Last Updated on June 18, 2021 by Danny
If you have just taken up drums, it is pretty easy to be fazed by the complexity of some popular songs. The drummer’s hands might seem alien, and the routine is pretty much impossible to learn. However, plenty of popular and classic pieces do not have an incredibly intricate drumming section.
We have compiled a list of iconic easy songs to learn on drums. They have a simple beat with a slow tempo and uncomplicated fills. With these songs, you will be able to learn and perfect basic techniques without straining too much.
You will also have a hit song in your bag to show off with once you learn a piece. Do not think of easy songs as inferior; these are, in fact, some of the biggest songs out there. Just hone your technique with these before you try more advanced pieces. Avoid trying extremely complex songs initially, as it is easy to get frustrated with them and give up on drumming.
Shall we get started with 11 easy drum songs for beginners?
11 Easy Drum Songs for Beginners (With Videos)
1. The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army
Seven Nation Army is one of the greatest hits by The White Stripes. Released in 2003 as the opening track on their Elephant album, this song garnered significant praise from critics for its drumbeat. It was classified as one of the biggest hits of the 2000s!
Meg White (The White Stripes drummer) has often been criticized for her simplistic drumming style, and the Seven Nation Army is indeed quite basic in its drumming. However, people should realize that basic is not the same as bad! A complicated drumming routine might have overpowered other parts of the song. In contrast, the simple drumming technique helped the other band members shine.
This simplicity is what makes it a straightforward song to play on drums. With a bit of practice, you will be able to learn this simple and popular tune.
The training video by Duke Grooves we have listed nicely breaks down this song into sections; this makes it much easier to learn. There is also a free drum notation PDF in the description.
2. Billie Jean – Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson is a treasure trove of fantastic easy drum beats, with Billie Jean being one of the simpler ones. Released in 1983 as part of the Thriller album (the biggest selling album of all time), Billie Jean was No. 1 in 10 countries and had spent seven weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. To call this a great song would be an understatement.
Leon “Ndugu” Chancler mans the drum and has dished out a fantastic beat. This beat is sometimes called the “Money Beat” because of the number of hit songs that have used this beat. It is punchy and is what drives this powerful song throughout its duration.
The groove is quite simple and, therefore, will be easy for beginners to pick up. While it is an easy beat, it requires a lot of energy, so be ready to sweat and pant at the end of each practice session. Many advanced beats are based on this beat, so you must learn this before moving on to more complicated ones.
3. Queen – Another One Bites the Dust
Another One Bites the Dust was released in 1980 by Queen as part of The Game album. This song is, in fact, Queen’s best-selling single with over seven million copies sold. It is an upbeat song even though it discusses death.
This song is highly groovy, especially for a rock song! The whole song does not use any complicated techniques or methods and somehow manages to blend many simple parts into one grand masterpiece. The drumbeat is pretty much unchanged throughout the entirety of the song other than the occasional fills. The fills are also nothing complicated.
The song is simply amazing (it is simple and amazing!); any beginner would not have a difficult time picking this up. The above training video by Barry Birmingham from Santa Barbara Drum Labs discussed the song in an easy-to-understand way.
A fun side note, Another One Bites the Dust was actually used to train medical professionals for doing CPR as the bassline of 110 bpm of the song is close to the chest compressions per minute recommended by the British Heart Foundation!
4. Metallica – Nothing Else Matters
Metallica is one of the biggest metal bands out there. However, most of their songs cannot be learned by beginners, as metal drumming is typically fast and complex. Just check out “Battery” and “One” to know just how complicated metal drumming can be.
That said, Nothing Else Matters is one of the very few Metallica songs that won’t be a beginner’s nightmare. Released in 1991 as the third single of Metallica ( Yes, the band Metallica made an album called Metallica), the song reached the top 10 in many countries. The song is a heavy ballad that does not rely on complex rhythms; it instead uses the sound quality and loudness of drums to carry the tune.
The song has a slow and powerful movement. The beat is quite simple, and the tempo does not change that much. The simple fills are extremely easy to learn and sound fabulous. All this makes it simply an excellent practice song for beginners.
The video by Cifra Club is simply one of the best tutorial videos. Everything is taught in-depth, and nothing is rushed. The thing is that the video is in Portuguese, yet English speakers can learn with it quite seamlessly.
5. The Beatles – Let It Be
Let It Be is an evergreen classic from one of the biggest bands ever. Released in 1970, this song would climb to the top of Billboard Hot 100. The song actually originated from Paul McCartney’s dream in which he had dreamt of his mother, Mary Patricia McCartney, who had died when he was 14 years old. This song was also the last Beatles’ final single before McCartney announced his departure.
Ringo Starr is one of the greatest ever. Period. He has been innovative and inspired generations of drummers. However, Let It Be is one of the songs in which he has dialed down his innovation and has laid down a relatively simple beat. This song is a boon for beginners with a slow and steady tempo, repetitive sections, simple drum beats, and fills. You can practice this for hours without really breaking a sweat.
The video links to a Let It Be cover by Serban Sorin. It is a great cover, and you will be able to follow it and learn.
