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Music vocabulary · Melody, Form and Songwriting

Fill

Meaning in music, with examples

nounCommon term

In music, fill means: A short musical idea placed between main phrases to add movement, connect sections, or fill empty space.

In Turkish: ara süsleme

How it is used

Common in drums, guitar, keyboard, and vocals. A fill often appears at the end of a line or before a new section begins.

Example sentences

  1. The drummer used a tom fill before the chorus, giving the band a clear lift into the bigger section.

    Here fill is a brief connecting figure that builds momentum just before the chorus arrives.

  2. Can you leave space after the lyric so the guitarist can answer with a small fill in the turnaround?

    In this example, fill means a short decorative response that fits between vocal phrases.

Common collocations

  • drum fill
  • guitar fill
  • play a fill
  • short fill
  • riffA short, catchy musical phrase that is repeated many times, often on guitar, bass or keyboard, and becomes the signature idea of a song.
  • chorusThe section of a song that repeats with the same words and melody, usually the catchiest part and the one that contains the song's main message or title.

More terms: Melody, Form and Songwriting

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