Andrea
You need a suitable song when playing drums, especially as a beginner. There are a ton of songs in the world that you can use.
And that is where the problem is.
The choice is too wide; it becomes overwhelming. Sometimes getting the right song seems like a long trail on a steep slope.
But do not worry, in this guide, I will be taking you through some of the best easy songs to practice on drums you can use as a beginner. It is all about getting you on the right track.
What is the best beginner drum song?
Before we look at the list of the songs I have selected, let’s consider a good beginner drum song’s feature. It can be helpful when you want to make your own choices.
It should be easy
To me, this is the number one and most important consideration for beginner drum songs. Some people think they will feel inferior if they play easy drum songs. But that is not true.
When I started playing, my favorite song was Seven Army Nation by White Stripes. This song has the most basic drum moves you can think of.
I did not know much about drum songs at the time, but I just picked anything that came in my mind. Luckily, I had been listening to the song on several occasions and knew it off the head.
Easy songs will encourage you to learn more and faster.
As much as you may want to challenge yourself with, perhaps a harder choice, it will not be in your best interest to feel so helpless.
I have seen many beginner drummers feel overwhelmed and end their career before it begins because they made the wrong song choice. In this case, the tune feels so hard to follow; they don’t see the need to keep trying.
Slow, with simple beats and fills
Sometimes drumming can be addictive when you listen to some of the greatest and fastest drummers. But one thing you need to know is that they all began somewhere.
You need to take a similar step and begin with something slow. Without a doubt, faster tempos are more exciting, but they are not what you are looking for in your first song.
Drumming is much more than just hitting the drums. A drummer is also the timekeeper, which means all the other band members are relying on you. If you cannot get it right, the chances of ruining the whole song are very high.
Learning tempo could be the hardest part of learning drums. It is the backbone of a drummer’s work.
Start with even a half-beat, and advance slowly into a quarter beat. By the time you get to 16th of
a beat, you will have understood everything you need to make a successful drummer.
Note also, that the song should contain simple beats and feels. The last thing you want is to get overwhelmed with complex snare, or tom moves.
You need proper motivation to become a good drummer. And this comes from setting goals and achieving them.
If you can do the simple beats successfully, you will find it much easier to advance to the next stage.
Work with other band members
A drummer is the most important member of any band. You can find a band without a vocalist, or a bass guitarist, but finding one without a drummer is not easy.
For this reason, a drummer should always learn to work with other band members to get the best out of their songs.
Sometimes this means you just sit back and listen. You learn better by listening to and working with others.
This is one more reason why you don’t need killer chops to bring out a solid and interesting performance. In other words, you don’t need to struggle alone learning drums.
You achieve perfection through practice, and sooner or later, you will be playing some of the hardest gigs you ever imagined.
Your preference
We all have our best songs in mind. Even before you look at the list I will be providing before; there must already be one or two songs that makes you want to drum even more.
This comes down to your drumming style. With so many music genres, you don’t need to learn all of them at once. Begin with your favorite music style.
If you are into jazz, you know it is all about subtleness, the opposite of energetic and thunderous rock. As long as you are comfortable, anything that makes you feel safe is good.
Looking for the hardest song to play on the drums? => Click here to get the best selection of hard songs to play!
20 best beginner drum songs reviewed
As stated above, there are many songs, both from online and offline sources, that will get you drumming like a pro within a short period. Nothing will stop you from becoming the drummer you want to be with dedication and the right choice.
Talking of the right choice, you already know what the best beginner song should look like. So I will get right in and review 20 of the best beginner drum songs.
1. Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes
You already know why this song is on top of this list. Since I was a child, I have been listening to it, and it becomes one of my motivations for learning drums.
Meg White is one of the greatest drummers of all time. And he was the drummer of The White Stripes when they were working on this song.
Despite being a renowned drummer for his complex moves, he sometimes gets a bad rep over-simplistic drumming.
You will think the drum track on the song Seven Nation is the work of a learner. But then, anything more than this could have easily ruined the song.
