This track utilizes an easy half-time basic rock beat that’s accessible for novice drummers to master, while simultaneously teaching you to lock in with a bassist, an essential skill as your playing progresses.
This classic Beatles tune will help improve your timing and teach you to play with dynamics by gradually increasing and decreasing volume during loud sections. Furthermore, sixteenth notes (twice as fast as eighth notes) will also be introduced into your playing.
Bad Guy by Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish is an immensely recognizable young musician with a distinct sound. As an established singer-songwriter-rapper who has made her mark on the music industry with several hit tracks — Bad Guy has gone beyond one billion views on YouTube making it the second song ever to do so after Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s Despacito; making this track an enormous success story and earning Billie several awards in its wake.
Bad Guy opens with a heartbeat/kick drum combination produced by Billie’s brother Finneas that sets an oppressive and menacing atmosphere, followed by double-tracked vocal singing by Billie along with fragments of her bass hook – almost entirely without using reverb, creating an intimate feeling and building tension before giving way to dark lyrics that follow.
As soon as Billie begins singing, listeners are immediately immersed in an atmosphere of power dynamics and male aggression. Her opening line – “you can out-scare me, out-dare him” – signals her dominance over him, with its accompanying production boasting both icy synth pads and aggressive Trap accompaniment combining perfectly to create an unsettling yet sinister vibe.
This tension continues through each verse. In the opening stanza, Billie sings an echoing version of her title hook while her vocals remain sparse and almost without reverb. This contrast between intimate instrumentation and her childlike lyrics adds another layer to this song’s unique combination of quirkiness and darkness.
Bad Guy stands out as an exceptional 2020 release, due to its effective combination of varied elements that creates an engaging yet menacing tone. Snaps add another layer to this song by being multilayered and spread out across its composition – giving the song its distinctive soundscape and adding another level of tension and menacing quality. Overall, Bad Guy boasts one of the most unique and captivating compositions ever released in modern pop music today.
Uptown Funk by The Weeknd
As soon as “Uptown Funk” began playing over speakers, Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson knew they had something truly remarkable on their hands. Its opening bass line and drum beat are instantly recognisable, setting the scene for what would go on to become one of pop music’s biggest hits ever. Produced to perfection, it highlights both Ronson and Mars as producers; its success can be attributed in no small part to its lasting popularity; remaining an evergreen classic of pop music today.
“Uptown Funk” is an incredible song, yet it contains several issues that must be addressed. First and foremost, its lyrics include some of the most shallow lifestyle reporting you’ll find anywhere today – telling women they should only attract wealthy men living a luxurious life. Additionally, its grammatically incorrect phrases appear less polished; such as when it says that men should walk down streets in “uptown style”, when more accurately it should read as “downtown style.”
Furthermore, the lyrics of this song are full of irony and sarcasm. The narrator attempts to impress potential partners by boasting about his money, fame and social status; even going so far as naming off items from Yves Saint Laurent bags and Chuck Taylor sneakers! Thus creating an atmosphere more similar to bragging than an honest love tale.
Another problem is the repetitive and monotonous chorus, while catchy it may be, it needs more variety for added variety and depth. Furthermore, its lyrics do not make as strong an impactful statement than other songs on this list.
Overall, “Uptown Funk” is an incredible song that has earned numerous awards and honors since its debut. Perhaps its crowning achievement was winning Song of the Year at the 2015 Grammys – besting big hits like Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky”, Lizzo’s “About Damn Time”, and Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab”. Partly because of its throwback sound reminiscent of legendary artists such as Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, “Uptown Funk” found success capturing people of all generations!
Wonderwall by Oasis
Wonderwall, one of the most famous songs ever composed, remains popular across generations due to its timeless melody and intriguing lyrics. It remains timeless. While its meaning may seem obscure, Wonderwall captures universal themes easily understood by listeners. As evidenced by its continued playback in movies, commercials, and radio stations; its unrivaled popularity remains undiminished today. Oasis’ song, “Wonderwall”, enjoyed unprecedented success due to its musical prowess, rebellious image, and cultural impact. Additionally, “Wonderwall” marked Oasis’ first success outside its home country; Live Forever and Don’t Look Back In Anger were already well known hits in Britain before this breakthrough hit from Oasis came along.
Noel Gallagher composed Wonderwall in such a way as to suggest its subject is vague and open for interpretation, creating an engaging but mysterious work. Noel’s lyrics include both personal and societal themes, making the piece both complex and enigmatic; although his intentions in writing it remain unknown. Some speculate the song might refer to his former partner Meg Matthews; however Noel has stated his music should remain open to interpretation rather than specifically address anyone in particular; this allows listeners to relate its lyrics with their personal struggles or experiences.
Another theory suggests that the song is about finding solace through friendship when going through tough times. Lyrics such as, “Today was going to be the day/ They’d throw it all back at you”, suggest the narrator is seeking someone who will stand by and support them through hardships. Additionally, second person narration supports this interpretation by suggesting the singer is communicating directly to whomever is receiving the lyrics of this song.
Noel and Liam have made Wonderwall an integral part of their solo careers, performing it both solo acoustically as well as with full bands. Its timeless appeal lies in its engaging lyrics and its message of peace and hope.
Baba O’ Riley by The Who
Baba O’ Riley is an essential learn for any drummer looking to push beyond their comfort zone. The beat in Baba O’ Riley features a simple rock rhythm with an undulating kick and snare pattern starting on “&”, making this song ideal for beginner drummers struggling with odd beat patterns and patterns that start on odd beats. Once mastered, move onto more difficult rhythms and fills.
Psycho Killer by Talking Heads is one of the most enjoyable songs to play, featuring a steady 4/4 beat throughout, offering ample room to experiment with drum fills and other techniques. However, its tempo is slightly higher than other beginner songs so it would be beneficial to practice at slow speed first before speeding it up later.
Highway to Hell by AC/DC is another popular song to learn as a beginner drummer, featuring an easy basic beat and double-time beat in its chorus section that can be difficult for novice players to master at first. But this song provides great practice opportunities as you discover timing and different types of drum beats.
Tame Impala song “Love Comes First” is an ideal option for beginner drummers, as its basic drum beat is easy for newcomers to follow and can help develop rhythm and footwork skills required for drumming as well as stamina necessary to practice regularly.
Beginner drummers may find the main drum part in this song difficult to time accurately at first; therefore, practicing this at a slow pace initially is recommended; once they have it down pat they can then work on increasing speed gradually.