos, go back to the beginner pages first. These patterns will expose both weaknesses immediately — which is useful, but easier to work with once you have baseline control in place.
Recommended starting tempo: 55–65bpm
What you need: Full kit, metronome
Intermediate Linear Fill Exercises
Work through these in order. Exercises 1–4 focus on hand doubles into kick; exercises 5–8 introduce double kick in triplet context.
Exercise 1 — RLLK
Right, Double Left, Kick
Intermediate Linear Fills
What this pattern does
Four 16th notes — right hand, two lefts, kick. The double left in the middle is the crux: both strokes need to be identical in volume and timing before the foot arrives. If the second left rushes, it stacks with the kick and the fill stops being linear. At slow tempos, listen for three distinct sounds from the left hand before the bass drum lands.
How to practise it
- 1Isolate the double left first. Play LL on its own — both strokes should sound identical. Then add the R before it and K after.
- 2Say the pattern aloud: "right, left, left, kick" before playing. Map each note to a position in the bar.
- 3Combine at 55bpm. If the second left and kick stack together, slow down by 5bpm and rebuild.
- 4Play in context: four bars of groove, one bar of RLLK — loop the transition in and out.
Exercise 2 — LRRK
Left, Double Right, Kick
Intermediate Linear Fills
What this pattern does
The mirror of RLLK — left, two rights, kick. Where RLLK challenges the left hand doubles, LRRK tests whether the right hand doubles stay controlled when the left hand leads. Most drummers find one of these significantly easier than the other. Identify which side feels unstable and give it extra practice time — the imbalance will show up in your playing if you ignore it.
How to practise it
- 1Isolate the double right. Play RR on its own, matching the volume of both strokes precisely. Then add L before and K after.
- 2Compare RLLK and LRRK side by side. Notice which feels more natural.
- 3Combine at 55bpm. The left-hand lead typically feels less automatic — give it more repetitions than RLLK.
- 4Play both patterns consecutively in a groove context before considering either one solid.
Exercise 3 — RLKK
Right, Left, Double Kick
Intermediate Linear Fills
What this pattern does
Two hands, then two kicks — the pattern hands responsibility from the hands to the foot. The double kick at the end is the defining challenge. Most drummers can play one kick reliably; a clean, even double kick requires active foot independence work. The two hand strokes are simple — treat them as the setup, and give all your attention to making both kicks land with equal weight and timing.
How to practise it
- 1Isolate the double kick first. Play KK on its own — two even kicks, both equal in volume and spacing.
- 2Add the hand pattern: RL then KK. Feel the handover point between hands and foot.
- 3Combine at 55bpm. If the second kick arrives late or quiet, slow down further — don't push through unevenness.
- 4Play four bars of groove, one bar of RLKK — the double kick should feel as natural as any hand stroke.
Exercise 4 — LRKK
Left, Right, Double Kick
Intermediate Linear Fills
What this pattern does
Mirror of RLKK — left hand leads, then double kick to close. The double kick is the same challenge, but the left-hand lead changes the approach. Where RLKK has a natural run-up to the kick, LRKK starts from the non-dominant hand and can feel slightly more urgent. Practise both side by side and listen for differences in how the double kick feels from each setup.
How to practise it
- 1Isolate the double kick as with RLKK — two even kicks before adding hands.
- 2Add the left-hand lead: L, then R, then KK.
- 3Combine at 55bpm. Compare the feel with RLKK and note where any difference appears.
- 4Once both RLKK and LRKK are clean at 65bpm, practise them alternating inside a 2-bar phrase.
Exercise 5 — RKK
Right, Double Kick (Triplet)
Intermediate Linear Fills
What this pattern does
Three notes as a triplet — one right hand, then two kicks. The foot fires twice for every hand stroke, creating a rolling momentum that sounds distinctly different from any of the 16th-note patterns above. This is the first exercise on this page to introduce double kick in a triplet context. The right hand stroke is the anchor; both kicks follow from it. The triplet subdivision makes the double kick feel faster than it does in RLKK.
How to practise it
- 1Isolate the double kick as a triplet: play four kicks in a row to find the triplet spacing. It's faster than the 16th-note version.
- 2Add the right hand: R then KK. Say it aloud — "right, kick, kick" — before playing.
- 3Combine at 55bpm. The triplet feel is different from 16th-note patterns — allow time to adjust.
- 4Loop cleanly before placing in a groove context.
Exercise 6 — LKK
Left, Double Kick (Triplet)
Intermediate Linear Fills
What this pattern does
Mirror of RKK — left hand leads into double kick, as a triplet. The challenge is identical to RKK with one addition: the left-hand lead changes the mental preparation for each cycle. Where RKK feels instinctive for most right-handed drummers, LKK introduces a small hesitation before the lead stroke. Practise both together and work toward the same level of fluency on each side — the gap between them is a direct measure of hand independence.
How to practise it
- 1Isolate the triplet double kick — same exercise as in RKK. Build foot fluency first.
- 2Add the left hand: L then KK. The left stroke should feel as automatic as the right hand does in RKK.
- 3Combine at 55bpm. If LKK feels noticeably harder than RKK, give it additional focused repetition.
- 4Alternate RKK and LKK in the same session. Both should feel equal before moving on.
Exercise 7 — RRK
Double Right, Kick (Triplet)
Intermediate Linear Fills
What this pattern does
Two right strokes, then kick — a triplet where the foot resolves a hand double. The double right at the start creates a brief two-stroke impulse before the kick lands to close it. Both rights need to be even; if the second rushes toward the kick, the triplet feel collapses and the fill stacks. The bass drum here acts as a resolution point — the doubles create tension, the kick releases it.
