Learning to play the drums is exciting. There is so much fun that can be had behind the drum set! But what is the best way to learn? By throwing yourself into playing along to some of the best easy drum songs!
Playing along to your favourite songs is not only great fun, but it will help train your ‘internal metronome’ as well as develop your musical ear. Getting started with some easy drum songs will improve your confidence and technical ability.
A lot of drumming is muscle memory, and the better you can familiarize yourself with particular grooves and patterns means you will notice a significant improvement in your playing.
When playing along to beginner drum songs it’s important to remember to focus on your timekeeping, and try not to rush ahead of the beat or slow down as best as possible.
Keep your dynamics even also, by demonstrating control of your hands and feet to play as evenly as possible.
Without further ado here are my top 10 easy drum songs to play behind the kit, and to rock out to!
Contents
- 1. Michael Jackson – Billie Jean
- 2. Kool & The Gang – Celebration
- 3. The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army
- 4. Queen – We Will Rock You
- 5. AC/DC – Back In Black
- 6. Foghat – Slow Ride
- 7. Modest Mouse – Float On
- 8. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Dani California
- 9. Nirvana – Come As You Are
- 10. Bruno Mars – Uptown Funk
- Top Tips For Practicing Easy Drum Songs
1. Michael Jackson – Billie Jean
Billie Jean features on the album ‘Thriller’ which is the greatest selling album of all time. This song is a legendary hit that has a driving, punchy drum beat throughout. It’s one of the best beginner drum songs that’s required to be played with enthusiasm and energy to keep the beat moving!
2. Kool & The Gang – Celebration
A smash hit party classic. This song also features a simple groove throughout that helps give this song a lot of energy and movement. Keep the quaver (8th note) hi hats consistent whilst counting 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +. This is a disco classic that’s one of the best easy songs to drum to.
3. The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army
Seven Nation Army features a catchy chorus hook that is quite the institution around the world. The drums in this song are straightforward but keep the song moving. The verse utilises floor tom crotchets (4th notes) and the chorus swaps out to crash cymbals for a lot more energy.
4. Queen – We Will Rock You
The classic ‘boom boom clap’ is a beat that has cemented itself as one of the most iconic beats of all time! It’s a simple yet effective beginner drum song that we can play using ‘kick kick snare’ in order to match the rhythm of the stamps and claps. Once you have nailed that, you can try incorporating hi hat quaver notes into the beat.
5. AC/DC – Back In Black
Another legendary rock classic, and one of the best beginner drum songs, Back In Black has a straightforward groove but a fairly tricky 1 bar fill to grasp that alternates between the snare and the kick + hats. Open up the hi hats to have a bit more sizzle and put a bit more ‘oomph’ behind the snare hits!
6. Foghat – Slow Ride
After you have got to grips with some of the most easy drum songs in this list, you can try something a bit faster! Slow Ride is a great song that can help you get to grips with faster quaver (8th note) hi hats and crash cymbals that don’t just fall on the 1 beat. Watch out for the verses that swap out the snare on the 2 and 4 for floor toms!
7. Modest Mouse – Float On
This is a really fun drum beat to play. This is one of the more advanced beginner drum songs to play that requires use of the left foot hi hat pedal on the 2 beat to create the open hi hat sizzle effect. This song also features use of semiquaver (16th note) hi hats to try out.
8. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Dani California
Dani California is one of the best beginner drum songs that will help you develop greater foot control with the bass drum. The song has a groove that uses ‘1 +’ and ‘3 +’ on the bass drum, with snares on the 2 and 4. It’s a really fun song and was one of the first songs I learned to play!
9. Nirvana – Come As You Are
Come As You Are is one of the best easy songs to drum to that is perfect for rocking out to. It has more bass drum strokes than all the other songs in this list, but you shouldn’t find it overly difficult to achieve with a single bass pedal. Make sure all the bass drum hits are even and that they sound clean and in time with the music.
10. Bruno Mars – Uptown Funk
Uptown Funk is not only one of the most popular songs of the 21st century, but it’s also one of the best easy drum songs for beginners. Watch out for the fast semiquaver (16th note) snare drum fills that reappear throughout the chorus! This song has fun transitions that can also be played on the snare drum and floor tom simultaneously with each hand playing the quaver (8th note) rhythms!
Top Tips For Practicing Easy Drum Songs
The drums are of course one of the most exciting instruments to learn! This is because no other instrument requires as much full-body coordination to play.
For beginners it might seem tricky to learn to play along to some easy drum songs; there might be areas that seem confusing and you might find it difficult to play along in time with the music. This is okay, and expected.
There are so many different ways to play the drums because it’s an activity that requires all of your limbs to play together. So don’t be too hard on yourself and make sure you grasp the very basics of drumming before attempting to play along to music.
Here are some of my top tips for practicing beginner drum songs:
Don’t Be Frustrated Whilst Practicing Easy Drum Songs
It’s unrealistic to expect to achieve perfection right away. Take your time, there is no rush and just remember that growth takes time! Every great drummer was once a beginner and didn’t know how to hold drum sticks properly!
Everyone experiences good and bad days, even the best drummers on the planet. So keep a positive attitude and remember it might take some time to see significant improvement with your playing.
Make Sure The Drums Are Set Up Correctly
It’s expected that a novice drummer won’t know how to expertly set up a drum set just yet. But do take the time to learn how to set up a drum set properly so that you can play comfortably and with correct posture.
Don’t Run Before You Can Walk!
Take your time when familiarizing yourself with new patterns before moving on to more advanced techniques. Drumming requires lots of muscle memory so allow your brain to process new information in order to solidify your playing feel.
Play With Consistency
When playing beginner drum songs you will want to exercise control across all parts of the drum set. Consistency is the key to drumming, and as the drummer you are the glue that holds all the music together. So whilst practicing easy drum songs, ensure to play evenly and with a steady pulse to make sure that you play in time to the music.
