- A metronome or a pair of monitoring headphones is all you need to start practicing, even before you own a full kit.
- The basic rock beat (hi-hat, snare, kick) alone unlocks 80% of the songs on this list.
- The classic mistake: wanting to speed up before you’re solid. Timing matters more than speed.
- By the end of this tutorial, you’ll be able to play 5 full songs, from verse to chorus.
I’ve watched hundreds of beginners sit down behind a kit, and the breakthrough almost always comes from the same place: playing a real song, not an abstract exercise. That’s exactly the idea behind this tutorial to get started on drums: five well-known songs, from the easiest to the most technical, so you can progress without getting bored.
You don’t need to be a virtuoso to get going. Every song here is built on a groove (the repeated rhythmic pattern) that’s accessible within the first few weeks of practice, as long as you nail the basics first. We’re assuming you’ve only just picked up your sticks, and we’ll move forward step by step.
Before you start: the gear and skill level you need
You don’t need a full acoustic kit to practice these songs. An electronic drum kit or a beginner acoustic kit will do the job perfectly. Here’s what you need before you get started:
- A metronome (an app, a standalone unit, or a dedicated metronome): essential if you don’t want to pick up bad timing habits.
- A closed-back headphone if you’re playing an electronic kit or practicing in an apartment: a drum-specific headphone stops you from instinctively playing too loud.
- A practice pad to work on your hands without waking up the whole building: practice pads and accessories are perfect for this.
- A stable throne set at the right height (knees slightly lower than your hips): an adjustable drum throne genuinely transforms your posture.
Skill level required: none. These songs were picked because they use simple rhythmic figures (eighth notes, quarter notes) and a moderate tempo. If you can already hold down a basic rock beat, you’ll blow through all five in no time.
The basic beat you need to master first
Before tackling the songs, you need a foundation: the rock beat. It’s the pattern that shows up in almost all pop and rock music. In a 4/4 bar:
- Hi-hat: steady eighth notes, played with your right hand (or left if you play open-handed).
- Kick: on beats 1 and 3.
- Snare: on beats 2 and 4, what’s known as the backbeat.
Loop this rock beat for 5 minutes at 70 BPM before every session. Once it holds together on its own without you having to think about it, you’re ready to move on to the songs below.
1. “We Will Rock You” — Queen: the groove that gets you moving
The simplest song on the list, and not by accident: it’s often the very first beat beginners learn. The pattern is just two kick hits followed by one snare hit (“boom-boom-clap”), looped without any hi-hat.
- Count out loud: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and.
- Kick on “1” and “and” (right after the 1), snare on “2”.
- Repeat the exact same pattern on beats 3 and 4.
Once this pattern feels solid at a slow tempo, try holding down the whole song without dropping out. It’s a great test of consistency, with zero hand complexity to worry about.
2. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” — Nirvana: the rock beat in a real song
This is where your basic rock beat comes into play. Dave Grohl plays a classic backbeat on the verses, with a sharp, dry snare hit on beats 2 and 4. The hi-hat stays simple, in steady eighth notes.
- Verse: hi-hat in eighth notes, kick on the 1 and the 3, snare on the 2 and the 4.
- Pre-chorus: the energy builds, so you can hit the snare a little harder (an accent).
- Chorus: switch from the hi-hat to the ride or crash cymbal to mark the change in energy.
This song teaches you an essential skill: changing dynamics without breaking tempo. Many beginners unconsciously speed up on the loud parts — stay locked onto the metronome.
3. “Should I Stay or Should I Go” — The Clash: playing with space
Topper Headon plays a punk-reggae groove that deliberately leaves room to breathe. The learning value here: learning not to fill every beat, and feeling a syncopation without rushing it.
- Hi-hat still in eighth notes, but played lighter.
- Kick on the 1, plus a syncopated hit (an offbeat strike, landing between two beats) just before the 3.
- Snare on the 2 and the 4, as usual — that’s your anchor point.
If the syncopation doesn’t “click,” break it down by counting out loud in eighth notes (1-AND-2-AND-3-AND-4-AND) and place your hit on the “AND” in question before playing at normal speed.
4. “Billie Jean” — Michael Jackson: precision on the hi-hat
This song is tough for one reason only: its consistency. The hi-hat runs in perfectly even eighth notes throughout the entire track, never wavering. It’s an exercise in endurance and steadiness more than pure technique.
- Closed hi-hat, very even eighth notes, constant volume.
- Kick on every beat (1, 2, 3, 4): it’s this four-on-the-floor kick that gives the song its danceable groove.
- Snare still on the 2 and the 4, played with a slight laid-back feel (the “ghost feel”) to keep things loose.
Work on it with a metronome, starting slow (around 80 BPM), and only bump it up by 5 BPM once the song stays solid for three consecutive run-throughs.
5. “Seven Nation Army” — The White Stripes: playing with toms
Meg White builds her groove around the toms rather than the hi-hat, which completely changes the color of the song. It’s your chance to step outside the classic rock beat and work on the coordination between toms and kick.
- Kick and mid tom played almost together, in a repeating pattern throughout the verse.
- Snare used sparingly, less often than in the previous songs.
- On the chorus, add a crash cymbal to mark the entrance, like a strong signal.
This song is a fitting way to close out the list: it forces you to think in terms of a pattern rather than plain accompaniment, a skill that will serve you across every style beyond rock.
Common mistakes
Before moving on to the next song, make sure you can play the previous one all the way through, without dropping out, at least at 90% of the original tempo. Here are the most common mistakes beginners make:
- Speeding up on the choruses: the metronome should stay your only reference point, not your excitement.
- Gripping the drumsticks too tight: it tires out your wrist and kills the rebound. Loosen your grip.
- Watching your hands instead of listening: practice the basic rock beat with your eyes closed — your ear improves faster than your eyes do.
If you’re starting out on a pad or an electronic kit in an apartment, go for a comfortable pair of monitoring headphones: you’ll be wearing them for hours on end, and the quality of what you hear directly shapes your sense of timing.
So, what’s next?
Five songs, five different skills: steadiness, the backbeat, syncopation, hi-hat precision, and playing with toms. You now have a solid foundation to get started on drums with confidence. The next step is to pick a song that genuinely excites you and break it down using the same method: count it out, isolate the parts, loop them, and put it all back together.
Don’t try to learn everything in a week. One song played well beats five played half right.