How to practise it
- 1Play RR on its own as a triplet — two evenly-spaced rights. Add the kick cleanly after.
- 2Say it aloud: "right, right, kick" at triplet spacing before playing.
- 3Combine at 55bpm. The kick should feel like it arrives, not like it gets chased by the second right.
- 4Play in context: four bars of groove, one bar of RRK — loop until the triplet feel is natural.
Exercise 8 — LLK
Double Left, Kick (Triplet)
Intermediate Linear Fills
What this pattern does
Mirror of RRK — double left into kick, as a triplet. This is typically the hardest pattern on this page for right-handed drummers: a left-hand double leading a triplet, closing with a kick. The double left in triplet context combines two separate challenges — left-hand independence and triplet subdivision — into one pattern. If this feels difficult, it's working. Slow it down and build each element separately before combining.
How to practise it
- 1Isolate the double left in triplet time. Play LL as triplets — both lefts should be identical in volume.
- 2Add the kick: LLK. Listen for the resolution point as the kick lands after the double.
- 3Combine at 50bpm — slower than the other patterns if needed. The left double in triplet time takes longer to internalise.
- 4Practise RRK and LLK alternately. When both feel equally natural, consider this page complete.
Get a Free 7-Day Linear Fills Practice Plan
These exercises work best inside a structured routine. Enter your email and we'll send you a free 7-day practice plan built around intermediate linear fills — including the hand doubles and double kick patterns on this page. Each day takes 20 minutes or less, focuses on one specific concept, and builds deliberately toward clean execution in a musical context.
No spam. Just drumming. Unsubscribe any time.
How to Get the Most From These Exercises
1. Build every element in isolation before combining
The double left in RLLK, the double right in LRRK, the double kick in RLKK — every new coordination element should be clean on its own before it's layered into the full pattern. Combining too early is the most common way to waste practice time. You'll feel like you're progressing but the underlying weakness stays.
2. The second stroke is always the weak one — target it directly
Whether it's the second left in a LL double, the second right in RR, or the second kick in KK — the second stroke in any double is where timing and volume typically drop. Identify it, isolate it, and give it more attention than the first stroke. Clean doubles require the second note to arrive exactly on time with exactly the right weight.
3. Slow down further when introducing double kicks
Foot doubles at slow tempos feel unnatural in a way that hand doubles don't. The ankle mechanics are different, and most drummers haven't spent as much time developing foot-double fluency. Expect to work at 45–55bpm longer than feels necessary — the payoff is a double kick that works at full tempo without conscious thought.
4. Practice doubles on hands and feet with equal focus
It's easy to give more practice time to the hand patterns and treat the bass drum as secondary. Resist that. RLKK with an uneven double kick is not a polished fill — it's a half-finished one. Both elements need the same level of attention before a pattern is ready for a musical context.
5. Record yourself to check for stacking
Stacking — two limbs landing at the same time when they shouldn't — is almost impossible to hear in real time at the kit. A phone recording will show you immediately whether your double left is clean before the kick or whether the two are colliding. Listen back after every practice session, not just occasionally.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a linear fill intermediate level?
Intermediate linear fills introduce two coordination demands that beginner patterns avoid: doubles in the hands (two consecutive strokes from the same hand before another limb lands) and double kicks (two consecutive bass drum notes). Either challenge individually is manageable; combining both within the same vocabulary is what makes these patterns genuinely intermediate.
My doubles keep stacking with the kick — what should I do?
Stacking means the second note of the double is landing at the same time as the next limb rather than before it. This is almost always a tempo problem — you're playing faster than the pattern is internalised. Drop to 45bpm, isolate just the transition between the double and the kick, and rebuild. Don't increase the tempo until the gap between the last double and the kick is clearly audible.
Can I skip the 4-note fills and jump straight to the triplet patterns?
Technically yes, but it's not recommended. The 4-note patterns (RLLK, LRRK, RLKK, LRKK) build the specific double-stroke control that the triplet patterns depend on. If your hand doubles aren't clean in 16th-note context, they'll be harder to control inside a triplet. The four exercises are also relatively quick to get clean — there's no good reason to skip them.
How long should I spend on each exercise before moving on?
A pattern is ready to move on from when it plays cleanly at 70bpm in a musical context — meaning it enters and exits a groove without disrupting the time. Some patterns will reach that point in a single session; others will take a week of focused practice. Don't move on based on time — move on based on quality.
Why do my double kicks feel uneven?
Double kick unevenness usually comes from one of two things: the second kick is driven by ankle rather than leg, or there's insufficient rebound control on the pedal. At slow tempos, play each double kick and listen for the gap between the two strokes — it should be identical to the gap between the first kick and the hand note that follows. Evenness is a timing problem, not a strength problem.
Do I need to have completed the beginner pages before starting these?
The beginner pages aren't a prerequisite in a strict sense, but they build the exact foundation these patterns assume. If you can already play RKRK and LKLK cleanly at 70bpm, you have what you need. If those patterns feel uncertain, spend a few sessions on them first — the beginner bass drum page will make the intermediate patterns significantly easier.
What to Learn Next
Once these eight patterns are clean at 80bpm, there are two directions to go: more complex stickings, or the same stickings applied to a different rhythmic context.
These exercises are part of the Learn To Speak Drum methodology — a structured, diagnostic approach to drum education that identifies exactly what you need to work on and gives you a clear path to fix it. Take the free GrooveLab diagnostic →