Easy Songs To Play On Drums For Beginners

Are you a beginner looking for easy songs to play on drums? Here, we’ve curated a list of easy songs for beginner drummers, grouped by skill rating.

We have everything in this list that will take you from playing along to your first song, easing you into songs with more complex grooves and fills, right up to some more challenging songs that will push you and help you develop your skills. If you’re a beginner drummer, we’re confident this list of songs will really help you grow and become more confident behind the kit!

This list is a work in progress, we’ll gradually add more songs and build up a list of 50 songs for beginner drummers, gradually building up the difficulty as you go down the list so you can develop your skills!

If you’re brand new to drumming, before you start, why not take a look at some of our rudiment guides for beginners? Knowing the essential drum rudiments will help you advance through the list below. Before you start with our first song on the list, be sure to check out our single-stroke roll guide.

• What are rudiments in drumming?
• Single stroke roll
• Double stroke roll
• Paradiddles
• Flams

7 Nation Army – The White Stripes

Difficulty rating: 1

7 Nation Army is actually the first song I learn on the drums, and is perfect for beginners. This simple 4/4 beat track is great for developing your timing. Try to nail the kicks and snares on the beat, and stay in time while you transition in and out of the fills.

We Will Rock You – Queen

Difficulty rating: 1

This song has an iconic yet simple drum beat, which is somewhat ironic since on the recording it is heavily overlaid with claps and other effects. This is a great chance to develop your flam, twice on the floor tom and once on the snare. Then, build in your bass drum foot to further emphasise beats one and two. Have fun maintaining the beat in this stadium staple!

For Whom The Bell Tolls – Metallica

Difficulty rating: 1

Calling all metalheads! Here’s an easy entry point into Metallica’s expansive library. As with 7 Nation Army, this song maintains a steady yet simple beat throughout with some interesting fills. This track also introduces a more complex rhythm to master in the intro. Try and nail the rhythm on the toms in the intro, and remember to count to hit the crash on the right beat!

Back in Black – AC/DC

Difficulty rating: 1

Not only will this classic rock anthem help you further master your timing, it will also give you a chance to develop your hi-hat playing. For the main part, this song is played with an ever-so-slightly open hi-hat sound, so experiment with controlling that sound using your hi-hat foot pedal. Listen carefully and you’ll also notice the varying dynamics on the on and off beats – this is a great chance to start building dynamics into your playing and build your stick control.

Billie Jean – Michael Jackson

Difficulty rating: 1

Stepping away from rock, Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean features an iconic 4/4 beat throughout. This is a great track to develop your timekeeping on.

Dreams – Fleetwood Mac

Difficulty rating: 1

Another simple beat, but this time listen out for the fills and occasional hi-hat embellishments, which offer a great opportunity to further develop your drumming.

Another One Bites The Dust – Queen

Difficulty rating: 1

Keep a straight beat along to this track’s iconic riff! While the emphasis is on the bass guitar, you’ll also get a chance to shine behind the kit in the middle eight, where all other instruments drop out.

Gangsta’s Paradise – Coolio

Difficulty rating: 1

We broaden our horizons again with this 90’s rap anthem, which interpolates Stevie Wonder’s Pastime Paradise. Keep a steady beat throughout and watch out for the segments where the bass and snare drop out.

Twist & Shout – The Beatles

Difficulty rating: 1

Here’s a great track from The Beatles’ debut album to develop your fills and snare rolls with. Believe it or not this song is actually a cover and not the original version, which was originally recorded by The Top Notes. Check it out here!

Sharp Dressed Man – ZZ Top

Difficulty rating: 1

This number from hot rod enthusiasts ZZ Top features a simple 4/4 beat, giving you a chance to develop your timekeeping. The iconic fill in the chorus is also a good opportunity to practise keeping the beat during a couple of bars of rest and feels great when you nail it!

Free Fallin’ – Tom Petty

Difficulty rating: 1

This laid back track will require you to align your bass drum with the bass guitarist, with particular attention on the ‘and’ of beat 2. You’ll also need to count along for several bars of rest in the intro and remember when to come in!

