We play drums because it’s fun, and we’re inspired by great players. So what better way to enjoy drumming than to play our favorite songs? For beginners, this can be challenging, but I think we have a list with something for everybody.
Easy drum songs are playable by beginners because the tempo isn’t too fast, the rhythms aren’t too complex, and the changes are simple. But this doesn’t mean that these songs are any lesser. In fact, many of the songs on the list are favorites for many listeners, and still inspire drummers to play drums like their heroes.
Each song is accompanied by the the basic notation and some commentary about how to approach playing along with the song. You will also notice that each song has a tip about technique or setup that could help you level up your drumming.
Most of these songs have a variety of drum fills, so listen for themes in the fills that you can learn them quicker. If you are interested in a more in-depth explanation about drums, check out this article on the best drum fills.
The following playlist follows this list of easy drum songs.
1. We Will Rock You
Although the rhythm is easy, this beat requires you to move playing surfaces from the toms to the snare quite often. This movement can be tough on consistency, and rock anthems like this one from Queen require drummers to play with strength.
TIP: When you move around the drums, think about moving your arms more so than the sticks. The sticks will be where they need to be if your arms are where they need to be. Plus, when you move your arms, you set yourself up for more ergonomic movement, which can lead to more powerful and consistent sounds.
2. Back in Black
Your timing is important when it comes to playing grooves with lots of space in the song, especially simple (yet amazing) songs like the ones. AC/DC’s “Back in Black” has so much space in it that the drums resonate more which means you need to play in time because you’re so exposed.
TIP: Since the drums resonate so much in the musical space, tuning is a key issue when it comes to enjoying this song. Follow these steps for tuning your drums.
- Get all of the tension rods finger tight. This ensures that the rods will start off pulling the head down over the bearing edge evenly.
- Turn tension rods opposite each other following the pattern shown below.
- Tap the head near the tension rod to compare pitches and make adjustments until the head is close to the same pitch near each rod.
- Do the same for the bottom head, and try to keep the bottom head close to the same pitch as the top.
- You can use the bottom head to change the sound of the drum by tuning it higher or lower than the top. Make sure this is a deliberate control. Otherwise, you will have trouble knowing what to adjust to achieve a particular sound.
3. Mary Jane’s Last Dance
Subtle playing goes a long way with grooves like Stan Lynch’s on this Tom Petty hit. The balance between the hi hat work and the power of the kick and snare are critical characteristics. of such a great drum sound.
TIP: Hi hat slurps can easily become messy. Lesson 4 of this article includes exercises to build the coordination.
4. Have You Ever Seen Rain?
This song is what I call a pop samba groove because of the kick drum pattern. It’s one of the money beat variations featured in this article. The pulse is pushed and pulled by the samba kick in the middle of the measure and the lack of kick drum at the end. Feel it. Listen to the guitar and vocals. It’s crucial if you want to establish a groove.
TIP: Be careful with the tempo on Creedence tunes. The tempo needs to drive without feeling rushed. I’ve always penciled in the tempo on my setlists when these tunes come up on a gig.
5. Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Green Day was one of my favorite bands growing up. Dookie came out right around the same time I started playing drum set. MTV showed their videos everyday, and I loved the energy that Tré Cool brought to each song.
TIP: This song is more toned down in terms of tempo, but it is high energy through dynamics and feel. It’s a simple variation on the “boom smack,” starting with a boom wack on beats 1 and 2, followed by a boom boom smack on beats 3 and 4.
6. Seven Nation Army
Songs like “Seven Nation Army” are great for learning how to phrase and support a rock band. The kick and floor tom drive this song with simple downbeats, and the snare and cymbals outline the handful of phrases. All of these are important lessons for beginners and pros alike.
TIP: Make sure to line up the floor tom and kick drum, and play with a little attitude. If you haven’t seen White Stripes, check out the live videos for this song.
7. Feel Good Inc.
If there’s one thing I wish that I had learned sooner than later, it would be to respect the power of leaving out a kick drum or stopping the beat for at a key point in the phrase. This song does an amazing job at keeping it simple and interesting.