It is quite interesting that most of The White Stripes’ hit songs contain very basic drum works. Yet, they have received overwhelming recognition across the globe.
Hence, there is no better recommendation than this song. It features a super-basic beat filled with the popular underlying riffs that make it a perfect beginner choice.
It is not just how easy the song is that it makes it interesting; it’s the power that comes from simplicity. Perhaps no one could have imagined the song would be such a hit even with such an approach.
2. Nothing Else Matter by Metallica
The first step to learning drums is finding the right motivation – and in this case, the right band. Metallica is one of the first bands that comes to mind when talking about metal music.
As stated above, picking the right music styles can be impactful in your drumming carrier. There are lots of music styles and genres you learn drumming from, but there is just one that will get you the right energy.
We said your best song should be slow. However, metal music is always fast, aggressive, and complex with their beats.
This is why you need the right song to start with.
Luckily, a few of Metallica’s songs come with relatively easy drum works. This is more noticeable from the time the band began slowing down their songs. Songs from The Black Album, Load, Reload, and many others feature this characteristic.
Lars Ulrich is a name that has been mentioned across many metal drumming generations. There are many who have gone beyond his skills and technique, more so, his double bass drumming. But it all comes down to the foundation he laid.
As a beginner, drumming from the album version of Metallica songs could be a perfect influence. It comes with a lot of improvised fills that Lar Ulrich tries to impress his listeners with.
“Nothing Else Matters” is a ballad, with a pretty steady tempol. The beat is even simpler, which makes it a great beginner choice.
It features simple fills, which will not sweat you. And you get several of them, easy to learn, yet sound incredible.
3. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Metallica
Even though most of Metallica’s first tracks are first and complex, there are many good numbers for beginners.
Apart from “Nothing Else Matters,” there is “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” another combination of the simple drum moves with beautiful fills.
It is among the top epic songs designed for beginners. Despite its simplicity, the drum work tries to ensure you don’t get anything less than pure entertainment.
With this in mind, it is safe to say that many of Metallica’s tracks are designed for beginners. The tempo and Ulrich’s double kick drums are easy, yet challenging enough to set you on the right path.
4. Another One Bites the Dust by Queen
There are so many ways to describe the awesomeness of “Another One Bites the Dust.” If you are looking for a groovy rock song of all time, this is one piece that should not pass your mind.
And even though rock drumming is sometimes hard, this song is so simple. It goes beyond the stupendous bass riff, which is also simplistic, to create a very easy-to-play song.
The same beat is repeated throughout the song, combined with several simple fills in specific parts. You can’t get anything easier.
5. Let It Be by the Beatles
If you talk about the best bands of all time, one thing that stands out is who their drummer was. In other words, it is a drummer who defines a band and seems to set its cause.
Nothing less can be spoken of Ringo Starr. There is no doubt the drummer had a lot of influence on the drumming realm. And his drumming work continues to carry the same gospel.
His chops behind the throne were unique and spectacular. But there are several tracks, like “Back to USSR” or “Rain,” which shows a lot of interesting concepts.
Several songs by the Beatles are also characterized by super easy drumming styles, and “Let It Be” is one of them. It features a steady tempo and extremely easy beat and fills that make it suitable for a beginner.
6. Highway to Hell by AC/DC
From the name of the song, you can already tell it is a serious rock track. It is one of the band’s most popular songs, and perhaps all tunes. The Australian rockers make the best out with simple and easy to play tunes.
Whether you are playing guitar, bass, or drum, this song will motivate you.
Phil Rudd, AC/DC’s drummer behind the song, is another great drummer of all time. He delivers an iconic, yet simplistic drum pattern featuring strong beats and clear fills.
He’s playing in this song is quite basic. It is characterized by mostly bass-oriented beats with snare combinations. The fills are also easy and basic.
It is amazing that the song still sounds beautiful. You can be sure the song will keep you playing for long.
7. Livin’ On A Prayer by Bon Jovi
This is the band’s most popular song. It was released in 1986 and has since gained a lot of favor from pop/rock lovers. It had all the ingredients that defined the music of this era.
