Our top 20 recommended jam tracks
Jamming, practising and keeping in the groove of making music in the class room and at home.
Supporting your child’s learning at home is great and will super charge progress if regular practise is undertaken. Here’s our current top 20 recommended tracks to learn and jam too outside of lessons. There’s lots to choose from here to fuel your practise sessions. Listening to music is part of learning to play an instrument too, so get those tunes playing! Click the iTunes, Spotify or Amazon icons to stream the music. Alternatively find the track in the playlists below or search them in youtube.
1
Back in Black
AC/DC
A classic 4/4 rock anthem. Steady tempo with simple accented notes in the choruses. Really great for beginners and a great introduction to rock music.
2
Eye Of The Tiger
Survivor
A 1982 classic with more complex accents throughout. Strong, driving rock beat through the entire song. Plenty of rests to develop timing, counting and listening skills.
3
I Feel Good
James Brown
The definitive funk song. Easy to learn with plenty of soul, but can be used to develop timing and accents for more intermediate players. Some difficult syncopated stabs and hit sections throughout.
4
Billy Jean
Michael Jackson
A well known, loved and recognisable song by The King of Pop. Very tight and very funky with the baseline providing a very stable foundation for beginners to develop timing and groove whilst equally brilliant for soloing around the kit for more advanced students.
5
Still Diggin’ on James Brown
Tower of Power
A really funky number by Tower of Power. Fantastic hi-hat patterns to learn and will work really well as an introduction to more complex patterns between the left hand and left foot. Fabulous emphasis on accents to master in each verse and chorus, go for it!
6
Uptown Funk
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars
A true modern classic with regards to funk / pop. Solid, driving 4/4 beat. Fantastic stabs and hits in the chorus which are fun to play and great for beginners. Movement with the right hand around the ride and other cymbals can be introduced for an extra challenge.
7
Mr. Brightside
The Killers
Another modern classic, instantly recognisable and very catchy. 16th note hi-hat patterns are great for practicing and developing single stroke rolls, speed, endurance and dynamics.
8
It’s My Life
Bon Jovi
Powerful classic rock song, again with great staccato stabs and accents throughout the whole song. Driving 4/4 rock beat allows players to experiment with fills and play around the kit. Rock on!
9
I’m Still Standing
Elton John
Funky, bouncy and full of character, this uptempo classic is a great introduction to classic pop music. The chorus has great use of flam rudiments on the floor tom and also some syncopated stabs and drum fills throughout. Fairly simple structure, great for beginners building tempo and getting those motor skills revved up!
10
Domino
Jessie J
A more modern classic, great guitars and a real great song just to jam out to. 16th note hi-hat patterns in the chorus works really well to continue rudimental skills and a four to the floor bass drum pattern leaves a lots room for improvisation. A party floor filler!
11
Happy
Pharrell Williams
Another modern funky pop song. Great tempo and repetitive enough to allow for a lot of improv and variation throughout. Breakdown in the middle allows for some interesting ideas to be applied.
12
We Will Rock You
Queen
A really great first song to learn for any young drummer. Slow and steady wins the race!Basic rock back beat at its best, an absolute beginners paradise. Instantly recognisable and a crowd favourite.
13
Ghostbusters
Ray Parker Jr.
Recognisable modern funk song. Packed with simple fills which can be used to introduce playing around the toms.
14
Mas Que Nada
Sergio Mendez
A really nice introduction to a latin American style of playing. Very quick hi-hat and cymbal patterns with the right hand, plenty of gaps to develop timing. Interesting use of dynamics in this song and introduces the idea of playing with a top-down feel (leading with the cymbals).
15
Cut The Cake
Average White Band
This is a really nice funk song, nice to play around with off time beats on the snare. A great go to funk song for just jamming out and expanding drum fill vocabulary.
16
I Want You Back
The Jackson 5
Absolute classic Motown song. Very soulful and a fun piece to play along to. Really solid influential beat with plenty of space again to allow for improvisation. The very strong bass lines to play off, this is ideal for new players finding the groove.
17
Superstition
Stevie Wonder
Another funky number, a must know song for a modern drummer. Great stabs / hits throughout the chorus. The drum fills in this track are excellent and will challenge your abilities.
18
Could You Be Loved
Bob Marley & The Wailers
Great introduction to reggae music. Off beat hi-hats are used to give it a classic 1 drop feel and the slower tempo means timing has to be on point, tight and the stabs / fill need to be precise.
19
I Heard it Through the Grapevine
Marvin Gaye
Another classic hit with excellent use of toms throughout which will really help to develop incorporating the whole drum kit into beats.
20
One Vision
Queen
A really powerful classical rock song. Fantastic tempo with a repetitive, driving beat.
Yeah!