Recommended songs for beginner band members by instrument
“I just started learning an instrument but already formed a band” or “We’re all beginners, but we want to start a band and play live!!” If that sounds like you, a budding band member— You’re probably thinking, “I have no idea where to start…” Of course, basic practice is important, but in the beginning, practicing songs is also recommended.
So in this article, we’ll introduce beginner-friendly songs for each instrument! Read this with your bandmates and use it to help you pick your setlist!
- [2026] Practice Songs for Beginner Drummers: Easy and Cool Recommendations
- Recommended songs for beginner bands: simple and crowd-pleasing tracks.
- [2026] For Band Beginners! Recommended Songs from Popular Bands That Get the Crowd Going at Live Shows
- [Winter Break Intensive Practice] A roundup of easy cover songs recommended for beginner bands
- [Challenge] Practice Songs for Beginner Electric Guitar Players
- [2026] Easy J-Pop and Japanese Rock Songs Recommended for Beginner Bassists
- Recommended Songs for Beginner Bands at School Culture Festivals
- [For Beginners] Recommended Songs for Female Vocal Bands: Great for Choosing Your Setlist! [2026]
- [Rock] Easy Band-Style Vocaloid Songs for Beginners [Simple]
- Practice songs for beginner electric bass players
- [Easy Chords] A collection of popular Japanese songs that are easy to play on guitar
- [Saxophone] Recommended practice songs for saxophone beginners: Famous tunes you’ll want to try playing
- [J-Pop] A Compilation of Songs with Awesome Drums [2026]
Drums (1–10)
horizonback number
This is a track centered around an eighth-note beat, with a variety of striking fills.
The entire song is built on straight eighths and their variations, so if you’re just playing the basic groove, even beginner drummers should be able to handle it without too much trouble.
However, the key elements of this song are the fills that appear at crucial moments.
Even at a relaxed tempo, you’ll encounter various phrases combining sixteenth notes, and if you don’t carefully sort them out and understand each phrase, they can easily get tangled.
Before playing along to the track, it’s important to study the notation and get a grasp of each phrase.
You’ll also come across note values you may not have seen much before, such as sextuplets, sixteenth-note triplets, and thirty-second notes.
Since unfamiliar note values can be tricky to play, listen to the original recording and train your body to internalize them.
AnarchyOfisharu Higedan Dism
For beginner drummers who shy away thinking “Higedan’s songs seem hard!”, here’s one of their tracks I’d like you to try—it’s relatively easy to play among their catalog.
It consists of repeated patterns of three similar beats, and there are no complex fills or grooves, so with a bit of practice many people should be able to play it.
The kick drum in this song uses a lot of offbeat strokes, so start by getting comfortable with that.
Once you can play the kick on the offbeats, you’ll definitely expand your toolkit for future performances! One thing to watch out for in this song is that the three types of phrases are similar and switch frequently between sections.
Until you’ve grasped the details of each beat, it’s easy to get mixed up, so at first I recommend practicing while looking at the sheet music to understand the structure.
Maplesupittsu
Since this song is built around a basic 8-beat pattern, it’s a great recommendation for beginners.
The 8-beat used here is very fundamental, but there’s a ghost note placed on the fourth sixteenth note.
A ghost note is a note played much more softly than usual, intended to add groove to the beat.
Once you can do this naturally, the beat will sound really compelling and cool.
Another key point is the fill right before the chorus: there’s a crash cymbal on the fourth sixteenth note of beat 4.
This phrase is super handy for carrying momentum into the next section with a sense of drive.
If you learn it now, you’ll definitely be able to use it in other songs as well.
Ms. SeptemberRADWIMPS
For beginners who want to try a RADWIMPS song, “September-san” is highly recommended.
It has a relatively slow tempo and mostly simple beats, making it easy to tackle.
However, there are two major points to watch out for.
The first is to memorize the song’s structure.
The beats themselves are simple, but similar-sounding phrases switch frequently—intro, verse A, verse B, interlude, and so on.
There are also several breaks, so make sure you know exactly what to play, how, and when.
The second point is the tom fill that appears near the end of the track.
After a repeated phrase with crash cymbals and toms, it develops into a pattern that brings in the bass drum and snare as well.
It’s not just that the sticking is a bit tricky—you may also find it hard to make it sound “cool.” Keep practicing repeatedly until you really make the phrase your own.
lilacMrs. GREEN APPLE
This is the perfect song for anyone who wants to improve their drumming by practicing a single track.
It’s up-tempo, features a wide variety of beats, and offers plenty of challenge.
Listen carefully to the intro, verse A, verse B, chorus, interlude, and bridge to identify what kind of beat is being played in each section, and master them one by one.
There are also phrases where the snare and toms alternate in 16th notes over multiple measures, and some of those sections even switch to irregular time signatures—so there are plenty of tough spots.
That said, it’s definitely doable.
Start by understanding the phrases and the song structure, then gradually bring the tempo up from slow practice toward the original tempo.
Take your time with it, aim to break out of the beginner stage, and stick with it.
RPGSEKAI NO OWARI
It’s a song with a march-like vibe, and the BPM is 135—just the right, comfortable pace to play along to.
At about this tempo, even beginners should be able to keep track of the beat while they play, so it’s perfect as a practice piece.
Another great thing about this song is that you’re good to go once you master two types of beats.
The first is the beat that appears in the A section and the chorus; the second is a slightly similar beat that shows up in the B section.
In both, your right hand plays quarter notes while your right foot on the bass drum interlocks with eighth notes, so stay calm and practice repeatedly to avoid mixing them up.
Also, check out the snare phrase in the interlude that sounds like marching—it’s a pattern you may not often encounter in rock drumming.
Since it uses triplets, make sure you understand the rhythm before you take it on.
You don’t listen to rock.aimyon
This is a song I’d recommend to beginner drummers who have just learned to play the basic 8-beat.
That’s because most of the track is built on the standard “boom, bap, boom-boom, bap” 8-beat pattern from start to finish.
There are fill-ins between sections, but those phrases are simple as well.
So if you practice calmly, you should be able to transition smoothly from the beat into the fills.
That said, there are plenty of small details to watch out for—like the bass drum rhythm being different only in the first two measures of the A section, and a brief hold at the start of the second verse.
If possible, have the sheet music on hand and practice while following along carefully; it will help your understanding.