6. Bon Jovi – Livin’ on a Prayer
Livin’ on a Prayer from the album Slippery When Wet is one of the most iconic songs from Bon Jovi. It reached the top of the Billboard 100 and remains extremely popular even today. The song was well received in both pop and rock scenes and had everything you would hope to find in a 1980s song.
The drumming is quite energetic but is not too complicated, making it a great practice song for beginners. However, this song is among the more intricate songs to play on the list, so we suggest that you practice the simpler ones first before trying your hand at this.
The verses and intro of the song are its simplest components; you can glide through them with just your snare, hi-hat, and kick drum. There are only a few fills in these sections. On the other hand, the chorus and the middle section are a bit more intricate but nothing too complicated. The underlying rhythm remains the same; you will just have to add a few cymbal shots.
The linked video is a pretty good lesson by onlinedrummer. It features an overhead camera to see which drums or cymbals are being hit and has drum notations on the screen so that you can learn along with the video. You will find links for notation and sheet music for Livin’ on a Prayer in the description.
7. AC/DC – Highway to Hell
Released in 1979 as part of the album Highway to Hell (yes, once again, the song and the album bear the same name), the song Highway to Hell would become an instant classic. It is one of the best-known works of AC/DC and is actually a reference to the brutal and grueling life of constantly touring and being on the road.
As with most Australian rock songs, Highway to Hell is a simple composition. It does not matter if you want to man the drums or the guitar; the song is easy to play.
Phil Rudd (the drummer) laid down a simple groove with just strong beats and clear fills with nothing complicated, yet it became an iconic groove. The bass drum and the snare drum are the main stars, and you will be able to breeze through the song with just a little practice.
The linked tutorial by LearnSomeDrums breaks down the sections and teaches you everything in a clear manner. He uses multiple camera angles and has drum notation on the screen so that you can follow through without issue.
8. Nirvana – Come as You Are
Released as part of the album Nevermind in 1992, Come as You Are would become extremely popular among new guitarists due to its simple yet catchy guitar riff.
The drumming is also on a similar line. It is very simple, clear, and uncomplicated, making it one of the easiest songs to drum to. Dave Grohl has managed to render one of the best songs for beginners with Come as You Are.
There are only two main sections. The verses are pretty simple and just filled with bass drum, snare drum, and cymbal. There are plenty of bass drum strokes, but you will be able to manage them with just a single bass pedal. The pre-chorus with its 16 note snare drum fill is incredibly iconic and so much fun to play!
The chorus is slightly more complicated and challenging as it also includes toms. However, that makes it an excellent section for developing endurance.
Overall, this song is beloved by all drummers as both a practice song and a warm-up song. The tutorial by The Drum Professor breaks down the song into sections and even has time stamps. The only thing is that the video does not include drum notations.
9. U2 – Bullet the Blue Sky
U2 released Bullet the Blue Sky as part of their album The Joshua Tree in 1987. This is one of their most politicized songs, and it actually featured in the 2018 issue of Q included the song on a list of the 50 Greatest Revolutionary Songs.
While the name Bullet the Blue Sky might seem very complicated, Larry Mullen (the drummer) has actually laid down a simple beat. The song might be a little too energetic and fast to some, but it is pretty manageable. If you are a U2 fan, this is one of their most easy songs to play on drums. Most of the songs in their 14 studio albums are not as simple as this.
The tutorial video by Kevin Kirkpatrick is quite old, the video quality isn’t that great, and there are no drum notations either. However, you get to see all the drums, and it is easy to follow his hand movements. His playing is also excellent, and he smiles throughout, which is a nice thing to see.
10. Muse – Starlight
Well, finally, a song that is from the 21st century! Muse released Starlight as part of the album Black Holes and Revelations in 2006. Most Muse songs have complicated drumming patterns. Dominic Howard shows off his fantastic technique and skills in each of them.
However, in Starlight, he has taken the complexity down a notch. It only has some basic beats and a few uncomplicated fills. The song is at just around 121 bpm, making it a great practice song for beginners.
The tutorial video was released in 2009, making it extremely old. However, even though it is such an old video, the sound quality is excellent, and you get multiple camera angles. It teaches the song step by step and is simply a fantastic tutorial.
11. Coldplay – Yellow
Yellow cradles between the 21st and 20th century as it was released in 2000. It was part of Coldplay’s debut album Parachutes and was the band’s international breakthrough hit
This song is excellent for a new drummer as it is soft with a slow tempo and simple beat. With just a little practice, you can learn to play this great song properly. Will Champion has laid down an excellent hopeful beat with just a sprinkle of rock elements. All this makes it a great practice piece.
The cover video by Web Music School is pretty great. Video and sound quality are impeccable. The camera angle constantly changes to focus on the drum or cymbal being played. It is quite an easy cover, and you should be able to learn it without issues. There is a drum sheet in the description for people who need it.
Conclusion
Well, this is the end. These are some of the easiest beginner drum songs for learning and practicing. However, keep in mind that just because these are easy, it does not mean you will be playing them amazingly with just a few short sessions. It will take time to perfect your rendition of these songs. That said, each song is fun to play on drums, and you will be able to learn them without getting a headache.
So what are you waiting for? Take out your drum set and start playing!