TIP: Listen to the half-open hi hat hits at the ends of certain phrases. They’re supported by the snare drum and don’t distract from the lyrics. Drum fills and cymbal hits need to be carefully placed in relation to lead lines and vocals. It’s simply a question of whether or not your contribution to the song supports or detracts from the goal — to make good music.
8. Gimme All Your Lovin
ZZ Top is one of the ultimate American rock bands. I can’t remember a wedding or Top 40 gig when we didn’t play one of their tunes. “Gimme All Your Lovin” is one of the easier songs to jam along to, and it’s great for digging in to that Texas blues rock feel that this band created.
For more about blues drum beats, check out this article about shuffles and 5 other beats that work well with the blues.
TIP: Try to stay true to the drum fills and phrasing in this song. Some songs allow you to wander from the original grooves and fills, but this is not one of them. Most drummers in a power trio are successful because they write parts that become integral to song, so we need to listen for those instances to truly honor the song.
9. Nothing Else Matters
Powerful playing is key for slow Metallica songs because Lars Ulrich isn’t playing complex rhythms. He’s relying on the greatness of the sound quality and the huge drum sounds to support the slow, powerful movement of this heavy ballad.
TIP: Where you strike the drum is up to you. You can play in the center or near the edge. Both areas produce different sounds, so make sure the area of the surface you strike is the sound you want. If your striking area is not deliberate, your sound can be inconsistent and unclear.
10. Gimme Shelter
The intro to this Rolling Stones classic is hard to hear on the original recording. It sounds like a ride cymbal, and I confirmed that Charlie Watts plays ride on the intro live. The verse groove is very simple and has some variation with the kick drums here and there.
TIP: Charlie Watts leaves out the hi hat when he strikes the backbeat on the snare drum. You don’t need to play it this way, but it’s what he does. Other great drummers like Jim Keltner used this technique, probably because of the isolation you get in the studio.
11. Heart Shaped Box
The guitar and bass parts we hear in Nirvana songs are so rhythmically significant because they often stand alone. This means you need to really listen to all of the song’s parts to lock in the drum set groove.
TIP: As you listen to the song and play along, be sure to focus on the bass and other rhythm instruments. Act as if you are the drummer on the gig and lock in with the band. The bass and guitars will be easier to hear than the drums because those instruments won’t be covered up as much by your own drum sounds.
12. Vertigo (U2)
This is a good song for building chops. The tune keeps you moving forward, and the drum beat is not too complex to use up too much energy before the end. It’s characteristic Larry Mullen Jr. with simple yet sophisticated grooves and drum fills that fully support the band and transition seamlessly in and out of the groove.
TIP: The floor tom ride pattern is subtle and it moves dynamically. Don’t hesitate to play downbeat accents and the snare a little louder than the floor tom. This exercise of playing one hand louder than the other is excellent for building independence.
13. Paradise City
You have to be a strong drummer to play in a band like Guns N’ Roses. With Slash’s rockin’ guitar lines and Duff’s bass lines, being timid will leave your groove in the dust. Listen for how Steven Adler accents the bass and guitar lines. It’s not often, but the few are key for the song.
TIP: I like to sing the guitar and bass rhythms as much as possible to help keep the time in the intro. With all of the space in the groove, you’re exposed and vulnerable to unwanted tempo fluctuations.
14. Brick House
I love how the first bar hangs over into the second. The lack of kick drums at the beginning of the second bar opens up the groove to allow the listener to feel that last syncopation — the kick-supported hi hat slurp.
TIP: The kick drum 16th-note syncopation and the hi hat slurps are important features in this drum beat. If you’re not comfortable with slurps, try practicing them on each 8th note.
15. Pick Up the Pieces
This is a horn section tune. It’s funky, and it has a lot of hits to support. Feel the rhythms of the tune and how the groove fits in and around the different parts. Like “Brick House,” this Average White Band song has hi hat slurps, so refer to the exercises in the link above if you need more work with that coordination.
TIP: Feel how the kick and snare land in relation to horn line. It’s important to sing that rhythm to allow for all of the rhythm section instruments to be one groove.
Final Thoughts
Drumming along to great drummers was my first drum set lesson. I remember my teacher, a speed metal drummer, telling me that it will be an easy way to develop a good sense of time. I hope that these examples inspire drummers to level up their drumming through this kind of practice.