When you are just starting as a drummer, music that’s fast and too complex can be overwhelming. But playing songs is an integral part of any drummer’s learning. It allows you to put technique, time-keeping, and various other skills into practice. Choosing the correct songs to improve your playing can sometimes be a challenge. Here are the top picks for beginner drum songs!
In this article, we’ll delve into some easy drum songs for beginners that incorporate all music genres and give you room to incorporate different playing techniques.
So whether you’re a drum tutor looking for songs to teach your students or a beginner drummer looking for something to get started with, you’re guaranteed to find a few to master and use anytime you might need them.
How We Chose the Songs
The beginner drum songs were chosen according to an array of aspects considered when making the list. The list also takes into account the BPM. The songs are not complex with a wide range of tunes and do not need many drums to play the song to perfection.
In the songs that have been selected, you can hear the drums easily. They have easy grooves, and not a lot of drum fills. The songs have basic 4/4 time signatures and do not have other complex types of time signatures (like 5/4 or 7/8).
The songs have a drum pattern that repeats consistently in most of the tracks, helping to build muscle memory.
Best Drum Songs for Beginners
1. “Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen
One of many iconic Queen songs, “Another One Bites the Dust” is the perfect song for drummers looking to work on their time-keeping skills. It has a steady 4/4 basic rock beat, featuring a kick on beat one and snare on beat two. It has a BPM of 112.
Throughout the song, the bass and drums synchronize together, teaching you the value of the relationship between bassist and drummer. The track keeps a rock-solid BPM of 112, a great starting place for beginner drummers. This standard tempo is a comfortable speed to master a basic beat or solidify your skills.
2. “Vultures” by John Mayer
“Vultures” by John Mayer is a great choice if you’re looking for a song that you can easily play along to. It has a BPM of 98.
With plenty of room for fills and added embellishments, this track is perfect for jamming with other musicians or simply in your music rehearsal. The standard 4/4-time signature and 98 BPM deliver a relaxed playing style with an achievable tempo.
Steve Jordan plays a standard rock beat with eighth notes on the hi-hat, kick playing smoothly and snare playing on the backbeat. During this song, there’s also the occasional open hi-hat at the end of a bar or phrase.
3. “Come As You Are” by Nirvana
“Come As You Are” is the best song for any drummer to jam out to. With Dave Grohl at the helm of the kit, it’s hard not to want to pick up some sticks and start playing along. The BPM is 120.
It utilizes the whole kit, making it great for drummers who are at the stage in their drumming journey where they can move around the kit. The song features a 4/4 beat with a kick on beat one and snare on beat three. This pattern alternates between the open hi-hats, crash, and ride (during verses).
4. “Back in Black” by AC/DC
A well-loved song for all ages, “Back in Black” by AC/DC has a solid beat and feel to match the driving guitar riff. The main beat to this song is a standard 4/4 rock beat, and one of the trademark parts of the song is the way the pattern between the hi-hat and snare emulates the guitar riff. The slower 94 BPM tempo ensures beginner drummers can play through the song and execute various techniques at a comfortable speed.
5. “Like A Stone” by Audio Slave
Audio Slave’s “Like a Stone” is a useful track for building a solid relationship between bass and drums. The song has a BPM of 108 and features a 4/4 beat. This 4/4 groove also moves onto the toms, allowing you to grasp how different beats can be implemented throughout the kit.
While the drum part is steady and solid throughout, there’s an option within the track to experiment with extra snare or kick notes.
As well as being a song that a beginner drummer could play a standard beat to, this is also a track that a slightly advanced drummer could add kick patterns or ghost notes to.
6. “Yellow” by Coldplay
“Yellow” by Coldplay is one of the best beginner drum songs too. It has a BPM of 87 and features a steady 4/4 beat throughout. This offers plenty of space for drummers to apply fills and other techniques.
The overall groove consists of the same two bars on a loop – with eighth notes on the hi-hats. The first bar features a kick on beat one and the snare on three, whilst the second bar features the kick on beats one and two and the snare drum on beat three.
7. “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes
“Seven Nation Army” is a popular song among casual drummers. The track is a great all-rounder, suitable for beginners of various levels. With a groove that breaks down the fundamentals of the chorus beat, “Seven Nation Army” allows you to get a firm grasp of rhythm.
Overall, the tempo is manageable with 124 BPM and there are opportunities to apply dynamics to your playing.
8. “Do I Wanna Know” by Arctic Monkeys
“Do I Wanna Know” is a song that importantly uses the crash as part of the groove in the chorus. The BPM is 85, making it a steady and enjoyable song to play for beginners. The verse is in 4/4, with the kick on beats one and three and the snare on beats two and four.
The chorus then features the crash cymbal on each quarter note. This is a great song for beginner drummers as its rhythm is clearly structured and easily differentiates between verse and chorus.
To start, first master the kick and snare pattern, then gradually incorporate the crash into your playing.