Buddy Holly – Weezer

Difficulty rating: 2

We turn up the difficulty slightly with our next song, featuring different grooves for the verse and chorus, plus various fills throughout. Practice each segment individually before chaining it all together.

Good Times – Chic

Difficulty rating: 2

Listen carefully to the rhythmic hi-hat pattern on this track – it’s just a simple straight beat. You’ll need to play this pattern with both hands while also playing the 2 and 4 beats on the snare as well as adjusting the pressure on the hi-hat pedal to nail the accents. If you get stuck, remember, you can play the snare with either hand!

Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars

Difficulty rating: 2

Fun fact, as well as providing vocals, Bruno Mars also played the drums on this track! This is a fun song to play on drums thanks to the four-on-the-floor drum beat (meaning the bass drum is played on all four beats) plus a fun interlude where you can work on your dynamics. Finally, the energy builds up for the last segment where you’ll play a cool off-beat pattern on the ride.

Dani California – Red Hot Chilli Peppers

Difficulty rating: 2

Listen carefully in the intro, this drum beat is more complex than it might first sound. That’s because the beat includes ghost notes on the snare as you play the bass drum. As a result, this is a great track to learn this skill on before rocking out on the ride cymbal at the very end!

Come As You Are – Nirvana

Difficulty rating: 2

Build strength on your bass drum foot with the verse drum pattern in this track that follows the bass drum. Meanwhile, the chorus will give you a chance to practice dynamics on the snare rolls as well as introducing flams in the fills.

Wake Me Up When September Ends – Green Day

Difficulty rating: 2

Ironically, a hard part about this song is the amount of time you’re not playing the drums. Because of this, it’s a great way to learn to count along to a song while you’re not playing and be able to come in on cue. On top of that, the chorus places the snare on the offbeat, giving you another new groove to learn.

I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) – The Proclaimers

Difficulty rating: 2

Here’s another track that’s a little more complex than it sounds at first. Listen out for the hi-hat for the accents, some of which are on the off-beat. This song also features a few different beats and build-up fills, so listen out and remember when to change.

Creep – Radiohead

Difficulty rating: 2

This gloomy number from British rockers Radiohead is a great way to practice dynamics, with a quiet verse leading into an aggressive chorus, and back out again. Learn how to keep a constant beat throughout, despite the varying energy levels. Be careful to avoid speeding up when things get heavy!

Losing My Religion – R.E.M.

Difficulty rating: 2

A relatively simple song on drums, with some cool stripped-back fills to nail. The middle eight also offers a chance to learn a new hi-hat pattern, which you’ll need to play alongside an off-beat bass drum pattern.

I Love Rock and Roll – Joan Jett

Difficulty rating: 2

This track might be fairly simple, but it offers another chance to perfect your timing. That’s especially important here, where the iconic bass-bass-snare beat is a hugely memorable part of this song, especially in the second verse that’s stripped back to drums and vocals only.

Eye of the Tiger – Survivor

Difficulty rating: 2

An iconic track recorded especially for Rocky III and featured in the famous montage segment. The timing of the intro can be difficult to nail, so remember to count! The song also features several interesting fills to learn, including an important fill in the chorus that really adds emphasis to this track.

Harder to Breathe – Maroon 5

Difficulty rating: 2

Maroon 5’s debut single is a great track to build right-hand strength thanks to the fast and rhythmic hi-hat and ride patterns which are best played using a push-pull technique. You’ll also have a chance to build confidence on the bass drum with the fast doubles in the verse.

Livin’ on a Prayer – Bon Jovi

Difficulty rating: 2

Get ready to rock out with this 80s crowd pleaser. While the drums are mostly simple on this track, listen out for the hi-hat flourishes and nail the transitions – especially the fill before the guitar solo!

When the Levee Breaks – Led Zeppelin

We take the tempo down for this iconic Led Zeppelin number. This is a great test of stamina in a track that lasts a whopping 7 minutes!