It features a powerful yet simple drum line that puts it on a list of good beginner drum songs.
Drummer Tico Torres produced a fine pop-rock drumming touch with a beautiful tune on this recording. It seems a bit trickier than other tunes on this list, but good enough for beginners.
There is a certain smooth flow on the intro and the verses, which makes it very easy because you only need the kick, the hi-hat, and the snare.
8. Come as You Are by Nirvana
When Nirvana produced the Nevermind album, it created a crunch to the mainstream. Even since “Come As You Are” has remained one of the favorites among the rookie guitarists. The catchy guitar riff makes it an awesome piece.
And this famous riff keeps the song interesting only if the drumming is basic. The verses rely on the kick, snare, and ride combination, while the chorus includes the tom-toms (which makes it a little complicated). This is still good for beginners.
9. Bullet the Blue Sky by U2
The work of Larry Mullen is not news in the drumming world. His work is often more energetic, which makes U2’s songs often sound more complex than they actually are. A good example is in “Bullet the Sky Blue.”
The tunes sound fast or complex, but they are simple and easy to play beats. If you are a fan of the band, this song should be a good one.
10. Yellow by Coldplay
A band is only as good as the song they play, and the British band Coldplay says it all. They have slowly evolved their songs through discography, bringing out “Yellow” as a perfect beginner drummer song.
It is played at a slow tempo with easy beats, making it easy to learn and play right.
11. Starlight by Muse
Muse is a band that has many complicated songs on drums. But the song “Starlight” is relatively easy. It was released on the “Black Holes and Revelations” album, which brings up a certain change in style.
But you will need to learn a few simple beats and fills before playing this song.
12. Sugar by Maroon 5
Released in 2014, this song features some of the best and easiest beats. The beat is consistent and focuses on the kick, the snare, and the ho-hat.
It is in 4/4 simple time with the east groove that lets the beginner focus important aspects of drumming while having fun.
13. Billie Jean by Michael Jackson
“Billie Jean” is one of the most iconic songs in the world. It features the 16th notes as some of the most used notes played on the hi-hat. But there are also a lot of half and whole notes on the snare and bass.
It plays at 4/4 signature, which makes it easy to master. And when you do, the pride in your eyes will tell it all.
14. Closer by the Chainsmokers
Today, many drummers find Chainsmokers’ “Closer” their favorite piece, and it is quite easy to see why. This song makes it easy how to learn rhythm and timekeeping by allowing a beginner to
use finger snaps and claps.
It features an 8th note on the hi-hat, which makes it sound sweet as you mix in the snare.
15. Radioactive by Imagine Dragons
If you are looking for the easiest drum songs for beginners, in “Radioactive” by Imagine dragons should be on your list. The song makes good use of typical drum beats and lets beginners add more tom beats to create their own beautiful tones. It is a perfect challenge for you.
16. Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day
This song is not only inspirational but easy to learn too.
Green Day may not be the best example for easy drum songs, but this rendition is perfect if you are in for some more challenge. There are several fills that will make you smile.
17. Cabin Down Below by Tom Petty
“Cabin Down Below” is a perfect example of fun drums songs. It is an excellent choice because you only need one drum beat one fills through the song. You may be a little challenged by lifting up the hi-hat in the 4/4-time signature, but it is still a great learning experience.
18. Sweet Child O’ Mine by Guns N’ Roses
There is a cooler comparison of a beginner drum song to this beat. It is a bit of syncopation, which could cause a beginner challenge, but you should be able to handle it without any issue.
19. Teenage Dream by Katy Perry
This song could as well be the most popular pop songs, and right for beginners. Its beat pattern is extremely easy to understand and learn. Besides, it is light and catchy.
20. Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath
This is one of the most iconic and influential songs in metal. It has inspired many generations and will continue doing so. It is famous for its tempo, creeping slowness, and a wide room for loads of fills.
Conclusion
Learning drums should be fun. I hope this list makes you feel so or at least gets you on the right path of performance.