9. “Rebel Rebel” by David Bowie
A Bowie classic, “Rebel Rebel” is an engaging song for any beginner drummer to learn. It features a 4/4, four-on-the-floor beat throughout the song which remains constant during the entire song.
With a tempo of 126 BPM, this is a good song for drummers looking to learn a different beat.
10. “Baba O’ Riley” by The Who
As one of the simpler songs played by prolific drummer Keith Moon, “Baba O’ Riley” is a perfect introduction to The Who.
The song features a standard rock beat made up of two bars. In bar one, there’s a kick on the first beat and a snare on the third, the second bar then adds a kick to the second beat.
Plus, there’s plenty of room for embellishments and different kick drum patterns. The song has a tempo of 117 and feels incredibly ‘free’ to play.
11. “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” by Tame Impala
These beginner drum songs are usually very popular, but this option is a lesser-heard song to learn. “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” has a relaxed feel that’s perfect for drummers who want to expand their playing styles and try different fills and playing patterns.
The overall BPM is 150. The overall beat is 4/4 with kick drums on the first beat of the first bar and a snare on the third. Then there’s a kick on the first and second beat of the second bar.
But that’s not to say it doesn’t also work great with a band! The tempo of this song is 150 BPM and is a superb way for you to explore the numerous fills while gaining experience of playing at a faster tempo.
12. “Getting Started” by Sam Fender
Featuring a steady 4/4 rock beat, “Getting Started” is the perfect song for any drummer looking to test their playing stamina. The overall tempo of the song is 161 BPM, and the beat features eight notes on the floor tom throughout the verse with a basic rock beat groove.
There’s then a kick on beat one and snare on beat three. This song is ideal for beginners as it offers the opportunity to incorporate crashes and small fills around the kit. Furthermore, this song also has plenty of scope to add your kick patterns and fills within a fast tempo.
13. “In My Life” by The Beatles
“In My Life” is a great way to improve time-keeping skills and try a different playing technique, with an interesting sound that’s easily attainable by any drummer, no matter the level of skill.
The song features a linear groove around the kit, with a slightly disjointed beat. Its overall tempo is a steady 103 BPM, which allows beginners to comfortably play along. The linear beat also strengthens the ability to keep time outside of a steady beat setting.
14. “Creep” by Radiohead
“Creep” by Radiohead is a famous song among beginner drummers. The song features a laid-back 4/4 standard rock beat, moving to an open hi-hat in the chorus for added effect and dynamics. The BPM is 92.
15. “Levitating” by Dua Lipa
“Levitating” by Dua Lipa is a beautiful pop song that’s incredibly fun to play. With an infectious 4/4 beat, the overall groove is upbeat and easy to lock into. The BPM is 103, which is a standard tempo for any pop song. This slower tempo means that drummers can have fun with the song and learn it at a comfortable pace.
The main beat features a double snare pattern to match the claps in the track, this is one of the song’s signature drum phrases and is continued through the verses into the chorus.
16. “All I Wanna Do” by Sheryl Crow
This groove is ideal for beginner drum songs. It features a 4-on-the-floor bass drum pattern with a backbeat snare, and it’s important not to play too loud to get the feel just right. The BPM was 120. Try to nail the fill in the 4th measure of the second verse. It’s almost like a call-and-response with the vocal line “Billy likes to peel the labels from his bottles of Bud.” When you get to the outro section, make sure to keep counting so you can drop out after the fill in the 10th measure.
17. “1979” by Smashing Pumpkins
“1979” has the same groove throughout each section, and the hi-hat accents are the key to getting it right. It’s a two-bar phrase, so it’s best to work on beginner drum songs like this one measure at a time, with each limb separately before you put it all together. The BPM is 127.
18. “Gangsta’s Paradise” by Coolio
Hip-hop is all about making the groove feel good, and this one is a real blast to dig into. The pattern is steady the whole time, but there are a few “drops,” or moments when the snare is left out to coincide with the lyrics. The first drop happens in the 4th measure of the first verse when he says “Even my Momma thinks that my mind is gone.” There’s also one in the 12th measure of Verse 1, and the short bridge section is just a hi-hat and bass drum. The BPM is 80.
19. “Have You Ever Seen The Rain” by CCR
Originally recorded in 1970, this CCR classic is a beginner drum song that has a couple of important texture changes in the drum part. The intro section is a slightly unusual length (6 measures) and has some bass drum hits in bars 4 and 6 that line up with the low notes of the piano part.
The choruses are 12 measures long, but the hi-hat part switches back to a closed sound for measures 11 and 12. This is almost like a “reset” moment before the next section comes back in.
20. “Gimme All Your Lovin” by ZZ Top
“Gimme All Your Lovin’” is one of the beginner drum songs keeping that focuses on your place in the form of the tune. The groove is a funky backbeat with the bass drum playing 4-on-the-floor, but there are a couple of sections with extra measures that are important for the drums.
The second chorus is a great example since it has a 2-bar “tag” or extra interlude to get us into the guitar solo. The BPM is 120.